Sheffers
If someone had told me that Sheffield, 'grim city oop norf' would have glorious sunshine all weekend I would have fed their flatcap to the nearest whippet. It's not meant to be nice! So to find myself cursing a lack of shades or sunblock while dodging down a dry and dusty trail in Wharncliffe woods was a nice surprise to say the least.
quondam had inveigled me into a weekend of pain and pleasure; 'Turbo X' event at Wharncliffe woods and Aganoize in the evening. Choose how you want to distribute the pain & pleasure depending on your strange tendencies. Arrived Friday night feeling a great deal better than I had either earlier that day or Thursday (which i'd taken off I ill) and after managing to avoid the most stupid of mistakes, leaving my bag on the bus. Had left it on the bus when traveling to work but fortunately was able to recover it at lunchtime with minimal fuss. I can be so blonde sometimes!
Arrived into Sheffield around 23:00 to be met by a quiet station and loud city. Fresher students queuing round the corner in tiny dresses and ben sherman shirts (not at the same time). Abused the shower in the hotel before collapsing into bed to try and catch some sleep before the race the next morning. Failed to get more than a few hours sleep and spent a restless night fighting with duvet and pillows.
Morning was a hideous affair with a 0630 start that neither of us really needed. Cloudy. Cold. In need of coffee. Arrived at the 'Village' in time to pick up chips (electronic, not potato) and race number. Used the clean portaloos not a few times before the race, I guess at least I was carrying less weight! I had been unsure as to how my right ankle or my overall endurance would handle after my previous complains. Little did I know I had little to worry about from either and should really have had a large chunk of humble pie after the run...
Race started down across an open grassy field before descending into a narrow passage and then into 'standard' forestry commission style tracks. Ran this first part conservatively with half a mind on the full 10miles i'd have to complete as well as the fell-running shoes I wore which have no cushioning at all. Running on dry, hard packed soil is not what these grippy beasts where designed for. Up and down we went for a while without much difficulty before the track went to what i'd refer to in mountain-bike terms as 'singletrack'; no real room for overtaking.
Went merrily along with Sarah and in front a couple of red shirted female runners. I don't think in this kind of event I see gender as a distinction, it's bloody hard and everyone is thrown in together. Felt constrained by the runners ahead as I ended up having to watch the small space between me and the immediate 'red shirt' which was only a couple of feet. After about five minutes made my move and you could say the rest is history...After one over taking maneuver I kept going, over taking ever couple of minutes.
'Singletrack' whether riding or running requires practise. As I mentioned in my Norway expedition i'm happy with my balance and judgement when it comes to running around offroad. Many people seemed to slow down to judge the next move and on numerous occasions I was heading past them as they did! Looking back on it a slip of the foot or a misjudgment of weigh-bearing ground couple have left me with a large branch impaled in my gut. But that kind of thinking leads to you hiding in a hole fearing the sky will fall on your head.
So I ran. I ran like I did when I was a child, with enthusiasm and the simple joy of leaping from root to rut to rock. Some of the slopes where harsh, so steep that you had to crawl to get up them. I recognised some of it as being a downhill mountain bike track! The route kept on going in a tortuous up and down manner giving you a technical run through the trees and then a open dusty road to recover on.
Entered the 'Turbo X' zone to the sound of Guns n' Roses Welcome to the Jungle which has to be one of the more surreal experiences i've had. The Turbo X zone seemed to involve mud troughs to run through. Gloopy mud had been created which had the consistency of drying concrete and the smell of sh*t, to put it simply. Smelled awful, felt awful and tried to steal your shoes from your feet. Worst part was when somebody slowed up and formed a human traffic jam as he tried to climb over a small log which had been placed over the trough. Fought my way through to the other side.
Kept running and running making mindless banter with whoever I was beside at the time. My left ankle hurt but then so did my right! My hands where covered in slowly drying mud as was my face. Just keep going. I'd skipped out on the water station 'half way round' as it wasn't worth it for an event under 2 hours in duration. At some point I had to walk some sections which is not such a bad admission as i'd usually think, many competitors had been reduced to a slow pace or to walk.
Eventually I realised I was on the same narrow path that we'd descended right at the start so that somewhere ahead would be a large open field and a grassy climb to the finish. Path ends and the field opens up into glorious sunshine and i'm heading up with a couple of others, then as we round the last marker I manage to find something extra and slowly, ever so slowly pull ahead of the guys I was running with and push across the line.
1 hour 46 minutes and 51 seconds. 16kilometers. Elated, not usually one to get overly excited I did want to wave my arms about. One of the guys i'd just managed to beat shook my hand, it had been a good race (I see two guys on the results table only seconds behind me). I felt better than I had in the marathon, I felt like i'd given pretty much my all and done well in an event which suited me. 88 out of 343. Maybe I should join a club...
Sarah finished only 15minutes behind me and given the course i'm very impressed. I run up hills regularly, Edinburgh is built around an extinct volcano or two, Birmingham...isn't. Well done girl! :)
Amusing post race photo.
I'd now like to finish with a fun-filled evening at the gig, but it was canceled. Weekend was whiled away eating, watching telly and talking nonsense. Oh and showing off who had the biggest scratches. Felt a bit down once I got back on Sunday, then felt ill. Ah well, can't win 'em all.
quondam had inveigled me into a weekend of pain and pleasure; 'Turbo X' event at Wharncliffe woods and Aganoize in the evening. Choose how you want to distribute the pain & pleasure depending on your strange tendencies. Arrived Friday night feeling a great deal better than I had either earlier that day or Thursday (which i'd taken off I ill) and after managing to avoid the most stupid of mistakes, leaving my bag on the bus. Had left it on the bus when traveling to work but fortunately was able to recover it at lunchtime with minimal fuss. I can be so blonde sometimes!
Arrived into Sheffield around 23:00 to be met by a quiet station and loud city. Fresher students queuing round the corner in tiny dresses and ben sherman shirts (not at the same time). Abused the shower in the hotel before collapsing into bed to try and catch some sleep before the race the next morning. Failed to get more than a few hours sleep and spent a restless night fighting with duvet and pillows.
Morning was a hideous affair with a 0630 start that neither of us really needed. Cloudy. Cold. In need of coffee. Arrived at the 'Village' in time to pick up chips (electronic, not potato) and race number. Used the clean portaloos not a few times before the race, I guess at least I was carrying less weight! I had been unsure as to how my right ankle or my overall endurance would handle after my previous complains. Little did I know I had little to worry about from either and should really have had a large chunk of humble pie after the run...
Race started down across an open grassy field before descending into a narrow passage and then into 'standard' forestry commission style tracks. Ran this first part conservatively with half a mind on the full 10miles i'd have to complete as well as the fell-running shoes I wore which have no cushioning at all. Running on dry, hard packed soil is not what these grippy beasts where designed for. Up and down we went for a while without much difficulty before the track went to what i'd refer to in mountain-bike terms as 'singletrack'; no real room for overtaking.
Went merrily along with Sarah and in front a couple of red shirted female runners. I don't think in this kind of event I see gender as a distinction, it's bloody hard and everyone is thrown in together. Felt constrained by the runners ahead as I ended up having to watch the small space between me and the immediate 'red shirt' which was only a couple of feet. After about five minutes made my move and you could say the rest is history...After one over taking maneuver I kept going, over taking ever couple of minutes.
'Singletrack' whether riding or running requires practise. As I mentioned in my Norway expedition i'm happy with my balance and judgement when it comes to running around offroad. Many people seemed to slow down to judge the next move and on numerous occasions I was heading past them as they did! Looking back on it a slip of the foot or a misjudgment of weigh-bearing ground couple have left me with a large branch impaled in my gut. But that kind of thinking leads to you hiding in a hole fearing the sky will fall on your head.
So I ran. I ran like I did when I was a child, with enthusiasm and the simple joy of leaping from root to rut to rock. Some of the slopes where harsh, so steep that you had to crawl to get up them. I recognised some of it as being a downhill mountain bike track! The route kept on going in a tortuous up and down manner giving you a technical run through the trees and then a open dusty road to recover on.
Entered the 'Turbo X' zone to the sound of Guns n' Roses Welcome to the Jungle which has to be one of the more surreal experiences i've had. The Turbo X zone seemed to involve mud troughs to run through. Gloopy mud had been created which had the consistency of drying concrete and the smell of sh*t, to put it simply. Smelled awful, felt awful and tried to steal your shoes from your feet. Worst part was when somebody slowed up and formed a human traffic jam as he tried to climb over a small log which had been placed over the trough. Fought my way through to the other side.
Kept running and running making mindless banter with whoever I was beside at the time. My left ankle hurt but then so did my right! My hands where covered in slowly drying mud as was my face. Just keep going. I'd skipped out on the water station 'half way round' as it wasn't worth it for an event under 2 hours in duration. At some point I had to walk some sections which is not such a bad admission as i'd usually think, many competitors had been reduced to a slow pace or to walk.
Eventually I realised I was on the same narrow path that we'd descended right at the start so that somewhere ahead would be a large open field and a grassy climb to the finish. Path ends and the field opens up into glorious sunshine and i'm heading up with a couple of others, then as we round the last marker I manage to find something extra and slowly, ever so slowly pull ahead of the guys I was running with and push across the line.
1 hour 46 minutes and 51 seconds. 16kilometers. Elated, not usually one to get overly excited I did want to wave my arms about. One of the guys i'd just managed to beat shook my hand, it had been a good race (I see two guys on the results table only seconds behind me). I felt better than I had in the marathon, I felt like i'd given pretty much my all and done well in an event which suited me. 88 out of 343. Maybe I should join a club...
Sarah finished only 15minutes behind me and given the course i'm very impressed. I run up hills regularly, Edinburgh is built around an extinct volcano or two, Birmingham...isn't. Well done girl! :)
Amusing post race photo.
I'd now like to finish with a fun-filled evening at the gig, but it was canceled. Weekend was whiled away eating, watching telly and talking nonsense. Oh and showing off who had the biggest scratches. Felt a bit down once I got back on Sunday, then felt ill. Ah well, can't win 'em all.