Equinox 24 - Endurance Race

Team WB (Post event debrief curry!)

It was with a slight sense of trepidation back in 2015 that I agreed to make up part of a large team entry for the 2016 Equinox 24 hour race.  Once again coerced by Amanda, I decided it would be fun, and with 8 people on the team, it would be totally doable - run a 10k lap, have a rest, run another, have a rest... 

As the event loomed, I was worrying quite a lot about my loss of fitness over the summer holidays - not to mention the 7lb prosecco induced weight gain - oops.  During the week before the event I didn't have too much time to panic as it was back to school and new routines all around.  

Team mates in "Team WB" consisted of Aidan "the IT guru" Grant, Amanda - "the organisor" Skeldon, Dane - "Ironman" Stanley, Caz - "ac workwear" Whittle, Connor - "tallest man I've ever met" Lomax, Sally - "long stride" Kaill and Julie - "onemorelap (with a blister)" Rundall.  

Caz looking strong at the finish 

Living up to their organised reputations Aidan and Amanda did a sterling job of creating a rota of run times for us all to work from.  It wasn't an easy task as a) during the first team organisation meeting we all got pissed (the bike ride home through Whaley Bridge with Caz and Aidan was utterly hilarious though) and b) we all wanted different gaps in between laps.  After a second - more productive team meeting - everything was arranged - from run rota to who was bringing what and travelling with who.  


On Saturday 17th September Connor collected Caz and I at some unsociable hour (after a very unsettled nights sleep  - thanks to Amanda pinging our Equinox messenger group in the middle of the night to let us know she had insomnia) and off we went - loaded up to the hilt. 

 The event was being held in the grounds of Belvior (meaning "beautiful view" but pronounced Beaver - because the Anglo-Saxon population was unable to pronounce it and it stuck - unfortunately! Castle in Lincolnshire near Grantham.  The journey took around 2 hours and on arrival we found Amanda and Dane looking freezing at camp WB as the rain had set in.   

Sponsored by ac workwear.com

I was very envious of their Dryrobes - a long garment designed for swimmers to keep warm and dry between swims.  Connor was so envious he went and bought a Swimzi (same idea as Dryrobe) and this was also a bonus for me as I followed him on two of my laps so I was able to wear his (floor length on me) Swimzi while I waited for him to arrive!

Lap 1 complete! 

After we set up camp and everyone arrived (bar Julie who came a bit later), we cheered Amanda off on the first lap of the 24 hours. 

 The atmosphere was great with teams cheering people on and the run in was very long - about a kilometre lined with tents and people cheering and watching.  

The rest of the time went incredibly quickly for me considering I had an 8 hour gap until I was running my first lap! I spent the time watching the others off, cheering them in, eating and trying to rest (unsuccessfully!).

At the finish of my 4am lap

Sally looking strong with her long stride!

The rota Amanda and Aidan had devised worked really well and we changed it as we needed to - Julie needed a bit of a longer rest after her first lap so we just swapped Caz in early.  Dane went out on his lap and was sick, he had been struck down with some form of man bug which was a bit of a blow as he was one of the 4 lap plus crew!  It really didnt matter in the end - we let Dane sleep through the night and Connor and I ended up going an hour earlier than planned which wasn't a problem as I couldn't sleep at all. 

My Favourite team name "Nice Belvoir"

Running in the dead of the night was really strange but actually totally fine.  The strangest thing for me was running my third lap - the only lap I did in the daylight!  It was funny to look around and think - ahh so that's where all the laughing ducks are - at the side of a huge lake!  

 "Thank you.  I've just had it stuffed"

I felt really sorry for the solo runners and small teams - the feeling of passing lots of people is really motivating, it's like being in a race where you are the fastest and you just keep progressing - the only difference here is that you can be fresh as a daisy bounding around your second lap of the course after an eight hour gap - whilst the poor sod you just passed is hobbling round their 11th lap with no proper resting (and about a million blisters) in between! It makes you feel both happy and guilty at the same time!

Julie heading for home

There were all sorts of people competing - small teams of 3-4 people, solos, pairs, and large teams like us.  Some were doing it for charity whilst others were doing it for their own personal goals.  There was even a man with a tumble dryer on his back!  I passed him sat down in the middle of the night sorting out his blisters - everyone was really supportive though and offering help.  There were blokes in tutus, people in teams all dressed the same, and even a rival team for Team WB - the Marple Runners team!  

Running in with Aidan on the final lap

Most of our team members are involved in Whaley Bridge junior parkrun, and the Marple runners are the same - either involved with Marple juniors or the Marple adult parkrun. Although they only had 7 team members, we seemed evenly matched and it became Aidan's mission for us to beat them!  They were easy to spot in their Dennis the Menace style running tops, and we had good banter with them.

Feeling and looking tired during my 3rd lap

Posing with our medals

All of our team did really well with everyone completing at least 3 laps and Aidan and Julie completing 4.  I think the hardest thing is the combination of camping and running! It's hard to stay warm when you have dried chilled sweat on your body (nice!) and no amount of baby wiping can constitute a shower in my opinion!  I was the only one who braved the showers after my last lap (think huge tanker attached to portaloo style) but it was the best thing ever!  It was lovely and warm!  In the night though I felt cold and sticky and it stopped me from getting any decent sleep.  I think adrenaline takes over too.

My essentials for a 24hr race:
- wellies! or crocs if it's dry - my birkenstocks were a big fail
- lots of socks - I ended up spending £15 on a pair of compression ankle socks because my feet were cold and I only brought enough socks for 3 laps!
- loose warm clothes for over running clothes (inc. a fleece)

Coming in after my 8am (and final) run - eyes closed already!

- diet cherry coke!
- hot chocolate/tea/coffee
- decent headtorch and spare batteries for each lap

See it was fun!

Desirables
- dryrobe
- shower between laps!
- team vests with names on

Gear-wise for the runs I wore my OMM three-quarter length running tights for 2 laps and then my Karrimor capris for my last lap, these were both really comfortable and warm enough/not too warm.  I wore my Inov-8 Roclites for all 3 laps with no problems - I changed socks for each lap.  I wore my Team GB vest for all my laps - for the early morning lap I wore a technical t-shirt underneath.  I don't sweat very much so that made it much easier!  My LED Lenser headtorch was brilliant and three of us used it!  I even lit a lady in whose torch had gone very dull! (she was fast and made me go a bit quicker so that was a bonus!).

Overall, it was a totally different experience which I enjoyed (we have entered Team WB again for 2017 so it can't have been that bad!) it was fun being part of a team and we all worked well together.  I was worried about the distance but actually having large gaps in between made them manageable and I avoided injury so that was a bonus!  I am never going to be interested in long distance running but I reckon for a weekend once a year I can put up with it and try my best!

Results are here for anyone interested in lap times. 

Thanks to all the team for a fun weekend!

Representing the Goyt Valley Striders, Whaley Bridge junior parkun and ac workwear

Connor and the girls (Julie MIA again)

Look closely and you can see the castle in the background

The magnificent 7 - (missing Julie)

Snowdon!

I said I would and I did! To be honest running Snowdon was much easier than racing on Mount Famine the week before... (see blog post on that here)

Over half term, we set off on our family bank holiday weekend to a new touring site in Llanberis, Snowdonia.  

I was hoping to get chance to run up Snowdon, but as the weekend progressed I didn't think I would get time.  We did however cycle around Lake Padarn taking in the Dinorwig quarries en route.  My little lad W (6) did so well cycling the full 12 miles, especially with some of the brutal climbs up Fachwen.  I wont say he didn't cry, but lets just say the descent down the other side was worth it - that and the picnic which involved Grandmas brownies - they helped too!  Mr A did especially well as he had our daughter, S (age 4), in the kiddie seat on the back of his Marin, which is a bit tired to understate it entirely.  He was nearly going over backwards on the steepest section!  

On the Monday we headed to Surf-lines to hire a kayak for Mr A and W.  It was another beautiful hot, sunny day, and as S and I paddled in the lagoon, I looked up at the mountains and thought how clear it was and how I couldn't leave without at least attempting to run up Snowdon!  So at 2pm I headed off towards the mountain railway and up the steep road which leads to the Llanberis path.  


I was fully expecting to be heading up with other people but there were dozens and dozens, some in correct gear, lots of quite young children and some in totally inadequate clothing! Lots of people had walking poles which were a good idea for the way back.  

I had agreed with Mr A that I would set off and see how far I got, we arranged a phone call at 4pm, if I hadn't come back.  I had no idea how long it would take.  The heat was really intense and I was hoping I had enough water with me.  I took my new OMM Ultra Waist Pack, which took a bit of getting used to but once in the correct position on my waist was really useful and comfy.  I took gels, vaseline (for my feet, in case of blisters and my lips) and my OMM Kamleika jacket just in case it was chilly at the summit (if I ever got there!).  I really wished I had taken a sunscreen stick as I found the sun was burning my arms a bit, but it was only a problem on the way up and I wore a UV cap which stopped my head burning.    

On my way up the first steep road I was thinking that I had probably made the wrong decision to run up Snowdon on the hottest day of the year, it was boiling!  I passed hikers walking backwards to stretch their legs after all the downhill they had endured and I ended up walking a bit of the road before the path and telling myself it wasn't a race and to just see where I was in an hours time.  Fortunately, the route was really obvious, they don't call it the motorway for nothing!  I just cracked on up the rocky path and followed everyone else!  I say follow, I must have overtaken a hundred people by the time I got to the halfway house.  It was quite amusing hearing all the comments as I ran past, some of my favourites included a man asking me if I was going to run all the way up, some lads saying "f**k that" a lady stating that they had no reason to be moaning about walking up when "that girl is running it".  There were loads!  Honestly I think they thought my level of insanity affected my hearing - it didn't, but it did make it more amusing though!

Before the first underpass (where the mountain railway passes overhead) Kevin and Perry thought it would be hilarious to run after me, mimicking me.  It was laughable how far they managed to run before giving up and I never saw them again...what a shame...

I stopped a few times to marvel at the views down to Llanberis and take pictures.  I also took a few photos for people who readily handed over cameras and smartphones, I could have made a mint legging it back down to town and firing up ebay!

The route was lovely, I would recommend it to anyone as a first mountain hike, it wasn't too steep until about three quarters of the way up, after the second underpass.  It got very dramatic on the left hand side with a huge drop down what must have been the Pen-y-Pass below, where the cars looked tiny, and a steep and shaley section followed.  I was thinking how hard this was going to be to negotiate on the return journey, some people were really struggling - but I noticed a bit of moorland not to far from the track which looked far more runnable. 

I was nearly there after the steep section and ran at a half decent pace (considering the heat) all the way to the summit, which felt brilliant!  Once there it was crazy!  People were sticking to the summit cairn like ants round candyfloss, and queuing up the steps!  I decided I would nip up as I was on my own and I sat with my legs hanging over the edge, overlooking the summit station for a few minutes.  It was so busy I struggled to get up without being knocked off the top,  but there was no way I was running all that way and not touching the cairn in the middle!  I reached past people and I was off, running down with gusto!

I had not been looking forward to going back down as I thought my shoes would rub, but it wasn't too bad and I felt like I held quite a good pace as I trip trapped like a little mountain goat past people coming up and heading down.  I loved the rocky sections and jumped from rock to rock dodging dogs and kids.  

Once at the steep, technical section I tried sliding down the scree but didn't want to make a fool of myself by falling, so I hopped onto the right hand moorland and ran down the grass instead, as I had planned on the way up.    

After a couple of miles Mr A rang to check in with me and we arranged to meet up near the ice cream parlour in the town.  As I passed yet more people walking backwards down the steep road I remember feeling a sense of relief at being able to run on the flat again as my toes were becoming quite sore.  
I ran past the little semi circle of shops and cafes at the Mountain Railway and remember seeing people chilling out and watching us come past.  I could read a few of their minds as they thought I wonder if she ran up to the top. Well I did, and it was great! According to Strava, I did the whole up and back in 2 hours and 2 minutes, which I was really happy with in that heat! I'm now considering the Snowdon fell race next year, watch this space! 

Happy mountain running!

TLF :-)

Top Tips for your First Fell Race

Based on my experiences of fell races, I have compiled a list of things which may be useful to know before heading to your first race...

Finding a race local to you:
In order to find out about local races, the internet is a good place to start, especially if you are an "unattached" runner (not a member of a running club).  The Fell Runners Association (FRA) is a good site. I would recommend joining a local club as running in a club vest is a great feeling when other members cheer you on, and you often get discount at bigger events.

Kit needed: 
In general, fell running is a pretty simple sport with minimal kit requirements, however, there is a definite winter/summer divide and weather obviously plays the main part in choosing what kit to wear and when.

Wearing a jacket in cold and windy conditions

Winter Kit Suggestions:

• A head cover - hat/buff/headband (I prefer a buff or headband to cover my ears, which lets heat escape from the top of my head, I guess if you are a bit "thin on top" you may prefer a hat!)
• Gloves - you can get waterproof gloves but I find my hands soon warm up so I wear basic thin running ones and usually end up taking them off mid-race
• Base layer top with long sleeves
• Technical Tee (never wear cotton as it soaks up sweat then chills to the bone)
• Race vest (if member of a club) 
• Long running tights (with a drawstring waist) 
• Wool or wool blend socks 
• Fell shoes with good grip (very very important) I use the Inov-8 mudclaws but try Walsh or Salomon for other popular choices
• Jacket - a waterproof (with taped seams), windproof and breathable jacket or smock like the OMM Kamleika is highly recommended and actually a necessity if running under "full kit" rules (more about this later)

Summer Kit Suggestions:

Buxton Carnival Race - Summer kit

• A cap, visor or sunglasses (or just a thin headband to keep flyaway hair out of your face if it's long - you can get 1cm wide bands with silicone grips on the back which are good)
• Technical Tee (may not be required if it's a warm day but handy to take just in case)
• Race vest
• Shorts, short tights or 3/4 length tights
• Thin running socks
• Fell or Trail shoes dependent on conditions and terrain

Accessories - 

Lambs Longer Leg in the snow - Wearing a hydration vest

• For longer races - A hydration vest like one pictured in the Lambs Longer Leg race 
• For short races a water bottle with loop for hand will be fine (I often don't carry any water for short races less than 10 miles)
• A  bladder system can be used if a backpack needs to be worn e.g. if full kit is required to be carried see the Phantom 12 from OMM 
• GPS watch I use a Garmin Forerunner 220 or a Garmin Vivoactive HR
• Vaseline - thin layer between the toes
• Suncream stick
• 4 x safety pins (usually provided at registration) or a triathlon belt to hold race number in place

Spring racing

Full kit requirements - 

A set of runners rules is here.  It often states that, "competitors must be prepared to carry full kit" in order for the organisers to cover themselves for insurance purposes. 

It is always worth taking a backpack with a map of the route (usually available online), hat, gloves, compass, whistle, water, sweet snack or gel (jellybabies are very popular, I prefer jellybeans!) and full body cover (a waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers (both with taped seams) with you to fell races, just in case you are made to carry them.  

Generally, you don't need to if the race is in the short category, and it is left to the runners discretion but do bear in mind that, if you are going up high - the weather may change and you may need a jacket for example, as a bare minimum.  My jacket has actually proved to be a helpful aid as I was literally blown by the wind past three other runners in the Famous Grouse fell race last year!

It is worth having a read of the following links just in case you get into difficulties or encounter another runner in trouble (it is compulsory to help another runner if you find them in a poor condition, regardless of the fact you are racing).

Windy at the summit - jacket and headband needed!

Hypothermia info
Hypoglycemia info (low blood sugar)
Dehydration info

Race Abbreviations 

When I first started to look for fell races, I was baffled due to the abbreviations used - as there are 2 letters describing each race. 

The first is A, B or C and shows the average height gain per mile.


A = Really Steep! (Think near vertical hills and using your hands to help!)
B = Quite steep
C = Not really that steep

The second letter used is S, M or L and shows the length of the race:

S = Short  less than 10k
M = Medium  10 - 20k
L = Long 20k +

A steep climb!

Ultras are races longer than marathon distance (eek!)

Other abbreviations are:

'ER' = experience required.
'LK' = local knowledge an advantage.
'NS' = navigational skills required. 
'PM' = course partially marked.

I have never had to read a map or use any navigational skills in any of the races I have done, I think that the chances of me being at the front are very slim and generally, I can see other runners as I am mid-field.  That said, it would obviously be useful to have a map and compass just in case, and know how to use them!  It's the sort of thing you make the call on, on the day.

What to expect on the day - 

Weather is never permitting in this sport!  Fell races are not weather dependent  - they are always going to be run, if you can get there, it will be on!  This is not a sport for softies, if its snowing, so what? Actually, running in the snow is quite cool (yes, literally!).

Fell running has a mid-week season, starting in Spring, with races held at around 7-7.30pm on Wednesday evenings (not always but in general).  You literally just turn up (unless the event is pre-entry only which would be quite unusual) - it's worth car sharing if possible, as parking is normally limited, pay a really nominal fee (my last race entry was £3), fill in a form, attach your number to your front, head to the start area, listen to the briefing and off you go!  It's all very low-key and friendly.  When you have finished the prize giving is usually quite quick, and it's nice to stay and support who won etc. but if you have to dash home the results are usually available in the next couple of days online.

There are usually a lot more male runners than females, and the results can be a bit baffling, with different age categories.  

A fellow Goyt Valley Strider from the MV50 category -
 Pete Ambrose finishing the Thomas Theyer fell race in April

Usually, there are the following categories:

MU23/FU23 (Male/Female Under 23 Years)
M/F(Male/Female between 24 - 39)
MV40/FV40 (Male Veteran 40 aged between 40 and 44)
and so on with ...
MV45/FV45 etc. up to the 80's!  Sometimes, the increments are 10 year and not 5 year ones, but it depends on the race and the association etc.

One of the best things about fell running...

And that's it!  The main thing is to start off with the fairly short B races, as the AS ones are really tough - even though they are short.  Try to go with someone else, even if you don't run at the same pace, car sharing and post race blow by blow accounts are all part of the fun! 

Remember, it may feel like the worst thing you have ever done at the time (!), but that good old "run-esia" (run amnesia) will kick in after and you will only remember the achievement and I promise you will want to do it again!

Happy Fell Running!

TLF x

My OMM Bike Peak District

The week before last saw the final preparations for my first ever orienteering style race, and my second bike event of the year (a Duathlon in February being my first).  As part of my OMM Ambassador role I get the fantastic opportunity to enter OMM events and write about them, so I decided to try the bike event rather than the "Lite" (running) event as it was something different and Caz could do it with me.  

Team GVS ready for action!

In the lead up to the event Caz (my teammate) and I got our kit together and put in quite a few miles on our bikes (road and MTB) and were pleased with our fitness.  Caz has had experience of navigational events before in both running and on bikes, whereas I have never had to use navigational skills before, so I was really excited to give it a go!

At the beginning of the week I had my bike mini-serviced at The Bike Factory - who kindly supplied us with gels, bars and hydration for the event, and, on Wednesday, I competed in my second fell race of the year - the Herod Farm Fell Race.

An array of nutritional goodies

Herod Farm Fell Race in Glossop, Derbyshire is a Category AS race covering 3 miles and 340 metres of climb. Having never done this race before I was quite keen to have a go, especially as I had heard it called "Horrid Farm" by other Goyt Valley Striders!  

Me with Estelle and Helen

I found the course suited me down to the ground as it started off with a proper hill right from the off, and it reminded me of a mini version of the Famous Grouse fell race, which I had done well in last year, managing to be first lady Strider home.   

"She's behind you!"

After the first hill came another hill, one which most of the field walked up due to its gradient, little did I know that the next hill would be a monster! I literally had to use my hands to help and not look down as we ascended the nab (slowly!).  

"Wheeee!"

It was with jelly legs that I reached the summit, and it took a bit of persuasion to get them running again!  I really enjoyed the fast downhill sections which followed, especially a lovely steep smooth grassy field where I managed to pass two runners!  I really went for it at the farm track we had started up, as I knew the finish was imminent.  

Again, I was really pleased to be first lady Strider home, 11th lady overall out of 36 and 3rd in my age category with a time of 34:48, full results can be found here. Definitely not horrid, definitely Herod.

OMM Bike Peak District

Map boards were a brilliant addition to our kit

I was really excited waking up on the Saturday morning, the sun was shining and I felt that I was as prepared as I would ever be, Caz and I looked the part in matching outfits to represent both of our clubs - on Saturday we opted for the Chinley Churners (our cycling club) in our "Beer, Cake, Bikes" tee shirts, buffs and hoodies (which were a good talking point and much admired), and on Sunday we opted for our Goyt Valley Striders kit.  

Caz owns a workwear embroidery and printing company and supplies both of the clubs with merchandise so we were kindly kitted out by a&c workwear for the weekend.  

Wearing my Rotor Vest

Obviously, I also wore my new OMM products which had arrived just in time!  - namely the OMM long sleeved tee which served as an excellent base layer, and I actually washed and dried it overnight and wore it both days.  My new Kamleika Jacket was absolutely brilliant, it is soft, doesn't rustle at all and fits perfectly.  I stayed warm and dry both days when wearing it.  

Team Churners!

The second day was much cooler with stronger winds so I wore my Rotor Vest as an insulation layer, which was really good as it is so thin but lovely and warm, in fact I had to remove my jacket after the first climb!  My trusty OMM Last Drop 10 backpack served me well yet again and fitted all the necessary kit in (just!).

Dexshell overshoes in action

I wore Dexshell overshoes on both days - I found they were quite hard to get on, and Caz had to help me with the zip, but once done up they fit really well and my feet stayed clean and warm both days - on the first day we encountered a calf-deep river crossing and it was a few seconds before the water seeped into my shoes.  They dried out over the course of the day so I was really glad of the neoprene keeping my feet snug.  I really gave them some hammer up the boulders of a green lane where we ended up pushing our bikes and the bottom of the overshoes stayed relatively in tact - a big ask!

So, we had all the gear, but did we have any idea what we were letting ourselves in for?! The answer is yes and no, we both anticipated that we would push ourselves and get as many checkpoints as possible, but on day 1 we managed to spend too long getting a 50 point control and it really set us back.  

Control 31 was our nemesis!

The map covering a wide area

We had decided to try to map a vaguely circular route taking in as many controls as possible.  This we did but the terrain was unknown and we found ourselves taking some paths which were slower than taking longer road options. We were also less confident at knowing whether we would be going up or downhill, it was tempting to think north is up and south is down!  We got quite adept at reading contours and meters by the end of the competition!

Eating my way to more space!

Our bike map boards were a Godsend, we could navigate on the move which was brilliant, and we managed to keep moving most of the time.  We had been really organised with food and made everything bitesize and mostly accessible - though at one point I literally had to eat a load of food to make room in my pack for my jacket!


We managed to get 12 controls on the first day, passing through Hurdlow, Glutton Bridge, Hollinsclough, Hardings Booth, Fawfieldhead, Hulme End and Biggin. We were pleased with our route and we ended up doing 27 miles which wasn't too bad considering some of the steep and technical terrain.  Going into day 2 we were well up for the challenge of another go!  In fact, we both said we would have liked 5 hours on both days rather than 5 on the first and 4 on the second!  

Caz with Parkhouse Hill in the background

On day 2 we changed tactics a little and decided to forget trying to get to tricky 50 pointers.  We headed north of the start at Parsley Hay crossing the A515 and heading to Alport.  We seemed to be picking up controls much more often and we were pacing ourselves well.  We saw some lovely places, the village of Alport was stunning and we loved the scenery around there.  After about 20 miles it started to rain slightly, and the wind seemed cooler.  We were crossing exposed arable moorland so we put our jackets back on and continued to our next control.  In the end we managed to get a couple of bonus controls - a total of 11, again covering around 26 miles.


The organisation of the event was excellent.  All of the OMM staff and volunteers went out of their way to accommodate everyone and it was really simple to know what to do - basically get your wrist SPORTident dibber at registration on day 1, have it cleared by "dibbing" it in the little box on both mornings, choose a start time for both days and off you go!  All really relaxed and fun.  The food provided was lovely, especially the cakes!

After the event - tired but happy!

Checking my compass!

I was relieved not to have to wear a competitor number as I didn't want to put holes in my new gear with safety pins!  All of our information was stored on our dibbers which was great!

Overall, our aim was to get as many controls as possible without getting lost, and without coming last! We really pushed ourselves and felt we couldn't have tried any harder. Out of 29 entries we were 21st overall, which for our first go wasn't a bad attempt and the main thing is we had fun!  

Since the event, we have printed out all of the splits to see what the more experienced competitors did differently, the main difference being that they went for as many 50 pointers as possible and travelled further than us. 

Our route planning however was good and we followed similar routes to others so that was reassuring.  On the whole we both really enjoyed the weekend and would definitely do it all again!  Thank you OMM!  

My next blog will cover tips for first-time fell runners, along with more race reports, until then, happy running!

TLF