Kinder Downfall Fell Race 2015

Wormstones catching the morning sun as
I run towards Chunal Cabin

The training for my marathon is going well and it's amazing to think that 3 years ago just running this 16km fell race was a daunting prospect. So imagine how chuffed I feel today for deciding to run from Glossop to Hayfield, and then run the race today!

The flagstones towards Mill Hill

I set off at about 8.15am, giving myself plenty of time to do the 13-14km route over to Hayfield in time for the 11.30am race start. Knowing I'd be running about 30km today I took it steady, walking most of the uphill sections up to Chunal Cabin, and up to the flags on Mill Hill. Then I settled into a great rhythm on the flags (pausing only to take photos), running all the way up to Mill Hill and down to the bottom of the steep climb onto the Kinder Plateau. I can't (yet) run all the way up the steep section there, but I picked out a big stone that I'd aim for in the race and managed to run to it on the way over. Just another 150 paces and I'd be at the top. It was actually really good to do a recce on race day, and the temptation to just keep running round the edge path was really strong as I approached Sandy Heys. I'd only seen a couple of walkers and the way ahead was basking in sunny solitude...a bit different to how it would be in a few hours. But, the race was entered, and it is a club champs counter so down the hill I went.

Kinder corner....the final steep climb onto the plateau

From the bottom of Sandy Heys/William Clough I took the race route backwards....up to the White Cabin and down the Snake Path. The 13km or so route took me just under 2 hours. A super run over in glorious t-shirt sunshine, just a little chilly so gloves mostly on. I arrived into Hayfield and made my way to the scout hut. Lovely to bump into Hayley and have a chat, then onto registration via the ever-tempting Pete Bland sales....and yes, a new pair of shoes. Mudclaw 300s for me, pair #2. They'll be stored until the autumn.

Snake Path and White cabin in distance

The usual lovely pre-race banter ensued and I changed my top layers for fresh dry ones. I reckon the wind picked up a bit too before the race started so arm warmers back on, but jacket stashed. Dave Soles did a great pre-race start speech....the main take away was don't dilly-dally on the route as he wanted to be in the pub watching football later in the afternoon!

Soon enough there was the bustle of runners squeezing up the road to pick up the Snake Path. I always feel like there's a surge of everyone coming past me in the start of a race, but I settled into my own pace and managed to run to the first stile. I then did a run-walk-run-walk strategy (aka getting out of breathe then trying and failing to recover my breathing) all the way to the White Cabin. Various Glossopdale Harriers were just in sight ahead of me, but they all just stretched out the gap between us.

I wanted to push a little on here but my legs felt heavy. I know that the trod down to the bottom of William Clough offers few passing places, but I seemed to have found my pace and didn't actually need to pass except one person. Next comes the uphill section in William

the start of William Clough

Diagonal descent to bottom of
William Clough

Clough. Fairly dry today so plenty of choices to make on the route. Soon enough the steps at the top came, various comments were made about how tough it was from my fellow racers around me, but to be honest it wasn't as bad as I remembered it from 2012. Up to the finger post, thank you to the marshals, and on to the steep climb onto Kinder plateau. I made it running to my big stone, then continued to walk all the way to the top, 150 paces just as recced a few hours earlier. Thanks to Jude for the water, much appreciated.

The edge path should, essentially be relatively easy but you need total focus on the stones, lose rocks and lumps and bumps that you pass over. At some point here I was joined by Stagger of the forum and we exchanged conversation most of the way round to somewhere near Red Brook. I just couldn't shake him! My legs felt heavy and I was conscious that I could run out of water. Hmmm.

View from Sandy Heys over to Red Brook earlier in the morning 

View from Sandy Heys with South Head and the dragons
back in the distance (taken earlier in the morning)

At Kinder Downfall I was buoyed by Harshan taking photos - thanks for the big cheer, it really did pick me up. I traded places with a few runners around me, conscious that if I relaxed too much I'd slip further and just want to sit down. The temptation to stop and take photos was immense. I resisted. Next up was Kinder Low trig and then a hello to a friends son, duly on duty with jelly babies for his mum. Down the flags and I run on the soft edges catching a lady. We chat a bit (good luck with your 12hr race next week) then I pass and just eek a few metres ahead on the approach to Edale Cross.

Around here I hear a familiar voice....Nev urging me on, well it worked as although he passed me I managed to stay in touch with him down the grassy path, over the stile (hi to Geoff marshaling) across the traverse trod and into the fields. I'm flagging and fading quite nicely by now, but its too late to try and dig out some food. I have a little water left so refresh my mouth and push on. I tell Nev I'll see him at the end but in the first field I feel good and open up my stride and seem to be catching...I wonder if I can make that stile before him....push push push and I do! and the next stile...and the next. In fact I keep Nev just on my heals all the way down until we pass the Luvshack and hit the hard surface of the road. Here Nev pulls away from me a little and I let him. Legs are heavy and I don't want to end up walking in to the end so with about 2km left I get into a pace I can hold on with.

Nev is only just ahead by 20-25m. He says he'll pick off a few runners now so I keep the distance in check and sure enough I think we overtake 2 or 3 runners. I'd like to think that I could have got past Nev in the playground but he's experienced and I know he'll have something left for the finish straight so I give him the place and just concentrate on not stopping. I can't now anyway, there's a whole gaggle of Glossopdale Harriers shouting me in, Tim's voice the loudest!! Thanks, I definitely can't stop with such support bringing me in.

Round the corner and into the finish line. Apologies if I ignored anyone there or in the field....I found myself

thanks to MossieNet for the photo
www.flickr.com/photos/mossienetphotography/

on the floor wanting to recover but ended up with cramp in my right leg. There followed a comedic conversation with Tim telling me to 'just stand up' and me replying 'not on your nelly' (maybe not so politely). A good few moments passed and I'd recovered a little. There's some good chat but soon feeling cold me and Tim head back to the scout hut to change. Cake and a drink, sunshine and results, more delightful chat and then we're done. My time wasn't on the board when we left. Tim did astounding given he ran the Three Peaks yesterday, coming in 21st today. Good to see all my fell running friends out having a blast on such a glorious sunshine day. Thank you to Dave, the marshals, tea and cake people and everyone else that got this race happening.

I'm raising funds for Glossop Mountain Rescue Team by running the Howgills Trail 26 marathon (3 weeks today) - head over to Just Giving if you'd like to sponsor me, thank you!

*Update*
Full results now published, my official time is 1:54:19, and 220th/266.  In 2012 when I last did this race I was 245th/272 in 1:53:39. So, 40secs slower this time, but I did do a 13km warm up run over to the start line! Well pleased :)

Kinder Downfall Run & Scramble

A lovely dry, warm September's day dawned and we had plans to head up to Kinder Downfall via River Kinder. We parked at Bowden Bridge and ran along to Kinder Reservoir, along to the bottom of William Clough then beared eastwards. The path along here was overhanging with bracken....and then something red caught our eyes....

 

My knowledge of mushrooms is more or less limited to those you by in the greengrocers, are edible and tasty. I do however know that wild mushrooms are usually poisonous, or at best to be avoided unless an expert says they're ok. Identifying mushrooms is fraught with dangers, many looking similar. In this case, I think I'm safe in naming these as Amanita muscaria, or Fly Agaric....and yes, they are poisonous. Please do let me know by commenting on this blog if I'm wrong - or to confirm I'm right!

After this delightful distraction looking at the numerous mushrooms and taking pictures we continued on our run, around past Red Brook and into the River Kinder.

Looking back down the river

Sandy Heys, with Kinder Downfall hidden round the corner

Still a few bilberries scattered around here

The downfall now in view

That slab was harder to get over than it looks,
but I did take the interesting route up river

The Kinder Downfall - at least the trickle of water was
falling,  not doing the famous blowing back upwards!

Woohooo!!!

Nearing the top of the scramble

and right under the downfall

Looking towards Mount Famine and South Head

As we topped out onto the edge path we came across three stranded sheep on a ledge, clearly they'd eaten all the vegetation on it and the only option down was about a 20ft drop. We've got photos of their tags and will be seeking out the farmer so we can let them know.

Three stuck sheep

The run back along the edge, down Sandy Heys and back to Bowden Bridge was lovely. I'm really enjoying the combination of a run-scramble-see new areas kind of outing. Believe it or not, we both went to areas on the ground neither of us had been to before. Even though we've both run around the area loads there is still places to explore and find that give you new views and experiences.

Lake District LSD running: Ennerdale

This weekend was the English Championships fell race (a long one) in Ennerdale. I took the opportunity to join Tim who was racing, plus the small gathering of Glossopdale Harriers on the trip, but to do my own long run separate to the race. Our bunkhouse was great, plenty of room, decent facilities and a superb wood burning stove (which proved vital to drying kit after the deluge we all ran in yesterday). If you're visiting the area and need a decent place for the night check it out, Low Cock How Farm. It's either a decent walk or a short drive to Ennerdale Bridge and the pub, but worth it.

Low Cock How Farm Bunkhouse - yes, there was sunshine both mornings

Horse and foal at the farm - they have 40+ horses and a riding school

I had all sorts of plans for my long run, but essentially I would set off before the race, run for 3-4 hours (approx 30km) and be back before the racers got to the finish. Because the forecast was for horrible weather (heavy rain, lightening and thunder) I'd initially planned to run down the valley by the lake, all the way to Black Sail YHA and back on the other side of the valley. Not the most adventurous fell running given that most of it's on forest tracks, but having run there early May (read this for a write up of that trip) I knew the valley is beautiful, and I'd be sheltered if the weather turned as expected.

Forest track....minus the forest

Tormentil flowers

The day dawned beautiful and sunny, and with hindsight I should have just grabbed my gear and headed off at 6am to enjoy the dry part of the day more. As it was I pottered about, had a lazy breakfast and studied the map for a while. I decided to run from the farm, heading through Heckbarley forest track to Grike (488m). The forest track rose steadily, just enough to think it was runnable but too steep to allow me to find a comfortable pace, so it was a run/walk/run/walk strategy - the mental game - made all the more pleasant by having a buzzard up above me for quite a while. On the ascent up to Grike there was loads of little yellow flowers out, tormentil, which I know Tim will be familiar with.

Grike summit looking eastwards up the Ennerdale Valley - the sky was starting to look 'interesting'

Grike summit view to Crag Fell 

From the top of Grike I descended the gentle slope, passing a local fell runner on his Saturday run before the rain, and then across a saddle and up Crag Fell (523m). Crag Fell was to be the final check point on the fell race, so it would be good to see where the runners would start their final descent. From Crag Fell I made the decision to drop down to Ennerdale Water in the valley bottom.

Before the descent I had to put on my waterproof for a very large rain shower fell upon me, plus the wind was fairly buffety up on the top. Once down in the valley it was almost too warm for the jacket, but too much rain to take it off. That dilemma held true for most of the run.

Part-way down the non-existent path, looking back to Ennerdale Bridge

It should have been a nice descent but either I missed the path completely or it just isn't used and is so overgrown with bracken (old and new), moss covered rocks and trees that it was a bit of a mare! I got slightly sidetracked on a decent trod but realised before I'd lost too much height that it was taking me towards Anglers Crag and the wrong way in the valley. So, after bashing across the hill side I found what should have been the path and made my way slowly down the hillside, keeping the stream and wall to my right.

Along the valley bottom the path runs right beside the lake, it's a horrible rocky-tree-root path to attempt to run on, one which all the racers will have discovered a few hours after me. I followed the path listening to a cuckoo, and soon left the lake behind, picking up a forest track on the opposite side to Ennerdale YHA.

Lake shore looking east

A good bit of the bad-for-running-path

It was lovely and peaceful running along the track, but my rucksack which was well packed for a long run (so heavier than usual) was drenched from several heavy downpours and looking back I reckon this slowed me somewhat on the run. I really don't think there was anything in my bag I could have left out. So what if I didn't need it on the day, should there have been a reason to stop all the spare kit would have been used and all the food eaten.

Looking towards Black Sail, at the point I turned back west

I ummed and arrrghed about where to turn to return to Ennerdale Bridge....for it was going to be a long run whatever. I calculated distance on the map. I worked out what I'd be happy with. It was going to feel long running along the track with it's undulations, twists and corners that never end, each rise feeling that bit harder on the legs. In the end I turned at the footbridge, about 2km short of Blacksail YHA. I really did want to get all the way there, but with the extra few kilometres at the start, plus ascent I'd done, I figured the sensible thing was to turn while I knew I could get back. 2km one way is 4km, which at the pace I was going would have easily been another 30-40mins. My calculations should have given me a total run of about 25km, which I'd have been happy with in the torrential downpours I was getting hit with. Good thing was it was warm, so much so that I didn't wear gloves at all for the whole run.

A cuckoo and Pillar somewhere in there!

I heard another cuckoo somewhere between my far point and Ennerdale YHA. Good to hear them - I will have to check out the online mapping thingy to see if they're tagged ones. For what seemed like an age I kept coming across walkers just where I wanted to stop, or walk. But pride keeps you running even when it hurts, so I reverted to counting paces and when I really needed to stop I'd take a photo (I took lots!). The valley really is beautiful, very distracting even in such bad weather. My mind was distracted too with thoughts of the racers out on the ridges above me. The views of the crags and hills above me came and went as the rain clouds did, and I ran with the constant pitter-patter of rain on my hood.

The long and undulating forest track

It wasn't until I bumped into three lady runners (one of whom I'd tentatively planned to potentially run with) that I learnt the race route had changed. Damn good job I talked myself out of charging (at a somewhat sedentary pace) up to Red Pike on the northern side of the valley. I'd seriously considered going up, even in the rain, and cheering the runners on, then going against the flow along the ridge to Starling Dodd, Great Borne, and then down to the valley from Herdus - down their first ascent. Flipping good job I didn't!!

After a brief pause to chat to the ladies I continued along the track, and soon I was beside Ennerdale Water again. The final 3km or so to go, and I really wanted to walk. Two runners came past, carrying no kit, so it was a bit of pride that urged me on running, though they soon left me behind. I pushed on knowing that its a mental game when you're tired, eating more, sipping constantly, moving forwards faster than a walk is running, right?

Crag Fell now on the opposite side of Ennerdale Water

I got to the final flagged part of the race route and having seen the race car park from a way off I knew I needed to carry on towards Crag House Farm to find Carl's car. After a search around the parked cars I couldn't see it, so resigned myself to finding the race finish in the hope of a few more cars being there. Thankfully his car was, along with my bag of dry gear, food, a towel so I could shower, and importantly a warm coffee which Tim had made me earlier, most welcomed.

On the lake shore near the end of my run

With the extra 1km finding the car I'd clocked up a decent long run. Definitely a Long Steady Distance run. Sufficient kit faffage disguised as photo stops, and enough rain to sink a battleship. I'd been out about 4 hours, with 3:24:40 moving time and 27.4km in the legs bank. Happy girl. I shall be back to Ennerdale sometime as I'd like to get up and do a bit more of the ridges around there. Perhaps not when lightening is forecast!

After the race we headed back to the bunkhouse and the very much appreciated wood burning stove was lit and kicking out heat to dry our clothes and shoes.

Tim's race report has been written and is on his blog, TestedToDestruction. A massive thanks to Carl for driving, much appreciated. We had a lovely saunter around Keswick on the way home today - if you're visiting there get yourself into Java for a panini, coffee and cake - it's delicious.

Keswick coffee shop

Shoe care

Unless you've got loads of money you are going to want to look after any shoe you buy to prolong it's lifetime. Here's how I do that:

1. If they get muddy I always wash them, either in a stream at the end of a run, or with the hose pipe in the garden. It's important to spend a few minutes giving the shoes a thorough wash. A small stone wedged somewhere will rub the fabric and could eventually lead to a hole forming. Some foot beds have tiny holes in them and mini-pebbles can get lodged in those - that could easily lead to a blister. Mud and peat pressed into fabric will abrade, so washing all the minuscule particles out can reduce that risk.

2. Dry and air shoes every time they are used. Take out the foot beds and dry those separately. Then stuff the shoe with newspaper - push it right down to the toes. I tend to get three pieces of paper in each shoe. For particularly soggy shoes, remove the paper after an hour or so and replace with dry paper. Repeat that every few hours to keep drawing the moisture out of the fabric.

Even if you've not got particularly damp feet on a run, moisture will have come off your feet so shoes should be aired anyway. No newspaper needed if they're virtually dry, just don't shove the shoes in a closed cupboard or bag until your next run.

3. Air dry the shoes away from direct heat - i.e. do not place on a radiator. However tempting it is to dry shoes quickly this will only cause more harm by drying out the fabric and stitching too quickly. Your feet are likely to get wet on a fell run anyway, so putting on damp shoes is something you quickly get used to if you only own one pair! Drying your shoes out naturally allows all the fabrics to dry evenly and they won't have that stiff crispy toasted feeling when you next put them on.

Three Sunny Trigs & Tortuous Tufty Tussocks

In my diary I have a plan for my upcoming runs. They track alongside the goals I have set for myself this year. One thing that's slipped recently has been the fortnightly long runs. Two weeks ago I did a 16km run (including an ascent of Kirk Fell in the Lake District so lots of walking), the week previous 15km, then before that we have to go right back to the middle of March for a 20km run. These facts did not please me, as my aim for the end of June is to run (as comfortably and strong as possible) around the Edale Skyline (35km), and I'm aiming for under 5 hours.

A review of my goals for the year was just the wake up call I needed.

It's no surprise, and I don't mind at all, that my own training has taken a back seat. Since qualifying as an off-road leader in running fitness, and qualifying as a personal trainer, I've been taking out groups and doing one-to-one runs with clients on a very regular basis. Because of this, my average weekly distance is about the same. I'm just not getting my own long runs in. It's all part of the settling in process to my new line of work.

But, to reach my goals I need to push outside of the comfort zone. And that's what today was all about.

For today's run I only had a vague route in mind, and had only roughly worked out distance. I didn't want the constrains of knowing I had Xkm to do, and a specific set route to follow. The only things to tick off today were time (around 3-4 hours), distance (20km would be good, 25km superb), rougher ground than I normally run on, and finally, more ascent than I would usually plan into a long route. I was going to be pushing myself outside of that comfort zone.

The run was tough. My whole body feels shattered. But, I am thoroughly pleased that I continued to push throughout the run. There were several points where it would have been easy to cut the route short and head home. This was compounded by the searing heat and sun beating down on me. I had no shade except for the very first kilometre and a small pause by a beautiful rock formation on the North edge of Kinder.

I'll share the photos now, I think you'll agree it was a grand run out onto Bleaklow, Kinder and back to Glossop. 22.2km with 1096m of ascent in 3hrs 18.

the first climb from Spring Cabin to James Thorn

Nearing Lower Shelf Stones, looking back to James Thorn with Glossop in background

Higher Shelf Stones trig point (621m)

Already feeling hot, just 6km done. Higher Shelf Stones in background as I run along Crooked Clough

Waterfall in Crooked Clough with Higher Shelf Stones in background

Signposts at Snake Summit, looking South

Featherbed Moss

Thousands of cloudberries on Featherbed Moss

Dropping down  into Ashop Clough, Kinder North edge looming up above....I'm about to go up that!

The North edge of Kinder a little closer

But it's hard going as I'm contending with knee high grass tussocks

Nether Red Brook - I'm aiming to the West of this, you can see the steepness of the climb I'm facing 

I made it....I'm on the North edge of Kinder - from here I bashed across the moor over many many peat groughs and boggy dammed groughs. Proper hands pulling on heather in parts, and slip sliding down steep groughs. Loads of fun.

Sandy Heys trig point (624m)

Superb running on the drop down from Sandy Heys towards Kinder Reservoir

Then the long climb back up to Mill Hill via William Clough

William Clough

My third trig point of the day, Harry Hut (440m)

Glossop nestled below Chunal Moor

If you want to see the route I took head over to strava - there's a link to my stats at the right hand side, towards to top of this blog.