Last long, long run before Bradwell.
Sunday's long run got off to a late start. Firstly, I forgot to arm my alarm and then I was further delayed by the after effect of substituting bought muesli for proper meals (am I the only one who finds it hard to eat hot, carb rich meals when the weather is warm). Given the very late start I was very surprised, though not ungrateful, to find Gradbach car park half empty.
I knew I would not have time to do my usual 27 mile route (Gradbach, Back Forest, Wincle Minn, Bosley, Croker Hill, Teggs Nose, Shutlingsloe), so opted for an open ended out and back to use what time I had as fully as possible.
I set off east along the Dane for the path over Birchenough Hill. The path uphill from Love Lane to the farm track is a real ankle scratcher, but very pretty. I usually run down this path on my way back to Gradbach and it makes a lovely finale to a good day out. The mile of grasslands after the track went quickly and I was soon at the A54 opposite Leech Wood and on my way to Wildboarclough.
I ran up Shutlingsloe from the east (direct route), surprising a couple of walkers at the trig. point. I then headed down to Macclesfield Forest and the eastern car park, I would decide on the rest of my route when I got there.
Macclesfield Forest - Crossroads at the Walter Smith memorial stone. Taken on another day
I looked at the map as I approached the Walter Smith memorial stone, I decided on Shining Tor then north. A few hundred metres of steep downhill tarmac led to the sweet Clough Brook/Torgate Farm path that I mapped for OpenStreetMap last year. Tarmac again after the farm and I was surprised that, although there had been no rain so far today, the roads were running with water. It was still very warm and a splashing from a passing car would have been most welcome. As it was, and always is with these things, every wall of spray missed me.
I guessed that the Stake Farm route on to the Shining path would be very boggy and so took the indirect track. The path up to the summit was still as springy as the last time I ran it though there is a lot more mesh showing through, probably a result of last years rains. As I ran along the flagging from Shining to Cats Tor I could see moors to the north-east sporting the pseudo random tricolour striping that always reminds me of World War I camouflage.
On reaching the road at Pym Chair I continued north on the path towards Windgather Rocks. This part of the route was new to me, though it required no navigational skills above following my feet. By the time I reached Windgather it was time to turn back so I ran to the end of the edge then dropped down to the climber's paths to vary the return trip and to take a few snaps.
Windgather - Fair heaving with climbers, though this buttress was climber free..
Wingather - I remember soloing a route like this, maybe this very one, some years ago. I had started to lead it, but even before placing a first runner I had snagged gear so many times that I considered it safer to ditch my rack rather than risk being jerked to a halt half way over an overhang.
Out and backs always sound dull, there is no good reason why this should be as the view is completely different outward and return. The sky darkened and I felt a few drops of rain when I got back to the broad Cats/Shining ridge. The rumble of thunder confirmed that this was to be no brief shower and I got into my waterproof straight away. A fair wind came with the storm and it was not long before the windchill had robbed a few fingers of sensation despite an ambient temperature in the 20s!
The sky looked brighter ahead and a very broad stub of a rainbow beckoned me on. As I went through the gate into the fields behind Torgate farm I noticed a sign out of the corner of my eye. I stopped to read it and found that there was now a permitted path from Torgate to the tea rooms at the foot of Shining Tor. This would have cut out nearly a mile of tarmac. The sign was in front of me on the way out so I don't know how I missed it. This path is not on OSM (or some OS maps) so I will have to return with my Garmin and map it.
The fickle promise of brighter things to come.
I was almost at the end of the Clough Brook path before the feeling came back to my fingers. Shortly the position of the dark and bright skies reversed and I was getting rained on again with the sun shining on the ridge I had left behind. The wind was kinder this time and I retained sensation in all digits. I took a different path back, one that skirts Macc. Forest, leaving the south-west bound track from the car park and joining the path up Shutlingsloe where the 'avoiding' path leaves it. This path is on OSM, but not on OS maps which is a surprise at is waymarked.
From Wildboarclough I varied my route again choosing the popular path past Berry Bank Farm to cross the A54 for the Tagsclough Hill track and on to the Gradbach Hostel (no time for a 'Wincle Waller' today though). The cows in the field before the road crossing had their eye on me. Fortunately, that is all they did and my rather circuitous route to the stile was probably unnecessary.
The raspberry bushes along the road from the hostel to Gradbach car park were in a forlorn state, all yellow and black and full of fruit that had failed to ripen. The sun must have come too late here and I had to forgo an end of run dessert.
Altogether I ran about 22 miles with 3800' of ascent, a bit meagre for a last long, long run before the LToB and I was unexpectedly tired afterwards. Still, at least I have a few ultras behind me now. Whereas before last year's LToB I had run over 25 miles only three times in my life and more than a marathon never, I have run over marathon distance (in training) a few times this year alone. The fact that I have not completed a single marathon or ultra event this year still gnaws at my confidence though, I am very glad that I will have support on the 10th. My leg was OK after this run and I did my 10 miler on Monday without any trouble, felt a bit sore on Tuesday, Wednesday's lunch break run was comfortable despite soreness on 'normal' use.
Staffs Moorlands AC: Leek Cricket Club 01/07/13
Distance: 5 'units', ascent: you bet.
I picked up Sarah and drove to Leek Cricket Club taking in Sybil's Folly. One has to admit that this feature has dragged the ancient market
town of Leek into the 20thC. It now has a centre on a par with those early 1970's developments that were torn up in embarrassment before that decade was out. Resistance movement of Leek I salute you.
The last event in the Staffs Moorlands AC Summer Series, Leek Cricket Club (5 miles), was to prove a little different for a few reasons. The heat was unbelievable, no route details were available in advance, the after event social at the well appointed cricket club included a presentation, the heat was unbelievable.
A corner of England - Leek Cricket Club (or a small corner of it).
There was a biro drawn 'map' of the course taped to a door near the registration desk. Unfortunately only the route, which was not to scale or orientation, was shown and without any reference to landmarks or other ground features it seemed a little cryptic. As I was not expecting to lead this race or to fall so far behind as to lose sight of a long line of other competitors, this did not worry me unduly. After all there was no way that everybody could get lost was there?
BBC weather had predicted that the sweltering daytime temperature would drop only 1 centigrade by the 19:15 start. I
am not good in the heat so took the precaution of soaking myself, hair,
clothes and hat. I think most of the water had
evaporated before 'GO' was called as I felt no benefit whatsoever.
We set off and after several
quick turns that robbed me of any sense of direction, and a bit of
tarmac, we were climbing a steep hill that seemed to go on for ever. I
was told that we were climbing Gun Hill which meant that we were heading
north. I am not sure whether we reached the top or not, eventually
there was a marshal telling us which way to go.
I have only the vaguest idea of where we ran after that, but the course was varied in surface,obstacles and inclination. There was hardcore track, dirt track, mud track, tarmac, narrow paths, broad grassy paths, stiles, kissing gates, a fence to jump, occasional shaded paths, a very tricky deeply furrowed ploughed field and even a taught, ankle height trip wire (no, I have no idea what it was doing in the middle of a field, thankfully it was orange enough to be fairly visible).
There were no sawdust or flour direction arrows (or any that I saw). For the most part, I and everyone else stuck to the most obvious path until we reached a marshal who told us to turn one way or another. A sort of link the fluorescent jacket, point to point, follow my leader sort of run really.
Cheery marshals on the course, the Roaches and Hen Cloud in the distance (thanks chaps, you are appreciated).
I was so thirsty at the end of the last two events that I decided to put up with the inconvenience of running with a bottle this time. I was thirsty within minutes of starting and my thirst began again as soon as a mouthful was swallowed. The heat sapped all my energy and my will. When I realised that we were heading back towards Leek I managed to motivate myself with the thought of tipping the contents of my three litre 'shower' bottle over my head and cold beer.
Towards the end I felt a light breeze against my skin, but my core temperature was too high to feel any beneficial effect. Eventually fluorescent arrows pointed to the finish and via several taped corridors we crossed the grounds to the final finishing tunnel. After a quick wind down canter I remembered to look at my watch, 56 minutes, I could not believe that I had performed so badly. I was conscious of my poor performance in the heat, but more than eleven minutes a mile for a five miler, I have run category B marathons at a faster pace!
The water in my shower bottle was so warm that I could barely feel it. I ate a sandwich and headed for beer. The post race chat suggested that everyone's time was rather extended. From what I can gather (purely rumour, but it makes me feel better) all but a few followed the same wrong course. The few followed a course that was even more wrong (which does explain the runners flying past us on the way back). I would guess that most of us ran a solid category B of nearer six miles than five.
It's a shame that this excellent and varied series is over for the year. Many thanks to those who organised and marshalled it. My very best wishes to those I have met along the way, I hope to meet you again. My comments above concerning the Leek CC course are in no way intended as a criticism of the event. I signed up for a run, I got a good run, end of.
