I seem to have developed a knee injury in addition to my long standing one. The knee started to hurt at the beginning of last weekend's long run, an unexceptional tour of local footpaths. It didn't seem any worse 26 miles later so I did my usual 10 miles the next day. It stiffened up at work so I rested most of the week, though I did 8 miles on Wednesday. The knee was still hurting on Sunday morning, but as it seemed to ease up with movement I decided to run.
The weather forecast for the race was not at all good, an 80% chance of heavy rain. This on top of a few days of rain and a very wet winter, it was going to be muddy. The usual field used for parking was not available as it was too soggy. Consequently, there was a big squeeze into the Village Hall car park, managed excellently by the hard working marshals. This did have the benefit that the beautiful horses who occupy the field above the normal parking field could be seen playing on the skyline.
Despite the forecast there was a good turn out and to reward us the weather was, so far, dry. I had a good warm up run to unseize my knee. Ambient temperature was surprisingly high and I decided to ditch my long sleeve top before the start.
I noticed that, like myself, just about everyone had chosen minimalist fell shoes despite the significant amount of road and hard packed trail. After the usual talk we were off. I made a reasonably quick start trying to make a compromise between wasting effort speeding to a halt at the first stile and not arriving so late that the queue was excessively long. I was already very glad that I had ditched the long sleeve top.
As the field opened out I spotted a few familiar runners, Debbie Hill was just ahead. I usually finish fairly close to, but behind, Debbie, who I know only from result lists. We were soon in the quarry where I anticipated a bottleneck that would allow another photograph.
Also anticipated was that the Gritstone Trail through the trees near Roepark Farm would be slippery, and that the subsequent usually boggy field would be more than usually boggy. There was no disappointment in either of these respects. I overtook Debbie Hill somewhere in the boggy field, where at least one participant stopped to replace a shoe (at least he recovered it). I expected Debbie would re pass me when the going firmed up.
I ran on my own for a while, though I could see a couple of runners some way ahead. I measured my pace and reckoned I was capable of a bit more effort. I gradually closed the gap across grass and on the slippery downhill stream side path. There really is some good and varied scenery in just 6.5 miles. By the time we reached the first bend in the road I was only a few paces behind a runner in a Congleton Harriers top (Bib 54, Charmaine Wood). As the road levelled I found it hard to keep up, but stuck with her.
When we hit the dirt again I started to gain on the runner ahead and as the gradient steepened I went past her. I felt unusually strong on the steep climb where the South Cheshire Way turns up through Quarry Wood, I'll swear it was shorter this year.
I managed to stay strong to the finish and I dare say I could have shaved off ten or more seconds in the final descent if I was less of a scaredy-cat.
I finished shortly before Charmaine, I shook her hand and told her how much fun it had been to chase her. I also managed to stay ahead of Debbie, for a change. I shook her hand too and explained that I knew her by sight and pace.
I finished in 01:05:13. I'm happy enough with that in this year's conditions, and pleased with how I coped with the filth (all those evening, muddy tree roots by torchlight must have helped). Special congratulations to Olivia Walwyn of Altrincham AC who came in 7th overall and first lady at 00:50:59 (which I am pretty sure is a clear course record). Full results are at Mow Cop Runners. It never did rain.
The knee had hurt in the last mile, was OK later in the day, was a bit stiff on Monday, ..Tuesday morning and it hurts like rest.
Thanks to Mow Cop Runners for organising this event, it's always fun. I don't know what kind of arrangement they had to make to keep the rain off. Whatever it was, we are all very grateful.
