Mow Cop Hill Race, BM (and a nice cup of tea).

Six weeks after my knee op' the consultant told me I could start running again, but not to "go mad".  I ran a few short exploratory runs, then three miles of mixed road and solid trail.  All seemed well so I tried my first off road run the weekend before Mow Cop.

Mow Cop Hill Race, 6.5 miles, 1200' (FRA category BM), 12/04/15
The Met. office gave out weather alerts for the area as there was a good chance of severe winds.  The organisers called for mandatory hat and wind proof top and recommended full body cover be carried, quite right too.  As I was none too confident about finishing I had already packed a wind proof top, Mistlite pants and a micro fleece jacket anyway.

The pre race briefing

 The pre race briefing was rather comical, we were warned that straying off the path in one area might result in us being impaled on spikes in the ground and that avoiding a stile elsewhere could mean becoming ensnared in barbed wire.  This caused one wag amongst the starters to ask if we were being auditioned for a Japanese game show.  I doubt if anyone was unduly worried, the event has always been well organised, well marked and well marshalled so we were unlikely to go astray.

We were soon away and off up the slope from the village hall to the playing fields, I adopted a relaxed pace near the back, I had no intention of stressing my knee.  As we arrived at the quarry there was a fair gap between me and the runner behind.  This allowed me a photographic opportunity where we entered the quarry instead of the usual one while in the queue at the exit.

 Mow Cop Quarry

My feet seemed to find their way on the uneven ground, I had expected a bit of proprioceptive failure due to my long time out of things.  This welcome news emboldened me a little and I picked up a few places as we exited the quarry and on the trail past the Old Man of Mow.  Confidence is useful in the woods alongside Congleton Road/Mow Lane, though this year the ground wasn't that slippery and I just enjoyed the running.

Soon we were on the short section on Mow Lane then off again and into the boggy field past Limekiln Wood.  I made good progress here, passing a few people while skimming the bog on tufts of grass.  This sort of fun has to come to an end and, after a charmed run for about two thirds of the bog, my luck ran out and I went in and over.  From here on, until near the end of the race, I ran close to and occasionally chatted with (I think) Samantha Calvert, bib 98

The following fields, where the sticky mud lives, were fairly dry this year.  The pretty descent along the stream down to the lane was also less slippery, just as well as reflexes and proprioception were tested again by a sudden encounter with a fallen tree.  I took it easy on the following downhill road section, and ran on the verges rather than the tarmac to minimise impact forces.  Then came the uphill slog over fields, after leaving Yew Tree Lane, and the steep ascent up through Hanging Wood. Strangely, the path through the woods was the most churned up I have ever seen it.

A well wrapped finisher (Christopher Pimblott, M50 , bib 4).

Samantha and I were still running at a similar pace as we came out of the woods onto the skyline and then round the Old Man.  From where  the real descent to the finish starts, by the folly, I adopted a relaxed pace to 'humour' my knee.  Indeed, in what was only a mile to the end Samantha pulled more than a minute ahead of me.

A nice cup of tea.

While it had been fresh, no severe winds had made themselves felt.  Race over, I caught up with a few of the people I had met on the course.  We chatted over a nice cup of tea and extravagant quantities of the superb home made cakes on offer.  I noticed that just about every plate I saw featured more than one slice, the only sensible solution to the problem presented by wide choice.

The prize giving followed.  First placed Lady, Olivia Walwyn, broke her own record for the course by more than two minutes with a time of 00:48:49, a truly impressive performance.  Second places for both sexes were won by veterans and two MV60s were home in less than an hour.  

My thanks to the organisers and marshals.  I enjoyed myself tremendously as I have each time I have taken part.  There is something so reassuring and timeless about this kind of event with hills, streams, fields and forest, village halls, tea and home baked cakes, friendly banter, muddy legs and the smell of liniment.  If you are around next year do take part (and tell your friends about it as well).

I was happy with my own run, I felt like a runner again and nothing hurt more than it did when I started.  As it turned out I was only a minute slower than my previous worst time (though I had run 26 miles the previous day on that occasion).  Last year's Mow Cop was my first and last event of 2014.  Here's hoping that the op' has worked and that there is more to come in 2015.