Lockdown Challenges (whilst none of us can race!)

I made the mistake of looking at the FRA calendar for this weekend to see what I was missing out on. It would have been a busy weekend! I could have raced the May Queen at Hayfield on Friday, had a rematch with the Fairfield Horseshoe on Saturday (I DNF'd this a few years ago and for my ego's sake need to finish it), returned to Hayfield on Sunday for a dash up Latern Pike, followed by Shuttlingsloe Monday, and if all was going well done That's so Hebden on Tuesday before the annual pilgrimage to my first fell race at Harrock Hill on Wednesday.

I jest of course; I could never run that much in a week and would have inevitably had to work for the whole bank holiday plus I would be only a week or two post marathon and so probably nursing some kind of injury. But oh, to be super fit and have plenty of time and mostly, be in a parallel universe free of Corona virus/ Covid-19.

In the absence of racing, people have been extrordinarily imaginative in their quest to compete/ be motivated.

This weekend, Chorlton Runners Blacksheep are supposed to be doing a tribute to the May Queen race, either as distance or elevation or simply other (involving multiple pictures and videos of people dancing around with flowers in their hair). We have also done challenges to complete the elevation of a double Bob Graham and the UTMB. The first elevation challenge was the Old County Tops which a couple of teams from our club were supposed to be doing but we chomped through that pretty quickly so we upped the ante. The guys living in South Manchester bravely went out and ran hills reps up the relatively small bits of elevation in the otherwise flat area, I contributed a few feet with local inclines and a Rivington trip and one or two are currently living in hillier areas so contributed a few more to help us on the way. It was motivating in its own way.

But there have been some much more mental challenges in lockdown including the Staircase Summit Challenge  which captured the hearts of quite a few people who went on to climb the height of various peaks including Scafell Pike and Snowdon on their staircases. One or two did Everest but there is always someone who takes it too far! This was more of an option if you lived in a detached house. There was the Sofa Circuit Challenge which involved laps of the sofa to a set distance, often a marathon. @morningcoffeerun did both of these and is well worth a follow on instagram for being a bit of a sucker for punishment.  Ultras in the garden were another favourite.

Other club and groups did more outdoor things. For example, fancy dress running (see @fellrunlikeagirl and @therunninganaesthetist) or finding a theme such as post boxes (see @whatleanneran). Another popular one was to find the first letters of parkrun or your name on street signs.

For me, its been following those footpaths you sort of know where they go, but have never actually followed. I don't mean the ginnels between streets, but those down the woods. Some have been good, some have been litter strewn and unpleasant. But its been a way of avoiding the crowds on the main tracks whilst still using the woods (though I have done way too much street running over the last 8 or so weeks). Admittedly I am having to go a bit further to find the paths now but that's a potential good thing in itself as I have to run further. Below is yesterdays which was lovely to start but did have some litter strewn sections.

I suspect a lot of people who never really explored their local area have taken the opportunity to over the last few weeks, which is great. But finding your nearest not-travelled footpath is a very simple challenge to get out somewhere. We are spoilt in a lot of Manchester's suburbs for greenspaces, though i appreciate this may not apply to everyone. 

I am actually planning a bit of a longer run up some footpaths I haven't used before next week. It will be a miniadventure. Its not fellrunning or trail running, but its  getting me out the house, which is a start.

Back in the field....

After the whole lockdown things started to lift (a bit), I decided I couldn't wait anymore to run in some hills. But I wasn't prepared to share with the crowds of people that would inevitably descend on my sacred places.

So the choice way: get up early, or go somewhere off the beaten track.

The problem is places are often on the beaten track for a good reason.

So I got out of bed at 5:45 ( I was awake anyway) and pulled on some running stuff, dug out my old gear and did the 15-20 minute drive to Rivington for an early ascent of Winter Hill.

The first ascent felt surprisingly okay; I took the fell race route up so its surprisingly well paved until the field at the top. The ponies stared bleary eyed at me as I passed, and the sheep were untroubled by my noisy breathing. It wasn't fast but I felt good. But towards the top I had a quick walk and took a photo (the best excuse for a breather).

Turning right on the old road at the top, I trotted along to Pike's cottage and the ascent to Two Lads. The path up is a bit of gully in places due to rain damage and foot fall but dry weather meant it wasn't too bad. Apparently I was only 9 seconds off my best time. I always think the views from Two Lads are even better than the Pike but its much less crowded. So far I had seen one far worker at the bottom of the hill and that was it. There was actually a bit of frost under foot, especially in the shade.

I had planned to run to the radio towers in the distance and air was clear. I could hear lots of birds and see  them flitting out of their nests if I got  too close. I stuck to the paths to stop any inadvertant damage and caught the rotary way up to the masts. The cotton grass created a lovely soften of the light.

The telecommunications area is always a bit weird. There is rarely any sign of life, and at this time in the morning there was none. I went pass the plaque to the murdered traveller, and the plaque to the downed airmen and their passengers and tried not to think of zombie movies that would be well set here. 

The next section is along the edge of the hill, which is almost a ridge at times. You get great views over the Pennines and often up Yorkshire (I think...) and I jogged along the bouncy grass happier than I have felt in a long while. I could see miles, including the Lake District as I came round the north side of the hill. The descent down the to Hordern Stoops was in worse nick than I remebered, probably again due to storms and foot fall, and my eye was out so the descent was slower than before. I didn't feel my normal flow down the rocks. Descents are usually something I am good at so I was a bit sad to see six weeks had made me rusty.

There its up the Old Belmont road which is a nice gentle climb and passed the pidgeon house and on to the Pike. The ascent of the Pike was slow and I felt the lack of any real speed or hill work over the last few weeks. There were already 4 people on the Pike, at before 8am. It was going to be a busy day up there evidently. The views were lovely, and I saw two other fell runners approaching across the moor from the mast. They looked a lot less rusty than me and a LOT faster.

From the Pike I descended back to the Old Belmont road, and then took this South until I reached the wide sweeping descent down to the edge of the gardens then back to the road. At the bottom there were the last of the blue bells. I hit the road and hammered out the last few hundered metres, dodging the odd cyclist and one van coming up the other way. 

I felt so much better for the run. I headed home happy and excited and glad to have escaped the Covid craziness at least temporarily. 

I need these outings to stay sane I guess, so next week I'll try and do another early moring assault  on somewhere, or even do Rivington again by another route. I am so very glad to be back trail running!

Hill Running Kit (without spending a fortune?)

Before any winter fell race I do with Chorlton Runners, there is a guarentee that if there is a mandated kit list, someone will post up panicked the night before asking to borrow kit! Usual suspects are a compass or waterproof trousers. Often they are owned but have disappeared in to one of those safe places. Even my compass goes walk about on occassion but I can sometimes find it amongst my partner's walking kit.

There are also sometimes questions about what 'FRA mandatory kit' is. Its here if you need it- point three. But this is just the basics and races may ask for all, some or additional kit as the organiser sees fit. Trail runs can ask for additional things like GPS capable devices, bivvy bags etc. so always check the race. Shorter races and races in summer often require no kit at all.

All that kit *CAN* cost a fortune. And actually, if you are going to be doing a fair amount of it in the bad weather, or the longer, more remote races, its worth the investment. But I have managed to acquire quite a lot of kit without too much expense at once.

Most of my kit

So lets take it section by section:

Bags:

The first bag I acqired cost me £10 plus p&p off ebay and is the Costwold outdoor pack second down. It does a reasonable job. Its not actually designed for women and so squashes my chest a bit, and has full chest fastening with a zip. Its a bit old fashioned but it does a reasonable job and I have used this for a few races. But then I got the Pete Bland bumbag which is great for me as I have small shoulders and wider hips and its surprisingly good capacity. I can fit the basic kit list in it just about, and I use it for a lot of casual hill runs with the club.It also has a degree of fell running street cred, which when you look like me, you need as much as you can get! The small blue vest is predominantly a hydration pack vest, but also fits a phone, gels etc. Its great for those warm summer days where carrying a full hydration pack is required but  you don't need much in the way of additional kit. I actually use it for road races sometimes to reduce the need for plastic cups. And finally at the top is my big OMM rucksack. I use this for running to work every day and also have used it for a LDWA event (18 miles). It has much more cappacity but also moves more than the smaller packs because it naturally sticks out further from your back when full. The hip and chest bands help adjust it to size. 

Waterproofs:

Here is an area where, if you want to do more adventurous runnning, you could do with investing more. However, for fair weather runners like me, you can get away with a bit less. My jacket for taking in my pack is a £25 Ron Hill jacket with the mandated hood and taped seems. Its waterproof but not particularly good at wicking away sweat. Fellow runners have recommended the OMM one which apparently is a good balance of breathability and waterproofing, but it comes at more of a price. I have looked at investing in one for my winter runs. I got the pink stuff pack with another jacket and use it to stuff the jacket up small to carry which is really helpful. I have yet to have to open my waterpoof trousers; in general if its wet enough to need waterproof trousers to run in, I am not running on the fells, but if I become immobilised they may stave off hypothermia so I have some slightly heavier ones that I got from decathalon for not too much. You can get very small light ones for a bit more money if saving on weight is you bag. I also have a waterproof cap which can be brilliant for keeping rain out of you eyes, and this I stole off Martin. Any cap will help in driving rain but this one is good for warmth as well as it keeps the rain out. 

Woolies:

Some races will let you use a buff as a hat, some will not. Buffs are very versatile and can be used for seat bands, hats, neck warmers and even flannels, depending on the demand. Patterns vary and I use mine for running, cycling, skiing and hiking. I don't often buy branded ones, and they seem to work just as well., The woolen headband at the top left was knitted by my Nanny Maureen and is brilliant as it keeps the wind out your ears, but lets the heat out your head. I run in it in deepest winter but often wear it before and after races for warmth. The cloves on the tops right are the ones that go in my race pack. They are light weight but with a little fleece lining. They are not waterproof but they are a good extra layer, often coming off somewhere after the start line, before the top of the first hill. The fatter gloves on the bottom left I use for longer hikes but also for start lines and throw them at my partner as we start. They are skiing gloves, a bit waterproof and warm. I might take them in a larger back pack for longer fell races if the weather was bad. 

Layers:

In summer, I often don't take an extra layer, and if I do i take the waterproof. These are two of my other options: one is a fleecey roll neck from decathalon, the other is a cotton long sleeve from Aldi of all places. They aren't specifically designed for fell running but they roll up fairly small and I can secure them with rubber bands. I only take one or the other as required. Its a case of a dry layer if you get immobilised, as a running vest is little comfort in these cases. Please note, most fell races will not accept arm warmers as a substitute. Again, these layers also get taken hiking and skiing so I get my monies worth given they were both under £10. 

Emergency Kit:

Again, not something I always carry. You can buy specially made mini first aid kits but I gathered a few relevant things from around my house and put it in a sandwich bag. I keep plasters, zinc oxide tape and compeed, plus a crepe bandage and safety pin. And some antihistamines for bites. I don't take it every run, but if running new places alone, or mandated by the race its good enough to pass. I also know how to use a crepe bandage.

The headtorch is a major investment. This did cost money but I managed to get it considerably discounted. In winter, my club does alternate Wednesday headtorch runs which I love. On the first few I wore a light weight one and struggled along, then I did a race at night and without the group torches, really struggled (and ripped my knee open) so just invested in this beauty and its made a lot of difference to my ability to run at night. I don't often run alone at night but it occasionally crops up on kit lists for trail races. It has a rechargable battery pack that plugs in to a computer which is also useful.

Navigation:

I am fortunate enough to havebeen taught how to read a map in geography then practiced it in guide and cadets. This doesn't mean I am fab at navigation, but I can do the basics. I can also use a compass. Many proper fell races require a degree of navigation and depending what is required I vary what I am carrying from full OS map to print out or a purpose made race map from Pete Bland. I also carry my emergency contact details. The sandwich bag is for protecting paper maps from the rain. I try and reuse it until its falling apart to save on plastic. 

You often also need water and food. I use soft bottles quite often, and a full hydration pack  when going longer or in warmer weather. I often have packets of haribo or clif bars for emergency food. One clif bar followed me around for over a year before the wrapper got pierced by something and I had to bin it. It was only for emergencies so I wasn't too worried if looked a bit basked up! 

In terms of covering cost, I have bought second hand, thought about my actual needs and been selective. I have also spread it out over a few years. Now I could probably afford to replace some of this kit and upgrade. Some of the companies I have bought from aren't the most ethical but in future I will try and improve on that, or at least buy from small local retailers. 

I am also not a kit expert but this is just an idea of what works for me, and that might not be the same as what works for you. I do a bit of fell and bit more trail, and mostly good weather so I get away with less but that is my level of risk. Claire Maxted at Wild Ginger Running does some lovely kit reviews if you are interested, mostly focussed on trail running. Plus the magazines are useful. But if you are part of a club its worth borrowing a trying pieces to see if they fit and work for your running style if you can, especially packs. 

In terms of repairs, its much more sustainable if you can. I am not great with a needly but can replace buttons, and repair some holes. the strap snapped off my bumbag and I have repaired that and it seems to have held. Patagonia do worn wear repair sometimes as that might be worth exploring for your good kit. Also, learn how to re waterproof you kit as it really helps prolong its life. 

If anyone carries anything different, or can recommend a particularly great item of kit, I would love to know in the comments!