I think we all know that too many mince pies and cheese boards rarely make for effective pre-race preparation, but that didn't seem to stop me from trying. Over Christmas, despite working (or perhaps because I worked Christmas again), I managed to significantly over indulge and not get nearly as much exercise as I might have. Don't get me wrong, I got out every day for either a walk or a jog, but it was generally all very easy intensity. Since the Moors the Merrier it seems I have actually done mostly chilling not training, and whilst that may be what was needed, it made the return to racing on New Years Eve a bit more difficult.
Most of the Blacksheep were signed up for Bowstones, having either joined the initial bun fight for places, or played the crazed game of covid based swapsies for one in the week up to the race. I have never done Bowstones, but I know the route and love it. But its the other side of Manchester and so when I heard about Madbull events holding a new year event on my usual training ground, I signed up and worked out how to get annual leave later.
The race website was short on details except to say there a pie and pint at the pub after the race for all finishers. There was no route until about 24 hours before the race and even then it was a description which only locals would be able to follow. The slight confusion about how things were set up prevailed on the day when various people turned up at the start without having registered or having tried to register at the Barn cafe. I think everyone got sorted in the end! The race organisers were very nice. I however, got a full view of an old man changing (not) behind a tree which made me and several other ladies blush. That will teach me to go for a warm up! I also had several enquiries from the many members of the public out for a NYE stroll about whether there was a race, what it was, and how far. Most were very pleasant but some were obviously concerned we were all spoiling the view (there are always some).
The race started to the performance of a bag piper after a very brief briefing. It wasn't too busy, maybe about 200 people, and the start was a broad old woodland cobbled road (the one that runs down the back of the woods through Rivington) so it was a reasonably quick start. I was very near the back and would remain so for most of the race. It was a fast field it seems, dominated by Horwich RMI Harriers, the local club, as well as a sprinkling of Burnden and a few others. It being a working day between Christmas and New year, one assumes the fun runners were not out. Or maybe I was just super slow.
The first club is the rocky track up that I regularly use up the hill. I kept trotting all the way up this, picking a reasonable line down the side of the path. I was keeping pace with those around me initially, but then as we entered the Chinese gardens, I dropped a few places as the path got flatter and easier and we dashed down the wide track passed the seven arch bridge to the pigeon house car park. I was wearing my new Scott shoes and they were fine on this terrain, though I had a foot injury that was uncomfortable. The next climb is the old quarry road which is very rocky and rutted and definitely no longer a road. I joined most people in my section of the race in walking this section. Again, here I was keeping up, only to lose a few places on the flatter section as we hit the pigeon house. My legs felt heavy and I could feel the effects of the body pump class two days ago. We were only two miles in and I wasn't doing as well as I wanted.
The section along George's road (another cobbly track) was uneventful but I made little progress in catching those ahead. As we ascended Two Lad's I did a bit better and Strava reckons I did one of my fastest ascents of this segment. Coming off the top however, I can't have been very efficient as by the time I crossed the road I had lost a place and had a bit more gap between the next person again. However, I was enjoying myself a bit more on the more; the soft ground didn't hurt my foot and the views were stunning. It was unseasonably warm, nearly 12 degrees I think, and there was only a bit of haze.
In Wilder's wood, I was temporarily held up by a pack of alpacas. I find the woods creepy at the best of times but this was bizarre. Once I got going there was no one to follow but I sort of guess and carried on down hill (away from the alpaca walking group) until I hit the very rocky old track. Except it wasn't a track, it was now a river. And the person I was chasing disappeared round the corner at the bottom as I made a pathetic attempt to run down the running water. I don't know why I was struggling so much as once we hit the path at the bottom I got going again, and chased across some farm land to Tiger's clough and the 'lovely' steps up the other side. There was someone quite close behind so I felt a bit like a rabbit in headlights as I haired (or hared?) it round the last section of the course on a slippy path, through the gate, on to the road, right down a footpath, on to the track to the first gate again but veering left at the last minute on to the woodland road and the finish. I finished to flower of Scotland by the bagpiper.
I had wanted under 1:30 and was surprised to see that I had actually got that. Maybe the pack was faster than I was giving myself credit for? Still, there were people ahead of me I should have finished ahead of I am sure. But at least I got out and had a lovely time in the sunshine. I walked to the pub with my pie and pint voucher where Martin and Oscar joined me in the garden (the pub was very busy with runners, so we missed the band).
But what a cracking local race! Beautiful views (and unseasonably good weather!) and a great course with lots of runnable sections as well as a bit of all sorts of terrain, and then a pie and a pint at the pub at the end! I am hoping I can get back in future years and am quietly pleased that everyone else goes to Bowstones so there isn't a fight for places! Nice work Madbull events!
No comments:
Post a Comment