Race Report: Curbar Commotion

 The fell running is starting to string out for me due a lot of life stuff over the last few months, as well as getting roped into Northern Road Relays a few weeks ago (I ran okay but it was a stressful experience, thanks for asking). Resultantly, I was excited to get out in the Peaks on a bright October Saturday morning for the Curbar Commotion. I was also a bit nervous as I haven't managed to get out and do a longer run on road or on trail for a few weeks (or possibly months) and 10 miles is no short distance. 

The Curbar Commotion is a fund raiser for the local school which serves Curbar and Calver. It incorporates some excellent gritstone edge, some nice moorland, a dash of autumnal woodland and a reasonable bash of elevation. Oh, and at one point you look right over the Chatsworth estate, but you might be breathing your lungs up at that point so it's easy to miss it. The start line is run by parents and teachers so it is incredibly organised and everyone was numbered and chipped with efficiency. It does not have a great deal of parking by the way, so be early if you are planning on running. We were funneled on to the layby for the start and then promptly sent off to the old school bell. 

After a short sojourn across the verge, we were climbing up the driveway of Cliff college. I was pretty near the back and would firmly reman there for the rest of the race. That was about the only disappointing aspect of the race. The tarmac continued for a little wiggle through Curbar and then we all ended up queuing for the first stile which suited me fine. After a little bit of footpath and some more tarmac we turned up through the local park/play area. It wasn't steep but I already felt a bit tired at this point and I was a bit worried by it. It was a friendly run and people had already said hi in the queue for the stile. At the top of the play area we turned left and started a lovely mile or so through a wooded section. It was narrow so we ran follow the leader and I let this dictate my pace. It was non-technical and there were some fantastic mushrooms but I was aware we were going to have to get up on the edge soon. The edge looms above the village as part of a continuation of edges from Baslow to Higger Tor. The proper climb did start eventually up through the trees but actually wasn't too bad. 

Then we were out on the edge with stunning views to the right and a lovely gritstone path to run on. However, it was deceptively still climbing and a bit leg sapping. I was intermittently running with Brian from club, and occasionally walking and losing him. But I was enjoying the unexpected sunshine and the lovely views. Brian was not enjoying the race and both of us commented we remembered the top of the edge being more flat..... As we crested the top, the route actually peeled off to the left across the moor on a sheep trod. I actually enjoyed running across the moor but the upturn at the end early killed me and the matshal laughed as I walked up the tiny up tick towards him, and I was overtaken again. I was very near the back....

The next section continued across moor and pasture towards the road but then again turned left and took us down a dip and then up some really steep steps to White Edge. Looking up at these, I was less than impressed to see a photographer at the top but they weren't as bad as my head imagine and we had a nice run down across the moor after this. I got overtaken again which was a bit annoying as I felt heavy and slow, and tucked in to some jelly babies. I really shouldn't need jelly babies to get around a 10 mile race.... 

Once across the road, we landed on a track that would take us over to the Wellington monument (which is a bit underwhelming. This track was longer than in my head and I was run walking a bit. I was enjoying it and chatted to the odd person as we swapped places heading towards the monument and Baslow edge. In my head, the monument represented the last of the climbing but sadly this was abit naive. There was a marshal trying to keep the Curbar Highland cattle at bay at the top but I decided to walk past them before starting the very long descent towards Baslow. This descent starts on a rough track, then veers off in to some beautiful single track woodland path and I felt on my own for the first time all race, almost wondering if I had turned the wrong way before popping out on to a small lane again where some school age lads were cheering from their front step. This was a marvellous boost that would soon be ruined. 

At the corner the marshal directed me right....right back up the road that leads to the edge! There were also about 4 cars trying to get past the runners and each other, then a much older man over took me. Eventually (not eve that far) we turned left on to a footpath. This footpath headed across some fields but continued in an upward trajectory and there were now several people walking and huffing between gates and stiles. Finally, we reached the pinnacle of this climb and started descending down across some fields. Surely that was it now? I could see Calvert village in the distance at the bottom of the hill as I enjoyed the descent on the track. Then we dropped through some chaotic gauze rat runs where the mud was coming away. This slowed me down and I nearly ended up on my backside before I finally got to the gate and the to the fields at the bottom and enjoyed the grassy descent.  Surely that was it? Over the fields and home? 

But the race had a few more feet of ascent yet and we turned up the side of a field on a rocky and uphill footpath between a wall and some bushes. I caught up with two men who were both also looking fairly done in. I was sturggling to keep running and when we eventually popped out at the stile to the footpath we queued for at the start, I didn't appreciate the gradual uphill of this path. I also couldn't remember whether there had been another section of village and footpath before the fast descent to the finish. But as I rounded the corner I recognised a house with particularly fine features and hedged my bets we were on the final road section. I picked up the pace and started to hare it down the hill. I flew past the college but its driveway seemed to have doubled in length from the way up. Was it far after the drive to the finish?

I couldn't remember until I rounded the corner and saw it and came across the line pretty puffed and tired. It had actually quietened down at the finish but the blacksheep were still there, cake in hand and warm clothes already on (I was about 20 mins behind the next slowest sheep) to cheer me in. Surprisingly I had beaten Brian round and he appeared 5 minutes later. At the finish there was tea and cake to raise some pennies for the school, a small prize giving (sadly a lot of people seemed to have left) and then it was off home. I'd wanted to turn it in to a day out but sadly it wasn't to be as Martin wasn't in the mood. Oh well, Chatsworth has been there a while and I suspect will stay there a while more. 

I accidentally left this and the last post unpublished for a while and realise I don't have photos for either as I took them off my phone. I must try harder. I haven't then raced for the rest of October due to work and starting to build up to some road marathon training. I have been talked in to a road marathon by my sister so I suspect this winter won't have as much fell running in. I missed the first race of cross country due to night shifts and winter is already starting to look busy with work and family, which both come first. Club headtorch season is well under way and Oscar and I have been getting out and about so I may write about some of that. I also have one more race to finish this month. But come next spring it is on to Lakeland 50 training, so can't get too out of hill shape! 

The Heart of Wales Line Trail: Knighton to Bucknell

 When my parents first moved to Shropshire, a little over a year ago, I noticed the huge number of marked footpath signs we would see on our runs: the  Shropshire way, Offa's Dyke, Walks with Offa (a series of pub walks it turns out),  the Herefordshire trail, the Mortimer trail....and also a picture of an aquaduct on a trail that ran straight through my parents village. It took a bit of googling to find out what this latter one was, but eventually I came across what is actually a really good concept: the Heart of Wales line. This series of walks are a continuous (with some overlap) trail of walks that are linked by the train line from Craven Arms all the way to Llaneli. That is 141 miles in total. 

I didn't do the whole 141 miles this weekend (oh to be one of those that can) but I took my first steps in doing some of the trail. The first problem though was the rail strike, which meant that the dog and I ended up on the bus to Knighton. It also meant the plan to do another section on Sunday was out the window. 

Knighton is a cute little town over the boarder in Wales. It was once probably a bustling market town, but the industrial revolution never quite made it here and so it now exists as a slightly down on its luck town relying on the agricultural industries and walking based tourism. It sits near the Offa's Dyke path and the Glyndwr way.  On a sunny Saturday as I jogged through, it looks okay but you wouldn't spend a week here.  We had a mini chat with an older lady when I moved in to a door way to allow her to come down the narrow pavement, and I got that it was a bit of a locals place. 

The trail really starts outside the back of the Off's Dyke visitor centre, heading across a field towards the River Teme. The River Teme forms a character in a Ben Aaronovitch book but fortunately she wasn't about that day, and the dog enjoyed a quick dip and a run across the metal bridge that marks the boarder between Wales and England. I could run on this all day but I knew it wasn't to be. We popped over the bridge and the rail crossing (no trains today due to strike so one less thing to worry about). The campsite looked kind of busy which was good see. And then we crossed the road and started on a quite steep path up Panpunton hill. The dog could get off his harness but I was definitely walking. I am still struggling post ultra with continuous running so this was probably needed. It was relatively easy to navigate and I had the GPX on my phone to follow. 

At the top we joined the Offa's Dyke footpath for amazing views and a lovely run across grass and chalk ridge line with stunning views across the valley including the Knucklas viaduct. We saw one person along this section. So it wasn't busy for the height of summer at a weekend. We didn't really see any one else walking or running until we bumped in to the mountain bikers at Bucknall woods. This quietness of the trails really showed up when we left Offa's Dyke path and found our first proper 'Heart of wales line trail' viaduct signs. The path leading away was initially clear but then sort of faded. I think it was meant to be one of the ditch footpath behind a wall of trees, but it was pretty overgrown so Oscar and staggered across the field among the thistles and the sheep to the gate. A few fields down it got worse as we moved away from the fence line but we could see the farm we were sort of aiming for so we headed across the field and found the path before promptly losing it again and running down someone's drive towards Five turning's where Oscar had to be carried over a cattle grid (my fault for not being on the path). 

Five Turning's is a couple of houses sitting on the junction of, surprise, 5 routes. It was a fast road, as demonstrated by the car that shot past as I put Oscar down and headed for the track on the far side. This track would take us pretty much to Bucknell woods, but went from a farmer's driveway, to an undulating track, to across livestock (sheep, its Shropshire), and arable fields. The initial section between the hedges was so so. It being summer, it was quite dry with only the odd stagnant puddle which the dog tried to drink from. Then the view began to open up to the left. This view I suspect includes Caer Caradoc hill fort ad the hills over towards Clun but I couldn't tell you what was what without looking and we were making good progress along this very runnable section. To the right, the hill rose further so there was no view. We saw no one in this section. 

Eventually we got to Bucknell Wood and immediately saw the mountain bikers that love this hill. I am told its only a small area of ride space but apparently it's pretty gnarly. And if not ,there are plenty of relatively quiet forestry tracks to cruise around on. From this point it was also pretty much all down hill to Bucknell. Dog was off the leash and we enjoyed the shade of the trakc and the easy running down though the predominantly pine trees. The track wasn't the best marked but you can't get too lost as long as you point down hill. 

At the bottom I was still a few miles short so I decided to loop around a bit to make it up. This did involve a gradual climb along to Nettledale house and then a steep climb up the hill, but I just went slowly and tried not to upset the moutrain bikers by having the dog off the leash. Oscar loves Bucknell woods and always appreciates a walk there when we are at my mum and dad's. Eventually we dropped back on to the road that takes you in to Bucknell. It seemed a surprisingly long way through Bucknell on the road, and we stopped to let Oscar drink out of what was left of the stream after a hot summer. Its hard to believe in winter that same stream had flooded the road and prevent the traffic coming over from Clun to Ludlow. 

If you were heading to the station, you would then have the option of walking among some of the prettier traditional Shropshire housing in the village or heading to one of two pubs for a drink. Alternatively, the next section of the walk to Hopton Heath is about 6.5 mile I believe, with a bit of a hill in the middle (okay, large hill) and goes out the same end of the village as you come in. Unfortunately, train strikes stopped me from doing this one on the Sunday but it is there for another day.