Its two weeks since Lakeland 50 and I can't say I feel completely back to normal but progress has been made from shuffling to bit more running. There was a minor step back beggining of the second week but I managed a reasonable speed parkrun at Peel yesterday (nice park, excellent post run croissants). But with the Sunday to myself, and a busy month ahead, I had to get the last Peak Raid done before too long. After a strong first run at Great Longstone, I had fun running with Martin but didn't optimise points at Combs, had a bit of a bad run at Danebridge (the bogs, dogs and dog harness) and then had fallen down the score table considerably. Arguably this actually took the pressure off and made it easier to just go out for a run.
The Peaks in summer is a double edged sword; beautiful heather clad hills but full of people who aren't usually there. And their cars. Everywhere.
Now I was arriving by car but came early to get in the car park; at 8:30 I took the last space in the Dennis Knoll car park having passed a lot of cars parked on the road and a lot of van lifers (do we have a van life problem? not opening the can of hornets!) As I used the facilities behind a bush, another van pulled in just behind me making me jump and wave embarassed at being caught out. Anyway, map in hand, Oscar on harness, we were eventually ready to go.
I had been told the moor above Stanage (the incredible gritstone edge above me) wasn't dog friendly so once I triggered the start I turned and ran back on myself to head along the road and join a footpath, soon triggering my first control. The legs felt okay as I waved at some very settled looking wild campers in a large green tent. Already the views down in to the Hope Valley were marvellous and I didn't pass many people as I trotted between controls, over fields, and down bridleways net down hill towards Hathersage. I had to double check the map once or twice but generally I found I could run relatively smoothly all the way to the amazing allotments at Hathersage. And they are absolutely beautiful; I wish I had that kind of commitment.
A slightl hold up as we were asked for directions, and then we were heading up a stream before cutting across on a bridleway to head towards Brookfield manor. There had been a few more people as we skirted the outskirts of Hathersage but it was then just Oscar and I as we steadily climbed back up the hill towards Stanage. I had only been about 50 minutes on this loop and decided I might go see how far up the edge I was allowed to take Oscar. I wasn't being competitive so if I had to turn around I could. The buildings of the hall added interest as the views across the valley came back above the hills, and the going under foot was good, being a bridleway. I could also see the weather coming up the valley towards me.
As I hit the road that skirts below the edge, there were suddenly a lot more people. There were cars parked all down the verge of the road but I just carried on up through the ferns on a path. The next control was at the gate in to the woods and just before I got there I got a text. Annoyingly, and unbenknownst to me, at this point my phone disconnected the app, and I was so sure I knew were the point was, I didn't check until I was right on top of the edge having climbed the now more technical path to get on top of the gritstone. I reached the point there should have been a control, nothing binged and I ran around a bit before getting my phone out to check and.... sure enough the app said unfinished run and I suddenly panicked none of it would count, but phew! it got working again. Ergh, now I had lost 40 points. Oh well, I wasn't going down again.
The path along the edge is intermittently good, intermittently quite rocky. There were a reasonable number of people around, including the odd other runner (some say hi, some scowl, whatever), dog walkers, families and rock climbers. Stanage is really popular with rock climbers and its gritstone towers are seriously impressive as are the views from the top. I didn't have my Keira Knightly moment on the tops due to other people being around but picked up the controls to the trig point at High Neb before descending via a reasonable path between the towers and in to the ferns.
It began to rain, gently but persistantly. I realised I was going to be back at the car and the finish with a good 20 mins to spare but given the technical issues, the recovering legs and the lack of anything I could easily grab, I decided to call it a day and bounced out on to the well made bridleway (chucking Oscar over the stile...he still can't do them) before jogging back to the slightly awkwardly placed start finish that was just off the path. Not a bad run but not maximised by any means. 7.5 miles which was further than I had done in one go since the ultra!
I am pretty near the bottom of the results for this run, but there are a pleasing number of people who have completed so I hope Peak Raid carry on doing these events. As usual, the map was great, the paths were easy to find and controls worked well (except when my phone played up). There is a good mix of further and nearer and also the trails are suitable for walkers and runners (with some but not loads of trail experience). At the end car park was double parked but mercifully I wasn't blocked in. I drove down in to Hathersage, passing many panicking drivers who weren't used to country lanes, and lots of cars parked in passing places (unhelpful). Hathersage was mobbed and the rest of the Hope Valley felt pretty busy too so I just headed home. The madness of school holidays will pass, and I can always come back on an autumn weekday to enjoy some more walks.
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