Memories of A Fell Running Year

“WARNING: The activities described in this book are dangerous and may result in injury or death. Don't try them. Go to the gym instead, or stay at home and watch television.” Feet In The Clouds.

The Kymin (AS) Saturday 9th January 2010 14:00 3.95 Miles/1150 Feet
“You can see nine counties from the top”
Snow everywhere in South Wales meant that this was the only race on, I picked up Katie and Stuart from Katie's house in her very slippery road. As it transpired the Croups had a very big turnout including Maria who chose to not wear her fell shoes in a cunning tactical move that didn't work, she had a race long battle with Lou who would use her fell-running mojo to re-pass her on every descent. Stuart meanwhile had hared off at the front but missed a right turn that was a hard one to notice and decided to do hill reps instead which I think was a lesson from the fell running school of hard knocks. Katie in the meantime had finished very close behind an English international Kate to be second woman. I sauntered around not hugely impressed with my choice of X-Talons but managed to get the descending working in the last mile or so to finish 20th.

 The Garth (AS) Saturday 16 January 2010 14:00 2 x 1m/900ft
“Numberwang”
This race didn't turn out as planned due to the snow, it ended up as a single 1.5 mile climb from the footbridge on the Taff, up the zig zags, through the village and up to the top. Fran, Ian, Graeme and Mike D were surprise attendees along with Mark from work nursing his knee injury that later required surgery. I know the Garth reasonably well due to Pentyrch and our club handicap but its a funny old feeling to finish the race at the trig point then stand around shivering wondering what to do next. I hope these don't catch on as my main take-home point was that its like sex without the sex. An odd little ceremony occurred after the prize giving where someone called out numbers at random and if it matched yours then you won something. Naturally after this had continued for a while I shouted “That's Numberwang”, to their credit John and Hugh managed a laugh whilst everyone else assumed I was a bit strange, finished 21st.

 Blaenbran Blast (AS) Saturday 30th January 2010 14:00 3.6 Miles/935 Feet
“Quality Numbers”
Didn't have a clue that there were mountains in Cwmbran, Matt the organiser answered my tedious beginner questions with a resigned look on his face until I decided to shut up. Top quality numbers I thought and realised they were recycled Cardiff X Challenge numbers with the sponsor cut off, the lady handing them out confirmed this fact, a Mastermind specialist subject ready made for me I thought. I remember Lou being in the brightest pink top. The course had a nice wooded section and two surprisingly steep bits. We were a long time on the permafrost at the top, once the initial descent had flattened out a bit from 45 degree slope I got in a good chase with one of the two Steves I would have close races with the whole winter series. Finished in 21st

 Longtown (AS) Saturday 27th February 2010 14:00 3.2 Miles/1150ft
“Hanneke’s race”
Got here pretty pleased with my Parkrun time that morning, I knew that this race didn't come all the way back down so you climb more than you descend, which there really should be a rule against. An experienced hand told me “pretty simple this one, just up and down diagonally across the hill”. A close battle with the two Steves took place, in a great sporting gesture Steve L shouted to Steve H and myself that we missed the turn on the top and were heading to Wales, we repaid him by going past him near the bottom of the descent and I just got ahead of Steve H at the finish to be 13th

Pen Cerrig Calch (AS) Saturday 27th March 14:00 3m/1500ft
“The Mountain has a certain presence”
I had previously been here twice on the Black Mountains Roundabout and Garga's words about it being a brute of a mountain looked pretty accurate as I looked up from the car park in the farmer's field. I asked Hugh where we went and wished I hadn't as his casual description made it sound even more forbidding. “Pen Cerrig-Calch” means something like “Top of the limestone” and when you finally get to the top in a howling wind there are limestone boulders everywhere. One of the Abergavenny Three Peaks routes the same day was using Pen Cerrig Calch and the walkers were a significant hazard on the way down, I settled for shouting “Going right” a lot and hoped that we had the same idea of right, this seemed to work as I didn't wipe any of them out. Steve H was close on the descent but every time it got a bit tricky he pulled away only for me to reel him in on the more runnable bits. A salutary lesson in fell technique for me though came in the shape of Wheeze who demonstrated the advantage of not sticking to the road in powering past me in the last 400. I did finish 14th and with my highest score which felt right given the effort. I had wondered given the closeness of the Paris Marathon about being a bit careful but realised the defeatism in that approach. In any case a Marathon is just a trundle around flat tarmac . . . meh.

 Pentyrch Hill Race (BM) Tuesday 27th April 2010 19:00 7 Miles/1600 Feet
“Fell managing for beginners”
Two days after the London Marathon is the right time to be running Pentyrch as the old proverb has it, I wasn't the only one, Hugh had run something like 2:40 at London. Ron in his capacity as South Wales Fell Manager had the idea that we'd rustle up some quality runners for the UK inter-regionals here which didn't work exactly as planned . . .  As this race along with Machen is one that attracts the more adventurous road runners we had Glyn, Lloyd, Richie, Phil, Kevin, Alan and Neil from the club taking part. Having done this before I knew two things, the second climb up the Garth is awful and the cattle grid on the way down could ruin your day. Coming off the trig point I nipped ahead of Glyn but knew that as soon as it flattened out he would pass me, so started an interesting fell running contest which continues to this day. I finished 34th, 4 seconds behind Steve H and 13 seconds behind Glyn but surprisingly in front of John O’Shea and Gwyn Lloyd.

 Cribyn (AS) Saturday 15th May 2010 13:00 5.5 Miles/3100 ft
“Blister In The Sun”
There's a tempting trap we tend to fall into in labelling races “The hardest thing I've ever done” so I won't say that but before anyone is tempted to say it, make sure you have run Cribyn first as it is brutal and soul-destroying. Lloyd and I turned up as well as lots of familiar faces from Chepstow and Richard Johnson of Islwyn. Helen Fines was the race director so at least that was one fewer person in front of me. “You can go any way you like as long as you visit the three checkpoints” she said, I was to learn that this in practice meant “You will inevitably go the way that looks least like pain”. The problems really started after checkpoint 1 when the contouring fun started and I blistered very painfully in a couple of minutes due to the rubbing resulting from trying to stop the lower foot being twisted over by the slope. After that there was a briefly runnable bit until we met the vertical wall that was Cribyn itself, from there it was hands and knees stuff, “What are we doing here?” I enquired of Lloyd. Eventually I reached the path to the summit and staggered up that realising that the downhill to the climb up Pen Y Fan which I'd normally enjoy was going to be horrible due to the blistering . . . it was. This was followed by a stagger up Pen Y Fan and again a descent all the way in that I'd normally be looking to be doing in 5:30s which I hobbled. Sitting down after the finish examining the blister, I reluctantly realised that I'd have to miss the Sirhowy 10 the next day. How this would affect my new title of “Local Running Personality” troubled me as much as the dismal finishing place of 59th ,a pretty poor start to the summer series, I made a mental note not to use X-Talons on an race I hadn't done before.

UK Inter County Fell Running Championships Lletty (AM) Saturday 22nd May 2010 14:30 9.6 Miles/3047 Feet
“Playing with the grown-ups”
I think it is fair to say that competitively the four of us representing South Wales were in way over our heads, but at least we had no false ideas that we weren't. Ron chose to go over the top with his troops (Lloyd, Ian and myself) and lead from the front. I only had the haziest idea of what a full kit race involved and Rob Gordon helpfully loaned me a proper waist bag for my kit rather than the mad plan I had come up with. One could reasonably have asked why in quite hot conditions we needed hypothermia protection but rules is rules – which some people evaded by sneaking through the kit check unencumbered. Everyone who was anyone were there apart that is from all the people Ron had asked to represent South Wales who were doing some mountain event in Scotland. Rob Brown looked at the Raspberry and White striped South Wales vest I was proudly wearing and asked whether this was yet another different San Domenico top. The way I remember the race is a massive climb followed by a bit of respite heading left then another massive climb, a descent, a pretty stiff climb, a long undulating mainly downhill stretch, a long climb to the monument on top of Moel Famau, a nice downhill that made me think it was going to be like that all the way in then another bloody long, hard climb where as it flattened out Dick Finch was sitting handing out the odd Jelly Baby to Ron then at last the long, steep descent in. Ian ran this one injured and he had a long lay off after this, Ron remarked that it was the longest time he'd spent running in many years. It was quite satisfying to read in the race report how many top fell runners had dropped out as although I got pretty dehydrated I didn't think it was that bad. In  our post-race photo taken by Liz none of us look particularly exerted. We finished nowhere. I later learned the interesting fact that Moel Famau had been the site of the biggest Lambanana and that a young lady competitor had changed in front of Ron leaving nothing to the imagination . . . . at his age! He might have had a stroke . . . .if the old speed had been there.

 Guto Nyth Bran (BM) Saturday 3rd July 2010 18:00 6 Miles/1300 Feet
“Porth to Pontypridd and back whilst a kettle boiled”
I never planned to run this one, just seemed like a good idea about two hours before, really nice feel to this race run by people who really care about the legend of Guto Nyth Bran. Having previously raced Nos Galan and Llanwonno the site of his grave I felt as if I was completing the set. Some races have a natural flow to them, the Scenic 7 being the epitomy of this, I wouldn't say that about this race but the flip side being that it is very varied. I had a good race with Angela Jones and Gwyn Lloyd. I don't think at that point I had got into the habit of grunting on descents that winds Angela up. I finished between Gwyn and Angela in 22nd.

 Pen Y Fan (AS) Saturday 17th July 2010 11:00 3.5 Miles/1930 Feet
“7 minutes from the summit to the finish – I could manage that by Helicopter maybe”.
Logistically this was a challenge getting to the start in time after Parkrun but had 30 minutes in hand, chatted to Rob during the fairly long walk up to the start. I knew I was probably in the wrong footwear for the descent off the summit and was a bit apprehensive about finding the best line (or any line at all) from the top. The plod up to the top of Corn Du was routine enough then a plunge down before going up to the summit of Pen Y Fan. Only at this point can anyone appreciate the superhuman abilities of Keith Anderson who in setting the course record took 7 minutes to get from the summit to the finish. I tried various methods of moving which mostly ended with me on my bum, my trusty Roclites were not designed for 45 degree grassy slopes, eventually I got some controlled but slow progress by zig zagging as more experienced people in the correct footwear shot past me. After quite a while the slope began to get more gentle and I cautiously upped the pace then got some proper momentum going across the boggy ground nearer the finish. I was 30th with the 22nd fastest descent, I'd like more fell races to adopt the descent split idea.

Waun Fach (AM) Saturday 31st July 2010 14:00 7 Miles/2000 Feet
“Sting in the tail”
Waun Fach itself is a deeply featureless mountain surrounded by fabulous views I knew from two previous outings on the BMR and I was looking forward to running down Y Grib. The organisers were very clear that on Y Grib the normal rule of the route being up to the runner didn't apply and we had to go over every top (the sods). I had recently been told by Matthew Lawson that this race was the origins of the split with Welsh Athletics over the fallout from people objecting to the mandatory kit ruling so made sure I had mine with me. Just like every other fell race I have done though, the weather was kind. We all gathered for the start in what seemed like a fairly arbitrary point on the track behind the pub at Pengenffordd with much ironic debate over whether this was the right place. It was and we charged down the track at ridiculously ambitious pace before the climbing started, I had a fairly lonely race until the magnificent descent down Y Grib and at the bottom managed to catch Steve Herington who promptly demonstrated his far superior uphill technique and eased away from me up the killer finish on the fort. I was 31st which in retrospect reflected how I tend to do when the descent isn't the dominant feature of a race.

 Llanthony Show (AS) Saturday 7th August 2010 12:15 3.5 Miles/1100 Feet
“Best titbit catcher”
Everyone should try Llanthony Show, its a delight in a totally unpatronising way as I think there is a knowing amusement in the show competitions, everyone seemed pleased and slightly stunned at 40 runners turning up, I was asked by a very well-spoken lady whether we would be on horses, I explained to her sceptical expression that horses would not be able to go where we were going. The race was mainly a Chepstow production and Lou broke new ground by being both a race marshal and a competitor. Many of the usual crowd, Roy, Steve H, Gary G, Richard J, Rob were there plus an intriguing newcomer to the hardcore fell running scene in Glyn. Unlike Pentyrch where his greater speed on the flat paid off I knew that this time the conditions suited me plus I was also sporting my Mudclaws which my experience at Pen Y Fan had persuaded me to buy. Sure enough Glyn left me behind on the steep, winding climb but I slowly drew level on the plateau on Offa's Dyke then when I saw the descending was about to start pulled away, once I was on the sheep tracks coming down I saw the value of getting ahead as overtaking was going to be a fraught exercise, fortunately the first person I got behind sportingly made way, after that it was just a case of being alert for hidden rocks. With two fields to go before the showground things got pretty steep and I passed a couple of people in road shoes. Back in the showground threaded my way through the various obstacles and tried to surprise another runner but he heard me coming. I finished 12th and Glyn 16th . . . . . . Then there were two.

 Sugar Loaf (BM) Saturday 14th August 2010 11:00 7 Miles/1725 Feet
“Dee, he's a natural”
After Parkrun and just before the Brynglas tunnel my phone rang, it was Roy - “Ron's given me your number, the race is at 2 isn't it?” Sadly I had to disappoint him. I registered and before long Dee turned up in his new, red X-Talon 190s, followed by Glyn. “Am I going to be last do you think?” asked Dee, I pointed out that in Gwent League conditions he would beat almost everyone present. The race started and Dee promptly sped away, on the initial climb over the starter hill Nick Dallimore politely inquired how Parkrun had gone, this became a regular insanity check on me by all and sundry for the rest of the year. Soon afterwards in the deep ferns I saw what at first I took to be a cat having a snooze which was sadly a dead fox, after a nice bit of undulating terrain we began the long haul to the summit which I reached with Nikki feet behind me and Glyn way off ahead. I was confident that I'd catch Glyn, put in a 5:35 mile and did so, we then carried on pretty much together all the way in until the final field when he used his better flat speed to pull away a lot more than it seemed at the time. Dee was an incredible 6th with the same time as the 5th place runner, Glyn was 34th and I was 35th. . . . . .  then there were three.

 Ras Beca (BS) Saturday 28th August 2010 13:30 5 Miles/1050 Feet
“Boggy”
I had bored Rowena for ages with my Fell Running exploits so now it was her turn, in retrospect Ras Beca is the ideal starter fell race for anyone, especially someone with a foot still healing from major surgery who shouldn't really be running but even more especially for someone who suffers from vertigo. . . . .Due to my misreading of the race starting time we turned up ridiculously early to register, the race organisers had adopted the ingenious ploy of reusing numbers from every race they had ever done which I quite liked. After popping to the coast for a tea we returned to find Dee in the car park - “I tell you man its boggy out there” was his assessment, having done the Preseli Bluestone the previous year I knew this to be the main difference between here and the Beacons. After a while we bumped into Roy who had decided to make a mini holiday out of it. A big field gathered on the edge of the bog and off we went trying vainly to pick some kind of solid underfoot conditions. Once I got to the start of the fairly gentle climb I realised the energy-sapping effect the bog had on the quads but fortunately was up the initial climb fairly quickly and heading down the very pleasant sloping ridge to the next rise followed by a gentle and soft underfoot main descent where I got some decent pace going, then across the bog again, through some curious Gwent League type tape and home. I turned around to watch Rowena come in and she was just behind a parkrun regular Angharad who seemed slightly surprised when I called her name out. One thing I did miss was Rowena pulling Sharon Woods out of the bog on the way in. Rowena was 45th, Dee 9th and I was 27th. To my relief Rowena didn't have any vertigo issues and seemed delighted to be a fell runner. We watched the prize-giving but to my disappointment there was no symbolic re-enactment of the Rebecca Riots as I had been told took place.

 Machen Mountain (BM) Monday 30th August 2010 15:00 6 Miles/1450 Feet
“That’s the Errol from the Aquathlon”
This running of Machen Mountain saw an unprecedented occurrence – the race sold out with 201 runners, number 201 may well have been Ruth. Rowena met me at my house and we drove to Machen from St Mellons the scenic, direct route, we got there early as even though I had pre-entered I wanted her to have one of the distinctive shirts. On arriving we saw Rhion first who had come along with her parents, she informed us that she had gone to buy fell shoes but had come away with fashion boots. Fairly soon we were joined by San Domenicans Gareth, Dee, Glyn, Phil H, Marc, Kevin, Ray and eventually Ruth who had got lost on the way. From work in addition to Rhion there was the other Ruth (D), Bob and Jon. Greg the Machen organiser did his usual introductions and we were off around the field on to the road and up the steep tarmac before getting off-road on to the fast and misleadingly easy initial section. As was now the routine, Glyn got away from me but I was confident that the descent really suited me. A novelty for me in my 4th time at this race was a chap standing on the trig point blowing a compressed-air horn. On the initial steep, rutted descent off the top, my experience of having ran it many times from work in the lunchtimes resulted in my usual gain of six or so places and then right into the forest section which I always refer to as running perfection in pursuit of the vanished Glyn. Somewhat frustratingly I was blocked a few times on the narrow section and went into the barbed wire passing one person but I caught him quite late on the descent and went past by hurdling some obstacle which drew applause from Nick Dallimore just behind us. I knew however that there was a fair bit of flat ground to go and predictably he got past me and finished 5 seconds ahead. Dee 14th , Gareth 15th, Glyn 60th, Jon 87th, Ruth 94th, Rowena 102nd, Kevin 113rd, Phil130th, Marc 139th, Bob 143rd, Rhion 154th, Ray 173rd, Me 61st.
Rowena hadn’t had any vertigo issues but her foot was in quite a lot of pain and the first aid lady was sought out to wrap her foot in a cold, wet flannel, I had quite forgotten the nearby river which would have been a better option. I pointed out the race winners board and just how many times today’s winner Matt Collins had previously won the race, inevitably Helen won the woman’s race. Rowena was very pleased with the T-Shirt which as well as having a distinctive design free of adverts has the very rare attribute of credibility in a sea of “Clonetown Industrial Estate 10K” shirts.
A special mention though must go to Errol “multisport”Alexis, he’s here every year in the 70+ category and is an inspiration.

 Llyn Y Fan (AS) Saturday 18th September 2010 14:00 5.5 Miles/2000 Feet
“Vertigo”
The picture on the Wikipedia page you get if you Google Llyn Y Fan tells anyone all they need to know really, this place is majestic. Whenever I think of the place I hear the music “Benedictus” from “The Armed Man” by Karl Jenkins. For most fell races I’ve driven to on my own I have the habit of playing “No Cars Go” and “Keep The Car Running” by Arcade Fire at maximum volume to get me in the mood but this place is different, it’s a classical venue so I had that playing repeatedly.
After Parkrun I drove pretty quickly to Meidrim to pick up Rowena who had reconnoitred the area of the race with her mother and The Suzie Dog (a black Lab who is the world’s sixth fastest dog . . . . cough) a few days previously. Rowena was fairly concerned about the vertigo issues on this race given the sheer drops from the ridge. We stopped at the end of a long, rough track and mooched about speaking to Rhodri then Martin and the regulars and I discovered from the information sign that the lake is the one in the Welsh legend of the Lady of The Lake I had heard about a dozen times during assemblies in school. Helen arrived with her dogs Pedwar and one that seemed to be just called Brown Dog. Eventually John the race organiser arrived and gathered everyone to a particular spot from where he explained what landmarks to look out for and how best not to miss them and end up 20 miles away. I remarked to Rowena that I didn’t think anyone present was going to be able to give Helen a race and so it proved, she won at a canter. I had studied the OS maps of the route quite extensively and knew that the last mile and a half was going to suit my Jerboa legs perfectly as it was steep enough for me to use my full stride effortlessly but not too steep that I was going to have to waste energy braking. I came off the top and passed five people then just concentrated on not missing the shortest line back to the cars, as I crossed the line I was a bit startled to see Rowena as photographer but instantly guessed that she had vertigo problems. I was somewhat more surprised to find I was 4th and first MV40 but not I suspect as surprised as Rowena because she seemed to be checking that I was in fact me. I found the prizes a bit embarrassing due to my unfamiliarity with ever finishing in the places and joined Rowena in checking that this was actually real. John by now had realised that I was the Parkrun nutcase he had been told about. Rowena was chatting to Sharon Woods without realising that Sharon was the lady she had pulled out of the mud at the finish of Ras Beca three weeks previously. Later at Meidrim Rowena drank my prize whilst describing my race position in exuberant fashion on the San Domenico forum.

Fan Fawr (AS) Saturday 2nd October 2010 14:00 2 Miles/1000 Feet
“Tell you what, that’s the best quid I’ve spent”
This race seemed to present few vertigo problems but Rowena had pulled up with a sore foot at Parkrun so decided again to be race photographer . . . without a proper camera. This has to be the most ad hoc race around which is saying something by fell running standards, you pull over in the layby and on the grass opposite Storey Arms, pay a quid, write your race number on your hand and that’s it. Glyn and Gareth turned up followed by Angharad and friend who I had mentioned the race to at Parkrun. Toffer the race organiser did a quick spiel mentioning Health and Safety which provoked ironic laughter then we were off. As events turned out, spending longer labouring the point about shouting your race number out as you cross the line then checking it had been recorded rather than vanishing may have been useful. From the road you don’t get the true perspective on this race and once up the initial steep climb you figure it out, the Garmin beeped for the mile exactly as I went around Kay at the top then it was a case of managing the initial very steep descent and tracking down Glyn which I managed with about 600 Metres to go, Richard was carrying a hamstring injury and I caught him slightly unawares but he then changed gear and got home just ahead of me. Knowing the form with numbers on the hand I shouted “10” then checked they had my time down, sadly lots of people didn’t remember which made the results quite challenging. Angharad and friend discussed the merits of doing fell races in the wrong shoes with me, I suggested turning up at the Sugar Loaf in some Inov8s. Gareth had done exceptionally well to be 5th, Glyn was 29th and I was 26th although unsurprisingly in the results Richard had put quite a lot of distance on me. At the food van in the lay-by where leg 17 of the Castles starts: Rowena, Gareth, Glyn and I did a “Match of the Day” style post-race analysis, the prominent issue on the whiteboard was the idea of forming “San Domenico Fell Runners” or at least downplaying or dropping the “Road”. This did not find universal favour back at HQ. I’d certainly like an MDC style long-sleeved cycling top with back pockets in the navy San Domenico colours and printing.

Sugar Loaf (AS) Saturday 30th October 2010 14:00 5 Miles/1455 Feet
“Seven go mad on Sugar Loaf”
I picked up Katie as arranged on Westgate Street, she looked anxious, an expression that only changed to dubious or very anxious all day, we then picked up Ruth in poshest Lisvane, Ruth looked cold and was wearing a scarf, a look that only varied between very cold and teeth chattering all day. We then picked up Brian who was pretty much usual Brian although concerned about wearing road shoes. I vaguely pointed out The Blorenge on the way so as not to be too much of a shock the next time they saw it and indicated the unmistakable shape of the Sugar Loaf in the distance, if only anyone knew what a Sugar Loaf is. The first hurdle was to get a parking space in the limited car parking and we found one, fantastic, as far as I was concerned it didn’t matter how the race turned out now with such a major victory under my belt. Shortly we were joined by Jonty, Glyn, Gareth, Phil H, Rhys and much later . . .Bob. Registration was £2.50 which included a luxury number and post-race snacks. In a change from last year the race start was moved to outside the pub which lengthened the race slightly and I preferred. As the initial climb flattened out on the 4 by 4 tracks Ruth loped past me effortlessly and all the way to the summit I watched Jonty, Glyn, Brian and Ruth edge further away from me. I knew from experience last time that this race blunts my main weapon more than any other as once the main descent is over there are still two miles of undulating terrain to go so at that point gave up on any ideas of catching anyone. Coming off the summit I caught Angela Jones and due to my lack of grunting she didn’t know I was there, once she did though completely fairly made me take the long route which was closer to the edge than I’d ideally have liked. At this point I thought that I may as well make a proper attempt at a downhill but never really felt I was flying, there wasn’t much in it but the fact that Mudclaws would have been a better choice was noted for future reference. Quite a lonely run in but over the last 400 suddenly got close to Steve Herington but not close enough. Surprised to finish ahead of Katie despite her gloomy assessment of her current form, (she was to motor away from me convincingly at the Civil Service XC 10 days later). A tremendous improvement for Ruth from Machen where she was 5 minutes behind me to being a minute ahead (and third woman), if Dee is a natural fell runner then so is Ruth, a combination of being very light and very impressive hamstring strength. Other naturals seem to be Gareth and Jonty, I’m hopeful that with Dee we can develop into a formidable fell racing team.
Gareth 8th, Jonty 15th, Rhys 22nd, Glyn 33rd, Ruth 34th, Katie 50th, Bob 73rd, Phil H 83rd, Me 42nd.

The Blorenge (AS) 2.5 Miles/1400 Feet - Saturday 27th November 14:00
“The Mighty Blorenge”
I was torn with this race between giving people from the club a fair idea what it is like and not putting them off, in the event a few millimetres of snow meant that I could have claimed it was downhill all the way. I did seek other opinions on the FRA forum and got this from Wheeze
“In a word...Hardcore! There are very few climbs as totally knackering as this. Think of the last sharp bit up Sugar Loaf times..ooh, err..maybe 10? And then you have a very, very fast slippery descent plus real ankle twisting rocks covered in mouldy leaves near the bottom. Gird yer loins and get it done!!!”
The merry gang who did Sugar Loaf dwindled away to just Gareth, Glyn and myself, I arrived first with the car thermometer reading zero C and chatted to Steve and Chris Harrhy about the likelihood of getting back uninjured. Steve had reconnoitred the route a few days before and pronounced the old iron ore tramway section very slippery without the snow and ice. Gareth sensibly decided that this was a race for his new, shiny and unworn Mudclaws. As the windchill on the summit was estimated at -10 Centigrade a windproof top was mandatory kit, Glyn sought my advice and I suggested that three layers was going to make him too hot as even though I am a “human radiator”, nothing makes you as hot as running uphill.
Sixty runners assembled by St Faith’s church and after a short briefing we were off towards the canal tunnel which is a deceptively easy section then up the iron ore tramway where I closely observed what the underfoot conditions would be like for the descent.
I was passed by Glyn then Vanessa and knew from experience on Cribyn that the more severe the conditions, the better she performs so decided to stick behind her all the way up to the top. When we got to the top of the tramway and on to the open fell I tried not to look up and just tried to maintain my position, in a strange way the dusting of snow took the pressure off and by sticking to Vanessa found I reached the very top and was around the bunker about a minute quicker than last time. The chill on the summit was actually welcome given how hot I was by then and it felt like all the work was done but in a few strides got my head down and set off in pursuit of Glyn along the 4 By 4 tracks. As I got closer to Glyn he let out a squeal as he nearly went over in a deeper patch of snow, after we took the sharp left on to the sheep tracks I went past him listening to the occasional squeal getting further away. The route until the steep part was marked with canes which I followed then picked a conservative line down the steepest part of the descent as I fell repeatedly here last time, nearly at the end of this section I celebrated with a quick fall but was back into my stride and headed for the stiles which mark the beginning of the tramway descent. I had made the rare decision to take this bit easy despite having made up many places here last time but after a while got some confidence and began to move reasonably well surprised by the lack of anyone in sight or in earshot behind. Came out on to the canal and followed my own advice to be very careful ducking twice in the tunnel and really enjoyed the nice 400 Metres to the finish which was the section I had feared might be sheet ice.
Gareth in the meantime had finished 5th and had been 4th until passed by a highly experienced descender on the main descent who picked a much better line, these are the kind of learning experiences that don’t really happen on the road. Glyn came in 24th and I was 21st, approx 90 seconds better than last year. Mark Palmer won the race and Helen Fines was first woman (inevitably). Free tea, coffee, sandwiches and Stollen were served afterwards by Mark the race winner and John Aggleton. £2.50 to enter.

“The best fell-runners are, as the late Chris Brasher once observed, ‘athletes of real world class - if their sport lent itself to being held in a stadium surrounded by television cameras then they would be known the world over.’ But it doesn't; even for the hardy hundreds who turn out at fell-races to spectate, the sport is staggeringly inconvenient to watch. Most of the action takes place out of sight, high in the crags. And although energetic cameramen have occasionally tried to film races, none has succeeded in capturing the scale of the mountains, the difficulty of the ground and the violence of the runners' movements in the same shot. Meanwhile, the essence of the sport - gravity, pain, danger - is invisible.
Which brings us to the real reason why people like me love and participate in fell-running. We're in love with the thrills of our sport in the same way that armchair motor-racing or football fans are in love with theirs. In our case, however, the only way to appreciate it is to do it.”
From this Independent Newspaper article.

Notes – Its how I remember things, as I only wrote this on a whim in the last couple of days my memories for the earlier races aren’t as sharp, its not that they were any less fun. I have purposely not read what I wrote on the forum after each race because I would inevitably just rephrase that.
The quotes generally come from other people, often I haven’t credited them,  some people may recognise them as theirs.
Its quite hard not to make this simply a dull, first person “I this, I that” (I’m not sure I succeeded) so if other people remember things differently I apologise. I talk to a lot of people at races but I haven’t tried to summarise everything everyone said as I’d still be back in February plus lots of things although important in terms of interpersonal bonding don’t really make gripping reading and/or are private.
Even though I had run the Machen Mountain race before reading “Feet In The Clouds” and already knew I loved downhill, offroad running it was this book that made me want to really try it properly. There’s no mysticism and nonsense in the book, just a tremendous account of people doing something not for fashion or applause but because of the sheer physical thrill of it.