Headed back up to Troutbeck, east of Windermere, to stay overnight and shorten the journey for Sunday's GREAT LANGDALE CHRISTMAS PUDDING 10K. Took this shot on exiting the car to jog an easy 3 mile on the Garburn trail, hoping that conditions for tomorrow's race are just as friendly. Knowing the Lake District ,Sunday could see icy roads, gales, sleet or even snow! It's a noon start though so there will be time to grit the roads. As with most races in the Lake District ,runners come from all over the North plus holidaying southerners. So demand for places is so great that you can choose to race on the Saturday or the Sunday. I tried for the Saturday without success but managed the Sunday start.
Hardly surprising the races are so popular, the backdrop of the Langdale fells has to be one of the most dramatic and outstanding of any road race start/ finish in the U.K. Driving into the Langdale valley via Elterwater and Chapel Stile gave us the chance to assess the course. Underfoot conditions would not prove to be a problem but the course would certainly be undulating with a couple of unwelcome climbs which would edge times up. With just under 400 competitors parking and toileting were not a problem. A very eclectic field of competitors set off; club runners in vest and shorts, unattached runners many overdressed for arctic conditions plus of course the obligatory santas and elves.
From the start at the Sticklebarn Tavern the course meanders back through Chapel Stile, diverts off the road through the Langdales Time Share, emerges at the Britannia pub, Elterwater, climbs back to the valley road then left back down the valley again. Of course this meant on the way back we were heading towards the slower runners on both sides of the road. Yes, marshalling could have been better. Rival M60 Steve Pierce of Kendal had passed me after a mile. "What kept you?" I said. "Had a few pints last night!", he replied and pulled away but as we turned he was still in sight. Working well with Richard Johnson of Swaledale, Erika's husband, we were going through nicely and I did think Steve P. might come back. But the hill out of Chapel Stile prevented that and he went on to win the category to my 2nd.
I was overtaking still but R.J. had nudged away. Photo here was taken with about 200 metres to go. I'm just about to launch my Usain Bolt like finish but results show that those to my right had the edge with a right hand turn finish but I did manage to keep ahead of the others in the group; all much younger than myself, of course! The splits, based on race markers, illustrate the race undulations.
4.14 4.08 4.30 4.10 4.11 4.14 4.20 4.27 4.12 4.04
42.33. 49th of 397 and of course, 2nd M60 behind Mr. Pierce.
So, I would say the nature of the course put paid to any chance of the 42 minute time I had hoped for; but it did suggest the sub 42 target is realistic in the New Year. Most encouraging was the fact that Steve Peirce was only 33 seconds in front over 10K compared to 1min23secs.
in front over 5 miles in October. But then he had had a few pints on Saturday night.....and I hadn't??
No comments:
Post a Comment