Shoal Hill orienteering 24th October

With my 7 year old son Henry being selected to run on the white course for the chasers in the Yvette Baker Junior trophy I was always going to attend this event anyway but was unsure as whether to enter or not, let alone decide which course to run on.
Arriving quite early we got Henry signed in and took the 20 minute walk over the farmers field to the start and got him on his way for his first unnassisted attempt at a white course only to see him in the distance fumbling with the map at the first control.  After intervening it turns out I folded the map too much and he couldn't see the orientation arrows.  A quick re-jig of the map and he was away fine running between each control then stopping to sort the direction out.  A bit like his dad really.  I think we both need to work on the 'flow'.

After returning to the car park and registration area we got Henry's printout and then I decided I had enough time to have a run myself so as always put my 'best value' head on and opted for the brown course.
After finding Cath to babysit I made sure my laces were taped up and I had everything I needed.

From the start I managed to orientate and find where I was a bit quicker than usual and set off along the best path to get into my stride.  I think I did a bit too much on the paths as comparing afterwards to Ian Stamp's GPS route on routegadget I could have cut loads of corners off but at the time didn't want to lose where I was on the map.
The first few controls seemed quite easy to find, probably because I was taking my time but they did seem to be getting progressively harder to find as I ventured into unknown territory in a patch of quite dense forest with many knolls and dips to negotiate.
Around controls 14-15 I latched onto John Robinson from the Chasers club and I think I was suffering with mental fatigue or overload or whatever as I failed to notice that after control 16 you have to turn the map over.  I don't think I could have done the next few any quicker than John but did have to put him right on a couple of occasions on the easy bits.
I wasn't sure how long I was thinking it would take but I was out there for 96 minutes.  The winner was back in 54mins.
Returning to the car park and most of the cars had gone.  All the juniors gone to pizza hut except Henry who Stodge was watching over.  Because I'd taken so long I took him to pizza hut anyway arriving only slightly after the others.  Feeling mentally if not physically exhausted the Pizza went down very well.

Not a bad result I suppose.   Could have gone faster if I'd have been a bit more confident and ventured off the paths a bit.

I was interested to hear Johns take on the OMM when he asked me if I was doing it the weekend after.  I said that this was about as technical as I got to which he replied the the OMM was much easier navigation wise.  I would like to have a go one day but it would have to be the longest class I could get on.  I need to get my monies worth!

Orienteering is a technical sport and as such attracts a lot of technically minded people this in turn has brought a few computer based tools that really help in analysing what you've done or where you've gone wrong on a run.  most common of these tools is routegadget which is used for results and route plotting.  You can upload a GPS .gpx file to it and with a bit of jiggery can make it fit the course.  The adjusting has to be done as the map itself is not geo-adjusted, it does not have a GPS location.

The tool I like a bit better is quickroute which is designed to be used with a gamin 305 but works with my garmin geko o.k. and can display pace through the whole course in a colour coded red for slow and green for fast.  It's free as well which is always a bonus.

Longmynd Hike 2nd Oct 2010

The 2009 Longmynd Hike was my first 50 miler and was an unknown as far as time on my feet, running in darkness and overall distance and elevation went, almost 10,000ft of climb. With all that in mind it was a slow start and from the 22mile checkpoint at Bank Farm we were grouped for darkness and never ran another step all the way to the end resulting in a 14:52 finishing time.  You can read my last post for more info on that but needless to say I was hoping for a better time on the 2010 hike.

I signed up to be reminded of when the 2010 entry list opened way back in November '09 and was sent an email in mid March saying the entries had opened.  Thinking nothing of it I left it a couple of weeks and then tried to enter but to my amazement was greeted with the anouncement that entries had been suspended due to unprecedented demand and I had to put my name on a reserve list.  In my dissapointment I just put my name on the automated Email list and contacted the organisers to see what was going on.  Last years hike filled up but only in the last few weeks and this year it wasn't even part of the series.  I never received a reply so resigned myself to the fact that I had not got a place and planned to do the Round Rotherham 50 (Longmynd hike's replacement in the UK ultra series).  Anyway 3 weeks before the hike I get another Email saying I'd been accepted from the reserve list and I could enter.  Oh well.  I didn't like the look of the round Rotherham anyway, it seems to be a fast course with lots of running and not many hills.  Maybe one for another day.

Kit Check

With Church Stretton only being an hours drive from home and a late start time of 1:00 in the afternoon to ensure everyone gets a bit of night running in I was in the lucky position that I could drive up on the day and if not too tired drive back when finished.  Kit check was between 9:30 and 11:30 so I set out at just before 9 and took a leisurely drive down the M54 to arrive in good time with a queue already formed around a circle of tables in the sports hall of church Stretton School.  Now this isn't just a casual kit check on a random person basis but a full on everything on the list must be carried check. If successful your given a signed ticket which you can get hour tally with at the start.  If you read my previous post you can see what I took and I'm glad to say I passed easily barring the hi-viz strips which I knew I'd forgotten on the drive up but also knew they sold them along with other spares in the main hall at the School.  The strips were duely purchased and kit check was complete.

In the queue for kit check it was apparent that there was an absence of the usual suspects seen at Runfurther series races and the majority of entrants were walkers which were familiarising with the route as part of it covers the LDWA Housman 100 next  year.  I did see Karen Nash who is a regular at the Runfurthers which did surprise me as she was certain of not being able to get a place after leaving it too late but informed me that she'd managed to get in by telling the organisers that if she didn't then they wouldn't get the novice (first time hiker) trophy back.  Good bribery tactics there.

After gaining my golden kit check ticket I retired to one of the classrooms where there was much sleep mat and sleeping bag laying out going on for after the event where the wasted hikers could just crash out with minimal fuss and disruption to others.  I've never been a fan of this arrangement as the snoring of ten or more dead to the world blokes can become unbearable  let alone the smell.

Changing into my kit it dawns on me that I'm in the same classroom as the previous year in the same chair and the same 2 guys are in the other corner of the room that were also there last year.  There is a theme going on here as another chap walks in and says to them 'you two were there last year in that same spot',  they agree and it turns out it's their 4th time starting and it's the only long event they ever do being locals.  I was a little intrigued by their nutritrional tactics consisting of Paracetamol, cocodamol, pro plus, red kooga and they were also on the large tins of relentless.  Bear in mind there was still an hour and a half till the start. One was also sporting the most minimal of minimal kit I'd ever seen, a compass, torch and whistle in one which was no bigger than a standard whistle.  I was assured that this passed kit check and assumed that the rest
of what was in their 20 odd litre bags was the contents of their medicine cabinets.

Checking out the full size map in the canteen area I see Andy Davies looking super fit and ready for another win.  I can't envisage anyone beating him today. He is carrying minimal kit all in a 5 litre raidlight Olmo 5 bag.  This looks to be the perfect UK ultra storage solution as the shoulder strap bottle holders are integral to the design and are not an after thought just vecro'd on ensuring quick acces for essential food and drink without the 'jiggle' of normal strap mounts.  Last year I was pestering Martin Like of Likeys to get one of these in but they weren't available over here and he had to make a large minimal order.  When they did come in they seemed very expensive for what you get but after seeing one being used I can feel another purchase coming on.  I may have to offload some of my other collection of bags first.

The map on the notice board displayed a couple of changes to the standard route used over the last 42 years.  One being a marked route down off Corndon Hill which is close to the optimum route anyway but the other change got put into place at the last minute as the landowner at the bottom of Pell Rhadley wood had reported runners using the 'out of bounds except for race day' route for training and a fence had been knocked over.  The landowner removed his permission to let the hike through the woods and a detour was made around Black Rhadley hill on the road and up the side where you usually go down.  In reality this turned out to be no great problem and an extra 2 interim checkpoints were put into place to ensure nobody went astray.  In the school reception area is a display of trophies and old newspaper cuttings.  The 2nd longmynd Scouts are rightly proud of their event.

It's about a mile walk to the start and the weather was fine so I took a leisurely stroll to get there in good time only to miss the short cut across the playing fields and end up following a load of walkers on a 10 minute detour.  I was hoping this navigational blunder would not continue in the race proper and vowed to myself not to follow anyone unless I knew it was the right way.  I knew there was a left turn cutting down the housing estate but I trusted too much and followed instead of going the way I knew was right.

The start

 I went and got my tally and lined up for the start.  I did feel a bit under equipped with the waist pack and got a few comments like 'are you going to win it this year?' and 'How do you get all the stuff in that?'.  I quickly pointed out that I had no chance of winning and everything that was on the list was in the bag.  The OMM waist pack is 6 litres.  the raidlight that Andy Davies was using was only 5 litres so  I wasn't the most minimal.

Looking back down Caer Caradoc

A few quick apologies for the route change and hopes that it will only be for this year and we're set on our way at bang on 1pm.  Immediately I get caught up at the back and with nothing to do except go with the flow I take it easy up the first climb, Caer Caradoc. On the other side I proceed to slide on the still dewy grass and fall straight on my arse.  No harm done but I think my X-Talons tread are well and truly worn out.  A few hundred metres further on I do the same thing but control it ok again.  From that point on I lost confidence in the grip and tended to take the grassy descents a bit slower.With the field now spread out I try to get into a rhythm and plod on.

Andy Davies looking smooth!

Checkpoint 2 is on top of the Lawley and is the first out and back hill of the race.  I'm only half way up it and Andy Davies come flying down the other way looking far too comfortable followed by a few others that didn't look quite as comfortable.

The run through Gog Batch and up to High Park at CP3 is a slow gradual climb which continues up to Pole Bank at CP4.  High park is the first of the refreshment checkpoints but the hike is more of a self sufficient affair compared to others and all that's available is juice and water although the staff and helpers are all very friendly and pleasant  The section is all quite runable and I can imagine the good plodders would make some time up thorough it.  Pole bank is another out and back section but by this time the leaders are well gone and the field is more spaced out leaving a pleasant if a bit more muddy than last year descent into Bridges.

This year Bridges (12mi) was a hive of activity but I didn't plan on hanging around so just filled my bottle up and popped a nuun in it and left.  There was a charity handing out free sweets which I declined and carried on out of the checkpoint.  The toot toot of a train whistle I heard on my way down to the checkpoint was in fact a steam engine giving rides to kids which blocked the way slightly but wasn't too bad. Just around the corner was the Bridges (out) checkpoint where they just took your number.  Don't know what that was about.

thats my tally under the shirt not my belly! Photo Al Tye

Some more tarmac pounding and gradual climbing now up to the first visit of the day to Stiperstones car park (15mi).  The tent could be seen in the distance but I knew it wouldn't be open yet as it was just for the return leg later on.  By this point in the race I had slowly eaten a peanut butter clif bar and about half of a peanut butter and nutella sandwich which had turned to mush in my bag.  There had been a constant rattling since the start and I knew what it was.  A week earlier I had decided to try some chocolate covered espresso beans en-route and had bought a big bag and a small box.  I had just put the box in as it was and they were rattling like a box of tic tacs.  I'd had enough of it so on the climb to Stiperstones I walked and emptied them out into the clif bar wrapper,  that sorted it but the bottle of coke in the bag was jiggling about as well since the start so I drank about a third of it to lighten the load.  I didn't have any trouble with the bag after that.  With all the  food and drink in it was just that bit too heavy to be stable.

From Stiperstones it's another 5miles to Earls Hill, another out and back which has a quite steep exposed climb and a windy summit.  On he way back down I pass the 2 'pharmacists' I met in the class room earlier and yes they did look as high as kites but seemed to be going well.  We exchanged 'how do's' and 'well done's' as we passed.  Out and back from Earls Hill you pass the pub in Habberley twice and theres always a decent crowd outside to cheer you on.  The smell and vibe of the place is almost enough to make you stop and say 'bugger it I'll have a pint and just watch these idiots running about'.  I am sure some of the walkers must stop for refreshment here.

The Bank Farm CP (22mi) is only just around the corner and has not come soon enough.  From the last CP with refreshments at Bridges to here is 10 miles and my bottle had run dry about 5 miles ago.  The teenagers manning the drinks station kindly fill up my bottle with 500ml of blackcurrent cordial which I neck on the spot then fill it again with water and I add a nuun tablet for on the way.  Last year i was grouped at this CP as night was just setting in but this time I had an hour and a half to go so I didn't hang around and set off through Eastridge woods which I know well from my old downhill mountain bike days.

I found myself following 2 runners who were taking northern most route through the woods and I can say that it was probably faster and Snailbeach mine appeared in no time.  Another short cut along a small field and it was back onto the long drawn out road section to Tankerville with a welcome unofficial refreshment shop at the pub adjoining the shop.

There was three of us at this stage doing the run/walk thing and I got talking to Chris who was another local who just tended to do the local races.  He took us on a great shortcut down a track and across some farm land chopping a massive chunk off the way 'I got taken' last year.  I had plotted on the map another way but this was even shorter.  The other chap appeared to be in a bit better shape than Chris and myself and he started to pull away.

By Shelve CP9 (27mi) it was as dark is it was going to get and as soon as we got in Chris got a soup and sat straight down on the exit bench.  There was about 4 or 5 others already in messing about and looking around to see who was in a similar state to themselves so they could gauge who to group with.  I had a soup and and a HLCBS (Ham, laughing cow and brown sauce) sandwich and got the head torch out and made my way to the exit where Chris was still sitting and another chap, Andy had joined him.
Chris was given 5 minutes waiting time and Andy 3 minutes.  So thats why he sat straight down.  Earlier Chris had told me that he'd not trained that much for this years hike and was sure hed get nowhere near his best time of 12 hours, he was going to take it easy and enjoy it.  This was partly my reason for jumping in to his group as I knew a pb was on for me even if I walked the rest of the way.

As soon as we left Chris picked up the pace and for me I was struggling to keep up with it but just holding on.  So much for taking it easy.   Up Corndon Hill CP10 (30mi) I held my own and took the lead for a while.  I never thought my strong point would be the climbing but I found this a relief compared to the roads.  Corndon Hill is a strange place in the dark with the lone caravan and one orange 2 man tent from which a head apears to clip your tally.  Chris seems to know everyone at the checkpoints.

CP10 to CP11 Woodgate Farm (32mi) was a blur to me as I did not remember any of the route but the pace was relentless.  Woodgate is like a hillbilly barn with hay bails all around.  No one else was at this one so I quickly got a soup and another sandwich.

Woodgate

Next lied the new section around Black Rhadley Hill.  As the tarmac road around it slowly got steeper and I got hungrier we were all reduced to a walk and I got a craving for the coffee beans.  Up to this point I was a bit wary on how many to take in case they gave me too much of a buzz but now i was past caring and from experience knew that if you stop eating you just stop so I had about 10 in one go.  There was a lot of activity around here with cars coming past checking everybody was on the right path.  An interim CP caravan tucked into the trees at an angle at the side of the narrow road was where you had the corner of your tally clipped off and another car was at the top of the lane where you got the other side clipped.  Black Rhadley from this side was short and easy and there was many other groups just leaving as we got there.

We were now back to the centre of the figure of 8 route and the track up to Stiperstones car park for the second time was easy enough and we made good time actually over taking another group just before we got in the marquee.  There was pretty much standing room only here so we monopolised on this and left about a minute later.  From here there is a long downhill section where I just managed keep contact with the other 2.  There is a row of houses just before the right turn up to Pole Cottage and some kids were on their doorstep cheering us on and had left drinks and sweets at the bottom of the garden.  Thanks kids.

When reaching the plateau of the hill the going becomes muddy, up to ankle deep in places. Chris and Andy pull away through the heather as i struggle to keep up.  I had the energy but was just watching my footing as the earlier falls had knocked my confidence in the worn out shoes.  We arrived at Pole Cottage CP14 (42mi) just as another group got there.  They were the ones that we had passed just before Stiperstones and had either recovered well or taken a different route to us.  They continued to follow just behind us to the self Clip checkpoint at Minton CP15 (46mi) but when we broke out into a slow run again we seemed to open a gap and by the time we got to the CP 2 of them were a few hundred yards still up the hill while the other lady in a bright pink top was just behind us and seemed keen to push on.  I had to stop for a wee here and Chris and Andy left without me but when I'd finished I suddenly had a turn of speed and started to run as if I'd just started out.  I quickly caught them up and couldn't stop, must be the coffe beans.  We ran most of the next 2 miles to the bottom of Ragleth Hill and I felt great all the way to the top as I took the lead again on the ascent.   Feeling slightly hungry I thought I'd leave it now as the finish would be all downhill from here.

At the top of Ragleth Hill 16(48mi) the lights over Church Stretton can be seen and the end is in sight.  Flashing cycle led lights guide the way to the checkpoint proper in a dip just over the brow of the hill to shelter it from the windy summit.  We all take a drink and continue down the left hand path that contours down into the woods.  Chris and Andy fly down here and all I can think of is don't fall, don't go over on your ankle.  They are about 50 yards ahead but still in sight.  Chris has practised this part a few times and knows the footing but in the dark I am not that confident.

Then just as I can see the houses and where the track turns to tarmac I go over on my right ankle and roll down the mud letting out a muffled shriek.  Not another Fellsman disaster. (I had to retire from Fellsman this year due to me doing this).  The other 2 walked back to help as I was hobbling around trying to put weight on it.  After a few seconds it didn't feel that bad so I started to limp on it.  I didn't want to ruin their chances of a good time.  When on the road section I managed to get some decent speed up and I even remembered the short cut over the playing fields.  We run around the back of the school and to the finish line or should that be desk next to the sports hall store room.  The time according to my watch is 12hours 12minutes  We have our tallies cut off

and its congratulations all round.  I apologise for holding the others up but they're having non of it and say they couldn't have gone any quicker anyway.
We then go our seperate ways and I have a shower in the steaming hot changing rooms having to duck under the kids height shower heads.  As you can imagine this took about half an hour as all movement is slow after running 50miles.  It was well worth it though.  I usually wait until I get home as I'm in no mood to do anything but seeing as I'd finished quicker than expected took the extra time to look after myself.  We were back too early for breakfast but there was cornflakes and weetabix available and as much tea as you could drink.

 I was struck by the lack of people that had finished as my memories of last year were bodies in corridors and the classroom where my stuff was kept but this time the only chap in the classroom was a sleeping St johns ambulance volunteer.  I apologised for waking him got my stuff and left for the hardest walk of the day.  In the pitch black darkness back to the car.  The headtorch came out again as my night vision had adjusted to the schools lighting and I didn't want to fall again, not now.

I drove home without incident with a big grin on my face knowing that I'd tried my best all the way round.

Results are found here.  40th Position. This is more than I'd ever thought possible with my feeble amount of training.

  Perhaps the OMM bag was a good idea.  Once all the food had gone it was barely noticable although looking at the pictures of Andy Davies who won easily again the Raidlight Olmo 5 could be the ultimate UK ultra kit carrying device.  The shoulder strap mounted food and bottle holders are so easy to access and the stuff you don't use much can go in the back.  Of course for races where the kit check is not so stringent like Wuthering Hike or High Peak 40 a waist pack will do but for stuff like this or the Fellsman then a bit more room is required.

Food for the whole event was 3 clif bars, 1 x HLCBS sandwich, 1 x peanut butter/nutella sandwich, 15 chocolate covered espresso beans and 500ml of flat coke.  Don't know how much water. I would guess at 3 litres and 5 nuun tablets.  No food from checkpoints except 2 soups and 1 cuppa tea.  The jam sandwiches I had got binned afterwards.

All in all a fine day out.  I hope Long Mynd goes back in the series next year as its my most local event and will probably do it again anyway.  It's all about progression. As longer as I've done better or at least tried harder than last time I am happy.

I leave you with the words of Tim Twietmeyer, Western States ultra running legend. 25 sub 24hour WSER finishes:

'There is nothing noble in being superior to some other man. The true nobility is being superior to your former self.'

And heres one from the Mother-in-law when she found out I was running on mine and her daughter's anniversary.

'I think M&S are doing meals for one'

Luckily the Longmynd Hike will fall on the 3rd October next year.