The Woodentops' Soreen Stanbury Splash. Sponsored by Soreen. So as well as as much mud as you could eat, there was also a Soreen loaf to for every entrant (and more for the winners).
These Woodentops events are fantastic. And getting more popular each year (where the Brownlees and some other running notables cut their teeth).
There are some great photos of the event which can be reached from the web site at http://www.woodentops.org.uk which show the people sliding down the precipitous slopes, and crossing the water at the end.
Enough intro.
JH Writes:
I'm struggling to write much here. So some bullets
- This is the first time we have toed the start line together
- This was a 7 mile fell race
- There was lots of going straight down, straight up, and through streams. Which might have been fun, but mostly wasn't
My target time was to do it in about 1 hour (winners take between 40-45 minutes).
Since before Christmas, I've been ill, and still not really feeling that good (I even had to walk up a hill on the bike the other day, it's that bad). If it wasn't for the fact that I had missed the scheduled race through being ill (just before christmas), I would have blobbed out on this. The plan was to get round without fainting. Keep the HR low. However, everyone going past is pretty demoralising. I ended up in 68 minutes - so about 8 minutes over target, and a bit behind people I should have finished ahead of. I'm just glad it's the last fell race in our challenge (at least until the scars healed).
If there is a moral, it is that it is better to turn up and do the best you can, because you never know what the opposition are going to do. Jon.e was planning on finishing within 12 minutes of me - 12 minutes or more, and that would be a loss. 12 or less would be a win. I was so confident that he would cross the line a couple of minutes after me, that I hang around to watch, instead of getting changed. It got to the point that I thought I had missed him
I'll let jon.e take over:
Stanbury Splash (sponsored by Soreen )
Not in the right frame of mind at all, due numerous factors.
Turned up and registered at Penistone Cricket club, paid the hefty sum of four pounds and got a number and a Soren malt loaf, expected a Soreen snack pack, so the loaf was a bonus.
Didn't see Jack until the start, he waved from the front as I stood at the back.
First mile, I got overtaken by an asthmatic snail,
At mile 1.4, whilst dodging a runner whom jumped in front of me, my shin met a lovely piece of Yorkshire gritstone, judging by the blood, I came off worse.
At mile 1.5, was able to numb the pain in the stream.
At mile 1.6, the cooling water, had tightened my calf muscle sufficiently to cause it to get a strain.
At mile 2.2 felt sick,
At mile 2.3 felt sicker and hacked off as the leaders shot past going the other way.
At mile 3.3 , felt slightly better as the uphill turned to downhill.
Felt worse again as more runners overtake me.
At mile 4.4, felt dizzy, and nauseous, knee gave way.
At mile 4.6 went past a runner lying in a survival bag ( at least I won't be last )
At mile 4.7 to mile well to the finish, it went down hill.
After my last fell race I aimed for a time of 1:15 to 1:20. Failed to meet that, hacked off, soon to put up for sale on Fleabay, bike, wetsuit, running shoes, will happily exchange for badminton set.
Now down 20 mins(approx) in GC, guesses to how big the rout will be on a postcard, to the Laughing Yorkshire Man.
Well, the end result was that JH finished 12 minutes and 6 seconds ahead. So, technically, a draw.
GC:
JH 02:04:39.1
JE +15:15.9
So JH has a 15 minute lead.
Next event might either be feb 2 or feb 23, 10km road race, or 10 mile Time Trial, depending on how the stars align