tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24920445241917584602024-03-13T17:59:06.259+00:00Somewhere in the BetweenFell Running and Racing, Orienteering and BeerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-42252792973963770772015-10-23T11:24:00.001+01:002015-10-23T12:16:38.946+01:00The OMM 2015 Tweedsmuir Hills: Preview<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's that time again. After a few weeks of lovely autumn sunshine and generally mild temperatures, the mercury has just started dropping, the wind has started to get up and it's suddenly getting difficult to train in the daylight. OMM-time!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year The OMM roadshow heads to Tweedsmuir in the northern part of the Scottish Borders/Southern Uplands. The extensive backcountry both south and north of the A701 should provide plenty of scope for suitable navigational and physical challenges, as well as picking out some of the interesting names of the area: Dead for Cauld, Muckle Knees, Drowning Dubs, Porridge Cairn, Nickies Knowe, Worm Hill. Looking at the OS map of the area suggests similarities to the steepness and ridge systems of Howgills 2012.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few changes this year will see a reversion to Harveys maps (YAY!) and tea after the event. However, the main changes are that you will need to carry a spare thermal and leg layer other than the kit you are running in, whereas previously 1 thermal and 1 warm leg layer sufficed. First Aid Kit is also now up to the runners' discretion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Anyway, on to a brief run-down of some names to watch out for on the Elite start-list. My apologies for this being poorly researched, lacking in pictures and not very in depth - bit of a rush job I'm afraid!</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Elite.</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duncan Archer & Shane Ohly.</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The winners the last time The OMM ventured to Scotland (Perthshire 2011), Duncan and Shane are experienced mountain marathoners with excellent navigation and terrain-stunning skills. Shane organises big events such as the Dragon's Back, 2016's Cape Wrath Ultra, whilst Duncan has won numerous LAMMs and is well known on the Elite British Orienteering scene as thriving in the roughest of terrain.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2gsQNGkUjGY/VioJ6SlvbSI/AAAAAAAAAhA/-qKtIpUkG6Y/s1600/Duncan_Archer_and_Shane_Ohly_running_at_the_2011_OMM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="219" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2gsQNGkUjGY/VioJ6SlvbSI/AAAAAAAAAhA/-qKtIpUkG6Y/s320/Duncan_Archer_and_Shane_Ohly_running_at_the_2011_OMM.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duncan and Shane win in 2011. Image <a href="http://www.shaneohly.com/articles/2011/10/31/Breadalbane_Original_Mountain_Marathon/">shaneohly.com</a></span></td></tr>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Andy Fallas & Iain Whiteside.</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Carnethy duo are frequently seen troubling the top of British Fell/Hill race results, both having top-10s in British Championship races this year (Andy at Y Moelwyn, Iain at the Seven Sevens). Andy finished 3rd (4th including an NC pair) in 2014, albeit a way behind 2nd place.</span><br />
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<u><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jasmin Paris & Konrad Rawlik.</span></b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After 4th (and first mixed pair) last year, The Carnethy duo, Jasmin especially, have had a stellar year in the mountains of the UK and Europe. 2nd and 3rd respectively at The Dragon's Back was preceded with 3rd for Konrad and 4th for Jasmin at the Fellsman Hike in April, with Jasmin smashing the ladies record. August saw them tackle the GoreTex TransAlp, where they were 3rd mixed pair - not bad for a holiday!</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kim Collison & Adam Perry.</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After his 2nd attempt at the Lakes 24h record earlier in the year, Adam has enjoyed getting back to racing over all distances. Early season form saw him win his 3rd Fellsman Hike in a row ahead of Jez Bragg. Of course, his 2nd Fellsman win in 2014 was shared - hand in hand - with Kim, who has hit some fantastic late-season form with 26th (in 26h) at UTMB followed by a big win and new course record at <a href="http://live.lakesinaday.co.uk/">Lakes in A Day</a> just 2 weeks ago.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BVJrl0N2Cp8/VioJhc52paI/AAAAAAAAAg4/Oc8he-aoEzk/s1600/fellsman2014winners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BVJrl0N2Cp8/VioJhc52paI/AAAAAAAAAg4/Oc8he-aoEzk/s320/fellsman2014winners.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo from Grough.co.uk</span></td></tr>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oleg Chepelin & Sam Hesling.</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oleg set the 3rd fastest Nav leg at last weekend's FRA Relays and is another orienteer known for bulldozing whatever terrain is put infant of him. Sam is the winner of this year's Lairig Ghru race.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jim Mann & Nic Barber.</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After winning the Dragon's Back, leading from Day 1, Jim has kept his form throughout the year with a win at the Grossglockner Ultra Trail and 3rd at the Lakes Sky Ultra. So needless to say I'm a bit scared of partnering him this weekend! For what it's worth, my results pale into insignificance: 1st on A class last year and a win at the Edale Skyline way back in March. CAn't wait!</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charles Sproson & Chris Baynam-Huges.</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a 6th place finish in the Cheviots last year, Charles and Chris deserve a mention here, although in my brief research race results are hard to find!</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nicky Spinks & Jean Brown.</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After setting a new record on the Bob Graham earlier this year, Nicky Spinks teams up with Jean Brown as the only all-female pair on the start list.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, some predictions?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I'm going to go for Adam & Kim to win, with Oleg & Sam and Shane & Duncan rounding out the podium, pushed hard by Jasmin & Konrad, Andy & Iain and Jim & myself (well I've got to back myself a bit, right?!)</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-87073899034552631122014-10-23T17:57:00.001+01:002014-10-24T15:43:08.932+01:00The OMM 2014 - Cheviot HillsFell Relays done, this can mean only one thing: It's <a href="http://www.theomm.com/events/OMM_Original/">OMM</a> time again. Three Thousand or so hardy souls/certifiable nutters (depending on whether you ask them or their work colleagues) will this weekend be heading towards Alwinton/Clennell on the edge of the Cheviot Hills in Northumberland National Park.<br />
If you're anything like me you'll have visited the supermarket 6 times already this week in (ill-organised) preparation, rustled up your best rocket-fuel flapjack - flapjack definitely counts as a savoury item on the OMM - and looking forward to spooning your lovely partner. You'll also be trying to shift every terrible song ever written from your head in fear it becomes your weekend ear-worm. A weekend of 'Genie in a Bottle' by Christina Aguilera anyone?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://kellys-expat-shopping.nl/files/2013/08/pot-noodle-bombay-bad-boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://kellys-expat-shopping.nl/files/2013/08/pot-noodle-bombay-bad-boy.jpg" height="200" width="170" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The parter of choice for many teams, this prefers more of a forking than a spooning.</td></tr>
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I've spent very little time in the Cheviots, but am expecting a mix of rough grass, heather of varying depth, tussocks, bogs and rough forest. From a brief glance at the map, rolling hills around the 400-600m mark seem the order of the day, with the mass of The Cheviot ~9 miles north of the event centre poking its head up to 815m. Wind direction may well impact route choice alongside the more normal climb/distance calculations. The forests scattering the area north of Clennell could prove decisive - no-one likes forests mapped at 1:40000, and those present at the nearby British Orienteering Championships in April know what can go on in Northumberland forests - could the prizes at the end of the Day 2 courses be decided in Kidland Forest, just north of the event centre?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/p/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/OMM-HOWGILLS-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/p/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/OMM-HOWGILLS-1.jpg" height="184" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Our tent's the green one'. Photo: <a href="http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/">www.terra-nova.co.uk</a></td></tr>
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Anyway, onto the rumour, conjecture, insults and pure made-up bollocks as I pick out some contenders for the big prize on the Elite course, and have a brief glance at the other classes. Needless to say this is all highly subjective so if you think I've missed anyone out, oh well. <i><b>(The 2012 results don't seem to be working so there's a bit of a hole regarding historical data)</b></i><br />
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<h2>
<b>Elite</b></h2>
<h3>
Female/Mixed</h3>
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There are 2 all-female teams this year. <a href="http://www.runbg.co.uk/"><b>Nicky Spinks</b></a> (2011 winner, Female record holder of the Bob Graham, Ramsey and Paddy Buckley rounds and the Lakeland 24h record) partners <b>Mary Gillie</b>, whilst <a href="http://www.heatherdawe.co.uk/"><b>Heather Dawe</b></a> teams up with <b>Andrea Priestly</b> to defend their 2013 title.</div>
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In the Mixed, Carnethy's <b>Jasmin Paris</b> (new Tranter round female record holder) and <b>Konrad Rawlick</b> try for another title having won in 2011 and 2013 (and maybe 2012?). A very strong team. <b>Tim Laney</b> and <b>Lizzie Wraith</b>, <b>Carla Denneny</b> and <b>David Alcock</b>, <b>Cat St Clair</b> and <b>Stuart Johnson</b> are the only other mixed pairs on the start list.</div>
<h3>
Overall Challengers (in no particular order).</h3>
<h4>
The Dark Peak Machine - Oli Johnson and Neil Northrop.</h4>
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<a href="http://www.durhamfellrunners.org.uk/images/vests/dkpk.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.durhamfellrunners.org.uk/images/vests/dkpk.gif" /></a></div>
6th last year, OJ returns with Nails, not seen on an OMM since 2009. Both were part of Dark Peak's crushing British Fell Relay Championship winning team last weekend, each winning their respective legs (Oli leg 2 with Rhys FR; Neil leg 3 with Tom Saville). Both are former members of the British Orienteering Squad and have raced well on the fells this season, so navigation and terrain shouldn't prove to be an issue, and recent training/racing has gone well, the partnership getting close to the Kinder Dozen record despite carrying packs and stopping for photos, whilst Oli was 16th at the stacked Limone Skyrace a fortnight back.</div>
<h4>
The Estonians - <a href="http://runners.worldofo.com/sandervaher.html">Sander Vaher</a> and <a href="http://runners.worldofo.com/timosild.html">Timo Sild</a>.</h4>
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<a href="http://www.world-free-printable-flags.com/images/Estonia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.world-free-printable-flags.com/images/Estonia.jpg" height="203" width="320" /></a>Both members of the Estonian team at this year's World Orienteering Championships in Italy, last year's 3rd placed team returns. Sander lives in Swansea and both have been competing last weekend in the 'Race The Castles' World Ranking Orienteering events in Scotland, which saw world class fields ahead of next year's World Championships. Whether this pairing are tired after a pre-WOC <br />
training camp remains to be seen, but as they showed last year they are definitely contenders and navigation again shouldn't be an issue..</div>
<h4>
The 'Is That it?' Team - Steve Birkenshaw and Adam Perry.</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.grough.co.uk/lib/img/editorial/adamperry2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.grough.co.uk/lib/img/editorial/adamperry2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam Perry shows off his new necklace. Photo: <a href="http://grough.co.uk/">grough.co.uk</a></td></tr>
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After covering 300 miles and 37,000ft of climb to summit every Wainwright in 6 days 13h back in June, an Elite OMM should feel like a warm up to Steve Birkenshaw. Time may be against Steve to add to his current 7 OMM/KIMM Elite titles to match Mark Seddon's 10, but the 2012 Dragon's back champion is the most experienced ultra-distance racer in the country. He's teaming up with 2-time Fellsman winner Adam Perry, who has also dipped his toe into making Lakeland fell fokelore, having a good crack at Mark Hartell's 17-year-old Lakes 24-hour peaks record, an attempt which was still 'on' until 20h in - further than many have got. Will Adam make Steve hold his hand as they cross the line? Full of endurance, the main question for this team is how well they have both recovered after their summer exploits.</div>
<h4>
The Locals - Duncan Archer and Jim Mann.</h4>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lamm.co.uk/2014/prizegiving/prizegiving54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.lamm.co.uk/2014/prizegiving/prizegiving54.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim tries his best 'smoulder' look. Photo:<a href="http://www.lamm.co.uk/"> lamm.co.uk</a></td></tr>
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OK, being from County Durham they're about as local as Elite contenders get. Winner in 2011, <br />
Duncan teams up with Jim, his regular LAMM partner, the pair having won the last 3 editions of the Scottish July event. Jim set the winter Bob Graham record (18:18) last December, whilst Duncan was an excellent 4th in the rough terrain of the British Long Distance Orienteering Championships back in April.</div>
<h4>
The Carnethy Team - Andy Fallas and Jon Ascroft.</h4>
<div>
Carnethy star Andy Fallas (stop sniggering at the back!) teams up with club-mate Jon Ascroft. Impressive results for Andy in 2014 include winning the Two Breweries race ahead of a strong field, joint 3rd at the Isle of Jura Fell Race and 5th at the British Championship race at Ennerdale. Jon has been well within the top-10 at the Arrochar Alps and Pentland Skyline races. </div>
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As ever, there are a couple of pairs likely unknown to the British Fell Running and Orienteering communities. You never know if they might be contenders, so a bit of google detective work is required:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://twitter.com/jmunthen"><b>Jonas Munthe</b></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bjarke_Refslund"><b>Bjarke Refslund</b></a> are both Danish orienteers, the former a member of the Danish Junior squad at JWOC 2007, the later a national-team Mountain Bike Orienteer, with Silver and Gold medals in the relay at the 2010 and 2011 world championships.</div>
<div>
You get plenty of hits for <b>Mariusz Kozlowski</b> and <b>Rafal Szymanski</b>. Whether they have any previous in this kind of thing who knows!</div>
<h4>
<a href="http://acronymsandslang.com/acronym_image/369/af327a4c5c930c213f8c5c8d171129f4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://acronymsandslang.com/acronym_image/369/af327a4c5c930c213f8c5c8d171129f4.jpg" height="135" width="200" /></a>
The Non-Starters - Jonny Crickmore and Jonny Malley.</h4>
<div>
Last year's A-class winners were due to début on the Elite. However Crickmore jumped off a wall, badly bruised his heel and is currently aqua-jogging and spinning in the gym. Alcohol may or may not have been involved. Malley can't find anyone to share a tent with his thighs so this team drop out.<br />
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<br /></div>
<h3>
Other classes.</h3>
<div>
Picking potential contenders on the other classes can be a minefield, any pairing could turn out to be secret stars. I've picked out a few interesting names, but am going nowhere near the score as anything can happen there (although I will say Quentin and Zoe Harding will smash the short score).</div>
<h4>
A-Class.</h4>
<div>
Fell Legends Wendy Dodds and Sarah Rowell take up their usual position on the A-class. Hugh Aggleton (7th on elite last year) and Hannah Jarvis, both MDC, team up. Oh and myself and Andy Llewellyn.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070303221754/lostpedia/images/1/16/Lost-season1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070303221754/lostpedia/images/1/16/Lost-season1.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The TV series based on Harold Wyber</td></tr>
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<h4>
B-Class.</h4>
<div>
Harold Wyber and Josh Jenner move up from the C. Jack Wright has run well on the fells for Ambleside this season, Jack Millar joining him in a ShUOC team, whilst Andrew & Alastair Brunton ring a bell from ex-EUOC orienteering circles. There is plenty of female pairs competition, with the SPOOK pairings of Anwen Darlington/Laura Daniel and Sarah O'Neill/Hazel Tant, as well as vet fell/ultra runners Rowena Brown and Karen Nash.</div>
<h4>
C-Class</h4>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44138000/jpg/_44138867_chucklevision416bbc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44138000/jpg/_44138867_chucklevision416bbc.jpg" height="153" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horton and Williams</td></tr>
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Olly Williams and Tom Horton. Another ShUOC team and the only names I picked out of the start list. British Junior O squad and Ambleside runner respectively, the firmest favourites of the weekend? They could do well on a higher class but they are Mountain Marathon virgins so C is a good starting point. Likely to provide hilarity/denseness at mid-camp, if a tent goes up in flames it'll likely be them.</div>
<h4>
D-Class</h4>
<div>
The D-class is always a tough one to win as lots of people have a go and turn out to be pretty good. Manchester orienteering brothers Tom and Matthew Fellbaum are,again, the only names that leap out during a quick scan.<br />
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That's all there's time for, I'll hopefully cobble together a review of the weekend's shenanigans some time next week!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-43100268191097427432013-10-25T18:28:00.000+01:002013-10-25T18:28:49.671+01:00The OMM 2013 - A Preview<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 17px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
The weather’s closing in, the morning commute is getting darker and darker and it’s the last weekend in October. This can only mean one thing: It’s OMM time! 3000 or so hardy souls will be braving trying conditions. And once they’ve worked their way through the M6/M5/M4 and back-road traffic to get to Trecastle in the Brecon Beacon’s they’ll have a Mountain Marathon to deal with!<u></u><u></u></div>
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I’m feeling quite smug this year, as I’ll be in a nice warm bed <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1671999976" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Saturday</span></span> night. However, needless to say last night a part of me was wishing I was weighing out every last wine-gum, cutting strips off bubble wrap and preparing myself to spoon someone like Andy Blackett. As such, the closest I’ll get to this year’s OMM is my seemingly now annual, entirely educated stab-in-the-dark preview of what may, or may not, go down this weekend.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bordersthinking.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/from-cragcwmoergwm-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://bordersthinking.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/from-cragcwmoergwm-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How big's your Fan Y? (from <a href="http://blog.bordersthinking.com/tag/fan-y-big/">Bordersthinking</a>)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I don’t know much about the Brecon Beacons. In fact all I really know is that there’s a hill there called Fan y Big. I think that’s all I need to know really. However, steep, exposed and runnable all pop to mind when you type ‘Brecon Beacons’ into google image search.</span></div>
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<b>The Elite: Contenders.</b><u></u><u></u></div>
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This year there’s a fairly continental look to the Elite start list. Insomuch as there’s a smattering of names you may not recognise on there. In other words – foreign orienteers. And some bloody good ones at that. So, in no particular order, here’s my pick of the podium contenders from those on the start-list.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<b>Tim Higginbotham/Chris Near</b><u></u><u></u></div>
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This North Wales pair from Team Haglofs-Silva (I think that's correct...) of adventure racing fell runners are always there or thereabouts, having just lost out on the win in Perthshire 2011- you could say they were so Near and yet so far! Hoho... Once again with an early start time, they will be the expected clubhouse leaders.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<b>Ben Abdelnoor/Oli Johnson</b><u></u><u></u></div>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSW2341ysDt1P5hvQG1iGZuuQlqmAoVy0l2VCuVQfycX-NzM2Sm1w" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSW2341ysDt1P5hvQG1iGZuuQlqmAoVy0l2VCuVQfycX-NzM2Sm1w" width="133" /></a>The Team Inov8 pairing have the fell running and orienteering pedigree to do well this weekend. With his previous OMM partner Rob Baker now wearing a corked hat in Australia, multiple British Orienteering champion Oli, fresh from smashing the Nav leg at last weekend’s FRA relays, teams up with Wasdale and Lakeland 50 winner 'The Noor'. Two strong mountain men, one of them an excellent navigator, all the ingredients are there. Now they just need the luck that has deserted Oli on his last few OMM attempts.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<b>Sander Vaher/Timo Sild</b><u></u><u></u></div>
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<a href="http://www.mapsofworld.com/images/world-countries-flags/estonia-flag.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://www.mapsofworld.com/images/world-countries-flags/estonia-flag.gif" width="200" /></a>I doubt this Estonian pair are well known to many people outside of orienteering, but they are both elite athletes, still competing at the top of the sport. Sander, resident in Swansea for the last couple of years, is a former World Students champion who performs well on the British scene, whilst Timo has had some great results recently, including 2nd in the recent Finnish Long Distance championships behind only King of the Forest Thierry Georgiou. It will be interesting to see how the Boys from the Baltic (highest elevation: <span style="font-size: 11pt;">3 Suur Munamagi, 318m) get on!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alan Cherry - Famous in East Anglia</td></tr>
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<b>Ed Catmur/Alan ‘Anal’ Cherry</b><u></u><u></u></div>
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A-class winners on Dartmoor in 2010, both are good orienteers and runners. Ed has good recent experience of ultra distance racing so may find this too short! Meanwhile Bergen-resident Alan has been testing himself on the steepest hills and roughest forests of Norway over the last couple of months. Both have good experience of the OMM.<u></u></div>
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<b style="font-size: 11pt;">Steve Birkenshaw/Kim Collison</b></div>
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'Veteran Mountain Runner' (Berghaus's words, not mine), 7 times OMM Elite champion and current Dragon’s Back champion, <a href="http://www.berghaus.com/en/ber2012/athletes_2/athleteprofile_6849.html">Steve Birkenshaw</a> this year teams up with Fell Runner and adventure racer Kim Collison. A strong pairing with a lot of experience of long days on the hills when the going gets tough. <u></u><u></u></div>
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<b>Nick Barrable/Gustav Bergman</b><u></u><u></u></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://runners.worldofo.com/bilder/large/gustavbergman_WOC2013MiddleFinal%2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://runners.worldofo.com/bilder/large/gustavbergman_WOC2013MiddleFinal%2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://runners.worldofo.com/gustavbergman.html">Gustav Bergman</a>, courtesy <a href="http://worldofo.com/">WorldofO.com</a></td></tr>
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Former GB Squad Orienteer (and CompassSport editor) Nick Barrable, 3<sup>rd</sup> on Elite last year, teams up with Swedish Orienteering Superstar and young-enough-to-be-his-son Gustav Bergmann, Bronze medallist in the middle distance/Silver in the Relay at this year’s World Orienteering Championships, and a former 2xGold medallist at Junior World Champs level. Both are members of the same Swedish Orienteering club (OK Ravinen Nacka), hence the partnership. Needless to say Gustav's super fit and always immaculately coiffed, but how will he cope in a small tent overnight?<u></u><u></u></div>
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<b>Duncan Archer/Jim Mann</b><u></u><u></u></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lamm.co.uk/2011/prizewinners/BMR_4122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://www.lamm.co.uk/2011/prizewinners/BMR_4122.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duncan and Jim, with a cheesy Grin</td></tr>
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With his regular partner Shane Ohly missing due to illness/injury, Duncan teams up with regular LAMM partner (they won Elite LAMM in 2012, so I suppose they're still reigning champions as there wasn't one this year!) Jim Mann. Watch out for Jim trying to flog Alpaca socks (that's socks made from Alpaca wool, not socks for Alpacas) to you at Mid-camp!</div>
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<b>Hugh Aggleton/Gibbs</b><u></u><u></u></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Lake district mountain man Tom Gibbs teams up with handy MDC runner Hugh Aggleton who, judging by his power of 10 knows the area well.</span></span><br />
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<b>The Mixed.</b></div>
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Joint British and joint English Fell Running Champion Helen Fines teams up with Bill Johnson. PTL (The bigger, uglier brother of the UTMB) winner Digby Harris teams up with Ultra runner Helen Skelton, whilst the Carnethy pair of Jasmin Paris and Konrad Rawlik are ideally suited to long, rough days in the hills</div>
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<b>The Ladies.</b></div>
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Only 2 All-female pairs on the Elite this year, and I'm afraid that I know nothing of the pairings of Heather Dawe/Andrea Priently and Holly Williamson/Catherine Evans.</div>
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<b>The A-Class.</b></div>
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Fell superstar Wendy Dodds teams up again with Sarah Rowell - I can only hope they don't pitch up next to the horrendous chat of the Sheffield Uni boys like they did last year! </div>
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I see the battle for the win being contested between NOC's Andy Llewellyn and Rich Robinson, finally running a course that befits them (they pot-hunted the C class in 2011) depending on their injuries and illness respectively, and Sheffield Uni pair The 2 Jonnys - Malley and Crickmore, who won the B and C class respectively last year.</div>
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<b>The B-Class.</b></div>
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<u></u> There's a lot of names to sift through, but the pairings of Simon Gardner and Jack Wood, Peter Hodkinson and Joseph Fisher and Tim and Jon Street are ones I at least recognise! There are also strong ladies teams of SPOOK's Anwen Darlington and Laura Daniel, Pennine FR's Lucy Harris and Zoe Procter and BOK's Alice Bedwell and Hanne Kinnunen.</div>
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Well I'm afraid that's all I can fit in as I need to get some food in me before hitting the town in preparation for tomorrow's XC. Best of luck to all competing in all 8 classes over the weekend, looking forward to partherships I missed making a strong showing!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-73713907813161896522013-09-04T21:18:00.002+01:002013-09-04T21:18:45.646+01:00End of the Teesside AdventureSo at the end of next week I finish work at Fujifilm and move out of Teesside. I have a week off (during which I'll be taking in the <a href="http://www.ldmta.org.uk/">Mountain Trial</a> and a few stages of the Tour of Britain, if time allows) before I start my new job in Keele.<br />
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People may question my choice of swapping Teesside for Stoke, but I have two words: Peak District. I'm planning on living within running distance of some hills (Leek hopefully), and already licking my lips with anticipation of the myriad evening races next summer.<br />
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I've enjoyed my time in the North East and on the North Yorkshire Moors and may well be back in the future, but at this time I think it's right for a change of scenery. The main groups to thank for making me feel so welcome up here (aside from work colleagues) are <a href="http://www.marsh-house.org/">Billingham Marsh House Harriers</a>,<a href="http://clok.org.uk/"> CLOK</a> and the local running scene (especially <a href="http://www.eskvalleyfellclub.org/">Esk Valley Fell Club</a>). I won my most recent EV race at Inclined to Madness and I'm hoping to sign off with a good result next Wednesday at the Classic Roseberry Topping race!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m2LxV1V5F4A/UiePI3q5A-I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/gWE6tUWRRYI/s1600/DSCF0720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m2LxV1V5F4A/UiePI3q5A-I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/gWE6tUWRRYI/s320/DSCF0720.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roseberry Topping - a good training ground</td></tr>
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Looking forward to a good winter of training (some of which will be with City of Stoke AC), XC, some orienteering and a few fell races.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IJeliFKfCH8/UieVgWxo1PI/AAAAAAAAAaE/Vae2a3aMY2U/s1600/Fylingdales+BrownROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IJeliFKfCH8/UieVgWxo1PI/AAAAAAAAAaE/Vae2a3aMY2U/s320/Fylingdales+BrownROUTE.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As usual a map - from Fylingdales near Whitby. The O season starts here!</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-47505246443930788352013-08-04T21:49:00.001+01:002013-08-06T22:40:42.766+01:00Scottish Six Days 2013Just spent a week in Scotland (Moray coast to be precise) for the Scottish 6 Days of Orienteering. I ran M21E, in which the combined time of all 6 days racing sort out the overall standings. So any mistake is punished, and any control you miss puts you out of the competition (unlike the age-class S/L classes, where a points system is used, and your best 4 of 6 count).<br />
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We had 2 middle distance and 1 Classic distance races during the week, as well as 3 'normal' races - saving 17km of classic Scottish forest until day 6 was a bit epic! Generally I got better as the week went on - my British Orienteering ranking points, which I use as a performance barometer, for most days were similar to those I currently have counting to my overall UK ranking which, after a summer not doing much O, I'll take, although I am aware that more consistent orienteering (and maybe even a bit of O-tech training!) could lead to fairly significant improvements. This winter...</div>
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Anyway, to the maps (the main reason I'm here again!)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iL6Q2poW-LM/Uf6853ediEI/AAAAAAAAAYw/y4jJxXVwgGs/s1600/Day1+LossieROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iL6Q2poW-LM/Uf6853ediEI/AAAAAAAAAYw/y4jJxXVwgGs/s320/Day1+LossieROUTE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1 Lossie. Not a great start to the week. I'll say I was recovering from Blisco and a 6.5h drive up to Forres/Brodie Castle)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yB-E6Blat5Y/Uf685qBQaiI/AAAAAAAAAYs/POpHj1PKdiI/s1600/Day2+CarseROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yB-E6Blat5Y/Uf685qBQaiI/AAAAAAAAAYs/POpHj1PKdiI/s320/Day2+CarseROUTE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 2 Carse of Ardesier Middle Distance. 1 mistake then some great head-to-head racing, fun!</td></tr>
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Days 3 (Culbin) and 4 (Loch of Boath world ranking [WRE] middle distance) aren't available. The former as map not up yet. The latter as no GPS allowed on WRE events as we're all liable to become dirty cheats...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TbEQ4zOFQ5E/Uf683JLAysI/AAAAAAAAAYk/SYuD1EaJC-s/s1600/Day5+-+RoseisleROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TbEQ4zOFQ5E/Uf683JLAysI/AAAAAAAAAYk/SYuD1EaJC-s/s320/Day5+-+RoseisleROUTE.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 5 Roseisle. My favourite area. Really flagging but overall very clean.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-crCWtEiFVGc/Uf68_AjYOGI/AAAAAAAAAY8/tESVfICJClY/s1600/Day6+CoulmonyROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-crCWtEiFVGc/Uf68_AjYOGI/AAAAAAAAAY8/tESVfICJClY/s320/Day6+CoulmonyROUTE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 6 Coulmany & Belivat Classic. Aye not too bad but a few issues.</td></tr>
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I do love the 6 Days. Had a god week and, although a few people were missing, it was great to catch up with a lot of friends and make a few new ones.<br />
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And a few extracts from an O map I'm working on at the moment in Thornaby. A lot of work to do!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-50356812839810134462013-06-17T20:33:00.004+01:002013-06-17T20:33:42.404+01:00Jukola 2013More about this later. I spent the last weekend in Finland taking part in the biggest Orienteering race in the world - the 7-man Jukola relay. It was really good fun, with lots of Brits having good runs on one of the biggest stages. Just need to pop my map up for now!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E8On8I71k7I/Ub9kcYKPhCI/AAAAAAAAAYE/30NaJo5NXto/s1600/Jukola+Leg4ROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E8On8I71k7I/Ub9kcYKPhCI/AAAAAAAAAYE/30NaJo5NXto/s400/Jukola+Leg4ROUTE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-6025610379988615852013-04-03T21:49:00.000+01:002013-04-07T22:13:42.738+01:00On you Marks, Get Set, GO!As March arrived so did the start of the Fell Running season. With the amount of National-level Orienteering events picking up as well I'm into the period of the year where I spend most of Friday and Sunday evening driving over the country, ready to Weekend Warrior it. The racing is one of the reasons I spend so much time (and petrol money!) travelling, but the chance to get away from Teesside and meet up with Friends old and new are the main reasons.<br />
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March started with an extended training weekend in the Lakes and Howgills. The Black Combe race (11th overall, and new downhill record - feeling fresh but not very racy uphill) was followed by the Northern NightO champs (pretty shambolic) on Great Tower and a night out, with the Tim Watkins LongO (tiring, scrappy and DNF-y) on the Sunday. I somehow squeezed a Three Peaks recce out of my aching legs with club mate Steve on the Monday before enjoying the only warm spring day of the year so far in the Howgills at Sedbergh 3 Peaks (5th) - not quite the recovery my legs were after, but I couldn't say no to the race and 10h + solid effort in 4 days. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UkJLH_76Ve0/UVyQCTCmSXI/AAAAAAAAAV0/jG5KbbiQDNg/s1600/IMAG0082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UkJLH_76Ve0/UVyQCTCmSXI/AAAAAAAAAV0/jG5KbbiQDNg/s320/IMAG0082.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A steady recce of the Sedbergh 3 Hills (on Winder. AlfDog <strike>stolen</strike> borrowed from Adam and Edie)</td></tr>
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A week before Edale Skyline I took in Wolf's Pit in the peaks as a sharpener. Again I wasn't feeling overly racy but fairly pleased with 6th place, and chuffed with 1st team for Pennine - deep in Dark Peak territory - alongside Adam and Noel. It was good to compare my time with that from 2010 - 10 minutes quicker - to see how far I've come.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/582139_10152693711510492_648020394_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/582139_10152693711510492_648020394_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wolf's Pit (Photo by Stu from <a href="http://www.accelerateuk.com/">Accelerate</a>)</td></tr>
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Due to snows and problems getting 550 runners into the valley, Edale Skyline was cancelled. After a good taper and a week psyching myself up for a good race (and picturing a finish-time starting with a 2) I was disappointed it was cancelled, but fully understood and accepted the decision made. Next time!<br />
As it was I had to race that weekend, so did a 10-mile road race (*spit*) in Thirsk. A bit blustery in the last 4 miles or so, with the last 2.5 being a real challenge, but pleased to break the hour in 58:55.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KfzXmNB4gGo/UVyQAhelVoI/AAAAAAAAAVs/LQDa7BW4-rY/s1600/DSC_1079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KfzXmNB4gGo/UVyQAhelVoI/AAAAAAAAAVs/LQDa7BW4-rY/s320/DSC_1079.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pennine vest makes an appearance with a map at the JK Sprint, Reading Whiteknights </td></tr>
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And so, over Easter weekend, to the JK Orienteering Festival, the biggest annual UK O event with Sprint, Middle, Long and Relay races in the Chiltern Hills near Reading, Newbury and Henley. The Sprint and Long were World Ranking Events, so no GPS allowed for geekery in case I used it for nefarious purposes whilst on the course! However, I didn't need GPS to tell me that I had a pretty poor weekend nav wise. That said, I enjoyed being amongst the wider O community and I've come back hungry for more O, if only to not assuage the feeling of frustration at not performing at the level I know I can.<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2clA3x4XTQA/UVyQAcpvCyI/AAAAAAAAAVg/_aNbEhcXkro/s1600/DSC_2252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2clA3x4XTQA/UVyQAcpvCyI/AAAAAAAAAVg/_aNbEhcXkro/s320/DSC_2252.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JK Relay for CLOK, needless to say approaching the control from the wrong direction... </td></tr>
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And so to April and my big target for the spring, the Three Peaks. I'll also be taking in the British Middle and Sprint O champs and a couple more races and O events by way of preparation, along with plenty of Motorway and A-road miles and several drinking holes I dare say!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ElDVYYMp4Fs/UVyUeN2hvmI/AAAAAAAAAV8/CYIkWIZ5KwI/s1600/JK+MiddleROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ElDVYYMp4Fs/UVyUeN2hvmI/AAAAAAAAAV8/CYIkWIZ5KwI/s320/JK+MiddleROUTE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JK Middle Distance, Hambledon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5HpJq8uNGDo/UVywBgYf1RI/AAAAAAAAAWM/Zzd53-DtYVo/s1600/JK+RelayROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5HpJq8uNGDo/UVywBgYf1RI/AAAAAAAAAWM/Zzd53-DtYVo/s320/JK+RelayROUTE.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JK Relay, Hambledon (again)</td></tr>
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and a map to host from a pretty poor O run at Burnbanks, Haweswater:</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-9000427324058067572013-02-25T21:36:00.001+00:002013-02-25T21:38:13.785+00:00The National XC championshipsI used to denigrate XC. Why run around a field when you could be on the hill? I thought. But when I moved North-East I decided to have a go at it, mainly for fitness purposes. And whilst it's not the most interesting type of racing in which to compete in terms of terrain and views, the balls-out racing is a notch above that seen in all but the shortest fell races and Orienteering relays. In my opinion.<br />
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With The National being held as close to my doorstep as it's likely to get, I leapt at the chance to run at Herrington Park in Sunderland. Unfortunately no-one else from Billingham Marsh House was much interested, saving themselves for a 10-miler the next day as part of marathon prep. As it was I headed up with Andy ('The Rev') from Hartlepool Burn Road, and we were made welcome refugees in the Middlesbrough and Cleveland club tent (next to the Highgate rave tent). It's a good job the Teesside running community is so close-knit and welcoming!<br />
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Sunderland was about as exciting as I expected, although I did nearly wet myself when overhearing someone on the bus discussing someone's 'pasty getting smashed'.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.menshealth.co.uk/cm/menshealthuk/images/Hh/cornish-pasty-tubbies-29112011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.menshealth.co.uk/cm/menshealthuk/images/Hh/cornish-pasty-tubbies-29112011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smash this pasty?</td></tr>
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Anyway, there'd been snow overnight and after 6 months of rain and 9 previous races, by the time 1100 men lined up for the senior race the course was a quagmire. By the second and third laps, it was like the Somme.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.athleticsweekly.com/admin/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/National-Cross-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="http://www.athleticsweekly.com/admin/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/National-Cross-2013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once more unto the breech! (<a href="http://www.athleticsweekly.com/news/gerrard-and-damen-triumph-at-national-cross-mudbath/">Athletics Weekly</a>)</td></tr>
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I didn't take it much seriously. I was very high up at the start, saying hello to the likes of Carl Bell, Harold Wyber and Tom Edwards (all finishing way ahead of me). On the second lap I got talking to someone I vaguely knew from University, before he moved on forward.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/542572_10151508581824540_21308180_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/542572_10151508581824540_21308180_n.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What do you mean I'm too dirty to sit down? (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151508578194540.540577.753394539&type=1">Dave Aspin</a>)</td></tr>
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I spent most of the time being passed. In fact I don't remember passing anyone until into the last km or so, but I must have done at some point. Tom Bush (Altringham) had come past me at the top of the last hill and pulled about 30m out on me. I'd kept going throughout the race, but not balls-out, and had energy reserves for an effort in the last 800m or so. I like to finish strongly as mentally it makes you feel like you've had a good race. I passed a lot of people on the last bend and finishing straight (including Tom) and held them off for 233rd (not including a few people who will have lost their tag in the gloop!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/479897_10151508584034540_2126715000_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/479897_10151508584034540_2126715000_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winding Up (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151508578194540.540577.753394539&type=1">Dave Aspin</a>)</td></tr>
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My run felt solid but ordinary. I'm quite pleased with the result. I'd wanted to do well, but was mainly using this as a training run and measuring tool. As for the raw figures - about 3mins down on Carl Bell and Midd&Cleve's Greg Jay, 90secs down on the likes of Harold Wyber, Tom Edwards and Duncan Coombs, and 120% of winner Keith Gerrard's time. Pleased with that.<br />
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Next up - Black Coombe and some Orienteering at the weekend, then Sedbergh 3 Peaks next Tuesday.<br />
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A few maps now that I need to host:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b6uV43x2Qbs/USvYCaNZt_I/AAAAAAAAAVA/656ISkfNSk4/s1600/Slaley+BrownROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b6uV43x2Qbs/USvYCaNZt_I/AAAAAAAAAVA/656ISkfNSk4/s320/Slaley+BrownROUTE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slaley Forest CSC Qualifier. Navigated to the wrong control, loosing 8mins and lost it a bit after that. Still, the team qualified!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0H84lqt_2f0/USvYD_jXnPI/AAAAAAAAAVI/ygeejHYWmgk/s1600/Eston+Moor+BrownROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0H84lqt_2f0/USvYD_jXnPI/AAAAAAAAAVI/ygeejHYWmgk/s320/Eston+Moor+BrownROUTE.jpg" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLOK event on Eston Moor. The day after The National I wasn't really functioning properly so just bimbled around somewhat.</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-87024446281399462512013-02-10T22:55:00.003+00:002013-02-10T22:58:37.686+00:00One area, Two very different races<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">The New (i.e. amalgamation</span><span style="text-align: start;">) and Exciting (i.e. organised as such the best elites probably won't make enough counting races) UK Orienteering League kicked off this weekend with an excellent double header in Sheffield. Tankersley and Hesley woods to the North of the city proved suitably challenging and intricate for the British Night Orienteering Championships on Saturday evening, and a testing middle distance race on Sunday.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wow</td></tr>
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The less said about the Night Champs the better. My performance matched City's at Southampton. A lot of big mistakes and major time loss saw me run 140% of the winners time. Suffice to say I didn't adapt very well to the whole reduced vision element of running at night on such a tricky area.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nex6-FYTHkc/URginpeYvfI/AAAAAAAAAUo/QjpYw5cQbyw/s1600/BNOC+TankersleyROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nex6-FYTHkc/URginpeYvfI/AAAAAAAAAUo/QjpYw5cQbyw/s320/BNOC+TankersleyROUTE.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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After moping about for a couple of hours I was cured by Chicken Chow Mein, Icy Lemon Fanta and a couple of pints of Farmer's Blonde. </div>
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Sunday arrived with a dusting of damp snow and a renewed confidence in my running an navigating ability. In the middle distance (lots of short legs, fine nav and direction change; winning time of 30-35mins). I still made 4 mistakes, totalling 2-3mins, but at times I actually felt like I was <i>racing</i>, a feeling I have seldom got when orienteering - outside of relays/mass-start events. 114% of the winner's time, very good by my standards!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-meIDmwpY8io/URginUUYYAI/AAAAAAAAAUk/jVVcGGOozFU/s1600/Tankersley+MiddleROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-meIDmwpY8io/URginUUYYAI/AAAAAAAAAUk/jVVcGGOozFU/s320/Tankersley+MiddleROUTE.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
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After a month of feeling pretty stale (maybe due to a lack of racing) I'm feeling ready to get back on the horse!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-22400834779450113492013-02-04T22:46:00.002+00:002013-02-04T22:47:04.034+00:00Robin HoodNot much going on at the moment. Had a few easier weeks after the heavy miles at the back end of 2012/Jan 2013, including my first stag do (why are people making me feel old!). I'm not racing much on the fells at the moment, just hoping to train well. I've got a lot of Orienteering lined up over the next 2 months, trying to ready myself for the big spring races.<br />
Yesterday I ran at the Midland Champs at Sherwood Forest. I was a bit tired so couldn't get the legs turning over, but the nav was generally good and at a higher standard than last year -although this may have been due to not running very quickly!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B-t7d6HWLKg/URA5fyO-qiI/AAAAAAAAAUU/DX9vBZ25phE/s1600/MidChampsM21E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B-t7d6HWLKg/URA5fyO-qiI/AAAAAAAAAUU/DX9vBZ25phE/s320/MidChampsM21E.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next weekend id the British Night Champs on Tankersley, Sheffield. I'm really looking forward to this, although it'll be very technical and there's plenty of scope for an epic to occur!</div>
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Well, that was boring. I really just wanted to host my quickroute somewhere...</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-47593707236602737662013-01-14T22:32:00.001+00:002013-01-14T22:32:23.702+00:00Bonk-O<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2E7U4jcRxGQ/UPSGEStOWjI/AAAAAAAAAT4/E9aqLTbPrGc/s1600/DSCF0091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2E7U4jcRxGQ/UPSGEStOWjI/AAAAAAAAAT4/E9aqLTbPrGc/s320/DSCF0091.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Urra Moor in the clag</td></tr>
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Back to Teesside now after a great 'training camp' in the peak district over Christmas - many hilly miles in the bank.<br />
The first weekend of January I was hoping to race at Clay Bank East, but a slight rib injury (after falling over, and aggravated after I was hauled out of the Brown Knoll Bog Monster by the CVFR elite) made me take caution. I took some pictures instead, as the clag rolled on to Urra Moor, turning a nice morning into a canvas of grey by the time the racers reached the high point of the North Yorkshire Moors.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d_i7imskiWE/UPSGE_mgEqI/AAAAAAAAAT8/D1QW6R8bSuU/s1600/DSCF0085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d_i7imskiWE/UPSGE_mgEqI/AAAAAAAAAT8/D1QW6R8bSuU/s320/DSCF0085.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's time to resurrect my O-stylings. I've done bits and pieces over the back end of 2012, but not much, so I need a few sessions and races to get myself back into the whole nav side of things. First event of the year was a bit of a suffer-fest on Big Moor and The Edges (Froggat and Curbar) down in the peaks on Sunday. The tussocks were rough (and I managed to always pick the most tussocky line) and tired me out for when we went into the detailed slope beneath the edges. The terrain here was also tough courtesy of brashings and bracken. I managed to bonk as well, I was overtaken by an old man on the run-in and had to sit down on the (downhill) plod back to assembly - I must take better care of myself when weekend-warrioring it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/67/96/2679600_e38c9000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="143" src="http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/67/96/2679600_e38c9000.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curbar Edge 'Eliminates' area - including the 'PeaPod' -<a href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2679600"> geograph</a></td></tr>
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Still, you have to take the bad to appreciate the good, and hopefully there'll be a lot of the latter later in the season. The first biggish races of the year are at the beginning of February (Midlands Championships and the British Night Championships (UKCup 1) and another UK cup race) and I've got lots of O planned to hone my 'skills' before the big races of the year (the JK and British champs in all disciplines) at the end of March and through April. Whilst I mainly O to have fun and catch up with people, it'll be nice if I can improve my nav this year!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bnWRZbdqw30/UPSFJ0YgcCI/AAAAAAAAATs/DeCDYSAqv5U/s1600/Big+Moor+BlackROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bnWRZbdqw30/UPSFJ0YgcCI/AAAAAAAAATs/DeCDYSAqv5U/s400/Big+Moor+BlackROUTE.jpg" width="393" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Moor Quickroute</td></tr>
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Onwards and upwards. <i>There's no such word as can't</i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-92026358585904570972013-01-01T17:44:00.002+00:002013-01-01T17:44:38.309+00:00WansfellPost Christmas and it was time to put all the protein (turkey, sausage and bacon) and carbohydrates (beer and pastry) I'd shoveled down me to good use - pulling me downhill. I took the long drive up to Ambleside for the Wansfell race. Straight up Wansfell Pike then straight down, I was imagining myself bouncing up the hill with no effort required, before leaving scorched earth on the ground behind me on the way down.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://chris-upson.com/photos/2006/Wansfell/WansfellRoute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://chris-upson.com/photos/2006/Wansfell/WansfellRoute.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Route. More uphill than down!</td></tr>
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Plenty of people about start - 140+ being a new record turn-out. Speaking to Darren from Chorley AC he says he hasn't seen any big names other than Sam Watson, and that I should be up there. I'm looking for some hiding superstars on the startline, and the Addison cousins provide.<br />
We set off up the road. I'm expecting a fast start, 1500m pace, but we seem to cruise along the road. For a second I debate taking it on, setting the pace from the front, but opt to save myself for when the race really begins once we hit the fell - I'm happy to sit in in 5th place.<br />
As we hit the fell the Addison cousins, Tom and Mark, shoot off the front. I take a slightly longer route through a gate and suddenly from there being not many people around, the hillside is swarming with runners, and I can hear cheers for Sam and Sarah McCormack behind me. I dig in and set a steady pace just behind Penistone's Joe Mann. A few people pass me but I'm still grinding it out and not losing too much ground.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ccqwHUUG_k/UNzIG1g2faI/AAAAAAAADeM/2a-DC2QlapA/s720/IMG_8106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ccqwHUUG_k/UNzIG1g2faI/AAAAAAAADeM/2a-DC2QlapA/s720/IMG_8106.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up we go - courtesy <a href="http://www.fellrunner.net/">Stephen Graham</a></td></tr>
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Several of us hit the summit cone together and I think I'm 7th at the top, knowing that Tom from Glossopdale is right behind me. A few gulps of air and it's time to start going down. It takes a bit of time to make my first overtake (Joe), but I'm now into my stride and make short work of the Ambleside and Eden runners in 4th and 5th.<br />
I don't know the line down the hill, only that it is down, so I spend a lot of time looking for Sam, who I know will have a descent line, being a bit of a short-race don. Thankfully Sam has a big ginger beacon on top of his head and so is quite easy to spot.<br />
I can't hear anyone behind me, but you can't really hear footsteps on soggy grass, so I keep on pushing just in case. Into the finish and I'm pleased to see only 3 others waiting for me beyond the finish line. My watch says 21:58 and I'm well happy with 4th place and, with Tom in 5th and Joe in 10th, it's a good day out for those of us from the Derbyshire/S. Yorks Pennines.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-58461215660790064142012-12-10T21:43:00.002+00:002012-12-10T21:43:53.445+00:00Birthday Cross CountryThe last few weeks since the FToP have been quite busy as I start upping the milage and training volume to ready myself for a proposed training onslaught come January.<br />
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In the last weekend of November I headed back Peaks and Sheffield way, taking in some fiendish Sprint Orienteering around <a href="http://www.syo.routegadget.co.uk/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=61&kieli=">Sheffield City Centre</a> and the <a href="http://www.syo.routegadget.co.uk/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=63&kieli=">Park Hill estate</a>, courtesy of my Alma Matter <a href="http://www.shuoc.co.uk/sheffield-city-chase.html">ShUOC</a> on the Saturday. This was followed by an excellent pint or 5 at the Dev Cat and a broken down train on the way home. The Famous Grouse Fell Race provided Sunday's entertainment, where after shaking my fugg off on the first climb I dropped like a stone on the final road section to pinch <a href="http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/temples-bin/hc.pl?a=list&d=hc&f=famous-grouse-2012">3rd place</a> from Pennine team-mate Steve Knowles.<br />
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The entrance of December was celebrated with an icy parkrun, some 'boro sprintO and a drink or 8 with colleagues in York. On the Sunday I decided to take in my first local Fell Race of the winter series (alas I was busy for the first 3!) at Eskdale Eureka. It took me 2km to wake up, and by this point the front 2 had got ahead. It was a cracking day for fell-racing, chill, bluebird and icy, and I was happy to cruise around for a <a href="http://www.eskvalleyfellclub.org/results/fell/nehra/Eskdale%20Eureka%202-Dec-2012.pdf">clear third place</a>, looking forward to taking Cameron on early next year!<br />
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The weekend just gone I celebrated turning 24 with the North Eastern XC Championships at a Somme-like Summerhill in Hartlepool, a proper XC course. After mocking XC a few years ago I now have to eat humble pie as, in a perverse way, I really enjoy it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/12111_10152285881525012_413247662_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/12111_10152285881525012_413247662_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exiting the Beck - got a mouthful of muddy water! Credit sportypics(facebook page)</td></tr>
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After last year's 41st place, I was aiming for a top-35, so was chuffed with <a href="http://www.necaa.info/index.php/fixtures/93-results/cross-country/123-ne-xc-champs-2012-sen-men-ind">26th place</a> after a tactically safe run. My result would have been good enough to count for the top 3 teams which is a nice. As a team, BMHH managed a good 9th place despite missing a couple of good runners who would be around me in the results.<br />
From the ridiculous to the sublime, as the evening involved cooking for my parents, visiting Teesside for the first time, and performing Handel's Messiah with <a href="http://www.clevelandphilharmonicchoir.com/">Cleveland Philharmonic Choir</a>. This is the first piece of music I've performed for a second time, and it was nice to sing an excellent, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd31wNIONac">well known piece</a> with the confidence of repetition!<br />
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Sunday was another brilliant clear day, and I spent it on the moors above Great Ayton, with a bit of Orienteering followed by a run out to Roseberry Topping before lunch with the Parents.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SLu_fZc0szI/UMZVivNx1qI/AAAAAAAAASE/bPbA4flBxFk/s1600/Ayton+Moors+BrownROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SLu_fZc0szI/UMZVivNx1qI/AAAAAAAAASE/bPbA4flBxFk/s320/Ayton+Moors+BrownROUTE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">expand for better image</td></tr>
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Back home at the end of next week (after the work Christmas do, naturally). Looking forward to getting some hilly miles in from my doorstep and, hopefully, some snow!<br />
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Lets hope for some scenes like these from 2010! Best wishes for Christmas!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-10342793255995349872012-11-18T18:34:00.000+00:002012-11-18T18:41:32.755+00:00Full Tour of PendleAll I really know about Pendle is that it's a hill, has something to do with witches, and my phone thinks of Victoria Pendleton when I type 'Pendle' into it. To be honest, I sort of think about Victoria Pendleton as well, but enough of that.<br />
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I'd decided to do the Full Tour of Pendle a few weeks back, remembering a post about the race from DazH's blog last year. I left Teesside in the gloam and pissing rain and headed over the Pennines towards Blackburn way, where it got claggy. Thankfully this soon lifted so I could see a few other members of Pennine had made the trip. Lots of people holding purple shirts made me think that Borrowdale had been on a recruitment drive, until I realised that these were the race T-shirts, and very nice (and purple) they are too! Perfect for the discerning <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkkIwO_X4i4">Fell Running Gogol Bordello Fan</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.walestheosophy.co.uk/pendle4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="121" src="http://www.walestheosophy.co.uk/pendle4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently Pendle looks like this. I didn't get much chance to look at it despite running all over it.</td></tr>
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I was expecting a tough race (well, it is an AL race after all), especially after a ravaging cold courtesy of a lairy time a couple of weekends back. I was just over this and would have been well rested were it not for the fact that I've just started building up my weekly training ahead of winter training proper starting, so my legs were grumbling a little having had to run every day after a summer spent seemingly permanently resting up for some grand weekend excursion.<br />
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Looking at the race map beforehand I told myself that, even with 3 climbs to go, once you get to #5 you're almost there. Alas, these hills made me really suffer. I'd set off at a pace I was sure I could maintain for 2.45ish, but this was based on my summer fitness. There was a big group of us at #1 and, feeling good, I took the opportunity to stretch it out on the fast running to #2. I was still feeling OK coming out of #4 but immediately coming out of #5 I had to stop and remove something painful from my shoe (there as I last used them for orienteering in a bracken and bramble-infested Roseberry Topping on Wednesday). I lost little time but lost some impetus, and on the climb to #6 quite a few people came past me. I was still within touching distance of a good group as we started the final ascent from #9, but as I neared the top, swaying like a drunk, I had to really focus on the ground to keep going and I didn't see them disappear, but that they did.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.folkcast.co.uk/Images/074/PendleWitches380X260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://www.folkcast.co.uk/Images/074/PendleWitches380X260.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I could have done with a broomstick for the last 2.5 climbs and 75 minutes!</td></tr>
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Quads screaming I just about managed to get my legs turning over for the descent from Big End and along the road, albeit at a pace much less than normal, but I still managed to take a place to finish in 18th (15th after 3 DQs), a smidge outside 2hr45. a prize for 10th senior and 3rd team (with Dave, John and Dave), along with a free T-shirt, made it a very worthwhile day out to add to the standard enjoyable Fell Running experience. <a href="http://attackpoint.org/sessiondata.jsp?sessionid=2770720">My GPS trace can, as ever, be found on the excellent Attckpoint</a> (and now also on strava!). Carl Bell won in 2:27, just ahead of P&B's English Orienteering International Ian Nixon. This puts me at 112% of the winner's time, which is much better than I'd expected!<br />
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Needless to say my legs were wrecked, but I'd said I'd turn out at the XC today at Croft race circuit near Darlington. Thankfully it was a flat circuit (not often I say that!) and, although I was obviously down on where I would normally be, for a first run of the season I was fairly pleased to be under 4min/km (32min for 8.3km) on generally soft going. My legs now feel better than they did before I started. They're still pretty wrecked though!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-76397955796469829562012-11-09T22:47:00.001+00:002012-11-09T22:47:12.070+00:00Winter TrainingAfter coming 2nd on the B class with Andy Blackett at the OMM (could have performed better, but the winners were too good for us) I've taken a fortnight off to let the body re-equilibrate.<br />
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Fortunately the middle weekend of this mini-break (from training only unfortunately) included a visit to Sheffield for the annual SPOOK (Shef Uni O club olds) weekend. Beer was drunk at varying speeds, banana costumes were worn (OK, so only one), crazy dancing ensued, and we even managed to fit in a bit of Orienteering:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LYX4Yv73Uo4/UJ2FWiQLnmI/AAAAAAAAAR0/IsRBWatikwY/s1600/GrenoROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LYX4Yv73Uo4/UJ2FWiQLnmI/AAAAAAAAAR0/IsRBWatikwY/s320/GrenoROUTE.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite a heavy night this was quite a standard performance for me - obviously buzzing with sugar still from all the Jaeger-bombs! I somehow got better as the course went on!</td></tr>
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and Football. In Which I scored. There's no picture or celluloid evidence, but I DID score. You may not understand how big this is, but it's up there with an airborne pig. Even odder is that I should have had a hatrick. On the quagmire of Eccleshall woods football pitches (on which , unbeknownst to me, I was wearing 1 moulded stud and 1 astroturf boot) there was the usual display of air-shots, crunching tackles and players out of position, in which SPOOK prevailed 6 (or was it 7?)-1 against the much younger and fitter ShUOC students.</div>
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Into winter training now. The only thing I'm 'targeting' is the English National XC, but there's plenty of Fell and Forest action to be had before then!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-72458281210713766582012-10-25T21:43:00.003+01:002012-10-26T07:47:50.320+01:00The OMM 2012: A PreviewIt's that time of year. As the nights draw in and we get used to waking and getting home in the dark, a sub-set of the population are busy removing the last vestige of label from their warm(ish) clothing, weighing, trimming then re-weighing their crepe bandage, making flapjack so sugary it would give a diabetic nightmares and explaining to their colleagues why they might be a bit useless on Monday. It's the last weekend of October, the clocks go back, and 3000-or so people will descend on the east-Cumbrian town of Sedbergh, nestled amongst the Howgill hills, for the <a href="http://www.theomm.com/event-series/omm/omm-2012">44th Original Mountain Marathon, or OMM</a>.<br />
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Whilst not as tall or rough as their Lakeland cousins, the Howgill hills make up for their short (relatively, of course!) stature in steepness. Route-choice will play a big part in the 5 linear (OK, so C isn't entirely Linear) and 3 score classes. Generally runnable, there are areas of rougher grass, bog and slippery traverse - shoe choice could also be a factor in how people perform after the weather we've had recently!<br />
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Anyway, onto a preview of the racing, focussing on the Elite category. Of course, partner changes and withdrawals through injuries or illness make picking favourites somewhat of an inexact science, but here goes my slightly irreverent two-penneth and conjecture!<br />
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<h2>
<u>Elite: Bumper Competition on Open and Mixed.</u></h2>
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2011's top three pairings return, hoping for less of the controversy that saw Birkenshaw and Lennox (not in attendance this year) deducted 30 mins for an incorrect control on day 1. There's fierce competition for both the Overall and Mixed titles.</div>
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<b><u>The Reigning Champions</u></b>.</div>
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<u><b>Duncan Archer</b></u> and <a href="http://www.shaneohly.com/"><b>Shane Ohly</b></a> were not complete surprise winners in Perthshire last year, but other pairings were more fancied. They came through a tense finish on day 2 to win by just 13 seconds after 11 hours of racing! This year <a href="http://www.lamm.co.uk/2012/results/overall/elite.html">Duncan retained his elite LAMM title (with Jim Mann) by over an hour</a>, whilst Shane oversaw the return of the Legendary Dragon's Back Race.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mudsweatandtears.co.uk//inc/img/upimages/4998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.mudsweatandtears.co.uk//inc/img/upimages/4998.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2011 winners Duncan (left) and Shane. picture from <a href="http://www.mudsweatandtears.co.uk/2011/11/01/ohly-and-archer-take-the-omm/">MudSweatTears</a></td></tr>
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<b><u>The Runners Up.</u></b></div>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Chris Near</u> and <u style="font-weight: bold;">Tim Higginbotham</u> ran the fastest time of Day 1 in 2011 from an earlyish start (therefore without the aid of pack running those starting later had), and were chasing Archer and Ohly right into the finish on day 2. This year they again have a fairly early start on Day 1, and should set the early pace.</div>
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<b><u>The Young Upstarts.</u></b></div>
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Last year's third place team, GB Orienteers <b><a href="http://runners.worldofo.com/dougtullie.html">Doug Tullie</a> </b>and<b> <a href="http://runners.worldofo.com/johnrocke.html">John Rocke</a></b> combine the superpowers of British Orienteering - Sheffield and Edinburgh Universities. Both 24, this pairing have many years left of elite MMing, but last year's 3rd place at the first attempt on Elite shows the hunger they have. Of course, performance could depend on whether John's been on night-shift this week (he recently started as a Junior Doctor in Aberdeen)! Earlier in the year John set the world record for fastest half-marathon in a camel (1:40:14 at Sheffield on a hot May day).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/541984_10150811966025776_25633972_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/541984_10150811966025776_25633972_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John's in the back! (Photo Martin Ward)</td></tr>
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<u><b>The Swedes.</b></u></div>
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Their names may not ring any bells, <span style="font-family: inherit;">but <a href="http://silva.se/ambassadors/multisport/bjorn-rydvall"><b>Bjorn Rydvall</b></a> (4th Elite OMM 2007) and <b><a href="http://silva.se/ambassadors/multisport/aaron-prince">Aaron Price</a> </b>(former Kiwi Orienteering international<b>)</b>, represent Team Silva and, according to their resumes, are well-regarded adventure race competitors and organisers. It'll be interesting to see how they cope in the Howgills, although with living in Sweden, this weekend's predicted chilly conditions should make them feel right at home!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>The Vets.</u></b></span></div>
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The Dark Peak pairing of <u style="font-weight: bold;">Steve Pyke</u><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>and <u style="font-weight: bold;">Jon Morgan</u> may have many years on their competitors, but also have stamina and experience. Spyke is well known for his long days out in the hills, setting a new record for a solo/unsupported Tranter Round in early June. How he got on with his planned 24-hour Munro Record in late June (mentioned in this summer's FellRunner) I don't know. Jon is well known in long races and was runner-up on Elite in the Elan Valley tussock-fest 2009 OMM. (However, I did cruise past him in the clag at Great Lakes Race this year, just before slight-side!)</div>
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<u><b>Other Pairings.</b></u></div>
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<a href="http://www.compasssport.co.uk/">CompassSport</a> editor and former GB Orienteer <u><b>Nick Barrable</b></u> pairs up with<b> <u>Darrell High</u></b>.North Wales's <u><b>Iain Ridgeway</b></u> pairs up with <u><b>Sam Smith</b></u>, whilst (who I pressume to be) Leeds City's <u><b>Adam Osbourne</b></u> pairs up with <u><b>Andy Thompson</b></u> - although comments out of the FRA relays were about how good Osbourne was uphill, but that he can't descend for toffee.</div>
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<u>The Mixed Competition.</u></h3>
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Last year's mixed champion <u><b>Jasmin Paris</b></u> returns, although rumour has it that her 2011 partner Konrad Rawlick is replaced with <u><b>Jon Ashcroft</b></u>. Having been imperious in long fell races this year, winning Wasdale, Borrowdale, 3 Shires and Pentland Skyline (to name but a few), Jasmin seems to be in excellent knick, and I for one can testify to her strngth over the long distances, having watched her head off into the distance at the 3-hour mark at both Borrowdale and Wasdale.</div>
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Jasmin's Carnethy team-mates <u><b>Andrew Fallas</b></u> (2nd at Pentland Skyline) and <u><b>Helen Bonsor</b></u> (2nd at Borrowdale) will probably provide the main competition, having won the A-class at the LAMM outright - again I have personal experience of Helen's strength as she went straight through me heading up Dale Head at Borrowdale!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.visitcumbria.com/ann/howgills-60723e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://www.visitcumbria.com/ann/howgills-60723e.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steep-sided valleys await (picture from <a href="http://www.visitcumbria.com/peaks/howgills.htm">visit cumbria</a>)</td></tr>
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Mixed runners-up in 2011, <b><u>Jo Inge Fjellstad</u></b> and <u><b>Wendy Fjellsted</b></u> again make their annual trip from Norway and are competition not to be taken lightly.</div>
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The main curve-ball in the Mixed category is Dragon's Back completer and reigning LAMM elite winner <b><u>Jim Mann</u></b> teaming up, I'm lead to believe by those in the know (...), with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Skelton"><b>Helen Skelton</b></a> of Blue Peter/Kayaking the amazon/Cycling Antartica fame. However, her Wiki age and the age on the entry list don't match up, so it could be this <a href="http://www.highsports.co.uk/blog/helen-skelton-completes-leventons-line/"><b>Helen Skelton</b></a>, who seems to have some long distance pedigree. What I do know is that a Helen Skelton is currently leading the <a href="http://www.runfurther.com/images/results/originals/OverallResultsRace11version1.pdf">UK runfurther.com ultrarunning championships outright</a>, winning 4 of the 6 races entered (note - out of those entered in the ultrarunning series, not outright). On thing to say - there will be a lot of jealous men wishing they were in Jim's position on Saturday night!</div>
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With these 4 pairings and the experienced Bingley Pairing of <u><b>Aly Raw</b></u> and <u><b>Ali Welsh</b></u>, it really is a shame only the first mixed team get a prize!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mypennines.co.uk/images/howgills/top-of-the-calf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.mypennines.co.uk/images/howgills/top-of-the-calf.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of The Calf, north of Sedbergh, the highest point in the Howgills (picture from <a href="http://www.mypennines.co.uk/howgill-fells/summits/the-calf.html">mypennines</a>)</td></tr>
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<u>The Other Classes.</u></h2>
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Naturally there's fewer obvious names in the classes A-D so it's harder to pick out challengers, but here's a few people to look out for on the lesser classes (I'm not going near the score class, as, having run LS in 2010, I know that anything can happen!)</div>
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<u>A-Class.</u></h3>
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The big names here start a minute apart, with GB Orienteer <u><b>Rich Robinson</b></u> and his partner <u style="font-weight: bold;">Andy 'SLUDO' Llewellyn</u> (LAMM B winner 2011) being chased down by <u><b>Tom 'Kanye' Beasant</b></u> (OMM B winner 2011) and <u style="font-weight: bold;">Ali 'Spongey' McLeod</u> (GB Orienteer). However, Rich and Andy have been suffering with Illness and Injury respectively, and I've yet to recieve confirmation that they are in fact toeing the startline.</div>
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2010 Dartmoor A - winner <b><u>Ed Catmur</u></b> teams up with <b><u>David Hellard</u></b>, but I'm reliably informed (if I've remembered the correct tip-off!) that the latter is a road runner who may not know what he's getting in to!</div>
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The evergreen Fell Legend <b><u>Wendy Dodds</u></b> also competes on A with former GB mountain runner <u><b>Sarah Rowell</b></u>.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Cautley_Spout_-_geograph.org.uk_-_243601.jpg/220px-Cautley_Spout_-_geograph.org.uk_-_243601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Cautley_Spout_-_geograph.org.uk_-_243601.jpg/220px-Cautley_Spout_-_geograph.org.uk_-_243601.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cautley Spout,England's Highest above-ground waterfall (according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cautley_Spout">Wikipedia</a>), near The Calf. </td></tr>
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<u>B-Class.</u></h3>
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This is where I get to wrote <u><b>my own name</b></u>. I'm paired up with <b><u>Andy Blackett</u></b> and we're looking for a good competitive 2 days on the hills. Big competition will come from GB junior Orienteers <b><u>Jonny Crickmore</u> </b>(C-class winner 2010, Short Score winner 2009 - both with Nick Barrable and both very comfortably) and <u><b>Peter Bray</b></u>. My 2010 LS partner and Plas-y-Brennin instructor <u><b>Tom Hecht</b></u> is paired with <u><b>Tom Livingstone</b></u>, whilst Britain's premier V55 orienteer, <b style="text-decoration: underline;">John 'Jethro' Tullie</b> will be keeping us honest - starting 1 min after myself and Andy.<br />
Unfortunately GB Junior Orienteer <u><b>Tom Fellbaum </b></u>has had to pull out due to a viral infection. Whether his partner <b><u>Lewis Taylor</u></b> (1st Bowfell 2012 in a 'sprint' with yours truly) has found a replacement I don't know.</div>
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<u>C-Class.</u></h3>
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ShUOC Captain <b><u>Robert 'Treb' Gardner</u></b> pairs up with his brother <u><b>Willy</b></u> in what could be the most entertaining/most likely to result in a murder partnership of the weekend. <b><u>Jonny 'The Ent' Malley</u></b> (1st Bowfell, SLMM 2012) is paired with orienteer <u style="font-weight: bold;">Chris Owens</u>, whilst former A or B-class winner (I think) <b><u>Harold 'Warwick' Wyber</u></b> is teamed up with <u><b>Josh Jenner</b></u>.</div>
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Anyway, that's enough for now - I need to go and pack my bag! Good luck to all competing and sorry if I've missed any obvious contenders, been rushing this a bit!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-45673576779785621572012-09-12T22:42:00.001+01:002012-11-09T22:37:17.258+00:00Not been here for a while/Mountain TrialTry and keep this a bit more updated now!<br />
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First off, a brief summary of goings on since April(?)... what I can remember anyway:<br />
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10km: 36:20 (Maske Victorian 10km), then 35:46 At Middlesbrough Tees Pride 10km. Wanted sub-35 but the summer wasn't really conducive, as...<br />
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Wasdale: 4:35ish. Borrowdale 3:36ish (great for the first 2 hours though!). Great Lakes 33rd in a champs race, feeling really good in the biblical weather conditions.<br />
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2nd on Bowfell class at the Saunders with Wil Spain. We had a nice trot around, drank Whiskey at overnight and only really raced an hour each day. a 26mins deficient on day 1 turned into a sprint finish at the end of the 2nd day between us and Jonny and Lewis, but them being poor student we let them win the beer ;).<br />
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Helped out on my first BG. Helping an emotional candidate round the last leg (had done leg 2 earlier) should prepare me for childbirth if nothing else!<br />
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Went Orienteering in Tallinn for a week, which was pretty epic.<br />
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Working my knackers off at work.<br />
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Anyway, main reason I'm back is I'm back Orienteering so need somewhere to post my maps!<br />
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<u>Lake District Mountain Trial.</u></h2>
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Sunday's LDMT involved a tour around the Newlands Valley from Stair, taking in non of the summits - but many of the foothills - of Catbells, High Spy, Dale Head, Hindscarth, Robinson, Snockrigg, Sail, Crag Hill, Outerside and Causey Pike. It was cracking weather and I was glad to start fairly early so I didn't get too much sun. I started steady but was running well and making fairly good route choices, a slightly inopportune one to #6 and a daft one to #7. I was really pleased to finish 8th, albeit 40mins behind a flying Rhesus.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c4UnlKaKPH4/UFD8gCktjuI/AAAAAAAAARE/x_SqudDGPBI/s1600/LDMT-ROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c4UnlKaKPH4/UFD8gCktjuI/AAAAAAAAARE/x_SqudDGPBI/s320/LDMT-ROUTE.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
This was my first Moutain Trial and I'll be back! All the long races over the summer are obviously starting to pay off! However, I was glad that the course had been planned 'short' - I was finished in under 4 hours.<br />
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and a few more maps from the White Rose weekend I need to put somewhere...<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kwHrlbmxWEY/UFD8idB4UvI/AAAAAAAAARM/jISZysgV1Pc/s1600/WhiteRose+Day1ROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kwHrlbmxWEY/UFD8idB4UvI/AAAAAAAAARM/jISZysgV1Pc/s320/WhiteRose+Day1ROUTE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-59205560585086988902012-05-21T23:38:00.001+01:002012-05-21T23:50:40.041+01:00Sexy Lakes Orienteering<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.mdoc.org.uk/tp2012/TP12logo_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mdoc.org.uk/tp2012/TP12logo_large.jpg" /></a></div>
So whilst people were flogging around the OCT, I was also in the Lakes - albeit based a bit further south around High Dam tarn near Finsthwaite on the south-western end of Windermere, for <a href="http://www.mdoc.org.uk/tp2012/">MDOC'S fantastic Twin Peaks weekend</a> based on the excellent High Dam area (I did get a late call-up to Derbyshire's Intercounties team, but am not quite feeling up to a balls-out race after illness - now a target for next year!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wildcardwalks.co.uk/images/FINSTHWAITE-01--High-Dam-aerial-view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.wildcardwalks.co.uk/images/FINSTHWAITE-01--High-Dam-aerial-view.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently this is High Dam - I only caught a glimpse of it though (the view towards Coniston Old Man area was cracking - not that I got much of a view of that either whilst slogging around!)</td></tr>
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I've only just started feeling confident on Lake District O areas as they're so much more technical than anything else you get in England, pushing the Scottish areas for toughness. I've found it's taken a while to pick up the mapping style used here (not all rocks are mapped as there's too many of them) and the wealth of contour detail here seems much vaguer than elsewhere!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7092/7235793882_816b22bc76_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7092/7235793882_816b22bc76_c.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think the look of grim determination is mainly due to the fact I binned 90secs on the penultimate control of Sunday's Middle. Courtesy <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wendles56/sets/72157629815873308/">Wendy Carlyle</a>.</td></tr>
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Anyway, we were treated to a Classic Distance (The Northern Champs no less!) race on the Saturday and a middle-distance race on the Sunday. The quality of the area meant that both races provided excellent courses, challenging both physically and mentally whilst being immensely enjoyable and rewarding. As we were running on a top-quality area there were also lots of people from around the country to catch up with (even if I did catch up with them at BOC 2 weeks previously!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dlc6BE0uQjE/T7q9zvLzOGI/AAAAAAAAAQM/6XFvTFKs0Pg/s1600/Northern+ChampsPT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dlc6BE0uQjE/T7q9zvLzOGI/AAAAAAAAAQM/6XFvTFKs0Pg/s320/Northern+ChampsPT2.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday's Northern Champs (11.3km/485m). Unfortunatly mu GPS played up, so I only have a trace from 19 onwards. Generally clean through to 10 before losing a lot of time on #11, I was then very hesitant from there to the finish.</td></tr>
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As for my performances - at times I'm feeling like a proper Orienteer, running well through terrain, minimal hesitations and the kite popping out just where I expect it. Every now and then I don't have a plan and muck up a bit, although I am getting better at not doing this it still creeps in every so often, and towards the end of the course I get a bit tired and make some silly mistakes.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NJhDQji6GgY/T7q9vwr1F4I/AAAAAAAAAP8/2HYSlmIdpbY/s1600/Middle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NJhDQji6GgY/T7q9vwr1F4I/AAAAAAAAAP8/2HYSlmIdpbY/s320/Middle.png" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunday's middle (6.1km/160m)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Al9gfTxvPs4/T7q9xOei-mI/AAAAAAAAAQE/yLz7u0e3cOI/s1600/MiddleROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Al9gfTxvPs4/T7q9xOei-mI/AAAAAAAAAQE/yLz7u0e3cOI/s400/MiddleROUTE.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and with my route</td></tr>
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The UK O-season is coming to a bit of a close now, the Scottish Champs (and World Champs selection races) in a fortnight being the last major races. This coming weekend I'm running my first proper road race at the Sheffield Half Marathon - <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/EdMainwaringFundraiser">please donate to Leukaemia & Lymphoma research in memory of my friend Ed here, it would be much appreciated</a>. After that it's back onto the fells - I'm now starting to feel more Like I was at the back end of last year and have some real impetus to get some good training in before the summer's objectives - Champs races, SLMM, Wasdale and looking forward to the OMM, IHMR, UKA Relays and hopefully Three Shires and Langdale to fit in a Lakeland Classics set, as well as as many other races as I can squeeze in!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-4054466494492486732012-05-15T22:34:00.002+01:002012-05-15T22:35:45.577+01:00Back in the Saddle after BOC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So last week I managed to get pretty properly ill. It doesn't happen often, so to have it happen whilst in a tent in the Lakes isn't the best of timings.</div>
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On the Saturday I'd raced the British Long Distance Orienteering Championships on the open Dalegarth Moor above Eskdale. Open moorland is the closest I have to a forte in orienteering, especially when it's gloriously sunny as it was last Saturday. I have been known to make big mistakes due to running too quickly and losing map-contact. This time, however, I slowed right down when I needed to, resulting in me losing minimal time (90secs over 112mins running) and finishing 16th in the Country. Granted this is only in the M21-35 age group, and a lot of quality runners were away playing in the Sedish night at the TioMila 10-man relay.</div>
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Still, I'll take that!</div>
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Anyway, that night wasn't overly comfortable, but I lined up on the start-line of the men's relay (Helsington Barrows, just west of Kendal) on the Sunday Morning looking forward to my first ever first-leg run. </div>
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I wanted to stick with the quick boys for as long as possible, but by number 8 I'd been well dropped, and it was a real struggle to get the legs moving on a very quick area. I staggered up the hill to finish way down the pecking order despite having a pretty clean race. Next time shall be better.<br />
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Anyway, after a week or so taking it easy I'm getting back into shape. Just my guts need to catch up now - not great when you're a runner -but they're nearly there!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-50911446502540225592012-04-25T23:27:00.002+01:002012-06-06T23:39:34.152+01:00Map Hosting<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Work's pretty crazy busy at the moment so week-to-week training volumes are quite erratic what with little time after work and time beforehand reserved for sleeping. The bulk of my hours are coming from weekend warrioring. Thankfully I can squeeze a fair whack of climb out of the edge of the Northern edge of the NYMs if I really want to (930m in 15.5km last Friday!). Last Sunday was a rather scratty orienteering area where I (and many others) went walk-about several times.</div>
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Anyway, I need somewhere to host my maps so I can link them into my training log for when (surely if?!) I look back on them. That's why that's there.<br />
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The next 2 weekends are filled with Orienteering (North Yorks this, then Lakes for the British Champs the one after). The NYM Evening Fell Races kick off next week and I'm looking forward to them, although maybe not so much racing after a full day at work. Next 'target' race is Mount Famine and a trip home. For once I'll be running this without having run the May Queen race the night previous, so am hoping to enjoy it for a bit longer (onto the Dragon's Back at least) than I normally do (half way up Elle Bank).<br />
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Scottish Relays (helped an injured competitor)</div>
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WOC Selection Middle, Inchmarnoc</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-68887303931189111752012-04-24T21:58:00.000+01:002012-04-24T21:59:09.494+01:00Trading Fell for Tarmac, and why this time I'm happy to.At the start of this year, as I made mental notes of fell races I really wanted to do this year (mainly big chunky classics) there was one that stood out as not to be missed, one that I'd forgo anything to make - Jura. 2012 would be the year, free from deadlines, travel and financial constraints, I was hoping to make my first pilgrimage to this race I've heard a lot about.<br />
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So why, you may ask, is my name not on the Jura shortlist, instead turning up on the startlist for the Sheffield Half Marathon on the day after Jura?<br />
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Last year a friend of mine and housemate of one of my best Sheffield friends, Ed Mainwaring, died after an from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burkitt%27s_lymphoma">Burkitt's syndrome</a>. He was just short of his 22nd birthday. On the day Ed died his sister completed the Sheffield Half to raise money for the organisations which helped him. Inspired by this a group of Ed's friends will this year be running the Sheffield Half Marathon in memory of Ed, to raise money for <a href="http://leukaemialymphomaresearch.org.uk/">Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research</a>.<br />
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As someone who runs regularly I find it difficult to ask people to sponsor me for something I do all the time, but in this instance I'd ask people to donate for the entire group, some of whom are not runners. The <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/EdMainwaringFundraiser"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Just Giving page is here</b></span></a>. Please donate.<br />
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I've set myself a target of sub-80mins. I feel a bit uncomfortable using this occasion to set a time, but I feel I want to push myself as hard as I can in memory of Ed.<br />
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Also, my fellow club-mates at <a href="http://www.shuoc.co.uk/index.html">ShUOC</a> are also running the Sheffield half, in joint-aid of Leukaemia & Lymphoma research and Unicef. Several members are trying to break the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/worldrecordcamelshuoc">world record for a 2-person pantomime costume in a half-marathon</a> which currently stands at 129mins or so. <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/teams/shuoc">Their Just Giving Page can be found here</a>.<br />
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I feel a bit embarrassed to ask people to donate money to charity, as I'm sure many people do already, but a little help towards the targets of both groups would be fantastic.<br />
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Thanks,<br />
NicUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-91807672165704511272012-04-21T18:54:00.003+01:002012-04-21T18:55:05.348+01:00Coledale HorseshowI was most disappointed that there was no Donkey Derby, dressage or any of this:<br />
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going on when I arrived in Braithwaite last Saturday.<br />
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Then I realised I'd misread the FRA Calendar and the 1st British Champs/2nd English Champs race of the year was actually the Coledale HorseSHOE.<br />
The race was expertly organised by the Robinsons, the best Fell Race set-up I've seen after last year's FRA Relays (only just pipping Lad's Leap!). As much as I enjoy the low-fi nature of the majority of Fell and Orienteering events, it's great to show up to the big events like champs races for them to be a little bit special. And free stuff (like the natty Buff we were given) is always welcome - as I said to Wil (Spain, DPFR), the only thing better than Free Stuff is Free Beer.<br />
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Anyway, the race. My plan was to conserve energy up the Monster climb of Grisedale Pike, then put the hammer down for the remaining 5 miles or so back home on the running that suited me more. There was a good group of us together on the ascent and I hung on in there manfully. Off the top I lit the afterburners and was soon sending people out the back door. I passed people on the scrabble up Eel Crag, but not as many as I was hoping, and the final ramp to summit Crag Hill was quite tortuous - it would appear that a lack of regular training in hills may not have a massive impact on my ability to ascend, but does have an impact on your ability to recover quickly for the next ascent. However, there was no problem with running on the flat and downs, so after 20secs cruising to get out of Oxygen Debt I pinned my ears back and went for the final descent to Braithwaite.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">not looking too good on the descent. At least I had my grippy shoes this time!</td></tr>
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It was really useful to be running through the women's race at this point as I had people to catch (the next man ahead was a way away). Alas someone had put the normally-insignificant Sail and Barrow in the way. I normally motor through shallow ramps like these, but today, legs still suffering from the first ascent, I slowed to a stagger and lost ground, if not places. However once back on the negative gradient I let fly, and by now I'd caught up the group in front (who were seemingly too far ahead as the path bellow sail splits for Causey Pike) to finish 75th in 81:16. Pleased with this in a pretty loaded field. More to come though and I'm looking forward to Summer Racing! I'd like to know what position I was in at the top of Grisedale - I reckon I may have gained 50 places from then on? Although I could just be puffing up my descending ability.<br />
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Big respect to fellow SPOOKer Sarah O'Neill who shocked all our cohort at the end as we asked her where she'd finished - 2nd isn't much of a surprise based on MM results and the way she left me up the back of Grey Friars in 2010.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-70692544173483186572012-04-12T22:18:00.002+01:002012-04-15T18:50:29.933+01:00JK2012 - ScotlandGone are the days of Easter meaning, for me at least, 4 days in church serving the Altar. Nowadays over the long bank holiday I worship the Orienteering Gods at The Jan Kjellstrom - aka the JK, British Orienteering's most prestigious event outside of the British Championships in the 4 separate foot-O disciplines of Sprint, Middle, Long and Relay. The JK contains all 4 of these, with the middle and classic times cmbined in an overall competition. There's little recovery time between the 4 hard races and at time crucifixion seems the easy way out.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/images/jk2012/jk2012-logo-scotland.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/images/jk2012/jk2012-logo-scotland.png" width="200" /></a></div><br />
This year we were treated to typical tough Scottish terrain and almost-typical Scottish weather in northern Perthshire. Thankfully the typical Scottish Midgies weren't on hand.<br />
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Anyway, the reason for this post - somewhere to host my quickrouted maps:<br />
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<b>Friday's Sprint Race - Livingstone.</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KChYRVl4W78/T4dCry857RI/AAAAAAAAAOc/xpxdHS1id3Y/s1600/LivingstoneSprintROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KChYRVl4W78/T4dCry857RI/AAAAAAAAAOc/xpxdHS1id3Y/s320/LivingstoneSprintROUTE.jpg" width="253" /></a></div> An enjoyable race around a fairly trick albeit NED-ish area. an OK result in 42ndish (50th last year) but there were some mistakes in there. I did 17:40, the course was taken out by Murray Strain in 14:37. Blimey.<br />
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<b>Saturday's Middle Distance Race - Dunalastair.</b><br />
I like the idea of middle distance courses but you don't get many of them about, and when I run them I'm generally crap. As this was a World Ranking Event GPS watches were not allowed, so not even I know what happened when it took me 14,5mins to find control #1, an entire 200m away from the start kite. After that some bits were OK but a lot was bad. Mainly because I was mad.<br />
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<b>Sunday's Classic - Craig a Barns (Dunkeld).</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NpaTfff7q-k/T4dCugZIbpI/AAAAAAAAAOk/RGJs0HyIPCs/s1600/M21ECraigABarnsROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NpaTfff7q-k/T4dCugZIbpI/AAAAAAAAAOk/RGJs0HyIPCs/s400/M21ECraigABarnsROUTE.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>This was meaty. 2hr 16min for 11.6km (600m climb) tells the story - I was out for a long time and flagged from about 70 minutes in (as expected due to lack of rougher training of late), losing a lot of concentration and impetus, and thus time. However, similar courses in the past have seen me out for over 150mins, so I'm moving in the right direction. I also managed to head up a group of 4 guys who clocked times within 9 seconds of each other - ridiculous over this amount of time. The Course was won by Douglas Tullie (OMM Elite 3rd place) just shy of 87mins. A class run.<br />
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<b>Monday's Relays - Newtyle (Dunkeld).</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h8JK5iABpAM/T4dC1BOTA7I/AAAAAAAAAOs/_FMdijLsNqg/s1600/NewtyleHill1.8ROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h8JK5iABpAM/T4dC1BOTA7I/AAAAAAAAAOs/_FMdijLsNqg/s320/NewtyleHill1.8ROUTE.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>My first relay run for my new Klub, CLOK, I ran the last leg on the big boy's course. I was out on my own for all of it as we were well adrift by the time I went out, so I didn't get the head-to-head experience I enjoy, but was just glad of the run. My cleanest of the weekend as well, although my 42ish mins was still 10mins shy of Oli Johnson on my specific course (although he was fighting for the medals so had something to run for).<br />
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The O tech is improving but still more practise needed, and I should get it over the next few months. Next up - Coledale Horseshoe, then the British Orienteering Champs, also in the lakes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-40123037118145586542012-04-01T17:51:00.000+01:002012-04-01T17:51:43.319+01:00Back in the SwingFirst up, a bit of a plug for Team Accelerate's <a href="http://bigalpsrun.blogspot.co.uk/">Shelf and his Big Alps Run</a>. Take a look at his blog and twitter, and donate!<br />
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The cracking weather has coincided with a return to running on a regular basis. I've had a good 8 days solid running. OK, most of the runs were short and road-based, but I've started venturing out into the moors, what with having daylight after work. The good news is that my knee is being a lot more cooperative with the residual twinges becoming more and more dispirit. Many thanks to <a href="http://globaltherapies.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/high-peak-marathon-induced-knee-pain/">Tim's words of wisdom</a> for getting me back on track - just need to remember to keep doing strength exercises on a regular basis now!<br />
Needless to say I was disappointed to miss the Edale Skyline, but next year.<br />
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Instead I took in the British Sprint Orienteering Championships. Unfortunately I got a bit excited about being able to run fast again and made some shoddy shoddy nav errors.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JOSH BEEEECH! (Putting the 'Testes' in Test Runner)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I was no way expecting to pull a run worthy of A-final qualification out of the bag, but I was some way down on where I wanted to be - and the B final was, somehow, even worse! However, it was great to catch up with ShUOC and other orienteers you seldom see due to geographical constraints. My performances have given me some focus ahead of the rest of the season. It was also great to see SPOOKer Shminty pull a stormer out of the bag and win the men's race. I'm sure his performance has given lots of encouragement (and food for thought?) to a lot of the guys out there. Maps and routes are available <a href="http://www.ebor.routegadget.co.uk/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=59&kieli=">here</a> (17th on H1A) and <a href="http://www.ebor.routegadget.co.uk/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=60&kieli=">here</a> (a distant 50-something on FB1).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Ector Anus, Shmint Doggy Dogg and OJ </td></tr>
</tbody></table>I took a lot of photos of the finals. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151403385965012.819535.522580011&type=3&l=edb0d14ddb">Some of them were even OK</a>!<br />
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Looking forward to the <a href="http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/jk2012">JK in Scotland </a>over the Easter Weekend. I'll be testing against the best (terrain and runners), needless to say I'll be getting my moneys worth and I'm really looking forward to it. Hope the weather stays nice (but not too nice).<br />
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Bit of O today on Hamsterley Common:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sWYJPGiFw5I/T3iDZLODt1I/AAAAAAAAAOU/E5m-E6eJ1jQ/s1600/hamsterleycommon+ROUTE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sWYJPGiFw5I/T3iDZLODt1I/AAAAAAAAAOU/E5m-E6eJ1jQ/s320/hamsterleycommon+ROUTE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Good heathery fun under Bluebird skies, a few mistakes but getting better. Was still 10mins down on Duncan Archer (who'd supported Leg 3 on DFR's <a href="http://tickinghills.blogspot.co.uk/">Andy Blackett's 23:30ish BG the previous day</a> - well done Andy!). It was all very civilized, especially as I had Bach's Mass in B Minor going round my head after last night's performance with <a href="http://clevelandphilharmonicchoir.com/">Cleveland Philharmonic Choir</a>.<br />
I didn't see any Hamsters though.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2492044524191758460.post-53563780369386398162012-03-19T22:36:00.003+00:002012-03-19T23:10:09.650+00:00MincingSaturday, as many will know, was Lad's Leap, first English champs counter of the year.<br />
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</div><div>I wasn't happy with my run. Needless to say my pre-race fears were realised - I'm not hill or fell fit. However, I managed to finish in the top 100 and my descending was pretty epic - even in my old worn shoes (my 'good' shoes were left home. oops) - as I gained a lot of time on the first descent and gained 4/5 places I had no right to gain on the last descent due to being so far back on the group ahead at the top. I'd love a downhill-only race...</div><div><br />
</div><div>There were also some cracking runs from fellow Pennine runners. Everyone seems to have come on over the winter and it's looking to be a tough season of racing amongst the guys (well, behind Daz at least!) in the battle for club champs points - and Relay positions!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Apart from the lack of fitness and dodgy knee the 'main worry' is my descending style. I mean, just look at it:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BTSkl4YugWU/T2ewvCtxIcI/AAAAAAAAAN0/UM-TrZWZyM8/s1600/IMG_4807dominion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BTSkl4YugWU/T2ewvCtxIcI/AAAAAAAAAN0/UM-TrZWZyM8/s320/IMG_4807dominion.JPG" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> (from <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/113913841258542906166/albums/5721373385348540481?banner=pwa">Bryan Mills</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It makes the Winskill Arm look Manly! Still works though!<br />
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Also, I'll never see a result like this again:<br />
92 Nicholas Barber Pennine 00:54:09<br />
93 Rob Jebb Bingley 00:54:10<br />
It's early season and I wasn't the worst sufferer.<br />
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Anyway I've finally realised that Edale + Dodgy knee is asking for trouble. Throwing in poor fell fitness made the decision to drop out even easier so I've given my entry to a friend. I'm actually not that fussed about missing it at the moment, which is surprising me. The plan now is to get the leg sorted and enjoy the JK in Scotland and Coledale (well, after Grizedale pike anyway!) in April. After that I'll try and get towards where I wanted to be last weekend!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1