RISE AT THE FALLS
INGLETON SCENERY
The only way was up after that personal worst at Harrock Hill last week. The time clocked there, unknown until publication of the results after accidentally stopping my watch, turned out to be much worse than I had even imagined! So it was with a sense of relief and satisfaction that I put that diabolical result to bed with a performance far better than I expected at the following week's trail race in Ingleton.
During the previous week that was, my stringent avoidance of saturated fats had shed a couple of pounds which was always going to be advantageous. But on the morning of race day, a precautionary ECG I'd been booked in for found something called a 'heart block' which isn't a condition as such, but refers to an occasional disruption of the electrical pulses that control the heart beat. At the moment I am assured it's nothing to worry about and is not uncommon amongst those of lowly pulse rates. Nevertheless I am being referred to a cardiologist. I can't seem to bloody well shake off medical appointments at the moment, but it's been well worth the visits so far as I would have otherwise been carrying on gorging on mascarpone cheese completely oblivious for who knows how long? Medical blab aside then, and to the race. The doctor didn't say I couldn't run so there was no doubt I was going to pin a number on that evening. With plenty of local racing options to choose from midweek, I had opted for something new and low key instead. There aren't many races Clitheroe postman and fell runner Alan Life hasn't done and once I got the course details from Alan, my choice of race this week was confirmed with excitement after learning it was the whole route around Ingleton Falls.
This fell in nicely with half term and my days off as well, so the race was preceded by a glorious leisurely family walk around the falls on a warm and sunny afternoon. This culminated in some very decent looking fish and chips being deservedly devoured on the village green by the river - but not for me. I'd already snacked out on a comparatively dull but needs-must chicken salad wrap to keep me going. I pinched a couple of chips and a bit of fish, but the salivation was too much and I had to just leave them to it so cleared off to go and get my kit on.
The route bottle necks after a few hundred yards so it was important to find my place in the race and just before things narrowed off, I made the brave decision to surge past six or seven ahead of me based on their pace clearly slowing as the path got more technical underfoot. I thought it was a risk with last week's performance in mind, but no such troubles this time around. Much of the climbing up to the head of Thornton Force is on unforgiving flights of steps which I thought would beat me up, but I seemed to find a decent enough rhythm to hold my place. Over the top of Thornton Force, I glimpsed the unusual sight of the leaders probably not much more than a minute and a half ahead. I was feeling like there was a race in me at long last and gaining a bit of confidence.
Descending down a beautiful short grass slope with the might of Ingleborough in full view I could hear company behind, but once we headed back in to the tight woodland trails of steps and limestone I sensed I had pulled clear of that threat and was now concentrating on the vest colours of Helm Hill and Trawden AC not far ahead. I started to believe these two guys were for the taking if I didn't make any rash advances. The afternoon's recce was much to my advantage having spotted a few off piste second-saving short cuts and soon enough the Helm Hill lad was behind me and Trawden's James McIlvenny right in front. I was happy sitting behind, but once the course levels out a bit and the path widens I found myself naturally, though reluctantly at first, overtaking again. So yes, I wasn't overtaken and in fact I did some overtaking. This was a modern day revelation. I fairly powered back to the finish from there, buoyed by this long lost feeling of having a good run. It turned out my relative stats were also going in the right direction, less than ninety seconds behind the leaner than ever racing machine that is Darren Fishwick. That will do me fine right now after Darren ran a tactically perfect race to pick off his way up to fourth place.
It was that same Chorley runner Mr Fishwick who summed this race up in the car park afterwards, telling me, ''That's got to be the best value race on the calendar - three quid, bottle of beer and a Mars bar - it costs twice that to walk it during the day''. (In fairness, £15 for a family ticket, including all day parking and much more time to take in the natural splendour) It's a walk I've enjoyed a few times over the years and definitely a cracking route to race. It's certainly different with the steps, but rewarding in the second half of the race chasing through tight twisting trails like a human rollercoaster.
Gratefully, I'd been saved a few cold chips, curry sauce and mushy peas for the journey home and a miniature cholesterol blowout was had - swilled down with a warm bottle of Keighley brewed ale - perfect! One for next year? I reckon so.

Thursday 1st June 2017
INGLETON SCENERY   4.7m/886ft   Ingleton Falls, North Yorks.
1st Man - Paul Webb (Settle) 30:48
1st Lady - Amie McAvoy (Garstang) 39:01
My Stats - 34:02  9/68