A SPRING IN TO RACING ACTION
PETE HARTLEY MEMORIAL LIVER HILL RACE... AND OTHER STUFF
Even if you're not a rebel who believes in the meteorological seasons like myself, but more of an astronomical conformist who panders to the needlessness of GMT clock changing and light tampering at this time of year, or maybe just happen to think it's nowhere near warm enough yet, the news is that weather or not (get it? weather or not?) there is no escaping that Spring is officially here.
Spring means night racing and I managed to finally get myself over to Rawtenstall to embark upon the Liver Hill race for the first time. During the last month or so it's fair to say that as far as the fells are concerned I've only done some amblings with Connie the dog which have all played their part in the weekly regime, but so far as where the effort has been focused then it's all been about interval sessions and in that respect probably training more intensively than ever before. This is all about tomorrow's Podium 5K of course, to which I'll ramble about later on.
At Liver Hill, it was all about getting the ball rolling for regular racing again. Regardless of sore fast twitch muscles, general fatigue and any other excuse I could conjure to play down my own hopes to myself, getting a feeling for where my fitness is going in to the new season was also the aim of the game. Entry was free for this one with a no-pressure contribution to Rossendale Mountain Rescue on the table. Any tight arse that didn't stick a few quid in the box -  then shame on their very sorry existences.
The race starts and finishes in cross country territory, taking in a couple of the mudslides on the notorious Marl Pits course. Whilst out and back on the moors, there was little to report other than more mud, more bog and how inconspicuous the summit of Liver Hill actually is. Maybe I'm a spoiled fell running brat when I say I wasn't particularly inspired by the course, but it was most certainly a good race with plenty of talented young lads from the host club Rossendale Harriers setting the pace. By the turnaround point at the small cairn on Liver Hill it was clear that most of those ahead of me were going to stay there. I did make the odd gain and the odd loss on the way back in, but it was just a proper get your head down, slog and churn out everything I had on the night. I didn't feel fresh one bit. I suppose I was slightly disappointed with seventeenth in what is essentially a low key race, but I ought not to ponder too much about that as I was only fifty seconds or so from what would have been a very satisfactory seventh. I think a few more races down the line and with the distraction of Podium out of the way then I could get there.
So training has been geared around speed sessions for a good month and a half now, in more recent weeks mainly quarter mile sets of ten with one minute recoveries, run well beyond race pace two or sometimes three times a week. Mileage in between has generally been run to feel or just recovery plods. It's all about a sub-seventeen minute 5K at Podium. All this speed work must count for something and whilst I don't want to pile too much pressure on myself, I really ought to get under seventeen all being well.
All was going to plan until a return of the old lower back strains yesterday, without any particular reason or notice other than sod's law. As I type this now with just less than thirty-one hours until the gun, it's touch and go. Ibuprofen and self massage with my knuckles seem to be giving me some relief! I'll be gutted if I'm not right to run tomorrow night.
Ok so sod's law gets the blame, but maybe I have been getting a bid giddy lately and asking for trouble? When staying at St John's In The Vale for last weekend's Easter break with Sara and Connie, we were literally at the foot of the steep Helvellyn mass up to Stybarrow Dodd. The only way was up for a couple of crazy two and a half milers that left my quads in bits. I simply couldn't resist though - when in Rome... what else to do with a spare half hour after walking all day? When back home, the last flat speed session on Tuesday went some way to flushing out the lactic from the weekend's descents and I was feeling perfectly tuned heading towards my Saturday showdown - that was until the back went twang. Now little over thirty hours to go, I think the worst of it may just have peaked so hope remains.

Tuesday 27th March
PETE HARTLEY MEMORIAL LIVER HILL RACE 
Marl Pits, Rawtenstall. East Lancs.   4.3m/820ft
1st Man - Callum Davidson (Rossendale) 34:03
1st Lady - Lauryn Gregg (Rossendale) 44:33
My Stats - 40:10   17/128