BACK ON THE SADDLE
BLENCATHRA
So it was back to the mountain also known as the Saddleback for as big a feast of fell racing that any midweek evening would have to offer. Upon the second appearance here at this belting race, hosted generously and yet very modestly by the Eden Runners club, I can now confirm that Blencathra could be establishing itself as a clear personal favourite of mine. What's not to love about this challenging middle distance cracker in such an incredible setting? In a fantasy book entitled 'Top Ten Lakeland Fell Races', by John Sutton - in which I'm confident Blencathra would still make the cut despite much research still to be done - only being very picky and trying to suit all fell runner's tastes would I suggest perhaps the lack of a crag or two to scramble over is what's missing to deny this compact eight miler it's claim to having a little bit of almost everything. Essentially it's a runner's race and rarely very technical underfoot. It may not suit the mountain goats that prefer the rock hopping rough stuff of the Langdales, but Blencathra is still a tough beast in it's own right. Aside from the initial steep plough out of the valley through a barely visible trod in the bracken, the climbs are all teasingly runable. Or simply runable in fact, if you are of international class like Ricky Lightfoot who made it all look very easy on his way to victory. But for most of the rest of us, the race offers many of the sort of invariable gradients that prick a fell runner's conscience as to whether power-walking is acceptable or if running would perhaps seem possible. My mindset for the evening was to absolutely run as much of the climbs as I possibly could and not get bogged down in too much back breaking, hands on knees power walking stuff. I've been messing with it in training, trying to discipline myself to a technique that works for me and doesn't stiffen this fragile lower back of mine. Not only did this help keep my focus on the upward sections of this race, but also bought me time and places. My climbing really has been in need of sorting out if I'm going to make progress, it's always been my weakness. The words of our legendary Ribble Valley Harriers president, Shaun Livesey, have certainly resonated when he said to me, ''I never walked any climbs at any race, I always ran them''. Shaun was twice English Champion and has won most races on the calendar, whilst I'm a running nobody in particular and a 44 year old one at that. With that in mind, I haven't taken what he's said absolutely literally, but have nonetheless been trying to build up the ability to run uphill with more efficiency and resilience. If I feel I'm going to break, then I just remember Shaun's words!
After that rehabilitating race at Ingleton last week, I felt a bit more race fit... so more fit to race. It's nice to get back to turning up for a contest confident that, at worst, it's not going to be a complete capitulation. Managing to balance the effort rate put in to the first half of races on this scale is key for me, this being my longest and certainly toughest run for two months or more. Whilst having to hurt a bit, there needs to be plenty of hurt left in reserve for later. Upon the first climb up to Bowscale Fell I found myself around Barlick Fellrunner Andy Berry, who sounded as if he was over-hurting too soon. But he's a consistent racer with a pair of thick set muscular legs that tick over way quicker than they appear to. It took me back to Withins Skyline last October when I spent the whole second half of the race trying to wind in a 100 metre gap on his deceptive pace and only just managing to do so with less than 200 metres to go. Back to Blencathra though and Berry shot off with a few others after that first checkpoint as a stretch of good running then wields it's way down to the base of Blencathra's upper sanctum. But some good climbing from there saw me claw back some of that cluster and eventually catch up to Bowland's Sean Bolland, who I remember had shown a return to faster form at Harrock Hill a fortnight earlier to finish well up and way ahead of me. But he was chuffing like a steam train here as we traversed the back of the saddle towards Blencathra's highest point where I passed him. Then I caught up with Andy Berry again at the summit checkpoint who was still working himself hard. It's fruits of your labour for a while after that - if you haven't already laboured too much that is - with a decent couple of miles of descending to be done. A couple of lovely ladies of considerable seniority had made the very considerable climb up to the ridge upon Scales Fell to watch the race unfold from where the course veers off left and continues to lose height towards Suther Fell. They had kindly placed a signposted jelly baby station there and were telling runners their current position. ''Top twenty, well done'', I was told, so duly expressed my gratitude. I guess if there is a bit of disappointment from the evening, it's that I saw the race out fairly strongly and yet didn't quite manage to hold that top twenty slot. I passed some guys, some guys passed me and by the time we were all still jostling for places on the plateau of the last climb upon Souther Fell I didn't have a clue what position I might be. One thing on my side is the ability to make gains on silly descents and I did manage to pick off one place on the ridiculously steep finale with a quarter of a mile to go. Almost consolidating that one place gained on this leg buckling drop - knowing there was still a swampy bog, a river crossing and a 200 metre run on the farm track still top negotiate before the finish - I took my eye off the ball and hadn't noticed the Keswick vest ahead could have been for the taking until it was just too late. I had to have a go anyway, but with an absolute outpouring of everything I had left put in to that final gallop to the line, there was no chance of sneaking up with a silent stealth attack. I'd made my presence too obvious and the Keswick runner, James Haworth, must have heard me coming and seemed to pick up his pace and matched me for the last 50 metres to hold his position which turned out to be 20th - mine 21st. Bugger! Decent night's work though and over a minute and a half quicker than last year's time in racing conditions that continue to remain warm and sticky. Enough to ensure overall satisfaction felt on the long journey home. If Harrock Hill was like a buck-a-roo moment two weeks ago, I felt very much back on the saddle at this one.   

Wednesday 6th June 2018
BLENCATHRA   8m/2700ft   Mungrisdale, Cumbria
1st Man - Ricky Lightfoot (Ellenborough AC) 1.02:18
1st Lady - Sophie Noon (Cumberland FR) 1.18:23
My Stats - 1.17:12   21/134