There’s nothing like a good fell race to remind you how unfit you are! We attended a misty Sedbergh Hills Race yesterday. With over 350 starters (it was a British and English Champs race) navigation was never really going to be a problem but the 14 miles and 6000ft of ascent/descent certainly took it out of me physically.
Just over half way round, as the heavens opened, I found myself walking all the way up the steady ascent from Bowderdale to the Calf. When I tried to run again at the top my quads cramped up massively and I had to stop for a minute or two. I just about managed to get going again but I was certainly having trouble controlling my legs on the steep descent to the finish (made worse by blisters left over from the Capricorn).
In the end, the results show that I ended up just inside the top half of starters with Christine finishing only five minutes behind me. Perhaps there’s a good reason why she’s entered on the A class at the OMM and I’m running the B!
Dave,
looking at the results, all I can say is that if when I am 60 and I am able to
do the Sedbergh hills race in under 2 hours 40 minutes I will be extremely chuffed.
cheers,
Neil