Shelf Moor Fell Race

Summer Series, Race 17

This, although under 6 miles, I found as hard as any race I'd done.  I'll not at my my best, it'll be interesting to see what others think. After a mile of slowly climbing, the gradient suddenly stiffened. Of course, in my sector of the race, everyone walked but in places even walking was tough going and we were now into thick mist. A mile of this and it was a real relief to reach the summit. But a false one. The top was peat, boggy peat, with streams running through it and a scattering of rocks. As Graham Taylor said you had to concentrate every time you put your foot down. I had expected to enjoy this section, I had gained six Wilmslow places on the top at Roaches. Here, however, you did not know whether you were going to go over on your ankle on a rock or up to your calves in the peat. Fording the streams was treacherous, the banks were unstable and you kept falling back in. Whenever I tried to accelerate, I stumbled, it was impossible to find any running rhythm. And all the time the thick peat was draining the strength out of your legs. I only passed Angela because she was lying face down in something unpleasant, with Carolyn trying to pull her out. As in the parable of the good Samaritan, I passed on the other side. Angela made quite a day of it both her bum, how?, and her arms were covered in mud and one arm was bleeding. The mist made plotting a route across the top more difficult even though the course was very well marked and marshalled and I always had at least one of Patrick, Julie, Carolyn or Ang to follow.

Tom took the Wilmslow 100-points for the first time this year, was 12th overall and,inevitably, 1st. M50.  Graham was 14th. Nick's starting to put some races together and moving up the table, hopefully,this time, he can avoid injury and regain full fitness.

Allan strengthened his position at the top of division 2 with another first place. Ian, his sort of course, was second then Jarrod followed by Jon, who is also happier away from the tarmac. They were followed by Richard, Geoff and Diane. Not a course to Craig's liking?

Three wins in three races brought Gareth runner-up in the August Runner of the Month. He made it 4 in 4. Matt confirmed his strength on the hills, despite less than ideal Saturday preparation at Chester Races. Chris courted dress-code expulsion but charmed his way to an excellent result. Amanda, on her day, is a wonderful runner, and this was one of those. Andy edged out Kate. Patrick gave his dodgy hamstring a work-out.

Carolyn, having helped Ang, quickly moved back ahead of me but as I had hoped I was able to overtake both her and Julie on the steep down. The one thing I've always being confident in is winning a close finish, the three of us hit the flat of the final half mile only yards apart, but first Julie and then Carolyn proved too fast for me. Angie made it home much the worse for wear.

Sharon now has some fancy strapping holding her knee together and it gave her no problems as she took first place in division 4 ahead of Julie and Carolyn. I'd seen Huma early on, this was not the race to be coming back to after a month out.

The harder the race, it seems, the more buoyant the atmosphere (relief?) at the end. Ian Smallwood led a bathing party into the river to wash-off the worst of the mud. I have enjoyed the other fell races but I felt Shelf Moor was too specialist and would probably, were it to be included in future years, give it a miss.

Ian