Summer Series, race 7
Sunday May 29th.
On the Rob Downs time driving/time running ratio, Bamford looks a poor deal, one hour driving for 4½ miles running. But, as the times show, this was not your typical 4½ miles. Good value in my book.
It was cooler than recent days, 17oC when we left Wilmslow but, as we got into the hills, we also got into the mist, it became quite dense on the top, but had thinned to 14oC by Bamford.
We were only the warm-up act for the sheep and dogs, but had the novelty of a false start and being recalled, apparently mistaking the local dignitary’s training session for the real thing.
I had explained to Cat that the first 1½ miles were flat. They are, relative to what follows, but, in fact, are a slow climb. At this point the route turns left and you start a steep ascent. Running is out of the question, walking is hard going. Ironically this works against the climbers as it is also narrow. I’m used to hordes of people passing me on the uphill but I lost only one place, but unfortunately to the one person I was really interested in, Julie. After 10 minutes slog the gradient softens toward the trig point.
People are prone to talk about ‘technical’ descents, a euphemism I believe for ‘dangerous’, it was damp and a bit slippery but none of us came to grief. Perhaps because a number who had done the race two years ago were very definite in their ‘never again’s and kept their word.
Finally there is, slight downhill to the finish, here, last time, I had surrendered half of my downhill gains.
Tom again belied his years and was comfortably the best Wilmslow runner.
Behind him was a magnificent League 2 battle. I believe the order at the top of the hill was Rich, Louisa, Ian, Tim. Ian roared down the hill and hit the ¾ mile finishing straight first. Louisa now went after him, first picking-off Rich, but dragging him along with her. Ian was beaten for pure pace by the two of them. Tony, also, I believe got the better of Tim on the descent but lost-out when they hit the flat.
Sally, another good downhiller, got Mark and was able to maintain her advantage to the finish.
The tightest finish, however, was Sally Price who beat Gail by one second. Gail claimed to have run the Buxton Half the previous day.
Catriona and Chris managed to avoid any such excitement.
After Julie had overtaken me up the hill, I managed to get a message to a girl from Congleton who successfully baulked her for the next five minutes. Only when the gradient slackened and the path widened was she able to make the most of her superior climbing skills and pull-out a 50m lead at the trig point. I caught her half way down, charged on and gave what little I had left for the final flatish 5 minutes.
Trevor was not himself and had an uncomfortable afternoon.
Results, provisional, in the article below.
Louisa beat me to the top!
Great report, the different strengths of group 2 runners made the race very entertaining, I got a quick start, Louisa, Richard and then Tim all passed me on the flat. ( Oh for a bit more speed!) My hill legs came to the fore and I overtook Tim up the valley and made some in-roads in to Louisa’s lead who in turn had chased down Richard. Richard overtook Louisa on the descent and eventually I overtook both of them and set off trying to build a big lead for the final flat sprint – it was not big enough as both Louisa and Richard overtook me and raced to the line.
Ian Smallwood
PS the next Group 2 off road battle will be at Bollington Nostalgia – will the flat landers or the hill billies win?
The run was pretty much as I remembered it only I had forgotten about the second climb after the left turn leading to the trig point. The only saving grace, the top was lost in the low cloud.
After Sally, Mark, Gail, Sally ( the other one ) and Cat passed me before the climb I resigned to the fact I was a faster down hiller than they were, how wrong could I be. But a great run never the less.