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Half Tour of Bradwell

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Vanessa Cooper continues her 2015 challenge to run a ‘long run’ every month raising money for Cave Rescue and Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue by completing the Half Tour of Bradwell.

Vanessa Bradwell 2015

Copyright: sportsunday.co.uk

Vanessa writes:

“The Half Tour of Bradwell is a small (half of course) version of the Long Tour of Bradwell (located off the Hope Valley road in the High Peak).  At 16 miles and with 3000ft of ascent the Half Tour is still hard work.  They are both in support of a local charity and the Long Tour is part of the Run Further championships (there are some impressive times recorded).  Being an area I lived in when I worked in Sheffield (the race travels close to my old house and over many of my favourite paths) it is a point in the running calendar I now look forward to every year.

Up until the very morning of the race I was still undecided as to which distance I was going to do, the Long Tour being just within my ability (probably) and the Half Tour being a bit of a fun jaunt out.  The searing heat and option of full cooked breakfast at the hotel sealed my decision to run the Half Tour (it started 30 minutes later than the Long Tour).  The race start is in Bradwell itself and the registration is an uncomplicated affair.  With only 85ish starters for the Half Tour it was also quite pleasant, however it is run under FRA rules and full kit regulations are in place irrespective of the blazing sunshine and local knowledge (as the organisers reminded us the day before).

At 9.30am the temperature was about 19C with no wind.  The race quickly moves out of Bradwell and around the Hope cement works (an iconic part of the Hope Valley), after about a mile the route then climbs at various inclines for about 2 miles.  The climb starts on a sheltered rocky track and then heads out onto an exposed Limestone Bridleway which heads West on a ridge above Hope and Castleton.

After a mile of exposed Bridleway the path then turns off onto a lovely grassy path which drops down towards Peveril Castle and into Castleton.  The grassy path gives way to steep Limestone before hitting Castleton but the paths were very dry so unlike previous years this was just a blur.  The first pit stop was in Castleton and then the route goes straight through the town (where you have to avoid a few doddering hazards and coaches, a bit like Skipton High Street) and up a tarmac track which heads towards the Mam Tor ridge.  The road goes on for what feels like ages but is only about a mile.  Both routes then head up through a narrow gully towards the ridge, after a few hundred steep metres the routes separate.  The Long Tour heads up and over the ridge to Edale and Kinder Scout, where as the Half heads up the side of the ridge towards Lose Hill.

The views at this point start to become just lovely on a sunny day.  This part was too steep to run and my only company on the climb were about 50 flies all of whom wanted to land on either my sweaty hair or face.  from here the route starts to get a bit busy with various tourists but they all seemed to have some awareness about them.  After 15 minutes of climbing the ridge was reached the path headed up to Lose Hill summit, the Long Tour also met the Half Tour again at this point and I could see the Leaders of the Long Tour making their way up to the ridge from Edale.  I was sort of glad I had stuck with the shorter route.  On the top I posed for the photographer and also took a couple of shots of my own.  Psychologically the worst climbs are over at this point (even though there was still 1400ft of climbing left) and off Lose Hill summit there is a fabulous mile or so descent on very dry ground down towards Hope, one of the best bits of the route if you like downhill.

Bradwell Half 2015Copyright: Vanessa Cooper

Another feed station and a bit of road out of Hope and through Aston.  In Aston there is an almost hidden footpath which starts the ascent up onto Thornhill Scars (the side of Win Hill).   The route swings round Win Hill and you get a great view of Ladybower Dam and the valley whilst running on a nice soft peaty path sheltered from any wind, then into woods above Ladybower.  All of this is either flat or downhill.  Some path improvement works have been performed in the woods so whilst still natural peat the path is good and flat, especially when dry and is a wonderful running surface.

The path drops out of the woods, briefly past the Ladybower Dam and joins the Thornhill trail (which used to be an old railway).  On a hot day this is a hot section – sheltered from the wind and flat but the 2 miles of Thornhill trail are broken up by another feed station.  Long before this point I’d realised that there was no way I was going to hit my highly optimistic time and here I realised that I wouldn’t even manage a marginal personal best.  I accepted the depressing failure by realising that whilst very hot I felt fine and had no heat related fatigue or illness unlike others on the run.

Along the Thornhill trail the Long Tour splits off from the Half for a final time and it heads off towards Bamford, Stanage and Burbage.  For the next two miles I enjoyed being completely on my own.  From the Thornhill Trail the path travels through the Hope Garden Centre and into Shatton.  Shatton is an unfortunately named well to do hamlet.  The path now becomes a little vague, not physically but to navigate.  It travels out of Shatton on a tarmac track which turns into a gravel track and then heads up through a farm.  Then across two fields with dubious signage and a hidden gate.  Here I did my good deed for the day and assisted a lady with cramp who was lost.  Then there is a steep gravel track downhill to the finish, which I sprinted, although it was never going to get me my course pb.

At the end I was pleased that I wasn’t sore or tired but I decided that whilst I could have probably gone for another 10 miles opting for another 16 miles/3000ft would have been optimistic.  Amazingly there was only one major (hospitalised) casualty from the heat and that was quite early on in the Long Tour, and there was plenty of water, tea and soup at the end for recovery.

Whilst it is a long way from Skipton the sun always shines in the Peak District and both of the routes are lovely with much to recommend them.  Unfortunately there are no medals, t-shirts or certificates but we’ve all got loads of them.  I will be training for the Long Tour next year and will take my Skipton vest along (I made the t-shirt in the picture for fundraising I’m doing all year).”

If you would like to sponsor Vanessa then you can find out more about the organisations she’s supporting, and make a donation, here: https://www.justgiving.com/teams/vanessamrt

Pendle Festival of Running Half Marathon

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Vanessa Ford writes:
I signed up for this half marathon being bereft of a convenient long run in July.  There wasn’t a huge amount of advance detail about the route but ‘2000ft of ascent’ had been advertised, so it was an acceptable filler for me and as far as I’d want to go on the road.
Whilst there was no parking at registration there is a very generous and cheap car park at Barley, and only a 10 minute walk to sign in.
I wandered around a bit trying to identify the start, which was only evident as people congregated.  It was a small field of competitors and included those running the 10k. As I looked around and noted that at least 90% of the runners were in club vests (Trawden, Barlick) looking fast and serious, I was mortified (there wasn’t even anyone in fancy dress).   Based on my flat half marathon pb of 2hrs 8 min I’d predicted 2hrs 30 min which in a normal (large) half marathon event would be a reasonable time.   Even in ‘the run from hell’ at the Gargrave show I hadn’t been last.
The Route
The race started out of Barley on the flat of Barley New Road and then it dropped downhill into Blacko Bar Road which allowed a nice warm up and the opportunity to gain some ground in the field.  After about a mile we hit Stang Top Road.  As the half was 2 laps the next 5 miles would be run twice.  I don’t know if any of the group have been up here but it feels longer and steeper than the pull up from Eastby to Black Park.  It was steep and long, (but sheltered) most people walked some of it.  The route then hit the tops above Barley and the views were great, it was a lovely sunny day – perfect really.  Almost.  The route turned left towards Pendle Hill , along Black Moss Road, and into the howling gale.  Now, I’m used to the wind from the runs and training I’ve done this year, but this was being like on top of Ingleborough.  The  2 miles across to Pendle Hill were gently uphill but the wind really made it hard work, I was hoping it might have dropped at bit by the 2nd lap.  At the worst spot there was a very enthusiastic lady from Trawden AC shouting encouragement to all the runners which helped.
At the foot of Pendle Hill the route then dropped down Barley Lane for a good mile, this section was wonderful – there isn’t any other way to describe it.
In Barley the half turned off from the 10k and suddenly up Cross Lane not as long as Stang Lane but just as steep.  After turning onto Jinny Lane the route was then undulating and very pleasant.  Before I knew it the loop had joined the original route at Blacko Bar Road and there it was again – Stang Top Road.  My calves had warmed up for the second attempt so it was far less painful and seemed much shorter than the first time!  Running the windy section across the top a second time was fine – it was nearly over and I was looking forward to the descent.  It did feel like the wind had actually picked up a bit but the enthusiastic lady was still there making me run what was probably the hardest part of the race.
The downhill appeared and it seemed to take no time to drop into Barley.  The route then followed a footpath along a stream for a few hundred yards.
The Finish
I knew there was a steep hill at the end; 100 yards of steep tarmac with spectators.  Whilst I wasn’t tired or sore
this was psychological torment.  I wouldn’t normally bother running such an incline as I’d be conserving energy but the spectators made me do it.  If you were racing up here it would be a nasty end.
And it was over.  My watch said 2hrs 27 mins but I’ve no idea what the official time was.  So I hit my target which I was pleased about and picked up my medal and t shirt.
I wasn’t last, but I wasn’t far off.  To put the time into context I did see the winning time – 1hr 32mins (a guy from Trawden).  For those of you that are fast the winning time probably helps outline that it was a tough course not assisted by the weather.
And what about facilities – showers, etc at the finish (you can store bags at registration) but I didn’t see any food.  However, there is a cafe at the car park which also does take out – I had a lovely milkshake and sausage butty.
Not one for a PB but I would recommend it for next year – that sea of Trawden vests needs diluting!

The London Marathon – truly bonkers

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Jenny Cornish reports:

“The London Marathon – truly bonkers

london marathon pic

The London Marathon is definitely a rather surreal experience.

First, there was the interminable wait before the start, wandering around in the freezing cold surrounded by people wearing bin bags and anxious expressions, when I turned around to see an elderly gentleman applying Vaseline to his nipples.

Then there was the race itself, passing dinosaurs, dogs, rhinos, phone boxes, the Mona Lisa, and most bizarrely of all, Jesus, running barefoot, with a crown of thorns and a loincloth, with a giant cross tied, or possibly nailed, to his back, accompanied by crowds bellowing ‘Come on Jesus!’

There was the huge roar as I rounded a corner, so loud it made me jump – the cheers were not for me, of course, but for Paula Radcliffe. Yes, I actually ran past Paula! Unfortunately for me, she was heading in the opposite direction, belting towards the finish on the other side of the barriers, while I still had many more miles to run.

There were the ridiculously noisy crowds, banging drums, singing, a full orchestra playing, small children begging for high-fives and handing out jelly babies, one little boy shouting ‘I love you all!’

There were the peculiar signs – one declaring ‘We Love Leases’, which kept me pondering for a while over whether long term leases or six month leases were the object of their affection. I also particularly enjoyed ‘Smile if you’re not wearing underwear’ and ‘Come On Random Stranger’.

Some miles shot past. The first five miles were a blur. The last six miles lasted a lifetime, my feet burning, counting the steps, ticking off the miles until the end, knowing if I just kept going I would reach my target time. And then finally the finish line, when they hung a medal around my neck and I couldn’t stop smiling. Until I realised I had to walk back to Victoria, my feet squealing, calves seizing up, hobbling up and down steps over the Mall where runners were still pouring over the finish line.

Then there was the young man who sat next to me on the train back to Surrey, studying contract law, who turned to me after about half an hour, sitting there with my finishers’ t-shirt and medal round my neck, and asked me a question in a strong West Indian accent. I was so sure he must be talking about the marathon that I didn’t understand him at all and had to ask him to repeat himself twice until I realised he was trying to discuss the General Election with me.

Good luck trying to talk to me about anything other than the marathon for the next few days!

Thanks to everyone who has supported me and sponsored me, and enormous thanks to Skipton AC who gave me one of their club places! It’s been a fantastic experience. I might even do it again one day…

If you haven’t already sponsored me, you can do so here:http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JennyCornish – thanks very much!

This article was taken from Jenny’s blog with her kind permission. You can find the original version here.