My knees and joints had strengthened up as a result of a years trail running with my new club - the Wolf Pack.
So my question this year was not "Can I do it?" but "How fast can I do it?"!!!!
Trouble is with running with the Wolves... they are mostly faster than me and I bust a gut trying to keep them in sight!! So Hike 2012 was by no means a doddle. I blame Mark Minihane for making it a tough day, but I also thank him for helping me get a PB!
Registration was a hive of busy bees stressing about taped seams, micropore and reflective strips. For those unfamiliar with Hike registration... you basically have to carry specific kit in case of emergency and this is checked pre-race.
Anyway we all made it through check-in and went for breakfast. I thought a Full English was perfectly acceptable but the others thought I was a bit nuts....
We walked up to the starting field, fired up and ready to go. My plan this year was to go out quite hard and hope to be grouped with some reasonably paced runners, then survive the second half without slowing anybody down....
We were off... the charge towards Caradoc is always too fast, but when the adrenalin is pumping, who cares!! Pretty soon my heart, lungs and legs were also pumping... lactic acid, as we started the first steep climb. So I settled into my own pace and said goodbye to James and Kris. I kept Droid in sight a little longer, but soon he was gone and then Mark.
Down Caradoc weeeeee.....! Up Lawley urrrrgh......!
I decided it was time for some music as I tackled the insane steepness and it gave me wings. I went a bit loopy coming back down Lawley and over took several people including Mark and Droid. A fun descent it was though!
On the flat bits across the valley, I swiftly lost all the places I made up on the descent! :-D
I had Mark in view ahead and really, this was when he started pushing me on, not that he knew it.
I caught up during the long slog up Gog B**ch and we endured that section together up onto the Mynd. Very much deja vu, as we had ended up doing that section together in the Skyline a few weeks before.
Then as it flattened out, I got left behind again, but I wasn't going to push above my aerobic threshold, not on a 50 miler!
I continued solo all the way to Stiperstones, all quite uneventful really... just plod, plod plod. Tarmac always bores me!
Then off the road and onto the Stiperstones, this was a turning point in my race... I was up for it now!
I pushed on up the climb then flew along the ridge, 20 minutes of pure "foot to eye" co-ordination and not for a moment could I let that concentration lapse....
Stiperstones ridge is strewn with... errr stones! Many people walk this section as its easy to turn an ankle.
Droid had said "If you can run Stipers, you will make up loads of time on people". He was not wrong, and the more I overtook, the faster I went!!
My reccying payed off when I took the maize field route and I over took a few more who chose to hit the tarmac. Down into Habberley for refreshments and through the cow poo track, on up to Earls Hill. Still feeling good and not far behind Mark. I was out to get him, but for company really, nothing competitive, I know he kicks my ass with his speed! Back down the hill and through the cow poo again... lovely aroma!
Next came the long roady stretch from Woodgate to Tankerville... I ran with Ben and Chris at times, I still felt good and wanted to catch Mark.... I was grinding out a run/power walk/run routine and as I came to Shelve CP, he was just about to leave. I decided to give refreshments a miss. I wanted to group with him rather than wait for the guys behind me who were cramping up and getting slower.... (how cruel!)
So various people faffed about, groups kept changing, but eventually Mark, Stu and I were pointed outside to join two others lads, who were waiting.. I promise you now, when they looked at me they failed to hide their look of despair. I can only assume they thought I was going to slow them down....
This made me VERY determined NOT to slow them down. After a bad start (where I needed to stop for a pee, therefore slowing them down!), we all ran comfortably together across the fields and to the bottom of Corndon. Here I decided to take the lead and push quite hard to show them I wasn't going to tag along at the back all night!
The group worked well together I believe, and we made our way steadily across towards the Mynd. Some were stronger than others, some better on flats, others on hills...
I'd say I was probably mid-group, not the slowest, but Mark and Stu were definitely stronger at times.
Simon really started to suffer on the descents... Mark kept us all running on the flats... That is what grouping is all about I suppose... give and take and lots of encouragement!
Ragleth was pure evil to climb, it was the same as 2011... it was enough to stop myself falling backwards! But this year the descending was fine :-)
Through the town to the finish, I think Mark would have happily sprinted... but I had nothing left, I could only jog. I think I did give Hike 2012 my best shot and was really happy with my time 11h22m. Taking 1h30m off last years time :-)
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