Penistone Footpath Runners Quarterly newsletter Issue 74 Spring 2015

The Hill

Contents

Race/news round up

• The 15 Trigs

• Deficiencies in runners

• It’s got to start with a 2

• The Rovaniemi 150

• HPM report

• Stocksbridge Leisure Centre Upcoming events/races Results – in separate pdf

The Hill

THE 15 TRIGS A CIRCULAR TOUR OF THE DARK PEAK. 2nd April 2000

This run has its origins within the Dark Peak Fell Runners history of mammoth challenges and , though no written rules and regulations, is accepted to be an outing of 15 hours or better. A trig. point (or triangulation stations to give them their correct titles), for anyone that is not into hills, is a white three sided pillar, used by the Royal Ordnance many moons ago for taking bearings and levels of surrounding topography to create the great great grandparents of our ordnance survey maps of today. Incidentally, trig. points are now redundant as all surveying is now done from outer space.

The 15 trig. points of the Dark Peak are (with their 6 figure grid references all on ordnance survey sheet SK) :-

ROD MOOR : 263884 EMLIN: 240934 BACK TOR : 198910 : 189957 OUTER EDGE : 177970 ALPORT : 129933 SHELF MOOR : 089948 COCK HILL : 059962 HARRY HUT : 045908 KINDER WEST : 077894 KINDER LOW : 079871 : 084851 BLACKDEN : 129878 : 187851 HIGH NEB : 228853

The start and finish is the Sportsman Pub at Lodge Moor, . Gd.ref. 282862

1999’s pre Bob Graham training first brought the 15 TRIGS to my attention plus an article in a past copy of THE DARK PEAK NEWS written by Chris Barber and Jim Fulton. Several attempts last year to start the run with Johnathan Straker from the Dark Peak Fell Runners (DPFR) were foiled for one reason or another. A few months ago Richard Hakes (DPFR) spoke of a March jaunt around the route. No more was heard for several weeks. At the finish line of the Skyline race on Sunday 26th March, Richard was recording times. As usual, I hung myself with my mouth, quote “ Richard, have you had any more thoughts about the 15 trigs? “ his replied “ yes Andy - next Sunday. Are you with us? It will do you good “. The actual route sounded demanding enough but the suggested starting time of 5:30 am on a Sunday, From Lodge Moor, made my heart sink. I thought there was only one 5:30 in any day and that was after I had finished work. The week drew on, Dave Griffin said he was ‘on for it’ and the only thing that would prevent us starting was fog. The morning of the 2nd of April arrived, I had set my alarm for 4:00am but woke at 3:50amin anticipation, or was in constipation. The view through the window was, to say the least , limited. It was very dark and very foggy. I picked Dave up at his home at 4:45 and Jim Bell at 5:10. Not one of us thought we would start. Arriving at the Sportsman and seeing Tom Westgate, Richard Hakes and Kev Saville already togged and ready for the off made us panic somewhat. First thing tom said was “ Dont make to much noise , we will be calling for a pint later on. “

Because of the fog we started late, 5:33am, a full three minutes. Head torches in hand to avoid reflection from the mist, we set off up the road. A right turn took us onto a steep downhill wooded path, we soon realised Jim had not brought a torch, I think it was a tree that got him. The first 1.5 hours was a bit of a mystery to me, but once we hit the Strines road I new where I was. By this time the first trig point had fallen, 37 mins , no problem. A little trespassing bagged the second at Emlin, Quite a bit more trespassing got us to the path where we dumped our kit and legged it to Back Tor and back, trig point 3. Margery Hill in 3.5 hours and Outer Edge in another 29 minutes. It was 9:30 am on a Sunday morning and the body clock was saying time to get up. A long 72 minutes gathered in trig point number 6 at Alport 5 hrs 12 mins after starting. Richard kept reminding us we were only just ahead of schedule therefore no time to relax. Normally the Alport valley is a wonderful place to be, but when you have to run up i , and beyond, it looses some of its beauty. Shelf Stones looked good at 11:3 am, just over 6 hours into the run, only another 9 hours to go. It was somewhere around this time that Richard announced he had miscalculated in previous statements and we were in fact at least half an hour up. Now, as explained before, trig points by their very nature are on high vantage points, not so Cock Hill, but with no fog at this stage, and two, Tom and Richard, excellent navigators 33 minutes after Shelf Stones we tagged trig point number 8, past half way. The art of long fell events is in the constant refuelling with any type of food you can force down, whether you feel like it or not. With hindsight I should have eaten more coming down into Old Glossop. It was a fast decent and a 2 kilometre slog on a minor road to get us to the best striking point for Harry Hut. As soon as we climbed the stile onto the moor I started to lose the connection between brain and legs. The other 5 plus Dave Lindop and Willie Gibbins, who had joined us at Glossop, were several hundreds of metres in front which seemed insurmountable. It took me about 1 hour 15 minutes to catch up, which saw 2 more trigs ticked off, Harry Hut and Kinder West. I caught and past the group, with a little help from Willie (he took my rucksack for a while) at the Kinder Downfall, they had all stopped to top up water bottles. Dave and Jim joined me at Red Brook and we ran together to Kinder Low (number 11) and to Brown Knoll (number 12), it was 2:55 pm and I was feeling good. (back from the dead). Richard,Tom and Kev had done a brilliant job of navigating, but the strain was telling a little, everyone was tired. Blackden took 1 hour 18 minutes from Brown Knoll, it seemed a lot longer. Win Hill (number 14) took another 1 hour 18 minutes - just one left and 11 hours 58 minutes of “running “ under our belts. The decent from Win Hill to Yorkshire Bridge is a killer at any time but after 12 hours of hard labour it was diabolical. The road section to the foot of Stanage is a painful slog toil for anyone but to 6 weary and foot sore souls it was purgatory, the saving grace being the last trig was virtually in sight. A short rock scramble took us to within 150 metres of High Neb, we had done the 15 trigs except for the run back to the Sportsman about 1 hour away. The clag had descended and the rain had started, still, 14 hours on the hill and only rain for the last hour is not bad considering the weather others had to contend with on the 1/3rd marathon and the Doncaster ½ marathon. A very satisfying day out. Dave Griffin ran well ; Jim Bell ran ( and talked strong ) ; Tom Westgate was sound and solid all day ( well nearly all day ) ; Richard Hakes ( Mr Schedule ) was the route finder general

and Kev Saville just got on with the business, I, other than the 1.25 hours mid run, had a “grand day out“ and finished feeling good. One day my left big toe might forgive me. 56 miles - quite a lot of climbing and 13 hours 27 minutes gives you a great sense of achievement and satisfaction.

Andy Plummer

TRIG POINT TIME ACCUMULATED TIME SPLIT TIMES Hrs:mins Hrs:mins START 5:33am ROD MOOR 6:10am 0:37 0:37 EMLIN 7:11am 1:38 1:01 BACK TOR 8:08am 2:35 0:57 MARGERY HILL 9:04am 3:31 0:56 OUTER EDGE 9:33am 4:00 0:29 ALPORT 10:45am 5:12 1:12 SHELF STONES 11:37am 6:04 0:52 COCK HILL 12:10pm 6:37 0:33 HARRY HUT 1:17pm 7:44 1:07 KINDER WEST 2:01pm 8:28 0:46 KINDER LOW 2:35pm 9:02 0:34 BROWN KNOLL 2:55pm 9:22 0:20 BLACKDEN 4:13pm 10:40 1:18 WIN HILL 5:31pm 11:58 1:18 HIGH NEB 6:31pm 12:58 1:00 FINISH 7:30pm 13:57 0:59

5 Most Common Deficiencies in Runners (From Runners World)

As a runner, you’ll know you need to eat more calories than most to sustain yourself due to all the energy you’re expending. But what about all the other nutrients that are being used up as you run? Nutritional deficiencies are more common in runners than you might think as running increases the depletions of the stores, but you can help yourself by looking out for the warning signs and making sure you are topped up. Left untreated, they can lead to poor performance, running injuries and serious heath issues.

The signs The warning signs - Most common is a reduction in energy and increased perception of effort in training. Being more susceptible to infections and taking longer to recover between workouts are also signs. To avoid any nutritional deficiencies runners can eat a wide variety of unprocessed foods and ensure a large enough calorie intake to meet energy and micronutrient needs is the most important thing. Another often forgotten essential is a good digestive function as this affects the absorption of vitamins and minerals from food.

By ensuring you have a well balanced diet you are helping your body stay healthy. Here are the most common deficiencies in runners and why they are important for maintaining optimal health.

The 5 most common deficiencies Iron Why it’s important for runners: Iron helps red blood cells transport oxygen around the body, it also plays a key role in energy production. Female runners are most prone to low iron or anemia due to the menstrual cycle, but it can affect all runners as stores are depleted through sweating and footstrike. How do I know if I have low iron? Signs include tiredness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and pale complexion. It will have a detrimental effect on your running performance. Key food sources include: red meat, liver, dark green leafy vegetables, fortified cereals, beans, nuts and dried fruit. Vitamin C also aids your absorption of iron. Vitamin D Why it’s important for runners: This one is essential for bone health as it regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. How do I know if I have low Vitamin D? Achiness of bones and muscles and low mood are among the symptoms of a deficiency. Key food sources: Oily fish, eggs, fortified cereals. It’s worth noting that this one is tougher to get from food sources as the primary source is sunlight. Scott-Dalgleish recommends taking a supplement through the winter. Magnesium Why it’s important for runners: Magnesium helps to turn food into energy as well as playing an important role in bone health. How do I know if I have low Magnesium? Tics, muscle spasms and cramps, seizures, anxiety, and irregular heart rhythms are among the classic signs and symptoms of low magnesium. Dizziness and confusion are also signs. Key food sources: green leafy vegetables, brown rice, nuts, fish, meat, dairy foods and bread – especially wholegrain. Vitamin B12 Why it’s important for runners: B12 is used to keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy, it also helps prevent a type of anemia which causes tiredness and weakness. How do I know if I have low B12? Vegans are at higher risk of this deficiency. Signs include, extreme tiredness, lack of energy, weak muscles, a sore tongue, pins and needles and depression. Key food sources: meat, salmon, cod, milk, cheese, eggs and some fortified breakfast cereals. Zinc Why it’s important for runners: Zinc is key for immune function, it also helps your body process carbohydrate, fat and protein in food. How do I know if I have low zinc? Symptoms can include hair loss, loss of appetite and a compromised immune function. Key food sources: meat, shellfish, milk, dairy products, bread and cereal products

It’s Got to Start with a 2!

I started jogging in 2007, I say jogging because to call it running would have been an insult to runners! On my first run I managed a mile and a quarter, I had to stop 3 times and I swear I could taste blood at the back of my throat.

Fast forward 8 years and I’m standing on the start line of the Greater Manchester Marathon telling myself that any finishing time over 3 hours would be an unmitigated disaster and an embarrassment. This obviously isn’t the case, I have complete respect for anyone that puts themselves on a marathon start line whether they get round in 2 hours or 7 hours, but I’d entered this race some 5 months earlier with the sole target of breaking 3 hours. I’ve done a few marathons up to this point; some on road and some off, the pattern had always been the same: I always fell short of my target time by 5-10 minutes. Most people going into marathons have 3 target times in mind from a “dream time” to “I’ll settle for it time” with a realistic target somewhere between the two. During the race I’d always switched from the dream target to the realistic target once the going gets tough at around 15-18 miles. This time I had one plan and wouldn’t let myself chicken out of it.

Its fairly usual for people to have tactics in a race, whether it’s to set off like a drunk headless chicken and see how long you can hold on for (Gary Briscoe/Steve Sanders – I’m looking at you!) or to pace it realistically from the start, or to sit on someones shoulder (not literally though, they get annoyed) . I’d decided in the days running up to the race that I’d start outside my target race pace and gradually increase this throughout the first half with the hope of holding a consistent pace for the last half. Standing on the start line, however, I changed my mind completely, all around me were people saying things like “I’m setting off at x minutes per mile” and “’ll take on liquid and gels every y miles” and I found it all a bit annoying, I came to the conclusion that it was up to my legs to set the pace and not my Garmin!

Anyone who has done a major city race in the last 10 years will be aware of pacers, the people with big flags sticking out of rucksacks that will get you round the race in whatever time they have on their flags, assuming you can keep up with them. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I think they are a pain in the arse. They seem to cause congestion; hundreds of runners collectively group up behind them like a gang that are too scared to go it alone! And so it was that 2 miles into the race I completely scrapped my other tactic – “do not overtake the 3 hour pacer until after half way!” Being in the group behind the pacer was like being in Meadowhall on a Saturday afternoon, I felt claustrophobic, I’d almost been tripped up 3 times in the first mile and a half and the thought of being stuck in the crowd for the next 90 minutes filled me with dread, so I jumped on the pavement and went round him. This was fine but I now knew that if I saw the pacer again I’d failed in my sole target.

Its difficult to know what pace you can sustain for 26 miles but you tend to get an idea with exerience. I went past the 10k marker at 41.40 and thought about how it wasn’t that long ago I couldn’t do one 10k in that time, nevermind attempting 4 and quarter of them back to back, I went through 10 miles in under 66 minutes and the halfway point beckoned soon after and whilst I felt ok I was aware I’d taken a massive gamble and didn’t really know how long I could keep it up for. The point where I really started to think it was on, was half way – I got there in 1.26.14, an

insignificant time to most people but I knew it was actually within 20 seconds of my half marathon PB! I wondered if any of my club mates would be following me on the tracker – I hadn’t mentioned to anyone that the facility was available but people don’t always need to be told. I’d not exactly kept my target time to myself and if I was to fail today it would mean at some point I’d hit the wall big time and anyone following the tracker would be thinking the same thing.

As part of my training I’d entered the East Hull 20 which was four weeks before the marathon, I set myself a target time of 2.15 but couldn’t actually take part on the day due to a stomach bug which meant I lost half a stone and missed a weeks training. The point at which I knew I would go under 3 hours was when I went through 20 miles in 2.10.58, over 4 minutes up on target pace, I then started thinking about how much I could slow down by if I needed to, and for the first time a negative though went into my mind and my hamstring started tightening. I then went past a fellow runner who was walking backwards, right you are fella. I kept the pace going and suddenly thought your new target is 2.55! I put an exclamation mark there as it almost came as a surpise to me that I improved the target time, it’s not something I’ve ever done before mid race! The route got a little more remote from 19 -22 miles so unsurprisingly there is less support so I was quite surprised when I saw Tim Brooke supporting at the side of the road – it really improved my mood just as I was trying to avoid a slump – Thanks Tim! At the same time I should apologise to Martin and Sophie who were supporting a mile or so later and I didn’t notice them at all, apparently I was too focussed….

From mile 24 onwards I had a little slow down, but only by 15-20 seconds a mile or so and I started to feel a bit sick and couldn’t work out if I should drink more, have another gel or leave it alone. I popped another gel (my 6th of the race) and took a swig of water at the next point and they momentarily helped. Simon Pike then popped up at the side of the road and told me how strong I was looking, no doubt this was a lie but thanks Simon, it was appreciated! My Garmin then beeped to say I’d done 25 miles; I glanced down to see how quick I’d done it, but couldn’t actually focus on the watch face anymore! I decided loss of vision wasn’t a good enough reason to slow down and made myself push harder. I tried to picture the finish line. I’d seen it at the start, it had a great backdrop in that it is straight in front of Old Trafford – apparently a football team play there but I’m no expert. I pictured myself sprinting down towards the line with my fists clenched punching the air in delight, that thought would surely soon be reality.

Unfortunately that aint what happened. My garmin beeped to say I’d done 26 miles just as I turned the final corner and I could see the finish. At that point my mind started to lose the battle with my body as the relief took over the determination. I was sick, three times in the final 200 metres, but not once did I stop running, not even when the exhaustion took over and I started crying. I didn’t find any of this embarassing, and I still don’t – I just wanted that finish line. It did cross my mind that my finishing line photos wouldn’t be adorning our mantel piece at home any time soon but I didn’t really care about that. I’d been determined to give this race absolutely everything I had and that’s what I did. As I crossed the line I stopped the watch – I couldn’t read the time as I was so tired but it definitely started with a 2!

Two hours, fifty three minutes and fifty one seconds is my official time. To say I was happy wouldn’t do it justice. Long distance running can be a selfish, lonely pastime on occasion but it actually felt like all those hours spent running around random places at different paces at different times of day had been worthwhile. I’m fortunate in that I have an extremely supportive wife who was out on the course chasing her own target of 3.40. Obviously she did it; I never had any doubt

she would. 3.32.39 is a good time in anyone’s eyes but Emma was disappointed she didn’t beat three and a half hours! I suppose it’s good to have a target for next time though. “NEXT TIME!!”

Club championship information

This years Club Championship has a slightly different format for the Half Marathon. Unlike the other races, which are based on single races, the Half Marathon will be each Club Members best time for that distance throughout the year.

With big events like last Sundays Sheffield Half, it is difficult to know if we have included all those Club Members who have run in the race. So, if you do enter a Half, please let Paul Fryers know your time by e-mail [email protected] and check to see if your time has been included in the Championship results at http://pfrac.co.uk/club-championship/championship-2015-results/ .

This will ensure that you gain the points to which you are entitled.

The Rovaniemi 150 Type II fun at its best Mark Pearce Most people will never have heard of the Rovaniemi 150, but there are a couple of clues in the name. It’s a winter arctic endurance race held in Rovaniemi, which is in northern Finland (Lapland) within the arctic circle. And it covers a distance of 150km. Competitors can complete the race on foot, bike or skis, but must be totally self sufficient. What’s the Motivation?

Lapland: Wild and beautiful place There were a number of reasons that conspired to get me to enter the race. Firstly, I’d gained an interest in these types of races from hearing some of the tales from friends such as Andy Heading, his sister Marianne and Mike Thomas, all of whom have been there and got the T-Shirt. Secondly, having competed in several team events, and participated in supported challenges, I quite liked the idea of having to deal with the solitude of only having myself for company – having to motivate myself. Kick my own arse rather than rely on someone else to do it for me. Additionally, the distance and duration of the event were also pushing the envelope of what I had previously achieved by a fair margin. Finally, it was also an event with potential real consequences, in a very unforgiving and hostile environment. Striking the right balance between pushing the limits of sleep deprivation and making sound judgements presented an interesting mental challenge. Consequently it didn’t take long to talk myself into entering. So What About Kit? Obviously my usual outdoor kit, which is renowned for its brand new and sparkling appearance wasn’t going to suffice for this little adventure. So I’ve had to fork out some money on proper kit: sled; harness; multi-fuel stove1; warm mitts; hat; new shoes; thermal tights; over-trousers; bivvy bag. I also managed to borrow a load of more expensive items such as: -45C sleeping bag; down jacket; snow shoes; overshoes; thermal sleeping mat2. For the sled, I opted to go down the home-made route, which is cost effective, and also means that I could get everything as I wanted it. I drilled the rim of the sled at 6 inch intervals, fitted brass eyelets and then ran some bungee cord through it to make a flexible system for securing kit.

1 Butane boils at -1C so it’s not a gas in Lapland. 2 Thanks Andy ☺

The bare sled with a somewhat over-engineered harness The first attempt at fitting the harness to the sled was a bit over the top, adding too much weight, and I subsequently scaled it down quite a bit. A sports bag with the handles cut off and cable ties in the zippers (to make access with mitts easier) made an ideal on-sled multi-compartment store to keep stuff organized. My mum’s expertise with the sewing machine sorted out a custom harness and waterproof cover for the sled. The webbing, fabric and buckles are all readily available on-line. Drinking is also a challenge at low temperatures. I went for a 2 litre camelback which I could wear under my outer layers. I also covered the drinking tube in foam pipe insulation. Blowing the liquid back into the bladder after drinking also helps to prevent it freezing. Training I put a fair bit of effort into training for the race, although it never seemed like enough. I wasn’t starting from a good place either, as throughout the preceding 9 months I had developed asthma which has taken some getting under control. The training wasn’t just about fitness, there were a lot of other aspects to deal with. As I was going to do the race on foot, pulling a sled, I started getting my body used to this by dragging a car tyre on training runs which also managed to prove out the home made harness as well as developed quite a different set of muscle groups to those normally used for running. The TPT surface between Thurlstone and Dunford Bridge is ideal, and I used this for most of the training. Myself and Joy spent quite a few somewhat unconventional Saturday nights out trogging up and down the trail in the dark with the tyre.

My Friend the Tyre I also had to get used to long distance and overnight trekking and sleeping out in the cold. A few good winter overnight sessions with Brent provided some good experience on getting organised and dealing with the cold.

Wild Camp at West End. Don’t tell the park rangers. Walking through the night from Oxpring via Langsett, and down to Derwent was more fun than it sounds. Navigation was quite a challenge but we managed just using the compass – old school – no fancy technology like maps or GPS. We eventually clocked in at West End in the rain around 2am. We also did another over-nighter up at Cut Gate in the snow. If you’ve never wild camped, then do it – it’s great fun. Everyone needs to have a go at p***ing in a water bottle inside a sleeping bag when it’s -5 outside.

Brent at the Cut Gate bivvy site just before lights out. The snow over December and January provided a good opportunity to get some practice with the sled. It was quite a relief as pulling the sled on snow was a lot easier than dragging a tyre on tarmac. I also made the mistake of taking the tyre out in the snow. Not a good idea, it’s a very effective snow scoop and brake. Don’t try it at home.

A chance to try out the sled on the TPT. It needs a cover! Pre-Race Arrangements for getting to the race were reasonably straight forward. There is a flight from Manchester via Helsinki, and I booked a room in a hotel in the centre of Rovaniemi for the weekend of the race. Packing the sled for the flights was a challenge but I worked out that if anyone asked I could say it was a surfboard and avoid having to pay any luggage excess. In the end, the airline was really good and I had no hassle at all. That said, they did manage to lose my sled on the way home, but it eventually turned up safe and sound a day later. The Race My plan for the race was to start at the back, not start out too fast, and keep bashing away steadily. I find this approach tends to work quite well for me. I’m never going to be bringing trophies home, and picking people off one by one is really good for morale. Also, setting off too fast on a 150km race is not exactly planning for success. On top of all that, I also had a nagging problem of an Achilles injury that had prevented me from running in the 3 weeks prior to the race and I wasn’t sure exactly how long it would last through the race.

The Race Start at Rovaniemi The fully loaded sled weighed over 25kg, and it doesn’t fit in a hotel lift that easily either. Outside on the ice it was quite easy to handle. The race started as predicted. The bikes disappeared into the distance and the runners spread out.

The view from the back of the pack. We had to get to the first checkpoint within 2 hours, which pushed the pace a little bit, but after that the time-outs were a lot more accommodating so most of us eased off the pace a bit. Initially, I had a few problems drinking as the water had started to freeze up in the tube, but once I was generating some body heat and regularly blowing the liquid back into the bladder it sorted itself out. The stretch to CP2 took a long time, with some very long segments including a trail along the centre of the 12km Sinjettӓjӓrvi lake – this gave some idea of the scale of the place. By now there was hardly any sign of civilization. I remember hearing a pack of wolves howling in the distance somewhere along the lake. It was good to spread out and get some space between the competitors at last. The more the race progressed, the less and less I saw of other competitors and frequently found myself alone on the trail.

Lake Sinjettӓjӓrvi – 12km of wide open space The first 50km of the trail was quite tough, and had mainly been along frozen lakes with a few short forest sections, one of which was extremely difficult to get through as the trail had not been flattened through the 3 foot deep snow around the trees. Once I had reached check point 3, around 50km, I was starting to settle into the routine and focus on the end-game. Bits of me were starting to tire, other bits were starting to hurt, balanced by the fact that I was enjoying myself. As is always the case on ultra distance events the most significant part of the effort is mental. Getting in the right mental state to complete the event is crucial – this is something I have struggled with in the past, and something I’ve worked on over the years. It’s something that’s hard to describe, but when it works, your mind becomes totally focused on achieving the end result – you actually know you are going to succeed and feel like nothing can stop you – it’s actually quite exhilarating. And this is the only way to deal with the little voices when they start: reminding you what’s hurting; telling you to stop and rest; giving you excuses to quit; reminding you that you’re not even half way yet; making you feel like throwing up every time you eat; reminding you that your digestive system went to sleep hours ago, yet you must eat every 30 minutes; telling your stomach to vomit out the ice-cold water you just drank to keep hydrated. When you’re in the zone you can manage the voices and you’re in charge. From 50km onwards, I felt myself becoming more and more focused on the end game and was enjoying the trail.

Big distances and plenty of time to think I kept finding myself travelling with a couple of Danish guys during the middle sections, as we were both going at a roughly similar pace. We pretty much arrived at all the check points up to CP6 together in the night. At most of the checkpoints we came across other competitors who seemed to be struggling with the cold. A lot of the European competitors had dressed for

something more like a summer alpine race and ultra-technical lightweight kit was proving to be quite a liability to them. They did look the part on the start line though. At some point around midnight, the clouds cleared momentarily, which gave a great view of the northern lights for a few fleeting seconds.

Round the fire at Checkpoint 5 Psychologically, checkpoint 6 was a good place to reach as it was just over half way round the course, and probably at the furthest point from the finish and the highest point in the race. I arrived at around 1:45am. Here there was a hut with a fire in it, so I spent about 20 minutes to get plenty of food and drink inside me before heading out into the cold night again. From CP6 there was a very long stretch to the next checkpoint. It was 2am, I was feeling quite strong and not very tired yet. I got a bit of a boost from passing quite a few people who didn’t want to leave the shelter of CP6, and a couple who pulled out of the race here.

Preparing to leave CP6 at 2am. The trail gradually started to head uphill through some softer snow, which was making it hard work. Every time your foot breaks through the snow you lose the natural spring in your step, wasting loads of energy. I passed a competitor who had stopped to fit snowshoes, and then she came past me. So far I hadn’t thought to use them, so I also put the snow shoes on which really sped me up and I then passed her again. I had been reluctant to use the snow shoes as I thought they would be difficult, but it is actually possible to move at a very good pace wearing them. I had thought about whether I should do the whole event without sleep, or to stop and sleep. The plan I had settled on was to stop and have about an hour’s sleep just before sunrise. My reasoning was that on an event of this duration, the gradual performance loss through not sleeping would cost more time than to stop for an hour. When it got to around 5am, I was feeling quite tired, as is usual on over-night outings. I seemed to walk for ages trying to find a good site to get off the trail for sleep. After realizing that there was nowhere obvious to camp I flattened a patch of snow at the

side of the trail into a bit of a hollow and got in the sleeping bag. It was well cosy and I slept for about 90 minutes. I awoke feeling as if I had had a really good sleep, so quickly got out of the bag and managed to get packed up and on my way in less than 10 minutes. It was very cold when I got out of the bag and took about 30 minutes of fast trekking to build up my body heat again. It was just breaking light and I felt really good for the sleep. Some of the aches and pains that I had before sleeping had now faded a bit, which was good. I had been getting quite a lot of pain in my right hip which I put down to having let the waist harness ride a bit too low so it ended up compressing the tendons across my hip3.

The sled, complete with enough food for 2 weeks! The next stretch to CP7 seemed to take forever. Lots of this leg was along deserted frozen roads. There was plenty of time to contemplate the fatigue and pain. I rather foolishly switched my GPS on to see how far I was from the checkpoint. This proved to be quite demoralising and distracting and I had to give myself a bit of a talking-to at one point. I eventually arrived at CP7 at about 1230, over 10 hours after leaving CP6. There were long stretches of iced roads and beautiful forest trails. The checkpoint was manned by a really friendly old Finnish couple who had a warm fire going and plenty of warm water. As it was lunchtime when I arrived, I decided to treat myself, so I made some strong coffee and cooked a pack of super-noodles – tasted crap but a good stock up on salt and carbohydrates. CP8 was now about 24km away. The trail to CP8 passed through some beautiful forest trails. Eventually, it started to get dark for the second time and I was flagging a bit, so I stopped and grabbed some fruit cake out of the sled, after a few minutes, this really got me stoked up and I was flying, making excellent progress. I eventually re-joined the lake from an ice-road crossing and was at CP8 by around 7pm. All that was left now was to re-trace the first 11km of the route back along the lake to the finish. This was like torture. I was still wearing snow shoes, and my tired feet kept tripping. It must have been a strange spectacle to watch someone making their way along the lake in the dark shouting “b**tard” every couple of minutes. From about 4km out I could see the road bridge, which

3 Four weeks on it still hurts.

stubbornly refused to get closer. As is the need in such situations, I focused my mind on uplifting motivational thoughts. Beer. Finally I staggered to the lakeside where Joy was waiting with a hug and a chilled can of liquid motivation and we plodded to the finish line together, finishing in a time of 36hours 7 minutes. Walking after the race was somewhat comical as I had been walking in snow shoes for the past 3 hours and as a result had built up quite a bit of muscle memory. And it felt real good to finally remove the sled harness after 36 hours. Overall, I finished in 11th place out of 28 runners.

Arrival at Checkpoint 8 - I didn’t stop for a brew. Reflections I was very happy with how the race went, and thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. I did learn a few lessons along the way. • I was pleased I had put some effort into familiarizing with the kit and using it in the cold - you have to be really fast in the cold as soon as you stop moving otherwise you rapidly lose body heat. Know where everything is stored. Make sure it’s all easily accessible. • All items of kit have to be secured to either me or the sled. It’s so easy to drop or lose stuff. I had to backtrack at one point to retrieve my GPS. • Keep food split up in small snack size packs so it’s easy to get at it and eat on the trail. • Sled stops have to be carefully planned and managed as you can’t get into the sled for anything without removing the harness.

• Make sure snow shoe buckles are properly set up before the race to ensure that they don’t rub anywhere. That one cost me two toe nails. • Sled cover needs a zip down the middle so it can be left on with easy access. • Don’t take too much food. I always end up taking too much food. • You can’t beat a beard and two pairs of socks. Inevitably, I have picked up a few aches, pains and injuries. Immediately after the race my lower left leg was swollen and bruised from knee to ankle but it cleared up after about a week. After four weeks, I can almost sleep on my right side without pain in my hip joint. The feeling is slowly returning to the tips of my toes. I remember before the event someone asking me “how do you train to get fit for these events?” and I flippantly replied that the challenge is probably 80% in your head. It turns out to be quite true, with the right mental focus its surprising what you can achieve. What’s next? I’ve nothing planned in the short term, but I will probably run the Maclehose Trail in Hong Kong this autumn as I am planning to go out there to meet up with Joy for a couple of weeks in November. I’ve got the maps ☺.

Most important piece of kit – the beard! If anyone wants some inspiration for these type of events, then I’d recommend that you watch R.J. Sauer’s film “A Thin White Line” https://vimeo.com/84178875 which is a fantastic documentary of the 2001 Iditasport 1,100 mile adventure race in Alaska. “I never had a good enough reason to quit. Quitting because I didn’t like the trail, or I was uncomfortable, or I was tired just isn’t good enough. So that’s how I got here, because I kept on putting one step in front of the other, and if you keep putting one step in front of another, eventually you arrive.” – Andy Heading, Nome 2001.

HPM report – Steve Sanders

Sunday 1st march 2015 and I'm sore, very sore. It's almost 24 hours since I finished the high peak marathon, a race that it looked highly unlikely I'd even be on the start line for six weeks ago. This is my account of the race and the build up to it but it’s also about a great team and club. I joined Penistone Footpath Runners as a boy about 30 years ago (there was no &AC then). I had a good few years away from running but when I decided to start up again about 6 years ago, Penistone was the only choice I considered. I've always enjoyed fell running more than anything else and when Ian Charlesworth started talking about getting a team together for this year's HPM then I wanted in! I knew it was long (42 miles, 6000ft), I knew it would be hard but I knew I wanted to do it. So the entry went in last november and in early december the email we were waiting for came - we were in. Right, time to start serious training and recces. The team was to be Ian, Steve Stead, James Pierce and myself. My first recce was a birthday treat - I'd booked the day off work and Ian and I set off from cutthroat bridge to cut gate for a leisurely run. I was ill over Christmas so missed out on some training but was ready for a bit more time out by the beginning of January. I joined the lads for a run from cutthroat bridge to snake top but decided beforehand that I would only go halfway before dropping back down to Langsett where I'd left my car. Next weekend was the trigger race where we'd all entered and there was an air of friendly rivalry. I had a nightmare, Ian was strong to the finish and showed the rest of us how to go on! Fast forward a week and disaster struck...18 miles into a good training run I fell and felt an excruciating pain in my left calf. I hoped it was just cramp but it was clear straight away that it was much more serious. The other three guys were really concerned and mountain rescue was mentioned a couple of times but I hobbled back to the car, helped by my teammates. A visit to Jeff Cole the following tuesday confirmed my worst fears - a torn calf and a 50/50 chance of recovering in time for the HPM (Jeff told me on the day before the race that he actually thought I'd got next to no chance of recovering in time) Training continued without me although the snow meant that no recces could be completed. Then three weeks after my injury came the news I was waiting for - I could start running again, only for 5 to 10 minutes to test the calf out but it was good to get back out. By the end of the week I'd managed a seven mile run and felt ready to go off-road again. The following week I ran six days covering sixty miles, half of it on the fells completing more recces with the team. I was ready! A week of few miles followed, resting up for the big night and finally friday evening came. We got to Edale just before 10pm, registered and had our kit checked. Not much to do now but sit and wait for our start time of 23.36. And so to the race... We set off well and could see the headtorches of the trail of teams in front of us climbing up to . We made good progress up there and caught our first team between Hollins Cross and - team pot noodle. We exchanged a few words of encouragement with Brent and Anne and then moved along, so far so good. We continued to overtake teams down to Hope and then the climb to win hill was upon us. Disaster again for me, I just had nothing in my legs for the climb. Steve took my bag for the duration of the climb and I plodded on slowly, the others waiting for me. As the trail flattened out a little we started jogging but I knew I wasn't right. How could this be happening barely 4 miles in? I managed to stay more with the pace as we ran over to Moscar (after walking most of the road section up from Bamford) but struggled again as soon as we started climbing. All I could think was how much I was letting the team down, the team that had shown faith in me and waited for me to recover from my injury. The miles came and went slowly and the wind was howling as we started to climb up to Howden Edge, I was having a lot of discomfort with the wind drying my left eye and it actually blew my contact lens out at around 17 miles in - great, another 26 miles to go and only one good eye! Ian spoke to me on Howden Edge and said we needed to have a serious think about whether I was fit to continue after cut gate. I knew he was right but didn't want to accept it. I redoubled my efforts and ran as fast as I could to keep up with the others. Cut gate checkpoint came and then it was the slog over outer edge to swains head, trying to avoid the bog monster. This is where conditions really started to get bad, visibility was poor and the rain had started - the next 5 miles were at walking pace for us and all the teams around us. This was a bit of a blessing for me, at least it meant I could keep up. The next section was

climbing up onto Bleaklow, I was still way below par and holding the rest of the team up but James developed a dodgy tummy which slowed him terribly too. We were hanging on to the back of Ian and Steve who were doing all the navigating - I'm ashamed to say that I didn't look at my map or compass once. By the time we'd left Wainstones we were all getting pretty cold, Steve and Ian just weren't having to put enough effort in to generate the heat to keep themselves warm. We found a sheltered spot and added more layers, my tops were wet through so I made a complete change - 2 dry tops and my spare coat on. It took so long for me to change though that I really cooled down and couldn't stop shivering. The tent at Snake Top was a welcome sight and I'm sure we all thought this was the end of our race. 2 cups of warm tea, a sandwich and some great support from Mark Pearce, Sarah Jones-Morris and Chris Charlesworth and we made the decision to continue. I was so grateful to the lads for letting me continue when they knew how slow the final 12 miles or so would be. Mark and Sarah were both supposed to be running with Brent and Anne in team pot noodle but had been forced to pull out through injury. It was great to see them and Chris turning out to support so early in the morning. James and I were definitely holding things up so we set the pace with Ian and Steve encouraging us on. Once we'd got onto kinder I knew the worst of the climbing was over and I started to settle into my run/walk. We weren't quick but we were moving and we were going to finish! Over brown knoll and onto , where we had to rouse the students manning the checkpoint from their tent, and we were on the home straight. Down to and skirt round the side before a little climb back towards hollins cross then downhill all the way to Edale. We picked up the pace a little in the final couple of miles (hoping to make it back before mid-day) but at this point it wasn't about a time - that opportunity had long gone. The only thing now was to get to Edale as a team, as we'd started 12+ hours ago and how we originally set out 3 months ago. The encouragement, support and good wishes I had from everyone within the club during my rehab was fantastic. Jeff Cole did a brilliant job to get me back on my feet but when it looked like I might not be able to start Robin Clough was ready to step in to take my place and ensure that we still had a team. Disappointed as they were that they couldn't compete for their team, Mark Pearce and Sarah Jones-Morris turned up on a freezing early saturday morning to provide encouragement and Chris Charlesworth must just be mad to have joined them. Nicky Spinks, totally recovered from her race by the time we finished, brought us all a cup of tea out when we finished and there have been plenty of congratulations since we got back. It’s good to be part of such a great running club!

The Community run Leisure Centre at Stockbridge It’s now more than two years since Sheffield City Council announced it was going to stop funding Stocksbridge Leisure Centre, Just months after the Olympics in London had filled out hearts with the promise of a sporting legacy. The summer had made us all realise just how important our sport can be in uniting countries and communities. How important it is to both our physical and mental wellbeing. The Sports centre at Stocksbridge had played an important part in my life. I’d learnt to swim there after it opened in the early 1970’s. School holidays were spent at the activity days they organised we had football tournaments and all manner of team challenges. I remember roller skating sessions on Saturday morning where we raced round the sports hall at high speed dodging the fallers and playing tig with whoever was on. I’d played football and squash in my teens, badminton, table tennis and even some bowls. My sisters too did their gymnastics, I remember going to London for a competition after they’d won their regional heats. Two of my sisters and my mum had worked there in the past. In the 1990’s my two children Stephen and Molly learnt to swim at Stocksbridge I remember both taking their first strokes, being proud and loving the confidence they had gained from the skill they’d acquired. For four decades plus the Centre had been the hub of the Community. Some of the money to build the centre had been raised by the community back in the 70’s, how could the Council close it without looking at the impact that

would have, close it but still take our council tax. What about future generations not learning to swim, the message it sent when we keep getting told that exercise is the best way to improve and maintain our health and stop us being a burden on the National Health. A group called 4SLC was formed to fight the closure. Although around 600 people turned up to protest in the snow in January 2013 by April the group was about 60 strong. We organised events to raise Money, two of our members swam the Don from Thurgoland to Deepcar in the depths of that winter. We organised race nights, auctions, bag filling and collections. We lobbied MPs, protested outside the council and prepared a case for a judicial review. Whilst all the legal battle lines were being drawn the group had also prepared a business plan, a way perhaps to run the centre by the community for community. I organised a questionnaire and with the help of our volunteers we distributed it to all 5,000 houses in Stocksbridge and Deepcar, then collated the 600 returns. We wanted to know what the people wanted from the centre, what impact it’s closure would have, something the council had not considered, to them it was all about footfall and bottom lines, to hell with the long term impact. One of the important results of the survey was that we built up a database of people who would be the customer base if we ever reopened. Over 200 people said they were prepared to volunteer and help to get the Centre reopened. For the centre to reopen the volunteers would provide the key resource in making the centre sustainable. After the legal battle 4SLC Trust was handed the keys to the Centre as Autumn approached in 2013. The volunteers spent September refurbishing the dry side after which we opened to organised groups that could self supervise whilst we prepared to open to the public in Jan 2014. Leading up to that a handful of full time staff were recruited. We devised a membership scheme and branded them ‘Your Gym’ and ‘Your leisure’, the recursive income would be essential in providing income throughout the year. The schemes have been well supported and in 12 months we have over 400 Gym members and 100 Your leisure members who get 40% discount for just a £36 annual membership. So many things needed sorting, fire regs, legionella checks, Health and Safety, insurance, grants to apply for, systems to run our admissions, bookings and membership, volunteers to organise, a web site to publicise the business. A lease had to be negotiated with the Council. Forms for this and forms for that, advertising and all the ways to raise money to keep us a float and raise the cash we need to open the pools. One of the great things about 4SLC are the collective skills the group have used to get where we are. If something is needed we seem to always find a way getting what is required. So many people have given their time and skills or money to get us to where we are. It’s not always been easy and many obstacles have been overcome to get us to where we are. On February 16th the small pool reopened for business. A biomass boiler has been installed to make the pool more energy efficient. The big pool remains a longer term objective, another bigger boiler will be needed at a cost of around £120k to buy and install. Our sponsored plaques in the corridor have raised the money to allow the small pool to be opened. So if anyone would like a plaque with their name on and help us raise the fund we need then please let me know. If any businesses want to help us with sponsorship then please let me know and we can discuss how you can help to keep the sports centre open for the community and the generations to come. The following link has details of activities available at the Centre so please try and support it and keep the facilities we have for ours and future generations. http://www.stocksbridgeclc.co.uk/

Ian Wragg Director 4SLC trust [email protected]

Walk to run

On Saturday morning the 18th April we started a course of 10 week Walk to Run sessions to try and get local residents into running and getting fit.

The sessions are aimed at complete beginners or anyone with limited experience or who wants to get into running. During the course, we aim to build their fitness up from a gentle walk/run session to achieve a 30 minute non-stop run by the end of the 10 weeks.

Keith Gordon is leading the sessions and any Member who wants to help will be welcome to come along. The sessions should last no more than 1 hour.

If you are interested in coming along, we will be meeting at 11.00 am in the car park behind Tesco.

Upcoming events

Message from your Social Secretary Janet Proctor.

We are organising an evening run/social on Thursday 23rd July. There will be different run options to cater for all abilities, plus non running partners will be welcome, as we can organise a walk as well.

A coach has been provisionally booked, and transport costs will be £5 per person. This will depart from the football club at 6pm, and drop off runners as follows -

Option 1 for faster runners - organised by Steve Dickinson. Drop off at Flouch and run over to Fairholmes, Ladybower. This will be very hilly, off road, approx. 12 miles to cover in 2 hours, so anyone taking part must be able to complete the run in this time.

Option 2 organised by Sue Higham/Ian Wragg, will be a shorter, steadier run from Cutthroat Bridge on the A57 to Fairholmes.

I can also organise a walk around the Ladybower area.

The coach will then take us to the Yorkshire Bridge Inn nearby, for an evening meal, after which the coach will bring us back to Penistone.

We just need an idea of numbers at the moment, to confirm the coach booking, so if you are interested in coming along, please let me know. More details will then be sent out nearer the time.

Many Thanks Janet Proctor [email protected]

6.30 for 6.45 start - Back at Pub at 8.15

6.2 miles - 133 metres elevation

Directions Sat Nav WF2 0RZ

Otherwise: Junction 40

M1. Turn off L towards Dewsbury.

Immediately turn off L and at top of slip road

turn R. Cross over dual

carriageway and as road bends round to re-join

dual carriageway turn R onto Park Mill Lane.

Stay on this road to T-

junction. Turn L and Star Inn is about ½ mile on

R.

Drinks and snacks in

Star Inn afterwards. Let Keith know in advance if you want food. Approx cost £2.

Upcoming races

Tuesday 02 June 2015 at 7:30pm

HANDSWORTH HOBBLE (Permit No: 2015-14687)

Off Road Trail Race Registration at: Cross Keys - Handsworth from 6:30pm – S13 9BZ

7:30pm Start (entries on the night only)

Attached Runners £3.00 / Unattached £5.00

5.25 Miles Undulating - fields and woods

Organised by Handsworth Roadhogs

The Wet Fox Trot Run – Kayak – Run - 4k-2k-4k (approx.) Weds 24th Jun 2015 Entry Fee £17 - Entry on Day £18.50 (Incl equipment hire) Start times in 4 waves 6.10pm 6.30pm. 6.50pm. 7.10pm Prizes – 1st Male, 1st Female

Race limit 100 competitors (Adult race 14yrs+) Junior race – 2k Kayak + 4k Run @ 6pm 10-16yrs - £10. Race limit 16 only

Enter Online at https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=1927

Start/finish - Underbank Activity Centre, Oaks Lane, Stocksbridge, Sheffield, S36 4GH Discount lessons/refreshers available before race-day from Peak Pursuits Please call Matt Collins on 01226 370509 for more details www.peakpursuits.co.uk Refreshments/shower/toilets/parking available All enquiries to [email protected] Further details at www.foxvalleyevents.net

Last but not least – a request from your club

Penistone 10k

We still require more Marshalls on the course and helpers at the finish for the Penistone 10K Road Race on the 28th June, 11.00 start.

If you are not running and want to help, please e-mail Ian Charlesworth icharlesworth@pfrac- juniors.fsnet.co.uk or myself to say you can help.

We need as much support as possible to ensure the race goes as smoothly as possible.