We don’t make a huge song and dance about stuff at Dockray, but thanks to you all for running. I think everyone had fun, and I thank you for enjoying your race.
There was some impressive performances amongst you, especially the more ‘mature runners.’ Age is just a number, which we don’t dwell on, and having no prizes age is irrelevant, but Dave Tait from DPFR had a storming run as did Patric Gilchrist in the older age group. There was a great mix of people form all over the country; Dave from DPFR and Peter Hague from the Cairngorm Club. Local lass Karen Bridge-Heaviside did not get lost, despite her fears, impending middle-age and post-London recovery, and lack of downhill running ability, was a clear female winner. Well done Karen.
There is loads of route choice at Dockray, and many stories of poor lines. Indeed, the first two runners were seen racing at 90 degrees from the optimum line from the final summit. Or was it Eden Runners out for a jolly social run? I doubt it at that speed! Quite a few new young faces at the front with Kim Collinson guiding the top runners around for third place, whilst Chris Waters and Chris Newman appeared to out sprint him on the long final descent.
Seriously, well done for everyone for venturing out and taking on Dockray-Hartside; it is not an easy race and takes you into some tough highly exposed terrain. You’ll appreciate your fell racing kit next time when the greyness turns to dank wetness – a wind/waterproof jacket should be the minimum for any race or run in such terrain, regardless of race rules.
Very, seriously, well done to anyone who thought, ‘Bloody hell that was rough, but I survived!’ This is fell running. And everyone seems to appreciate our ‘£1 no frills’ entry fee.
Big thanks to Tricia, Alan and Ken and also to Sian, Judith and Larry, without whom I wouldn’t be doing this anyway. It was Larry and Judith, along with Barry and Brenda Thompson (ex-Landlord of The Royal) who instigated all the ‘Dockray Races over twenty-five years ago. Now we only have the one race, but I’d love to stage more if we had the resources to do it.
Results here soon, (hopefully!)
Joe
Friday, 7 May 2010
Monday, 26 April 2010
Plan-B .... The Great Heb B2B Adventure - Game On!
Well, a small part of me feels mightily relieved. Another, bigger part feels that I have been hiding a few truths from friends, for which I feel bad, but the majority of me is looking firmly ahead to The Great Heb B2B Adventure.
If you have no idea to what I am referring then you need to know that The Hebridean Challenge has been officially cancelled for 2010, but I will be hosting an informal 'Mates Race' based on the format of the original race but it will be free, fun and quite a bit flexible. This is your race if you want to get involved. I have done quite a lot of work on a 'Heb-Highlights' route and it's looking great; there is something for everyone. Primarily, it will be a journey by bike and on foot, open to anyone who wants to do any or all of it. I'm really hoping that The Heb Paddlers will get together to paddle the two kayak crossings, and maybe some more.
'Jumpers for Goal Posts' it may seem, but I'm convinced that a group of us will enjoy the adventure although we can not officially call it a race. Some of the detail is still to be decided; indeed in is a bit of a work in progress, but the basis of it is a human powered journey from Barra to The Butt of Lewis open to anyone, in any combination of team, pair or solo, and during the original race week. I will be co-ordinating a route card as well as suggesting overnight locations, etc. but all expense will be meet by yourself
Full details will emerge in due course - on my website rather than the Heb website, as for many reasons we need to keep the two things separate.
Finally, this won't be a damp squib - it has the potential to be awesome - it will be an adventure. Please come and join in if you care about The Heb, it's future and the future of AR in wild wilderness locations. Or you just what to run, ride and party.
Contact me direct - if you want to be part of The Adventure.
faulknerjoe@hotmail.com
If you have no idea to what I am referring then you need to know that The Hebridean Challenge has been officially cancelled for 2010, but I will be hosting an informal 'Mates Race' based on the format of the original race but it will be free, fun and quite a bit flexible. This is your race if you want to get involved. I have done quite a lot of work on a 'Heb-Highlights' route and it's looking great; there is something for everyone. Primarily, it will be a journey by bike and on foot, open to anyone who wants to do any or all of it. I'm really hoping that The Heb Paddlers will get together to paddle the two kayak crossings, and maybe some more.
'Jumpers for Goal Posts' it may seem, but I'm convinced that a group of us will enjoy the adventure although we can not officially call it a race. Some of the detail is still to be decided; indeed in is a bit of a work in progress, but the basis of it is a human powered journey from Barra to The Butt of Lewis open to anyone, in any combination of team, pair or solo, and during the original race week. I will be co-ordinating a route card as well as suggesting overnight locations, etc. but all expense will be meet by yourself
Full details will emerge in due course - on my website rather than the Heb website, as for many reasons we need to keep the two things separate.
Finally, this won't be a damp squib - it has the potential to be awesome - it will be an adventure. Please come and join in if you care about The Heb, it's future and the future of AR in wild wilderness locations. Or you just what to run, ride and party.
Contact me direct - if you want to be part of The Adventure.
faulknerjoe@hotmail.com
Sunday, 11 April 2010
More or Less
I've just returned from a week in The Outer Hebrides, which seems a very long time when you come back to planet Cumbria.
Our trip was primarily a recce trip for the forthcoming Hebridean Challenge, and there are some very interesting developments that I shall be revealing very shortly.
Suffice to say, that this year's Heb will be a little different and should not be missed!
More info very soon!
Our trip was primarily a recce trip for the forthcoming Hebridean Challenge, and there are some very interesting developments that I shall be revealing very shortly.
Suffice to say, that this year's Heb will be a little different and should not be missed!
More info very soon!
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
What No News - 'Less is More'
No blog updates for a while as I haven't really had much to comment upon.
It's been a weird winter here. One of the upsides of the prolonged snow and ice is that I started walking everywhere. And I've enjoyed it. I've done a few events recently, namely the South Shropshire Circular and High Peak Marathon enjoying both events tremendously. The first is a regular yearly outing conssiting of 25mile walk/run. It's a solo event but I matched up with Rick and Simon, old buddies who are usually fitter and faster than me, and was impressed that I stayed with them. (Although I think they wished I quit my AR ranting sooner) Perhaps it was the need to finish promptly and get to the pub to see England v. Ireland.
The High Peak Marathon is a team of four event run overnight around 40miles of the finest moors of Derbyshire. I was a bit apprehensive as I hadn't done it for seventeen years, and I was joining three new team-mates that I hadn't run with before. But we had a great time. Ross's route finding was very sound, Max seems very strong and steady bringing up the rear and Amanda just seemed to skip over the tough terrain. We choose good lines in the snow, and paced the whole event very well.
Both of these events are single discipline, and of long standing exsistence; 28 or 40odd years respectively. Both events are tremendously popular (my original team didn't get a place in the HPM) Why did I enjoy them so much? Another event I did was a local three hour Trail Quest around Ireby, near Bassenthwaite. For princely sum of just £7 I enjoyed trails that I hadn't raced before, and then cycled home via Skiddaw House, a classic ride through the Northern Lakekand Fells. A true adventure.
Throughout the past few months I have had a re-occurring though that 'Less is More'
Some of you may have seen my posting on www.sleepmonsters.com in response to Tom Gibb's Thread, 'What No Races' (or something similar) Tom, quite rightly gave us all a kick to examine why were are losing AR races from our calendar. My posting was very much about enjoying what we have and not needing 'new and exciting challenges' I don't belive we need such things as abseiling and ropes in AR, which is appearing to be something quite different to what I would call 'Mountain Multi-sport'.
Tom also quoted The Hebridean Challenge as one of the UK's great races, and I've been working hard to make it happen this summer. There is still a lot of planning to do and I'm looking forward to being there at Easter to flesh out the route and race logistics. Sadly, I feel our event is being overshadowed by other more 'sexy' events with marketing budgets, 'event partners' and impressive web sites and well marketed packages and add-ons. Basically we are being sold pre-packaging Adventure and it isn't coming cheap.
Sometimes Less is More...
It's been a weird winter here. One of the upsides of the prolonged snow and ice is that I started walking everywhere. And I've enjoyed it. I've done a few events recently, namely the South Shropshire Circular and High Peak Marathon enjoying both events tremendously. The first is a regular yearly outing conssiting of 25mile walk/run. It's a solo event but I matched up with Rick and Simon, old buddies who are usually fitter and faster than me, and was impressed that I stayed with them. (Although I think they wished I quit my AR ranting sooner) Perhaps it was the need to finish promptly and get to the pub to see England v. Ireland.
The High Peak Marathon is a team of four event run overnight around 40miles of the finest moors of Derbyshire. I was a bit apprehensive as I hadn't done it for seventeen years, and I was joining three new team-mates that I hadn't run with before. But we had a great time. Ross's route finding was very sound, Max seems very strong and steady bringing up the rear and Amanda just seemed to skip over the tough terrain. We choose good lines in the snow, and paced the whole event very well.
Both of these events are single discipline, and of long standing exsistence; 28 or 40odd years respectively. Both events are tremendously popular (my original team didn't get a place in the HPM) Why did I enjoy them so much? Another event I did was a local three hour Trail Quest around Ireby, near Bassenthwaite. For princely sum of just £7 I enjoyed trails that I hadn't raced before, and then cycled home via Skiddaw House, a classic ride through the Northern Lakekand Fells. A true adventure.
Throughout the past few months I have had a re-occurring though that 'Less is More'
Some of you may have seen my posting on www.sleepmonsters.com in response to Tom Gibb's Thread, 'What No Races' (or something similar) Tom, quite rightly gave us all a kick to examine why were are losing AR races from our calendar. My posting was very much about enjoying what we have and not needing 'new and exciting challenges' I don't belive we need such things as abseiling and ropes in AR, which is appearing to be something quite different to what I would call 'Mountain Multi-sport'.
Tom also quoted The Hebridean Challenge as one of the UK's great races, and I've been working hard to make it happen this summer. There is still a lot of planning to do and I'm looking forward to being there at Easter to flesh out the route and race logistics. Sadly, I feel our event is being overshadowed by other more 'sexy' events with marketing budgets, 'event partners' and impressive web sites and well marketed packages and add-ons. Basically we are being sold pre-packaging Adventure and it isn't coming cheap.
Sometimes Less is More...
Sunday, 3 January 2010
High Pike New Year Hi...
After considerable effort through iced roads and knee deep powder snow, our intrepid team of ten made it to the top of High Pike.... and then quite rightly declared that conditions were far from perfect for any more Old Crown Round peaks.
Sadly, we had to retired happily to Hudscales and The Old Crown for excellent food and drink, but we will be back.....in better conditions.
Well done team ... to those who couldn't get there, we'll try again later in the Spring.
Joe
Ps - Only just got Broadband back after a ten day 'holiday'
Sadly, we had to retired happily to Hudscales and The Old Crown for excellent food and drink, but we will be back.....in better conditions.
Well done team ... to those who couldn't get there, we'll try again later in the Spring.
Joe
Ps - Only just got Broadband back after a ten day 'holiday'
Monday, 21 December 2009
The Van is Sold. Bored. And fed up. Some News.
It's snowing, again, here and we have about six inches of snow in the lane which prevents us from getting out and about. Even if we could I have a nagging sore throat and a blocked nose. OMG (OMG!) this has become one of 'those' blogs....! Eek.
So, 'News:'
The van sold really quickly, once I had mastered uploading to Autotrader and ironically to an old friend who I hadn't seen for some while, but who lives just five miles away. Many thanks to all those who expressed an interest, good to talk to all the VW and Kombi people, and to Pete for buying it without any hazzle. I think he's got a bargain and know it will be put to good use by his family clan. However, it does mean I have to think about getting something else now.....
I was thinking of going green and biking everywhere in a lifestyle change, but I came off the bike on the ice last Friday and just don't think it is do-able every day. Perhaps, I need someone like Simon Gershon to tell me otherwise. But, I am looking forward to not driving all over the country with a van load of 'toys' and then faffing about with them for ages in the general name of 'adventure'.
Seasonal Cheer. :(
I'm not a huge fan of this time of year; it always seems to be one of frustration and impending tedium. The weather doesn't help, with very unpredictable conditions for any sport. 'No such thing as bad weather ....just inappropriate clothing' and in extreme cases, 'poor choice of activity'. Therefore, I'm confined the house, due to ill health, hence this blog posting. I'd be less grumpy if I hadn't been making an effort to get out runing recently; I even did hill reps last night, and haven't had a proper drink for nine days. Five more to go.
No doubt the snow will go at some point, and the media will find something else to report on. This has made me laugh - BBC local news has just report on 'Some People Ignoring Road Closures' by interviewing two, obviously, very experienced well equipped and determined C2C cyclists attempting Hartside, in order to get to their B&B in Alston. Yay, see the bigger picture; they are doing nothing wrong, unlike the hoardes turning up at St.Pancreas expecting to Eurostar-it to Paris. Attempting was the key word there, the male cyclist actually said they'd give it a go and may turn back and 'stay in that pub over there' Dear BBC, Cumbria is open for business .... would you prefer a family in a 4x4, whinging about things being a little disrupted? And then getting stuck with no food and drink and only a playstation to eat? A bike is a lot less dangerous, and less of a liability, than a vehicle.
Oh no, now it's turning into one of those 'other' blogs!
NAV4 Social Gathering
Coming up, on 2nd/3rd January, we have the now traditional NAV4 Old Crown Round/ Hudscales Camping Barn weekend. This comprises of a fell 'run' around the OCR on Saturday, followed by a meal and OCR beers in The Old Crown and a cosy night in the camping barn. And then MTB/run options for Sunday. There is about 12-15 people potentially in the mix and if you've missed out on your invite please speak up!
I wonder what the weather will do....
So, let's be positive - 'tis the season of good cheer, and I've several days of biking and snow shuffling, and good eating to do first.
Finally, looking way ahead, I've booked to do a charity bike ride from London to Paris next July. It's a two person relay in just 24 hours! Check out www.london2paris24.com and www.virginmoneygiving.com/kathandjoe for more info. Any sponsorship or support of any kind will be greatly appreciated. Many of you will know I'm not a big fan of such 'charity' things, but this one just had to be done! Ideally, I'd like to go huge with it and make more money for Shelterbox, in addition to what we need for Scope. The ride is very interesting as an endurance challenge and will be a great post- Hebridean Challenge wind down. All my Christmas budget will be donated to this charity so don't expect a Christmas card!
Many thanks... see you on the other side.
Grumpster x
It's Christmas (or is it?)
Don't send chocolate - donate at www.virginmoneygiving.com/kathandjoe
This blog posting was sponsored by Boredom.
No 'Nightnurse' or other drugs where involved. Honest.
So, 'News:'
The van sold really quickly, once I had mastered uploading to Autotrader and ironically to an old friend who I hadn't seen for some while, but who lives just five miles away. Many thanks to all those who expressed an interest, good to talk to all the VW and Kombi people, and to Pete for buying it without any hazzle. I think he's got a bargain and know it will be put to good use by his family clan. However, it does mean I have to think about getting something else now.....
I was thinking of going green and biking everywhere in a lifestyle change, but I came off the bike on the ice last Friday and just don't think it is do-able every day. Perhaps, I need someone like Simon Gershon to tell me otherwise. But, I am looking forward to not driving all over the country with a van load of 'toys' and then faffing about with them for ages in the general name of 'adventure'.
Seasonal Cheer. :(
I'm not a huge fan of this time of year; it always seems to be one of frustration and impending tedium. The weather doesn't help, with very unpredictable conditions for any sport. 'No such thing as bad weather ....just inappropriate clothing' and in extreme cases, 'poor choice of activity'. Therefore, I'm confined the house, due to ill health, hence this blog posting. I'd be less grumpy if I hadn't been making an effort to get out runing recently; I even did hill reps last night, and haven't had a proper drink for nine days. Five more to go.
No doubt the snow will go at some point, and the media will find something else to report on. This has made me laugh - BBC local news has just report on 'Some People Ignoring Road Closures' by interviewing two, obviously, very experienced well equipped and determined C2C cyclists attempting Hartside, in order to get to their B&B in Alston. Yay, see the bigger picture; they are doing nothing wrong, unlike the hoardes turning up at St.Pancreas expecting to Eurostar-it to Paris. Attempting was the key word there, the male cyclist actually said they'd give it a go and may turn back and 'stay in that pub over there' Dear BBC, Cumbria is open for business .... would you prefer a family in a 4x4, whinging about things being a little disrupted? And then getting stuck with no food and drink and only a playstation to eat? A bike is a lot less dangerous, and less of a liability, than a vehicle.
Oh no, now it's turning into one of those 'other' blogs!
NAV4 Social Gathering
Coming up, on 2nd/3rd January, we have the now traditional NAV4 Old Crown Round/ Hudscales Camping Barn weekend. This comprises of a fell 'run' around the OCR on Saturday, followed by a meal and OCR beers in The Old Crown and a cosy night in the camping barn. And then MTB/run options for Sunday. There is about 12-15 people potentially in the mix and if you've missed out on your invite please speak up!
I wonder what the weather will do....
So, let's be positive - 'tis the season of good cheer, and I've several days of biking and snow shuffling, and good eating to do first.
Finally, looking way ahead, I've booked to do a charity bike ride from London to Paris next July. It's a two person relay in just 24 hours! Check out www.london2paris24.com and www.virginmoneygiving.com/kathandjoe for more info. Any sponsorship or support of any kind will be greatly appreciated. Many of you will know I'm not a big fan of such 'charity' things, but this one just had to be done! Ideally, I'd like to go huge with it and make more money for Shelterbox, in addition to what we need for Scope. The ride is very interesting as an endurance challenge and will be a great post- Hebridean Challenge wind down. All my Christmas budget will be donated to this charity so don't expect a Christmas card!
Many thanks... see you on the other side.
Grumpster x
It's Christmas (or is it?)
Don't send chocolate - donate at www.virginmoneygiving.com/kathandjoe
This blog posting was sponsored by Boredom.
No 'Nightnurse' or other drugs where involved. Honest.
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