Scenery: 9 - Great views of sea and surrounding fells.

(Looking towards Morecambe Bay)

PB potential: N/A

Atmosphere: 8 – Good crowds as usual

Organisation: 10 – Magnificent. The entire course was flagged! A different organiser organises each race – “organised by runners for runners”. Results published Wednesday.

Value: 10 – Seniors £2.50, Juniors £1.

Beginner Friendly: 10 – Every standard is catered for. There’s Under 12s, U14s, U17s and seniors and the next race doesn’t start until the last runner is in. Normal trainers would have sufficed today.

Do it again: An emphatic yes! It’s a 130 mile round trip, but I loved it despite going over near the finish! I love the Lakes and especially running and the fells. Never want to come home!

On Saturday, I picked up a South Lakes map from Bispham Library. The alarm went off as I left, as it hadn’t been scanned properly. I must have one somewhere, but couldn’t find it. Saved meself £8?

I should have had my son Levon Saturday night, but I was going to see Van Morrison, so I dropped him off at his grandparents and picked him up 9:30 Sunday morning. We were both going to run, (Levon was going to christen his brand new £40 Walsh’s). I told him to just enjoy it. I didn’t want to put any pressure on him!

On the way up, we stopped for the obligatory oil top up and Levon bought some coke and choc chips, (his breakfast!). Levon promptly fell asleep for the remainder of the journey. Saw Gary Pendlebury and Trevor Rayner on a training run – both looking none the worse for their great runs yesterday at Leeds Northern Cross Country. (Wesham were the 1^st Lancashire team with their highest ever placing).

I headed for Ulverston, then the next village, Bardsea. I came to a junction and pondered over my OS map. John Keohane’s navigation course wasn’t kicking in. Just as I was trying to place the church on my left and the golf course I had just come past, a campervan came past covered in Karrimor stickers – so I did a hand-break turn and followed the camper Van-Morrison. Woops still in that vein…and followed it. It led onto open, beautiful moorland – definitely the right place.

Birkrigg Common has a history of prehistoric occupation evidenced by a mysterious Druids Circle…..a concentric ring of stones dating from megalithic times.

We had to enter the race at a Ford Galaxy – juniors’ drivers’ side and seniors - passenger side. I got rid of all the shrapnel Michaela left me with last night. The organiser never checked it, just took my word for it - it was the right money!

We played football for the next 45 minutes! Levon in goals and other passing by runners offering advice and saying how much better Levon was than Scot Carson.

A dog cocked his leg to pee on our makeshift goalposts. I shot……missed…..and hit the owner in the back!!! Just to the right of our “pitch”, there were two seagull wings, but all that was left of the rest of it was a few feathers! Presume a fox had caught it unawares.

At the last winter league fixture I was cursing because the seniors didn’t set off till maybe 1:20 and we were hanging round for 35 minutes in the freezing cold, but once I set off, I loved it!

For this fixture, you could park on the green and the area was a hive of activity – children playing with kites, a couple of lads tossing a rugby ball about and Levon and I re-enacting Blackpool 3 – Burnley 0

Levon’s race kicked off at 12 and there were thirty six kids. It was Levon’s Fell Race debut and he was wearing his brand new Walsh’s. I said I’d run with him. I couldn’t keep up with him at first……till we got to the hill and I managed to catch him! He walked a bit and ran a bit and was huffing and puffing and getting redder and redder. I could see the ‘trig point’ and it flattened out a bit. I tried to spur Levon on, but didn’t want to put any pressure on him. I wasn’t worried if he came last! He turned round at the trig and headed home, but didn’t seem to speed up that much on the (easy) down. I told him to try to overtake the girl in front and he did. Then a burst of speed to the finish for the last (flat) 50 metres or so.

I thought he had done really well and we had another kick around whilst the U14s and U17s were running. Another boy joined in and I left them both for a quick warm-up.

There were perhaps eighty in my race and we had to walk between to officials to check we were all there. I set off and slowly started picking runners off. We hit the ‘trig point’ and carried on down the other side towards the dreaded tarmac. I was still managing to overtake a few and then we started climbing back up towards the trig point again. Although I hadn’t done the race before, I had guessed there wasn’t long to go. I managed to hold my position and went “hell for leather” down an easy grassy slope towards the finish. A marshal to my right was stopping the traffic and out of the corner of my eye I saw a small group of Kendal girls (U17s?) when all of a sudden one of them seemed to drop a small ball and instead of leaving it, she turned round right into my path to get the ball. I was desperately trying to catch the guy in front and I couldn’t avoid her. I went flying and over into the tarmac. (I’m still getting over a broken finger and I have a soft bone in my right forearm I have already broken twice!). She shouted “sorry”. I didn’t reply. I was seething – how could she have been so stupid, especially as she must have just run down the same slope herself? I was grazed, but I picked myself up. The guy in front was now uncatchable. I ran the last 50 metres into the finish. It’s only five weeks since I broke my finger. I wasn’t sure if I was bleeding – Levon’s newfound friend confirmed I had just grazes. I finished in 22:59.

I sought out the only other local runner, George James (29:05) (V60), hoping to get some sympathy, but he sent me away with a flea in my ear! “Well it is a public right of way, Martin!”

I thought I needed a pint, so we headed off for The Old Farmhouse - real ales - (Old Rosie scrumpy, Black Sheep and Adams), and a real fire! The pub dog, (a chocolate Labrador), immediately attached herself to Levon. We ordered some food and watched MUFC v Spurs on the big screen. As soon as my garlic bread arrived, Levon snaffled it! He made a good effort on his cheeseburger, mash and beans, but left a bit. The attentive waitress took our plates away and asked if we wanted anything else and Levon said, “Yes please, a bag of quavers!”

We had a couple of games of pool and asked for the bill – it was at this point Levon spotted a Preston North End plaque and then I spotted a road sign “Deepdale Road”. I don’t believe it!! I’ve just spent £16 in a Preston Pub!

I had planned on going to the South Lakes Zoo, but it was now getting on for 3:30 and it shut at 4:30, so I insulted the landlord and set off back home.

Pictures of junior race: http://www.helmhillharriers.co.uk/gallery/Album31.htm

1^st Man Mark Addison (Helm Hill) 18:21

1^st Lady Hazel Robinson (U/a) 21:57

29^th Martin Bates 23:10 (3^rd V50)

1^st U12 Ben Johnstone (Wharfedale) 5:04

31^st Levon Bates – no time available

Remaining fixtures:-

3^rd Feb – Fairmile, Howgill, Sedbergh

10^th Feb – Helm Hill, Oxenholme, Kendal

17^th Feb – Barbondale, Barbon to Dent Road

24^th Feb – Cautley Spout, Sedbergh

2^nd Mar – Fell End Clouds, Between Sedbergh and Kirkby Stephen

9^th Mar – Austwick, Austwick Village

16^th Mar – Elterwater Common, Langdale

30^th Mar – Arant Haw, Auction Mart, Sedbergh

Written by: Martin Bates

Submitted: 28^th January 2008

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor