Dark & White Mini Mountain Marathon

Having liked the navigational side of the two fell races I've done (Peak 'O' Trial and Kinder Trial) I decided to enter the D&W mini mountain marathon - a 3 hour score event around Macclesfield Forest.

The day started with an 8.15am pick up - thankfully not too early having been out celebrating the birthday of a fellow Glossopdale Harriers member last night. Arriving at the start there's a nip in the air, but I've been spending a bit of time sorting clothes and layers on recent runs so I know I need to start cold and once moving I'll get too warm anyway. With dibber securely attached to my wrist I find myself at the start desk being handed a map.

dibbing at the start (the hat came of quite soon after)
[photo thanks to Tim who was just out for his own 3hr exploration run]

And I'm off.

I didn't feel all that confident about the planning side of this race. Quite a fundamental skill, but something that can only, in my opinion, be learnt by doing actual races. No amount of pouring over other maps seems to give me any edge when the actual race map is thrust into my hands. It seems a blank mind is all I have until I start running. So, with map in hand I quickly scan the nearest checkpoints (CP), CP1 is at the far end of Ridgegate reservoir - great, it'll be flattish so I can get running, get the legs moving and then start to formulate a plan for the next 3hrs (well 2hrs 54 minutes as the CP is about 1km away).

that's me heading down towards CP1 [photo thanks to Tim]

I'm a little surprised that the CP is so visible - dib my dibber and I'm now faced with a direction choice. Southwards it is. For no reason particularly other than I need to make a choice and that is as good as any. Maybe it was the fact that the other 3 runners were going that way...though I did double check the map to make sure I was going where I thought I was going and not following blindly.

I'm sure, well I know, there are tactics to these races - some CPs worth more than others - but that's not really a concern for me. I'm still learning how to run longer distances and time so scoring highly isn't a top priority (yet) and navigation practice is the main thin. So, I'm aiming to see what happens in the first hour, then repeat, twice, whilst all the time trying to reassess time remaining vs distance away from finish vs height to gain/descend. All rather complicated for me, with the small amount of experience I have at both running and orienteering. (read that as none for this type of event!).

The order I visited CPs was: 1 - 8 - 9 - 15 - 16 - 13 - 14 - 7 - 10 - 11 - 5 - 2 - 6 and few highlights from each:

1 - nice flat run to get me moving. first CP out of the way and I can relax a little. I'm sure I can get at least 4 more.

8 - lots of gates to go through over slippy muddy fields to this one

9 - nice bit of nav over fields, across a road, past a pub (tempted!), long slog up and then a boggy stretch with a couple of ponds before a descent to the CP. I've now been leapfrogging with a guy since before CP8 but he pulls away a bit now.

15 - bit of confusion how to get through/round a house....and a friendly hello from fellow Glossopdale Harrier Chris. No way I'm keeping up with him and he warns me not to follow him!! His nav is spot on though and we're off down Oaken Clough easily. Chris and the other guy leave me behind here. I pass two ladies just after going over the stile and make some attempt to keep the other guy in sight (it's not working). I'd planned to go to CP14 next but on checking the time I'm still on the good side of 1.5hrs. Onwards and down to CP16.

CP15 [photo thanks to Tim]

16 - short downhill, through a gate, short stretch on the farm track then lots of contouring round to Wildboarclough....lots of muddy slippy wet grass and a good patch of unrunnable (for me) muck-spreaded field. I'd chosen to wear Roclites not Walshes (mudclaws out of the question as the new pair I have had given me a nice blister last week and I've not had chance to let that heal or risk it rubbing in the same spot). Walshes would have been ideal. Roclites much less so. I spent a good few moments slip sliding on the mud throughout the run. Amazingly I didn't go down once but I digress. I now decide to ignore CP17 - it's not all that far away but I don't want to risk being late. The last drag to CP16 is up a road, quite steep but I manage to run some of it.

13 - tough uphill section on slippy grass to this one. I use the time to eat and plan where I'm going afterwards. Was it here I saw Chris again...somewhere round this section anyway. I remember him commenting he'd not got any CPs in the forest yet...which resonated as slightly odd given this race was based around Mac Forest!

CP13 [photo thanks to Tim]

14 - doubled back along the path from CP13 then up up up the steep steep slope and scuttle round the southern end of Shutlingsloe. Man that was steep. Even had to stop once. Or was it twice. Either way it was steep. Over the top, found the stile and down to the CP.

7 - slight double back from CP14 to take the path west of the wall...boggy soggy section then paving slabs which were welcomed at this point. My blister from last week was now hurting considerably. I was ignoring it. It would not be the focus of my enjoyable day. I pass Lindsay....another Glossopdale lady. I'm spurred on some more by seeing a familiar face, remembering how the girls had pushed (or was it pulled) me along on the Kinder Trial. Into the forest and I can see the CP not too far away; dib and about turn back along the track.

10 - weirdly the air was much colder in the forest. and there were bits of mist drifting through. I pass a few walkers who say their cheery hellos. A good spot on the nav here sees me on the higher path to get CP10, rather than dropping down and back up on the track.

11 - I'm feeling a bit tired now (should have remembered the caffeine shot I had in my bag!). Now's the time to use all that training and get stuck in. I turn east down the road to get the next CP, passing some cyclists struggling on their way up the steep road. Immediate about turn and back up the road. I vaguely contemplate going out to get CP12  but don't feel I have much more ascent in my legs.

5 - through the woods on slippy mud. there's been quite a bit of that around today. probably not, just the wrong shoe choice. there's a nice section of board walk to run along and I'm pulled onwards by some faster guys ahead.

2 - a short descent through the trees on what appears to be a lethally slippy limestone hard packed path but is actually good to run on. over the road and a cruel short (ie 2m) scramble up the bank to the CP on the tree.

6 - choices choices with 35 minutes left. Too much time for being this close to the finish. This CP is the only option for me to get. Perhaps I had enough time to run along the road and to CP3 but I chose CP6 to avoid being late - there was only an additional 5 points to gain but more to lose if late back. I wasn't actually certain I would get CP6 anyway - self doubt about my ability to run some more ascent creeping in. So I carefully noted how much time I had left and promised I'd turn back if I reached the halfway mark to ensure I didn't incur any penalties. I didn't actually know what the penalties were - not until I got back and noticed they were on the bottom of the CP description sheet!

Anyway, I make my way past the finish, along and up the road, and left onto the forest track. I'm digging deep, feet - well one heel is quite sore - but you don't train for the first 15 minutes you train for the last ones. I get the CP and take a few photos - hadn't really thought about getting any through the race, I just wanted to stay focused on running and dibbing.

CP6 - my last one!

the view down the track - back to the finish

I get back to the finish and dib the final time. I've clocked in at 2:40:45, and got 180 points. Back home I find out I've come 79th overall out of 105. Brilliant! I'm also 3rd in my category out of 6. It's interesting looking at everyone's split times and analysing the route choices. More analysis will follow and maybe I'll learn a few tactics before the next race in about a month's time.

Here are my splits:

   3      133 Lynne Taylor                                                            180        2:40:45                               180 
             101(10) 108(15) 109(20) 115(25) 116(15) 113(15) 114(10) 107(15) 110(10) 111(10) 105(15) 102(10) 106(10)       F                 
                7:11   18:29   34:02   50:42 1:11:46 1:21:53 1:34:20 1:46:27 1:54:43 2:01:04 2:12:10 2:16:53 2:34:28 2:40:45                 
                7:11   11:18   15:33   16:40   21:04   10:07   12:27   12:07    8:16    6:21   11:06    4:43   17:35    6:17   

And the overall results are here.

And if you're interested here's the garmin link: Dark & White Mini MM Round 1: Macclesfield Forest by cyclopsrunner at Garmin Connect - Details

What have I learnt from this wonderful day: I can run 18.53km in 2hrs40 and feel quite good afterwards. I could have done a bit more, but not much more. I like doing orienteering races - I actually knew this beforehand, but this has totally confirmed it! The after-race social scene isn't as vibrant as at fell races - or at least not at this type of event. Because you can start the race anytime from 8.30am-10.30am there's a huge time gap between the first and last finishers. People came and went, everyone was really friendly and social - there's just not that group gathering of all runners while you wait for the RO to sort out the results and give out prizes. Final learning point - go with your gut on shoe choice. Whilst walshes (or mudclaws) would have been tougher to deal with on the (very short) road sections and forest tracks, they would have given me infinitely more confidence everywhere else. Although, unless you know the whole area quite well shoe choice can always be tricky.

Round 2 of the Dark & White mini mountain marathons is over in the Hope Valley. The exact start hasn't been published yet, but I'm hoping my local knowledge will help me with this one - I should be able to gauge distances and timings a little better, perhaps. Watch this space for news of that event after it's taken place on 15th April.

And here's the map: