Step back in time to the Haglofs Open5 Series Round 5, Threshfield, Yorkshire, 3rd March 2013

Angie here m'loves.....

So there I was, sat one evening looking at dates and planning the year ahead when Jenni came across the Haglofs Open 5 series.....  

We were pretty excited straight away, it was new and we were inexperienced in this type of thing but thought it sounded fun and that we would have time to get fit for it.  We entered the Yorkshire Dales event which started at Threshfield, only 2 hours from home.

A few weeks passed and race day came, Jenni rocked up at my house at 6.30am(!!) and we made our way over through all the twisty weaving little roads.  As we drove into the car park it was full of lycra clad athletes limbering up.  It didn’t make us feel nervous at all!!!  Yeah right!

Got ourselves to registration and figured out the format of the race.  We were given 2 maps, each covering different areas, one was the mountain bike route and the other the run route.  Each route has checkpoints laid out across the mapped area, some points are worth more than others and the aim of the game is to collect as many points as possible within the 5 hours.

Before the start we sat and planned which routes to take, however as you leave the start line you are given a list of checkpoints that are not getting used which means you have to quickly adjust your route on the fly.  We decided to start the run first and covered approximately 12 miles collecting all but  two checkpoints.  Girls done good!! 

We ran into the transition area, quickly changed shoes and got our helmets on.  Away we went off up a big climb onto the moors, trying to remember to keep drinking as my legs were cramping up.  It probably didn’t help that I was on a borrowed bike that was too big for me either.  Time was ticking and we had two hours left after getting slightly lost at one point, made it back to base with 10 mins to spare, phew!  No time penalty for us!

It was such a relief that it was over, we both lay on the grass catching our breath and relaxing after a five-hour relentless race, our first adventure race complete and with massive grins on our faces!

It turns out we got a 4^th place in the female pairs category.  How cool is that!  We’ve definitely been bitten by the bug and are hungry for more, it’s such a great concept and the not to mention the scenery was amazing! 

See you next time….

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It's not all about biking.... The Allendale Challenge, 6th April 2013

The Development prides itself that it's not just about biking, as mentioned in earlier 'introducing' blogs the team participate in a broad cross section of outdoor sports, fell running, snowboarding, rock climbing, all sorts.  Angie, as those who read this blog regularly will know, is a very keen fell runner..... and here's the Allendale Challenge run down for you all.....

The Allendale Challenge amongst fell runners and walkers is infamous for the covering some of the finest peat bogs in the North Pennines.  2013 hosted the 24^th event, of which my Dad has raced 23 of them, this year was a bit sad with the fact that he’s decided to quit racing.  As you can imagine after 27 years fell running he could do with changing the bearings!

This year I did more training than before, getting involved with adventure races and running more often during the week over the last few months so was looking forward to it.  Ellen Tipple (Chris Foster of The Development Racing’s girlfriend) was competing again this year, I was approx. 20mins behind her last year.  Jenni Campbell from Berghaus was doing it for her first time.  Helen Gaskell, Sarah Newman and her sister Amy were planning on walking it.  My brother James was also having a crack at it having not walked that far for over 14 years.  It was quite exciting having a lot of people there. Steve was team support for the day cycling around to the checkpoints and keeping us going.  My mum, Aunty and cousins were also supporting us driving around to certain checkpoints to cheer us all on!

After the amount of snow that had fallen the week before the organisers had to change the original route and divert some of the 9ft Snow drifts across the moors by Black Hill, this reduced the route somewhat from 25 miles to 23 miles.  The event was full with 860 competitors, made up with probably 70% walkers and the rest runners.  Jenni, Ellen and I set off at 10am as runners after the walkers who went off at 8am.  

The day was so hot compared to the conditions lately, it was a proper bluebird day, not a cloud to be seen in the sky.  Straight off the start line, up a steep track onto the moors to checkpoint one at the chimneys, we were doing OK at 10-minute miles.  When you’re doing a long distance run it’s hard to try and hold yourself back a little to conserve your energy, it’s easy to just run fast at the start but then suffer later on. I usually find I get my breathing into a rhythm and like you would stick to the same cadence on your bike you do a similar thing whilst running. 

Jenni and I stuck together the whole way and tried to keep Ellen in view but she’s like a whippet and kept getting ahead.  It was good to have something to aim for though.  As we approached the halfway mark onto the top of Killhope Law at 673 metres we were knee high in snow making it real hard work and at the same time trying to pass walkers in snow gully’s.  It was a shame that I couldn’t stop to just take in the view at the top but I didn’t really want to stop at all so we just cracked on.

Sunk a few gels, juice and cashew nuts that Jenni, luckily for me, had with her as I started to get cramp in my legs.  Not great when you’ve still got 9 miles to go.  Finally Steve told us there was only 3 miles left so it was like a home-run time.  Me and Jenni just pumped up the volume on the iPod and got our heads down, I looked up at one point to see Jenni waist deep in a bog trying to clamber out!  Oops! – nice to have a test dummy infront, hehe!

Towards the finish was a mile of steep, steep singletrack road which is exactly what you don’t want when you’ve just run 22 miles.  Jenni was flying down the road and overtook some bloke, I didn’t want to finish with a guy inbetween us both so I sprinted the last 400 metres overtaking him!  Yussah!  We both finished with a time of 4hrs 32mins just 7mins behind Ellen so times were close!

It was a great event and I can’t wait to do it all again next year!!

Thanks to Steve, Mam and support team!

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High Terrain Events Round 3, Grizedale Duathlon, 10th March 2013

Hi Lee.. here's the Grizedale Duathlon blog right here:

Round 3 of the High Terrain Duathlon Series was at Grizedale in the Lake District.  Having raced rounds 1 & 2 at Whinlatter and Kielder it felt like we were old hand at it.

(Photo copyright of Reuben Tabner)

Again Steve and I had running partners, Steve teamed up into a male team with Chris Dunn and I teamed up with Jenni Campbell both from Team Berghaus. The night before we stayed at Chris’s family cottage in Burrow-in-Furness, it was a bit of a relief to know that we didn’t have to get up super early for a wintery drive across to the Lakes!

(Photo copyright of Reuben Tabner)

This round was the same format as before, run, bike, run, the two running sections were the same at 6.5km and the bike compromised of 24km taking in “The North Face” trail.  This is a trail that’s been around for long time now when trail centres were just starting to get popular, it feels quite dated these days though with too much fire road and trail care neglect.  Anyway, we set about getting our kit ready and went through registration, this is the time when you start getting nervous.  I think for me it’s with the smells, 'Deep Heat' wafting through the crowds and the smell of heavily used toilets from all the nervous bodies.  Not to mention lycra clad bodies over spilling and making my stomach churn.

(Photo copyright of Reuben Tabner)

Steve was armed with his 29'er and I had my overkill Trek Remedy, not to worry though, she knows how to dig deep!!  Jenni and Chris were chomping at the bit, their times against each other are pretty damn close and this race proved just that!

The gun went off at 10am and by 10.37am Chris came running into the transition area, 35 seconds later Jenni came hurtling through, throwing the dibber over my neck and screaming at me to go, go, GO!  I went off as fast I could and left those two to embrace the minus zero temperatures while I battled out the 24km of singletrack and fire road! 

The first climb was painful after having been stood all morning in the cold, I overtook a couple of naughty faces on the technical climbs but was then overtaken by the same faces on the fire roads sprints!!  Grrr…can’t wait to get my new Team Issue FTW hardtail built up!!

The trails continued, heading down a long steep fire road to then be faced with an immediate climb straight back out the other side.  I was dying to finish, 1hr 47mins it took me to get around and it felt like a lifetime.  I screeched into the transition area throwing the dibber over Jenni’s head this time and yelling at her to GO! GO! GO!  - I later found out we positioned first out of every single competitor on the transition time, 11 seconds!!

(Photo copyright of Reuben Tabner)

Steve had been back about 20 mins, taking 1hr 27mins around the loop and feeling hopeful that he and Chris were going to place well.  Steve and I both agreeing that the bike bit wasn’t really our cup of tea but should be good training for the first Gravity Enduro down in Afan a couple of weeks after.

(Photo copyright of Reuben Tabner)

We waited anxiously for Chris to finish, he went just over a minute slower than his first time so pretty good with a sprint finish.  Jenni came through a little while after and only 2 mins slower than her first time, keeping close the 40 minute mark.  Chris and Steve had placed 2nd in the male teams and Jenni and I had won the women's teams.  We also placed 4^th across all paired teams so pretty darned happy!

(Photo copyright of Reuben Tabner)

(Photo copyright of Reuben Tabner)

Next stop was the wee chip shore on the shores of Lake Windermere! …..and.... Relax!! Don’t do it…when you wanna go to it!! 

Angie and Steve

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