The Hebden - 22nd January 2011

I have had some solid winter training over the past couple of months but there's no substitute for a race to test how fit you are and The Hebden was the perfect start to 2011.  At 22 miles and 4000ish feet of vertical it's not too strenuous but is pretty much the distance I needed as a build up to imminent longer events.  Word has spread about the race and there were over 400 packed into the church hall before 8am on a frosty Saturday morning raring to go for a yomp around Calderdale.  After throwing some tea and toast down my neck we were off, out of Mytholmroyd and onto the first of many of the local trails and tracks.

I had no plan for the race other than to run a steady pace and hope that I found someone who knew the route for the last 2 checkpoints as I'd only recced up to CP4!  It was pretty social for the first 3/4 miles but there soon developed a pack of about 8 runners with a few familiar faces.  A couple, including fellow Saddleworth runner Chris Davies, disappeared into the distance after CP1 but I suspected we might catch them later. Over the next 6 miles or so there were a few different route choices but the remainder of the group all stayed within eyeshot.  I was trying out my old Platypus rather than my usual bottles and this helped me speed through checkpoints just grabbing food and gaining maybe a minute on the others.  Eventually, I found myself running with Ozzy Kershaw and Tim Whittaker from CP3 and we made good progress up towards Stoodley Pike before dropping down to CP4.  Ozzy had dropped off the pace and I was left with Tim who, like me, didn't know the route from here to the finish!  Our disorganisation was punished as we were caught by a couple of others including David Ralphs who I knew I knew from somewhere (Tim eventually worked out he had been on the UTMB with us last August).  From here on in it was one of those 'I feel good but can't up the pace too much as I'm not sure where I'm going' situations which was probably a good thing as it stopped me really pushing myself on what was supposed to be a 'warm-up' event.

We coasted into the finish together (see the picture of Tim, myself and David above) in a pretty decent 3hrs 31mins (contrary to the official timing which was a bit off) - a time which would have won last year but this year was nowhere near!  The winning time of 3'04" is spectacular, I've no idea how he managed that!  Chris Davies ran an excellent 3'19" and was down in 6th!  Anyway, my legs were feeling good the next day and I feel like there's plenty of race pace left for a good showing, hopefully at one of the next few races.  It's the High Peak Marathon and Hardmoors 55 next and with only 4 months until the BG but so far things feel like they are going quite well...