Tor: a rocky pinnacle; a peak of a bare or rocky mountain or hill

(Dictionary.com)

Perfect weather, stunning views, wild moorland, hills, hills and more hills, the company of 200 odd enthusiastic runners – it all adds up to the best Sunday morning anyone could have hoped for for the first race in the new Multi Terrain Race Series.

We had a great turnout, with a team of 15 of us rivalling turnouts from much larger clubs like Hayle and Newquay and although most of the overall winners of the race have relatively easy access to the moors for their training ground, Phil Cleland, Alan Rounsevell and Andy Goundry put in notable performances for the club, coming home inside the top 50. And, much to his surprise, Nick Jeans picked up a bottle of wine for winning his category!

A great start to the Multi Terrain season, why not join the team for the much shorter 5m race at Boconnoc on 6th May or join Claire Longman for an off road taster on her St Agnes Rave Run on 20th April? Off road running is the best!!!

 

Mother and Daughter Who Doesn’t Run

It’s 11pm 31.03.12, I need my pre race sleep and the alarm is set for 0700, so I can fuel up and digest before the forthcoming race.

Plans soon go out the window, as husband at home cannot settle and laying still is not something he can do.

Finally sleep arrives, but why do dreams have to be so exhausting. I awake at 0530 and husband is on the wriggle again, then to make matters even worse, just as I drop off the alarm sounds half an hour earlier than planned. Oh bugger, I might as well just get up and have some porridge.

Bag packed, Daughter who doesn’t run is ready for the off and today, seeing as we are in the middle of a FUEL CRISIS, we are 4 up in Sidney Skoda. Today not only do I have the company of Julie, but also Steph and of course my daughter who is home from uni (year 5 of 8 )

The sun is out, the sky is bright blue and totally cloudless, but ouch, it’s cold today. Gloves packed and although I’ve decided to brave shorts, I’ve packed about a dozen layers for this race, along with whistle, space blanket, mobile phone with race directors telephone number in, jelly beans and lip salve. No way was I going to be cold or stranded on BODMIN MOOR.

The drive is pleasant, and conversation never lacking, so before we know it, we arrive in Minions to find the first car park already full and the second as good as.

Race HQ was outside the pub in the open air, so god knows what would have happened if it was raining. As ever, Alison was there ahead of us with race numbers, so only Daughter who doesn’t run, had to queue. Time to find the loo’s.

Now I say loo’s, what I really mean is one ladies toilet, one gents and one disabled which you can only access by a key, which you need to purchase annually for about £20……..anyone with a key? NO! So queue for the loo grew, but thankfully it didn’t take too long to reach the front and some kind soul had stocked it with at least 6 loo rolls.

Numbers now attached, race clothing chosen…three layers plus gloves for me and I’m still frozen. There is a keen wind blowing and it feels like winter. Suddenly out of the blue….definitely no mist……appears Nick, wearing the latest in PVC… a very fetching black bin bag fashioned into an over garment. He actually turned heads….really!

The race start was by car park No 1, and after a short pre race briefing we were off. I thought maybe daughter that doesn’t run, might stay with her poor still injured mother, but NO, she of longer legs and lesser years was off, and well ahead. I knew that the next place I would see her, was either in a ditch or at the finish line.

The going was dry and firm, almost flat at this point, but we had to negotiate old tram lines so your stride had to adapt to many different lengths. Then it was onto open moor land and If you dared to lift your eyes from the ground, the view out to our right was stunning and went on uninterrupted for miles. We had by now covered 2 miles and ouch, I’ve turned my left ankle. Which foot is my injured problematic foot? Yes you got it….my left. Will I have to give up and walk back to the start…….sod it, just carry on, grinning and bearing now seem second nature, so I carry on is what I did.

Ah, Tor No 1, Sharpe Tor, raises it’s head. I can see the steep incline and notice that the average speed is slow, so, thank goodness, walking was going to be very acceptable. Running down the other side was interesting and very good for the core muscles, but I was keeping fingers crossed my foot/ankle would hold.

I can see daughter is the distance so plod on at my not so fast speed, but I’m coping with this truly off road rugged terrain. My breakfast on the other hand is swishing about and I sound as if I’m carrying a half full flagon of water. Energy levels are lowering, so I decide to try and eat a “SPORT BEAN” well a very expensive Jelly Bean made for fast energy release with the words “Portable power” also printed on the pack. It tastes OK, but I’m not receiving any extra power. May have to ask for a refund?

Tor No 2 arrives with 3 and 4 not far behind. So the routine is run/jog the flatter terrain, and walk the hills. The tussocks of grass and large divots that the cattle have made and have now baked hard are a challenge but the bogs aren’t too bad, if you tread carefully. Not up to my neck in mud thank goodness, but the legs are feeling as if they have had to work hard.

We are now running down hill towards Sibleyback reservoir and the view is beautiful. On a hot summer’s day you might have even wanted this race to include an open water swim, but not today…far too cold. We are at mile 8 and I’ve only just removed my outer layer of clothing and gloves.

It is now a long grind up hill towards the finish with a short downhill at the very end. A little confusion arises in the last 100 yards, as we the runners had to make sure we went around the last marker post, but the finish line was in sight, so who cares.

I cross the line in 1hr 45:46 which to be honest I was happy with. The foot had coped, the lungs had worked. I hadn’t felt sick but Daughter who doesn’t run, beat me by 2 minutes Grrrrrrrrrr! Oh well I am twice her age!

I wait at the Finish line to cheer the other girls across the line, and I hate to say it……but I really could have done with that wretched Plymouth 10 beanie hat, as I was frozen to the core.

So all in all:

1. Race HQ fine in good weather.
2. Toilets…could have done with the disabled one not being “disabled” but we coped.
3. Marshalling…brilliant and whoever put all the marker posts out on the moors for us to follow, did a fantastic job. Not sure if I would have found my way if it had been foggy though.
4. Water stations x 2 and seemed to work well.
5. Goodie bag….well just a bright yellow T shirt, a colour that isn’t already featured in my T Shirt collection, but size options ran out the later you crossed the line.
6. First aid excellent. One poor soul collapsed at the finish and within seconds the mountain rescue team were there and he was later taken away by ambulance. Whoever you are, we hope you have a speedy recovery.
7. Would I run this race again…….not sure….weather dependant I think and race photographer could be a very good option once again.

Sorefoot Running

Unlike Hana, my pre race ritual entails packing a bag the night before, so that I can fall out of bed in the morning half an hour before having to leave. This morning though I cut it a bit fine and crawled out of the pit with just 20 minutes to go. I shoved on some porridge, got dressed while it was burning, brewed coffee while it was cooling, then wondered why I wasn’t like Hana with something wholesome in the fridge like a punnet of blueberries and drowned it in Tate and Lyle’s finest instead. No time to drink the coffee so I decanted it to last year’s Truro Half Marathon travel mug to drink on the way over to Hana’s.

The journey to Minions took a very relaxing hour with Hana at the wheel, no time to catch up on sleep though as the pre race banter was too good to miss. And if I was feeling at all drowsy, there was always the surprisingly cold wind to wake me up when we got out in the car park.

I was really looking forward to this race, or rather ‘run’ – there was no way I would be racing anyone, not even myself. This would be the furthest I’d run in about 6 weeks (by about 5 miles): I’ve had my feet up with achilles tendonitis, which shows no signs of going away. I shouldn’t be running at all. Oh well, I’ll just walk I told myself, and maybe jog where I can. That was sooner than I thought.

Sharp Tor loomed large and as everyone headed off up the hill, I ouched and aaaarghed my way up, picking out the least painful path I could find between the rocks. Stuff it, I thought, looking out at the fantastic crystal clear views, I’m just going to take my time and take photos. Decision made. It was a good one because the first four tors come in quick succession and my ankles became more sore and tight with each one. Then I had the brainwave of taking a photo from each tor, a kind of  ‘I was here’ marking of territory. And a distraction from the pain (and possibly damage!) I was inflicting on myself.

After Stowes hill the paths and tracks are on fairly level terrain through rough tussocks and bogs (not too wet today), giving you time to get into a comfortable rhythm and take in the impressive Iron Age forts and old mine workings along the way. The wildness is awe inspiring, but I was grateful for the orange stakes piercing the ground along otherwise unmarked routes as I found myself running alone much of the way. The peace and birdsong were occasionally punctuated with disturbing armed forces gun fire, off in

the distance somewhere, making me feel all the more exposed. This is when you become profusely grateful for the smiling marshals en route and luckily they were out in force today!

As I rounded Sibleyback I knew I wasn’t far from home and I managed the final few miles with a limp and a hobble, knowing I was well over the two hours I initially thought I could  make it in. Still, I was determined I wouldn’t be last and making sure the  handful of people behind me stayed there I pushed on until I stumbled through the finishing funnel. Even with painful ankles 10 miles seemed to fly by and I couldn’t believe it was over! Plenty of time for a warming coffee and one (or two!) of Hana’s delicious homemade flapjacks in The Old Post Office cafe then, where I could rest my ankles, nurse my sunburn and compare notes with Hana, Julie and Daughter That Doesn’t run!

5 Tors rates as one of the best runs I’ve ever done, you should try it.

Stephie

 

Results

Open Competition

Men

1. 1:07:28 Dan Nash, ECH
2. 1:09:08 Dan Rodgers, Launceston RR
3. 1:09:13 Andrew Vallieance, Okehampton RC

Women

1. 1:18:11 Lucy Hodgson, NRR
2. 1:22:32 Sharon Daw, ECH
3. 1:26:13 Jane Allison, Plymouth Harriers

Overall Results

Download the .xls file:  5 Tors – 2012 results

TRC Results

201 finishers.

Position	Name	Time	Pace	Category	Place in Category 1-3
12	CLELLAND, Phil	1:13:50	07:22.9	Male under 40
39	ROUNSEVELL, Alan	1:23:52	08:23.1	Male Vet 40-44
44	GOUNDRY, Andrew	1:24:21	08:26.0	Male Vet 45-49
64	SHARP, Jeremy	1:27:36	08:45.5	Male Vet 50-54
70	FORD-DUNN, Jonathan	1:29:02	08:54.1	Male Vet 55-59
75	COLLINS, Gary	1:30:42	09:04.1	Male under 40
111	TYAS, Adrian	1:40:39	10:03.7	Male Vet 60-64
119	SPARGO, Philip	1:42:01	10:11.9	Male Vet 55-59
134	CLITHEROW, Hana	1:45:46	10:34.4	Female Vet 45-49
136	WILLSON, Richard	1:46:38	10:39.6	Male Vet 55-59
157	JOSLIN, Alison	1:53:55	11:23.3	Female Vet 55-59
164	JEANS, Nick	1:54:35	11:27.3	Male Vet 70-74	1
178	JOHNS, Julie	1:58:07	11:48.5	Female Vet 50-54
187	DOUGLAS, Debbie	2:02:22	12:14.0	Female Vet 50-54
197	BOON, Stephanie	2:15:41	13:33.9	Female Vet 45-49

Gallery