Sunday 16 August 2009

EPIC HILL RUN, EXTREME WEATHER AND A KNEE INJURY!


THE CHALLENGE, TWO FELL RACE ROUTES IN ONE AFTERNOON.

The plan was to run over both The Harrock Hill and Ashurst Beacon fell race routes, I set off with Paul in glorious sunshine and very warm conditions.
The first target was the quarry climb and the start of the Harrock hill race, after reaching the top we headed down through the fields, it started to spit light rain and by the time we got to the start of the climb up Ashurst Beacon the rain had become torrential, the road turned into a river within minutes as the water came gushing down. Near the top we took what had been a path to the Beacon it was now a fast moving stream, I half expected to see some fish swimming by!
Once at the Beacon the rain stopped and I decided to wring out my running vest, I must of got at least a pint of water out of it.
We then headed downhill on narrow lanes and then across farmers tracks flooded by the resent deluge, it was here I fell, crashing my knee into a rock. It was hard to see the damage at first as I was covered from head to toe in mud, this mud was not nice, god knows what it was made out of, but put it this way we were very close to a farm yard!
I picked myself up and limped onwards, within a couple of minutes we reached the Leeds- Liverpool canal which seemed like a good place to clean up my wound!
We crossed a bridge and with blood flowing down my shin I followed Paul up the steep quarry climb eventually coming out at the top by an ice cream van. No money for a 99 today so we crossed the road and headed over the tops of the fields to Harrock hill, after crossing the race finish line a got Paul to do one final climb up Hunters, I'm not to sure Paul was happy with subjecting his legs to more punishment but at least once over the top we had a long downhill over the fields to the car in Parbold.We finished the epic route dead on 2 hours, a great workout and well done to Paul for finishing his longest ever hill run and in such atrocious conditions.
The rain started again and by the time we were driving back it was absolutely lashing down!
I've not seen weather like this for a long time, it reminded me of the tropical downpours I'd seen in the Philippines!

2 comments:

Ewen said...

Bit of an adventure, that one. If the scratch on your knee is still hurting I'll ask Kylie to kiss it better.

Yes, that was some finish by Dixon. Lucky there are heaps of corners in the last few kms.

RICK'S RUNNING said...

I'll take you up om that offer with Kylie, but don't tell the wife!