me in the tea shirt in my back garden! A 20 mile race for runners and walkers, starting at Wooler YH, visiting The Cheviot & Hedgehope. Cups and prizes are awarded to winners in several categories. 2003 After my success in the Caythorpe Cantor a few weeks ago, where I was JUST the first walker, completing the 25 miles near Grantham in 5:39, I was hoping to improve on my time in 2002. This was 7:00:40, increased, I calculated, by about 30 mins due to misdirection at one point, and taking many photographs during the event.I started off walking with Moira Atkinson, Newcastle, but she proved much too quick up and down the hills, and I soon had to stop trying to catch her up. She completed in around 5:50. Anyway, to the 2003 event, held on 5 July. The forecasters had promised that Saturdays weather would be an improvement on the very wet week just past. This was not to be the case. I left home at 4.41am for the 201 mile drive to Wooler, arriving about 8am. I could see that the clouds were low, covering the tops of the higher hills. This was not a good sign as the Cheviot hills are difficult to navigate in mist. I checked in, with a warm welcome from Laurence, the warden at Newcastle YH, who is the chief organiser of the event. This is the last event for which he is responsible, having done the job for about 17 years. Then back to the car to prepare my feet with plasters, eat a second breakfast, change shoes into my Saucony walking shoes etc! There is a five minute walk to the start point, and after a quick few words of welcome from the starter, we were off at 9.31 am. Three walkers set off at a very fast pace, similar to mine on the Caythorpe, so I was able to keep up. But the arrival of the first short hill meant that they were 50 yds ahead, then 100 yds, and gradually they disappeared into the mist. From their finish times: they were the first three walkers home, of 4:40 ish it would appear that they kept up that pace of around 4.3 mph for ALL of the 20 miles, including the long climb up The Cheviot, the awkward descent, and the ascent to Hedgehope. As it was I was 7 mins faster to CP1, and with a fond glance at the walls near the derelict building, I punched my tally. Now the next section is very tricky to navigate, so, not being 100% sure where to go, I slowed down, and eventually the next group caught up with me. Some knew the way, but there was a moment of confusion when we came upon a new wire fence, which needed climbing. But we continued on our way, to CP2, now just 3 mins ahead of last year. So far I had not extended the Pacerpoles, kindly provided by Heather Rhodes, to get me round this event in a much faster time. I do not need the poles on the flat. But as The Cheviot approached, it was time to bring them into use, so they were set up to the correct predetermined lengths, and then used. I arrived eventually at CP3, manned by an 86 year old man, who did his first Chevy Chase over 30 years ago, just 1 minute up on last year. Was the extra fast start beginning to tell? The poles did not appear to be speeding me up! After punching the tally, it was off down the steepish slope of The Cheviot, with its gullies and lumpy grass, to cross the burn at the bottom, before climbing Hedgehope. This year, again following others, I took a more easterly course. Some take a direct line between the summits, 108�, but because that involves hitting the burn lower down, there is more descent, and consequently more ascent, which would not suit me. I descended to the left of the big cleft in the side of The Cheviot, which contains a stream, and I felt that with the poles the descent was made more efficiently than last year. But this was wasted in that the ascent of Hedgehope that followed was not on a track, which means it is taken more slowly. Eventually the wire fence is reached which borders the traditional path up Hedgehope, so I got to CP4 3 mins later than in 2002, despite the quicker decsent. Last year on the next section, that is the descent from Hedgehope down to the flattish areas to the east I stopped to take several photographs. This year I had deliberatley forgotten my camera, so I would not be tempted to stop! The poles again helped, but I was finding that they were hard work. My arms were getting VERY tired. It felt that my whole body was aching, instead of just my legs. However, if my arms ached, it must mean that they had been taking the strain from the legs, so hopefully the latter would be functioning better if and when I could get up speed again. This section was covered much more quickly, as I gained 11 mins on the 58 mins last year, so I was now 8 mins ahead. Still a lot of catching up to do to complete in 6:30 which was the minimum aim: faster if possible of course. At this stage, with most of the runners in front by now, as well as about 30 walkers, the grass had been well trampled down, so, apart from the usual hard trek across the heather, the route was not too difficult to find. The well known gate came into view, which leads on to a clear track, all of which was very well signed by steamers this year. CP4 was back at its traditional point..it had been put back last year to a point more convenient for the CP staff! Thus I have no time comparison for here, but I felt I was making good progress. Around here also last year I had been misdirected. However, because I had been going more quickly on these later sections since Hedgehope I found it much hareder and slower going up the track from this point. Eventually the summit is reached, over the stile, across the boggy part, and on to the very good track. But this initially is still slightly uphill, so I could not get my speed up properly yet. The track eventually descends, over the gate, diagonally across the field, over Wooler Common, and to the road and the car park. Along that road I could get back to something like my normal walking speed, but the poles were having to be carried. They had been retracked, but they still weighed heavy in my hands at this point. However, on balance I feel that they had been of benefit, mainly on the steep descents from The Cheviot and from Hedgehope. Turning into the home straight, remember there is the 'extra' bit of track that is not part of the outward route, that leads to the YH. That added four minutes. Altogether on this final section I lost 3 minutes of the 25 I was up at CP7, so I completed the 2003 Chevy Chase 22 mins quicker than 2002, that is, in 6:37;40 . I think it is possible to get this down to around the 6:30 mark, but no less, especially if I can take the more south easterly route from The Cheviot, thereby picking up the track which makes for easier walking. One final comment. At one point about � way round someone running caught two of us up. 'The runners are here already' I said. 'No. I am catching up my friend' was the reply. If I had had a friend to catch up, would the rules allow me to run as well?!
[email protected]. I will be interested in hearing your story. If you send a report, I could also post it for others to read, in the same way you have read mine! For my pictures from the 2002 event CLICK HERE
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