'Ell and Back - 30 miler - wet, boggy, muddy and wet.....

Early up (5.15am) and out in the car for 6.45am.  Weather was wet and drizzly, so we figured we end up starting in coats even if we ended up getting too hot later (we didn't).  Drove to the start at Greetland Allrounders Rugby Club at the top of a hill - not a good sign as it meant the finish will ALWAYS be uphill! 

Rich at Greetland Allrounders Rugby Club - the start!

We arrived at 7.30am.  The event is organised by Elland Round Table and there is a choice of 15 or 30 miles for the route.  £7.50 entry (for LDWA) to include refreshments and a meal at the end.  Saw many of the usual faces there, so we all nodded at each cordially even though we could spot each other in a line-up but have no idea what each others' names are!  No tea or toast at the start which was a bit disappointing for some, but I'd smoothie'd up on the way over.  

 The run was due to start at 8.00-8.30 (according to the details) but people seemed to be drifting off.  I spoke to the organisers and said we could go when we wanted as there'd be no official timings anyway, just a completion certificate.  We didn't need to be told twice, so once I'd visited the facilities we set off.  Weather was drizzly, so we had our Pertex on and we made our way down the road passing the walkers as we went.  



Rich navigating us to CP.  The viaduct is in the background, and there were a few miles of (bloody) canals in store for us..... and you KNOW how happy that makes me!




Bloody canal... and look at the weather!

Downhill starts are fab for me because it takes a while for my legs to warm up.  We trotted along the Calder Way and along the River Calder (I think we crossed it) before going under the viaduct onto the canal.  Yes..... canal.  Bloody canal.....  We did about 3 miles along the (bloody) canal and I hated every second.  I took a photo and tried to keep trotting along, but despite the fact I was fresh and the going was easy, my mindset kicks into a 'can't be bothered' mentality and I dragged Rich down to my level too!  We ran bridge to bridge and were pleased to reach Sowerby Bridge......where we left the canal...... and then we re-joined it again.  Joy!  We finally reached the CP and were able to leave the canal.  Yay!

Unfortunately, on leaving the canal we went vertically upward forever... or at least it felt like that!  Still raining, and we were traipsing up wet, slippy cobbled streets followed by well-worn stone steps up alongside fields.  It was hard to keep our footing along here, and Rich fell stopping me from falling!  Treacherous and debilitating.  Although the hill was steep and very very long, we were still fresh and still pleased not to be on a canal, so we toddle along nicely.  The wind was cold on the top of the hill and we were able to pick up a trot again and made our way to the next CP.



Muddy path, muddy gateway = joy!



We followed the Calderdale Way Link Path for a while now and were glad of the shelter from the lanes.  This soon ended though, and we were running along the muddiest field path (the track had been tractored to death) with huge puddles by the gates that there was no option of going around.  It was also very exposed, so we quickly got cold because the ground was too poor to be able to pick up any kind of pace.  We followed bridleways through some nice countryside and enjoyed a fantastically long downhill along a road and then a track.  However, when you go down so quickly, you know the inevitable up is not far behind, and it came with a vengeance..... complete with those slippy stone worn steps again!  Nightmare!  We gained back the height we had lost, then trotted down a stone path to the next CP.  All the CPs so far only had water/squash - refreshments were only being laid on at the halfway point, so we were pleased we'd packed some food!

Heading towards Baitings Dam CP - halfway point.

We climbed up another steep hill (it was ALL hills today) and finally enjoyed a long sloping downhill.  We were caught by some runners that we'd passed earlier, and they admitted that they'd got lost and had ended up doing a few extra miles.  They were not impressed, and we felt their pain, having done that in the past!  We made our way now downhill to Baitings Dam where the CP was a campervan in the car park.  'Refreshments' meant a ham, cheese or tuna roll...... that was it.  I had neither, but grabbed a tuna for Rich whilst he munched through his ham roll.  I opened up my ginger biscuits and started chomping.  We had a long section of faceless moorland in front of us, and there was a climb to be had to get there!



From the moor - looking back to Baitings Dam - the sun came out!



We crossed the dam wall and worked our way up to a bridleway onto the moor.  Four miles of this now, and luckily for us it was not foggy.  The path was so boggy it was indiscernible in places and if it wasn't for the infrequent orange markers giving us an idea of the general direction, we could easily have got very very lost!  It was fairly flat, but the wind was straight in our faces and the ground so boggy that progress seemed slow.  It was also a bit demoralising too!  There was an ambiguous marker and direction on the instructions at Warm Withens Drain.  We went left (which ended up being correct) but once we'd gone 10 mins or so, we looked back to see others had gone straight on.  Thinking we were wrong, we decided to cut across country (bog) to the CP at Green Withens Reservoir as we could see it, but couldn't work out how our path would reach it.  We bog-trotted - knees deep in most places - for an eternity before we got to the CP, much to the surprise of the Marshall!



The moorland was faceless and it was hard to navigate a path amongst the bog!

 We ran down the side of the culvert now heading towards the main road.  It was very slippy and lumpy, and ankles were all over the place.  I managed to fall quite heavily on my right knee which twisted as I fell..... so I was in quite some pain.  However, we were about 20 miles in and I wasn't going to pull out, so I battled on.  The pain was pretty bad and there was some fantastic limping going on, but my stubbornness prevailed.  We crossed the main road and ran along a packhorse track parallel to the road....where I fell again (much swearing).  We then crossed back over the road and past Rishworth Lodge before descending to the carpark on the main road and the CP.


Looking back towards Rishworth Lodge - shame about the M62



After the CP it was a slog uphill.  Joy.  Views were ok (if you could ignore the M62) and the sun was finally showing its face properly!  Still too cool to take jackets off though.  We followed a bridleway up the hillside and eventually reached the brow.  I was in much pain with the knee, so where the route took us straight across the road and down another lumpy path, Rich used his local knowledge and took us left down the road and crossed at Scammonden Dam to get to the CP at the tunnel on the far side.  It must have been a slightly quicker route (we'd been able to run the length of the road, which we couldn't have done on the path) and we passed a few of the people who had been in front of us.


Crossing Scammonden Dam - M62 to the left, reservoir to the right....and sun up above!

 It was the final 5 miles now, but Rich's quads were starting to give up, and my knee wasn't fab.  We kept up the intermittent running when we could, but we struggled on the steep downhills and our pace slowed considerably.  There was also a fair bit of intricate navigation to be done so there was a lot of stopping and checking directions which always loses time.  More hills, more cobbles and a paper mill factory later, and we were starting to wind our way back uphill to the finish.  The final climb was a killer, and meant that we got into the Rugby Club at the end feeling pretty tired.  We picked up our certificates and traded our route cards for pie and peas before setting off home.

Got back, walked dogs, bathed and got into the compression tights for the night.  Both feeling very tired and thankful for a good meal!

Overall - a very hilly, very boggy route but a bit of everything - canal, lanes, tracks, moorland etc.  Well organised but disappointing on the food front.  I wouldn't want to do this one in bad weather or with poor visibility on that moor!  I would do it again, but it is hard and certainly don't expect quick times!  We managed 7hrs 42 which was fantastic in the circumstances (for us).  Rich's legs held out to 25 miles, so his endurance is improving each time.  Apart from my knee injury, my legs were fine and energy levels good too!  No badge, but a certificate, so not all lost..... although I'd prefer a badge.....