Spineless

Somewhere in an alternate quantum universe, if such things exist, there is a world just like this one but without coronavirus and in that world, I lined up this morning to start the 108 mile Spine Flare race which takes in about 40% of the Pennine Way. Alas, if there is such a world, I know nothing about it and in this one, the Flare was cancelled a few months ago. With no race to aim for, my training has gone all to pot and I'm not fit (or thin) enough to consider a such a distance. However, I did head up to the Pennine Way to cover a few miles of the course, this morning.

My route took me by road to Sutton in Craven, where I headed up the Clough. In Co Durham, I'd call the Clough a Dene, but that probably doesn't help those who are not native to these parts of the world. Essentially, it is a deep wooded valley which climbs steeply. I jogged along the flattish bit of the Clough and then walked the steep section.

Eventually, I emerged out of the valley to be greeted with a great view of South Craven. 

I was rather nervous about this section as it goes close to a farmyard and I've avoided running through here since lockdown. However, there was nothing to worry about and eventually, I emerged onto the road. From here there was a little over a mile of road until I came to the wonderfully named Slippery Ford. From Slippery Ford, I climbed steeply up an access road to Keighley Moor Reservoir. I walked this bit, it's not for nothing that it is called La Bête Noire on the Garmin running app. I crossed the reservoir dam and turned upwards into the hills. Now that I was off the tarmac, I was happy to start running again and I made my way uphill, till my path met the Pennine Way, running north-south over the moor. This is familiar country for me, I run here most weeks over the summer and I was really looking forward to seeing "my bit" of the PW on the race. Accompanied by the burble of curlews, I jogged northwards and then did something unforgivable. At one point, the path takes a bypass and takes a longer route to avoid the extra climbing. I'm sure that if you are doing the whole route, this is a real blessing, but I took a little unmarked track up to the trig point on Wolf Stones. It's one of my favourite wild places and on a good day, you can see all the way to the Lake District. Today, the visibility wasn't great and I could barely see the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

I took the obligatory unflattering selfie and headed across the bogs to find the rough limestone flags of the Pennine Way path.

I'd done almost all of my climbing now, and the next few miles were a gentle descent to the village of Cowling.

I always enjoy seeing this Grouse Butt on the moor. There is a very rough 4X4 track that leads to it but it is very isolated. Dropping down towards Cowling the moors give way to lush agricultural land. 

From Cowling, the Penning Way climbs steeply over the tops to drop down to Lothersdale, a route I know well, but for today, I left the path and headed back down the hill towards Airedale and home.

The route took me down familiar tracks, over a couple of footbridges and eventually into the villages around home.

At one point, the path took me down a narrow passageway between gardens and the riverside. I've avoided going this way since lockdown as it is hard to avoid people. I was really touched to see a number of people had placed signs like this by their gates. Whatever can be said about the virus, it has brought out the best in a lot of people. 

So, I arrived home after fifteen hard miles and 2,000 foot of climbing. A good morning's outing, even if I was very, very slow. Actually, I'm always very, very slow - I fully anticipated being the last to finish the Spine Flare, but I was pretty sure that I would finish.

So, why would a slow, old, overweight guy consider something as stupid as trying to run/walk over 100 miles? Let me take you back something like 13 or 14 years. Considering my weight and my blood pressure, my doctor, somewhat unkindly, said: "I hope that you have no plans beyond the next ten years, Mr Arthur". That was a bit of a wake-up call. A few days later, I walked to the top of the hill behind our house and jogged the half-mile home. A year later I did my first half marathon and a couple of years later, I did the London Marathon. My times are dreadful, but I finished! I still struggle with my weight, but I'm a lot thinner (ok, less fat) than I was and my blood pressure is under control. I don't have the physique for fast running and in my sixties, I don't think that will change. But I can keep going and long days out on the hills have always been one of the real joys of my life. Long-distance events are just a natural extension of what I love doing.

Today, I saw a weasel crossing a lonely moorland road, I watched curlews flying over the hills, their strange burbling calls echoing across the moor and filling my heart with happiness. I stood by a lonely trig-point and ate a flapjack before jogging off down the hill in the sunshine. And all of this a few years beyond the ten that my doctor gave me. I don't know how long it is before bits of me will stop functioning, but in the meantime, I'll continue to spend time in the hills.

I had been planning a blog post about the Spine Flare itself and I'd already composed some of it in my head, but that will have to wait for next year. In the meantime, I'd still like to thank a few people who are instrumental in allowing me to do this sort of stupid thing. Above everything, thanks to Sue who allows me to vanish for hours every week, when I could/should be doing something useful around the house. Thanks, too, to Dave, who is just about my oldest friend in most senses of the term. It was on a walk around Little Langdale that he first suggested to me the idea of running really long races. One day, we'll do one together - though I won't see him for dust. Thanks too, to Dave and Lina, who are willing to slow down and look after the old man - my best (and worst) days running in the hills have involved these two. I should also thank physio-extraordinaire Iain, whose professional skills and encouragement have been very important over the last few years. Lastly, thanks to everyone in the Run 1000 Miles Facebook group; it is the most supportive online group I have ever encountered. I'm not a natural runner, but thanks to the support of these people and others, I've managed to do pretty well for an old bloke.