Fight or Flight: Whats that all about?

Fight or flight? Apparently this response is 'hard-wired' into our brains (whatever that means). It represents some crumb of genetic wisdom designed to protect us. Now I don't know about you, but when I'm having an 'off day' on 'the Fell' (like today, for instance), I know when I'm struggling and no amount of wiring is going to help.

The Guisborough Woods six mile fell race was a snowbound holiday delight run through a combination of trees and trail. The thermometer blindly groped its way above zero but the snow wasn't going anywhere. With a bumper crowd and 1000ft of ascent, I shouldn't have been thinking about John Rutter's latest festive choral arrangement. I shouldn't have been pondering what the Ribble 10k was like or whether I might have fitted in well at the 'Baldy Man 10k' at Wexford. My mind just wasn't on the job in hand; half a lap in and I was suffering and all for packing up (wiring-and-all) and heading home.

Now at this point my 'flight' response should have kicked in. But here's the paradox. According to the theory with the decision made to pack up I should have been able to turn tail and 'race away'. Trouble was, I was racing but all I wanted to do was stop racing.
According to the theory then my only option was to stand and 'fight'. But lets face it with a runners physique all I was going to get was snow kicked in my face (those Yorkshire squirrels are well 'ard. Have you seen their cheeks at this time of the year and their wild staring eyes - mad for nuts they are) - So on I went;

The third lap arrived and with the uphill part behind me I contrived to 'go-over-on-my-ankle' which, for me, is unknown. I ran down the hill without much speed or conviction and Knavesmire man got past comfortably near the finish.
Clearly my sequence of nerve cell firing and chemical releases are well out of sync. Perhaps I need to call in an electrician to check out my hard wiring or run a few diagnostic tests.

Anyroads, well done to the organisers, marshalls and supporters for giving us lads and lassies a run out. It was Sanderson (NFR: 40mins) from Elliot Jackson and Tom Danby (both New Markse:NMH). Cath Aspen (54mins,NMH) won the ladies race from Caroline Warrington (Knavesmire) and Sarah Rogers (NMH). NFR won the mens race, NMH the womens. Results and photos on the Esk Valley Site soon. Pass me my soldering kit.

As it should be...

Psalm 121

Out for a 40 minute canter around the slowly thawing woods today. An easy run was punctuated by the occasional overshooting of the path or by some poorly rehearsed Torville and Dean pirouette (more like Orville and Dean!) where the snow had turned to ice. It was a peaceful antidote to shopping.

There are a couple of tracks which always remind me of particular Christmas's in the dim and distant past. One is Pat Metheny's Psalm 121 from the Scheslinger film 'The Falcon and the Snowman'. It also features 'This is not America' composed with Lyle Mays and Bowie:

The other favourite is 'Snowbound' on the 'And Then There Were Three' Genesis album . Both hugely evocative tracks which strangely never seem to see the light of day on the airwaves. You can find both easily on Youtube. Anyway, this is beginning to turn into a music critique so its time for another mince pie....One or 2 more and I'll turn into one. Wonder if Santa's been to the running shop?

Cold Start

Out for an hour today. Stuck to the woods as the streets were icy and full of muddled shoppers and heavy traffic. As the sky became more cloudy I waited for the snow, but it didn't show until later in the afternoon. I think it'll be a trip to the shops tomorrow, so an early start in subzero temperatures is on the cards. No Loftus this year, so its a toss up between Guisborough Woods and the Ayhope Skyline on the 27th.

Its grim up north

Managed 12 miles yesterday in the rain; and then wandered out in the evening to see some of the club guys vying to be top dog at the Christmas Handicap in the rain. Their commitment had to be admired as they drifted around 2 laps in the freezing hail (and rain). No running today, but should get out tomorrow for a good hour. Still contemplating the Loftus Poultry Run. Didn't manage it last year.

Simonside Cairns Fell Race 2009

A record 116 competitors (and a dog) lined up outside the Newcastle Arms, Rothbury for the Simonside Cairns Fell race. At 11am with the tolling of the bells, we were off. Yesterday as I watched Phil Sanderson, Will Horsley and a few others working hard around the Cross Country course, I felt a hopeful spark that they'd see sense and decide to miss out on the seasonal treats of Dove Crag, Spylaw and the like. A quick scan of the pack as it made its way up to Lordenshaw in the first few miles of this 11 mile race confirmed this to be the case.

It was left to Heaton's James Buis,winner of this years Pier-to-Pier run and 1st in September at Simonside, to lead the pack home today (1st-1:23:55). From a quick chat afterwards he seems to be quite enjoying the fell running scene. Who can resist, after all, the Siren-like attractions of sphagnum moss bogs, the reek of damp fell shoes and wagonloads of extra laundry.

As we climbed up the foothills of the Cheviot's out beside Simonside, I tried to sit in with Fletcher (2nd-1:25:55) of Wooler. Like me, he had started cautiously and we began picking off a few runners as we got onto the heather tracks. I thought I was around 6th at that point. The tracks were very wet and there was plenty of vaulting from one hummock to another in order to avoid losing footwear, ankles or small limbs in the dark depths of water filled hollows (or puddles for short!).

Around halfway and after a chase of 2 or 3 miles, I had caught up with the runner ahead. We stopped momentarily as we came to a dense pine wood. A runner behind, Chris Sanderson (NFR) , shouted 'straight on', and we entered a dark, eery world, illuminated halfway through by Christmas lights and music powered by a little genny (or by santa's magic - you choose!). Bizarre: At least it made me smile.


I hung onto NFR man for a couple of miles before he dropped back but I had to concentrate hard to maintain the pace during the last 2 miles along the road from Lordenshaw down to the finish beside the river. Lee Bennett (NFR) was a whisker behind me. It turned out that he (and possibly others) had gone for a little 'detour'. So it was a pleasant surprise to finish well up, snaffle a podium place (3rd-1:28:47) and a bottle of Merlot as a prize. Karen Roberston (NFR:1:35:59) comfortably won the women's race from Clare Jackson (Allen Valley:1:41:20) and Sarah Lister (Blackhill: 1:45:34).

Some of the runners had a paddle in the river afterwards and I thought this a good idea until I got in. Twenty seconds later I had an unbearable ice cream headache (but from the waist down) and got out of the icy water pretty sharpish.


It was lentil soup all round for the finishers ladled from the silver cauldron perched on the bar in the hotel afterwards followed by a small but perfectly formed Guinness. Definitely Santa's magic! Reports, photos and final placings of the NECCA/NEHRA 2009 Championships, no doubt soon, on the NFR Site.

North East of England XC Championships, Darlington

Patrick Martin of Sunderland Harriers won today's North East England Cross Country Championships from Chris Sampson of Morpeth. Some fast performances in what appeared to be a decent field this year. More photos soon on the Flickr site (Mens race only). With plenty from the club there, I thought I'd save my energy for Simonside tomorrow. Results now at the Race-Results site