Caldervale Summer 10 Miler - 'Michael Page' NWFPAC 2019 Championship - Race #6

I’d raced twice this week already in 30c heat so was delighted to wake up to more traditional Lancastrian summer weather: 15c and drizzle. I set off in good time and followed the satnav off the motorway and into the back of beyond where this race was being held. On arrival I bumped into David Chambers, the one and only NWFPACer that I recognised today. Not many had signed up but Dave and I both needed the points.

A quick warm up made me appreciate that they don’t do flat in this part of the world, it’s just different gradients of up and down. This proved to be the case in the race which can be broken down as follows:

Mile 1-2 nice downhill

Mile 3-6 varying degrees of uphill

Mile 7 vertical uphill. I almost walked. In a road race!

Mile 8 uppy bits and downy bits

Mile 9-10 mainly downhill including a cracking fast descent to the finish line

It was probably quite scenic but I wear glasses and it was that horrible drizzle that makes a cap redundant as a means of keeping the rain off because the water just hangs in the air. So I alternated between not being able to see much because my glasses were misted up and not being able to see much because my glasses were in my hand. But there were lots of green blurs so for the non-visually impaired it probably would have been quite nice scenery.

Anyway, I finished in an amazingly frustrating 60:00 dead. A PB for a ten mile race but oh for that extra second. Dave wasn’t far behind as we both bagged some handy points for the championship. For anyone who loves hills, rain, big medals (see photo) and green stuff, you missed a treat.

Thanks Byron, great report. Matt Smith also made a surprise appearance and their results in a field of 154 were:

1. Byron Edwards (Run on the Bank) – 3rd overall – 3rd male – 1:00:00 – 20 points

2. Matt Smith – 14th overall – 13th male – 1:05:13 – 19 points

3. David Chambers (Flying Kuits) – 18th overall – 17th male – 1:05:56 – 18 points