{"id":2084,"date":"2014-12-23T15:56:57","date_gmt":"2014-12-23T15:56:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sdrr.co.uk\/?p=2084"},"modified":"2014-12-23T15:56:57","modified_gmt":"2014-12-23T15:56:57","slug":"staffordshire-moorlands-ac-christmas-cracker-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sdrr.co.uk\/?p=2084","title":{"rendered":"Staffordshire Moorlands AC Christmas Cracker 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\tAnother great idea sparked off over a pint in our beloved post running energy recharging centre the Sir Nigel Gresley, writes Ade Middleton<\/em><\/strong>. \u2018I might have a go at the Christmas Cracker race over The Roaches on the 21st<\/sup> December, do you fancy it?\u2019 says Steve Leafe.\u2018Sounds good to me, I\u2019ll ask around and see if anyone else is interested\u2019 I reply. So that\u2019s how this one started and soon enough we have five keen runners ready to tackle an 8 mile Fell\/XC race and a race that is possibly a first for SDRR.
\nMark Nixon and Dave Eyre arrive to pick up Andy Orme & I and within the hour we are there. With plenty of time to spare we spend it valuably by carbo-loading with cake and coffee at Tittesworth Reservoir Visitor’s Centre, highly recommended.\u00a0 Straight away Andy Orme recognises another couple of early arrivals from Peel and we soon get a good idea of what we are in for.\u00a0 \u2018Where are your costumes?\u2019, bemused we look at each other but at least Andy and I have our Xmas hats on. \u00a0And so as all the other runners turn up and register with car parking proceeds going to the Air Ambulance, a worthy cause we hope not to call upon ourselves.\u00a0 Then Steve and Wendy arrive, \u2018Morning all, we have the tea, coffee and mince pie\u2019s for everyone if you are hungry or thirsty afterwards\u2019 and the \u2018Famous 5 \u2018 are assembled and ready.
\nTime for the off, we all head out to the starting field stood amongst Santa, the Penguin, Pingu, Happy Feet and all his colony, the Naughty Nuns, a Transvestite from the Rocky Horror show, inflatable Santa, various elves, a Ninja, a lifeguard from Baywatch, one of the wise men\u2026on a donkey\u2026.you get the picture?\u00a0 Looming ahead of us and dominating the skyline stand \u2018The Roaches\u2019 and in 3.7 miles and 1000ft climb we will be at the highest point on them.
\nOff we go heading up various tracks, across fields and through farm yards clearly designed to test our sense of smell. \u00a0Dave and Steve are flying off the mark with the rest of us making steady progress keeping them in sight.\u00a0 Simultaneously, Andy and I pass Steve, and Andy continues to pull away heading up a road section leading to the foot of The Roaches.\u00a0 Mark is comfortably working his way through the pack and enjoying his return to XC racing.\u00a0 Dave is still within sight but looking strong as we start to head up on to the ridge.\u00a0 Momentum grinds to walking pace as nearly everyone struggles with the steepness of the slope, deep breathes, hands on knees, but keep going and soon it flattens out.\u00a0 Running pace is quickly restored but careful route choice is needed.\u00a0 There is the slower trudge through the mud on the side of the path or a faster technical but more dangerous one across the rough rocks?
\nThen turn right , another steep but short climb and up on to the exposed ridge.\u00a0 Visibility is good but no time for site seeing today.\u00a0 I look up in front and can hardly believe my eyes, our very own Louis Spence (AKA Andy Orme) appears to be eloquently performing the \u2018Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy\u2019 in slow motion, skipping from one rock to another.\u00a0 \u2018I hate these rocks, you carry on Ade\u2019 and so off I go heading towards the highest point in eager anticipation of the downhill.\u00a0 Further in front Dave is having a tussle with the Rocky Horror show guy, but surges ahead and is now on his return back to the reservoir. I approach the downhill section & smile to myself as I know this will be the best section. I increase pace and think\u2018Disengage your brain from your legs and go\u2019 and bang I’m off, gaining speed, picking my route, passing other runners, calling to the walkers ahead \u2018Coming through, thanks, Happy Christmas!\u2019 as I go by. Over the rocks, through the mud, leaping off the ledges, leaning forward, along the rock slabs and reaching the road.
\nMeanwhile Steve is also mesmerised by the dancing Orme, he closes in and passes.\u00a0 Rejuvenated by this he puts in a good section and reaches the downhill.\u00a0 He attacks this much the same as I did and loves every second of it. Fists clenched grinning away, he flies down, reaching the road with a lead over Andy. Mark is also doing well continuing along the ridge passing yet another Santa, Indiana Jones and a Vicar, then safely descends for his way back.<\/span>
\nBut what\u2019s this? Andy now on his favourite surface \u2018Tarmac\u2019 catches Steve and heads back as quick as he can with the thought of never returning to The Roaches for a race like this again. The race finishes with Dave Eyre having a great race coming in 42nd<\/sup> in 1:05:41. Next I approach and can see Wendy and Dave cheering. I finish 75th<\/sup> in a time of 1:10:26. Shortly followed in 87th<\/sup> by Andy Orme in 1:13:51, who then ends on a sprint finish and beats a fellow runner to the line \u2018Sorry mate had to do it!\u2019 he says. Steve Fowler is next coming in with a group, he charges and crosses the finish ahead of them for a well earned 111th <\/sup>in 1:18:00. The team gathers together to wait their fellow SDRR member. Mark Nixon appears coming over the field looking solid and smiling away to himself as he passes the finish line stopping the clock in 1:20:50 giving him a very respectable 125th<\/sup> place out of a field of 265. We all congratulate each other, still buzzing with adrenaline and look back on a memorable race enjoying Wendy\u2019s mince pies and warming ourselves up with a coffee.
\nThis was a great race, very well supported by the public and Mountain Rescue, extremely friendly, marshalled well by Staffordshire Moorlands AC with money going to very worthwhile charities. Thank you Mark Nixon for driving, Wendy Ferrier for supporting and supplying us with tea, coffee and mince pies. This was about trying something different and enjoying a mornings run with friends, mission accomplished. Thanks to Steve Leafe for the idea, maybe next year you will join us on the 2015 return?<\/span>\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Another great idea sparked off over a pint in our beloved post running energy recharging centre the Sir Nigel Gresley, writes Ade Middleton. \u2018I might have a go at the Christmas Cracker race over The Roaches on the 21st December, do you fancy it?\u2019 says Steve Leafe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-race-reports","no-thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdrr.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdrr.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdrr.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdrr.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdrr.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sdrr.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2084\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdrr.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdrr.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdrr.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}