Kendal Mint Cake and Cankers and Fencing Staples

Some runners do fiendish back to back races all the time but it's not something I have much experience of. Until this weekend. Grisedale Horseshoe yesterday, and today the Derwentwater Trail Race.

Lonscale Fell

From Derwentwater Trail Race

These races are devised so that there is a challenge and a race. They're both the same course and distance, the difference being that the challenge is, theoretically, for the slower runners and walkers, and it doesn't have prizes. It starts an hour before the race. 


It's a traditional race with a lot of my Elvet Striders clubmates, but this year they'd all opted for the challenge instead of the race. There were a bundle of Striders running in the Challenge and I jogged towards the Start area a few minutes before 1pm in the hope of grabbing a chat and a few photos. Unfortunately, the organisers had decided to start the challenge a few more minutes before 1pm than I had anticipated and all I saw were the receding backs of the runners as they headed up and away.


So away I wandered lonely as a cloud for a while returning nearer to 2pm for the trail race. Anticipating that they might start this one early too I made sure I was lounging in the starting area in good time. Sure enough with the little hand not yet on 2 we were sent on our way.

I was curious how it'd feel doing this after the Grisedale Horseshoe the day before. Interesting. Very much like the second running phase of a duathlon just when you've hopped of the bike. Not unpleasant. Actually, yes, really quite unpleasant now I come to think about it. But I'd paid my (substantial) entry fee and made my choice.

It's really a rather nice course and fiendish in a mischievous sort of way. I like the way it snakes up one side of the valley, hops over, then carries on up the other side. The terrain was much squashier than I expected but I was wearing some lovely new Salomon trail running shoes that I'd bought from that nice Mr Fisher earlier in the morning.

From Derwentwater Trail Race

Towards the end of the race I was beginning to loosen up a bit and started making a few gains on the fast descent to the finish. I had to explain to the lass in front that if she hung around gassing to her
mates she'd lose her place in the funnel and I'd get her time and she'd get mine. No tea, juice or sandwiches for the finishers (you'd have to do a fell race at a quarter of the price if you want that) but a cup of water and a bit of Kendal mint cake. No sign of any Striders but a browse of the results showed good fast runs by everyone who did the Challenge.



No decent race is complete without a proposal and this one was no exception. Not long after I'd finished I heard a bit of a commotion and turned to see a rather unusual engagement in progress (she said yes). So all the best to the happy couple.

Just Engaged

From Derwentwater Trail Race

So what about the cankers? I didn't know but soon guessed that the Fitz Park had some interesting and unusual trees. This defiant old oak was hosting the biggest canker I've ever seen as well as a rather unenthusiastic hoof fungus (Fomes fomentarius).

From Derwentwater Trail Race

And finally, do they or don't they? Split the wood that is. Some hammer in the staples vertically, some at an angle. The BTCV recommend putting staples in at an angle as it reduces the the risk of the posts splitting. At Durham Wildlife Trust we've just whacked them in. I've looked at a lot of fence staples (I need to get out more) and it seems to me it doesn't make much difference either way.

Angled Staples - Split Posts

From Derwentwater Trail Race