From Petra Bijsterveld…
Reservoir Dogs is a local ultra, organised by Punk Panther, starting and finishing in Otley as many of their races do. As the name suggests this event is a tour around several of the reservoirs that serve our area: Lindley Wood, Swinsty and Fewston, Thruscross, John O’Gaunts, Beaver Dyke and Scargill, before heading South via Almscliffe Crag, Huby, Castley and then back to Otley along the Wharfe. The full route is 36 miles (2900 ft), I took the shorter option leaving out the Thruscross loop, which was 28 miles (2100 ft), or the ‘fun run’ as my acquired running mate explained to a passer-by. There was also a separate 20 mile option which Punk Panther have introduced this summer to some of their races as an easier introduction to running further.
Matt Cox, Colin Williams and myself were the Harriers lining up at the start line in Wharfemeadows Park, Matt and Colin going for the 36 miler. We did a lap around the tennis courts to spread us out before going up single file along Farnley lane, soon turning off left to go through the fields to Farnley, past Lindley Wood and through many fields and woods to Swinsty and then Blubberhouses which had the first checkpoint at 9 miles. A spectator said I looked ‘fresh as a daisy’ which made me wonder if she needed her eyesight checking as I was definitely feeling the effects of 9 miles of gradual climbing and the muggy warmth! But it was a nice encouragement. Most people went on across the A59 to Thruscross but I carried on east along Fewston for the 28 mile option. I had walked around Thruscross earlier in the week with a friend anyway, surely that counts! If you do the full route that loop is definitely the most scenic part though. Another 28 mile runner had just left the checkpoint too and was confused about the directions (we had to turn left off the Fewston reservoir path for the higher one or incur a time penalty, we were being tracked!), I knew that turn, and from then on until the finish the ‘man from Mansfield’ (I never asked his name…) and I spent a lot of time together, often running separately, chatting occasionally, and coming together at stiles, gates and many ‘points of navigational uncertainty’. We did not really see any other runners apart from the top 10 or so on the 36 mile route who passed us, including Matt and Colin.
Leaving Swinsty the route crosses Brame Lane by the Sun Inn. Coming out into the fields behind the pub I had my ‘faffing in a farmer’s field’ episode where I probably lost 10 or 15 minutes trying and failing to work out which of the 3 telegraph poles to aim for, and cursed the fact that I had not recced the route. You would think that with a .gpx file on my watch, a printed route description and a taped course there could not possibly be any difficulty in finding the path across a field! I had to wait for ‘man from Mansfield’ to catch me up, which took forever, as he had his own navigational challenge finding the way through the pub car park. It briefly put me in bad mood as I had lost so much time but I managed to get it back into perspective, after all, I was never going to bring the trophy home and who really cares about the time. Together we worked it out and finally also spotted the tape on the correct gate. The course was pretty well marked but with beautiful golden yellow tape which blends in beautifully with an autumn landscape….. Onwards along Beaver Dyke where the eventual winner, Stephen Kirk, sailed past effortlessly, and lovely to see Matt (who was to become 2nd) and a friend overtake us at Scargill reservoir looking very strong. A brief stop at the second checkpoint at 16 miles and then downhill all the way on a mixture of tracks, roads and fields, via Almscliffe Cragg to Castley at 23 miles. By now I was starting to feel pretty tired. I was therefore delighted to see Andrew Merrick who was helping at the checkpoint, moreover, just thinking about his phenomenal recent UTMB performance put my last 5 miles to Otley totally back into perspective and it gave me a real boost to just grit my teeth and get on with it. Colin overtook us in the last few miles along the Wharfe which was great to see.
I was pleased to finish in just over 6 and a half hours, still running. I can’t say I ran every single step of the way, and certainly not the uphills, but I had no protracted periods of walking. It was my first ultra as far as distance goes, and hopefully there will be some more to come. I hugely enjoyed it, if anything I would have liked a bit more elevation and a bit less road. Though that might come to haunt me when I do the next one in November! Watch this space….