Coope's Dozen 2015

I took a break from my training schedule today to instead run the Coope's Dozen.

I went to the meeting point at the top barn at 9pm and was quite surprised by the turnout.  I wasn't expecting many as all the people I had asked if they were doing it had said that they weren't.  I'm not sure exactly how many did it but hopefully there sill be some pictures for me to add later which might show this.

I've have had a tough week training-wise, with the shoe test on Tuesday (which was hard work for me - I'm sure Albert will say it was a walk in the park!), a speed session on Thursday and a run plus a spin at altitude class yesterday.  I had really struggled with the spin class, especially the 'climbs' so I wasn't very hopeful of having a great run this morning, however it turned out that I really surprised myself.

I set off up front, mainly because I wanted to get that first climb up to George's Lane over with because it's my least favourite part of the run.  As you probably know, I don't like going uphill straight away so I find this bit really tough.  Ian Charters soon caught up with me as we climbed upu through the plantation.  Then it was up to the first summit, Noon Hill.  We were all still close together at this point so we waited for everyone to reach the summit.  At this point, another figure came running up and a nifty pace and it turned out to be Andy Ford, who had arrived late.

We then headed off towards the Pike, one of my favourite bits of the run.  It's always boggy running across here, although it was much better today than it usually is.  Ian and I seemed to get ahead of everyone else again so once we got to the top of the Pike we just ran straight down rather than waiting and continued along George's Lane to the kennels, then up to Two Lads.  Ian commented that he was surprised that Andy hadn't caught us up yet but it soon became apparent that Andy had opted for the cross country route from the Pike to Two Lads, arriving there at the same time as we did.  

We continued on our way, taking the cross-country route across to the shooting hut and up to Smithills Reservoir.  When I have done Coope's in the past, we have taken the road route to this point, cutting across through Roscoe's Tenement so it was nice to go a different way for a change.  After passing the reservoir we were then onto another of my favourite bits, the run along to Whimberry Hill and Egg Hillock.

The best part is then followed by a horrid part though - the climb up to Counting Hill.  There is no easy path up and no matter which way you go, you have to fight your way through lots of vegetation. We dropped down to Shaley Dingle and went up from there.  It's a long slog but we eventually made it and then carried on from Counting Hill up to the trig point on the summit of Winter Hill, the highest point on the route  Somebody had been up there with a can of paint and had drawn a red rose on two sides of the trig point.

Photo by Andy Ford

We started our descent to Hordern Stoopes and Andy had to shout me back as I got carried away and started running down the path towards the wooden bridge, rather than the steep path down to the road.  Wishful thinking I think as the path to the bridge is much nicer.
 

Photo by Andy Ford

On arrival at Hordern Stoopes we were greeted by John Coope and a very well received boot-full of jaffa cakes, biscuits, water and juice.  Pauline Charters was also here as she had missed out some of the route and come straight here instead.

Andy left us at this point as he never had any intention of completing the full route as he was doing a BG support later in the day.  I told Ian that I didn't mind if he wanted to go on ahead of me so I wasn't slowing him down but he said he was happy for us to carry on together which was good for me as, even though I have done it a few times now, I'm still unsure of the way to Old Adam's Hill.

As usual, the route to Old Adam's Hill was overgrown and hard work but it's not too far so we were soon there and then heading back up towards Spitler's Edge. 

From Spitler's it's an easy run up to Great Hill, where a bloke who had walked up told me that I had just demoralised him because he had thought just walking up was an achievement never mind running up.

Next came Round Loaf and Ian then showed me a way off Round Loaf to Healey Nab, without ending up in White Coppice, which is the way I have always gone on the Coope's Dozen in the past.

It involved going across to a cairn on another hill which, looking now at my map, I believe to be Hurst Hill.  From here we carried on through the moorland, eventually coming out onto the road between Jepson's Gate and Waterman's Cottage.

We ran down the road to Waterman's Cottage where again John Coope was waiting for us with some refreshments.  He was really surprised to see us as he hadn't expected us to get there so quickly.  Even though I had originally decided that I would just be plodding round today, at this point I started to get a bit competitive and wanted to finish in a really good time, perhaps within four hours.  I looked at my watch though and decided this wasn't going to happen as we'd have to complete the run in 25 minutes to do that and that was never going to happen.  I decided to aim for 4.15 instead.

After a brief stop for some biscuits and drink, we carried on to the cairn at Healey Nab, the final of the twelve summits.

From Healey Nab it was an easy run back in with very little climbing left.  Ian showed me a different route off the cairn but it wasn't very obvious so whether I'd be able to find it again at a later date I'm not sure.  It eventually took us out onto the track and we then ran along to Heapey Fold Lane.  We turned off and ran though the fields, coming out at the stile opposite the end of The Street, then ran up 'the slipway' and down the path, along Dean Brook, up the steps and out into Rivington Green.  We then ran up Sheephouse Lane before turning off and starting the final few hundred meters back to the top barn.

I finished in 4.21.25 with Ian finishing slightly ahead of me.  Pauline came around the corner about 20 minutes or so after us as she had decided to carry on from Hordern Stoopes but had gone straight to Great Hill, missing out Old Adam's Hill.

Great run out and I'm really pleased with myself as I found I had much more energy than usual.  I really didn't expect to get round so quickly and be with the front group, although I have no doubt whatsoever that Ian and Andy hung back a lot for me.

Thanks again to Ian and Andy for the company and massive thanks to John Coope for providing the support.  Thanks also to all who organised the day and to all who turned up and ran it.

I'll update this blog as and when new pictures are added by people (I didn't take any of my own).


Total distance - 17.8 miles