It's all too easy to say, "Yes, of course I will. I'd love to snap runners at your race."
And then the reality of what you've agreed to hits home, usually a couple of days before the event.
Crowden Horseshoe Fell Race: Out in the fresh air, not a drop of rain to be seen. The complete opposite to the torrential downpour just a few weeks before at the Holme Moss event.
One of the marshals at Crowden, enquired if I would be free to cover the Shelf Moor Race.
No problem.
Booked for Sunday 25th September.
Race day came and I was hopefully prepared for whatever life had to throw at me.
Two possible parking spots: Glossop would see me having to run three miles or so to reach the snapping point between Higher and Lower Shelf Stones. By parking on the Snake Road, it meant a longer drive, but a much shorter slog to the trig point. Checking the road works map for the area, it appeared that parking on the A57 was out of the question.
As I later found out, there were a number of places available. DAMN!
Walked Tan for an hour or so, devoured a piece of toast and downed my third coffee of the morning. Bag was already packed and hopefully I hadn't forgotten anything.
Spare batteries for the camera, SD card at the ready, plus spare thermals in case it was a tad chilly on the tops. Set off around 8:45 a.m. and arrived with plenty of time to spare.
Having run the course before in 2013, I had a good idea which direction to head off in.
I finished in 58th place: Steve Frith Penistone M60 58:11, just over 1 minute behind the M60 cat winner. Frank Fielding had beaten me yet again.
The climb seemed to be never ending after the Doctor's Gate path. Would the ascent never end? Arrived at James Thorn, then lost sight of the flags. Hacked right when I should have climbed a little further. Ah well.
Plenty of time before the runners would be arriving, a chance to hit the trig and find the aircraft wreck. Having worked up quite a sweat, I changed my wet thermal for a dry one. Not a good idea to be standing around in the "cold" with damp clothing next to your skin.
The inclusion of the two figures helps you to understand the scale of the wreckage. I should have asked them to pose a bit nearer to the main subject. Ah well.
Quick look at my watch and the realisation that I'd better get a move on with choosing a snapping point. Cracking scenery, but nowhere to capture the runners and include this stunning background. I suppose I'm frequently looking at the landscape more than I am the runner. Not keen on cropped images where there is "no memory" of what it was like on the day.
First choice: the climb up to Lower Shelf Stones would hopefully provide me with a snaking line of competitors. That's if they turn up in close formation. Omission of the sky makes an even exposure a doddle, no worries about the sky being overexposed or the foreground being underexposed. I needed a second point to shoot from, just in case my idea didn't work.
Just after the climb, hit the runners head on. That's great, so long as the turn up in ones. If there is more than one person, then I'll have to move to one side, thus losing the frame that I'd already decided on.
Tom Saville, with quite a lead, was the first to ascend the climb. Not too bad I suppose, it shows the steepness of the hill. I froze. Stayed there for the first six runners, then made a move; it just wasn't producing the goods.
I always feel sorry for the leaders, they are the experimental shots you take before adjusting height or position.
Head on shots with singles runners worked well, though I did move further back along the path to compensate for the focal length of the lens, an 85mm f1.8. The rocks lost their dominance and there was far less of Glossop in the background. These things happen.
In the knowledge that there may be a "train" of runners due, I marked a spot on the bank with my gloves. If such a line appeared, I could move quickly and snap them from there. Focus point on the lead runner, hopefully no-one would be obscured by another body.
When people see a photographer, they might wave or gesture in some way. The problem is, do they know the focal length of the lens? Sometimes, they react too soon and are but dots in the frame, or way too close to be captured at all.
Just a bit too late for the 85mm lens to cope with. Frustrating.
Tom went by me in around 20 odd minutes, the last person was just a bit slower than that. Think there was the odd navigating issue for one young lady and those at the back of the field.
PFR bringing up the rear and finding the course a bit on the tough side. Yep, it certainly is.
Took a different trail back and certainly found the going much easier. The odd stumble didn't fill me full of confidence, thankfully I managed to stay on my feet. Back to the car, quick change and the shortish journey home.
Radio Sheffield to keep me company, with the news that Scott Hinchcliffe had won the Sheffield 10k and to celebrate, he would go for another run later. Beer for me.
Well done to all the people involved in putting the race on and hopefully they were thanked by the runners as they crossed the line.
Next race for me is the Sheffield 101010. Might see you there.
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