We pulled up to a set of three open-air tents. I was directed to the smallest of the three where I was given my running clothes. The running shoes were different from what I’d seen before. They had rubber cleats that looked like arrowheads on the bottom.
I went looking for Devin and found him with the director, a skinny guy who was almost as tall as me. He appeared to be in his 30s, with shocking red hair that was about as unruly as Alan’s was.
“David, I would like you to meet Colin. He’ll be in charge of everything this week,” Devin said as an introduction.
We shook hands. He had a quick smile that made you instantly like him.
“You’re a big strapping lad. Kat’s going to like you,” Colin said.
“Why would a cat like me? I prefer dogs.”
He just laughed at me.
“Go eat, and then come back,” Devin told me.
I have to say the British know how to do outdoor activities. The next tent was set up as a dining room, complete with tablecloths and real china. A waiter in a white coat took me to a table that had a fantastic view of the valley.
They served me what they called a ‘Traditional English Breakfast.’ I found eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, baked beans, tomato slices and fried bread on my plate. I had never had baked beans for breakfast before. I was willing to try anything once, and I have to say that it was filling.
I was relaxing and drinking hot tea when an attractive girl who seemed just a little older than me came into the tent. She looked around, spotted me, came over and sat down. I assumed she was my female counterpart because she was dressed in running clothes. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
“Hi, I’m David,” I said as I reached across the table and shook her hand.
“Katrina, please call me Kat,” she said. Oh, Kat’s going to like me.
She had a noticeable Russian accent, but her command of English was good. It was obvious that English was her second language, though, because while good, it wasn’t perfect.
“Do you know what we’re doing this morning?”
“Yes, we will be fell running, which I believe you Americans call trail running. We are quite lucky today because we get to run with best. They are members of Bob Graham Club. There are 42 fells, or mountains, that can be run in circuit. In early 1930s, Bob Graham set record that stood for nearly 30 years. They call it ‘Bob Graham Round.’ If you can complete all 42 fells within 24 hours, you join Bob Graham Club.
“We are running what is called ‘Category O’ race this morning. ‘O’ stands for orienteering or navigating. We run with another pair of runners and are given set of coordinates for checkpoint. There are staggered starts. We four will run from checkpoint to checkpoint. At each stop, we are given coordinates to next checkpoint.”
“That sounds like fun.”
She laughed at me.
“Is quite strenuous. Running up fell is demanding. I think Colin is ... how do you say it ... sadist ... who just wants to get pictures of us exhausted,” she said. “Come, we need to stretch and get to starting line.”
Devin and Colin found us stretching. I noticed that Colin had changed into running clothes also.
“How are you feeling?” Devin asked me.
“My body tells me I should be asleep, but I feel fine right now. I’m kind of excited to try fell running.”
Colin took us to meet our running partners. They were Harry and Beth Smyth, a brother-and-sister team in their late teens. It was obvious that Harry was used to being in charge.
“Of course I’ll take the lead. Kat, you will follow me, and then Beth, and finally David. That will put the two most experienced runners staggered to help you amateurs,” Harry said, acting a tad superior.
I got the sense that he wasn’t trying to be mean, it was as if he was just stating facts. But Kat flushed, and I could tell she wanted to put him in his place. I reached over and squeezed her hand to let her know he wasn’t worth it. She looked over at me and nodded.
I disagreed with Harry’s strategy, though. I would have let Beth lead and had Harry follow us. Kat and I were the inexperienced runners and should have been put in the middle. If I were Harry, I would want to keep an eye on everyone in case someone got hurt or put themselves in danger. I really didn’t care what Harry thought. I was more interested in how Colin wanted us for the shots. We were here to do a job, after all, not win a race.
Devin came up and it was obvious that he and Harry knew each other. They chatted while one of Colin’s assistants brought Kat and me fanny packs with a GPS attached to the belt.
“There are granola bars in the pack and you can take a water bottle if you want,” the assistant told us.
“What do you suggest?” I asked Kat.
“You will need water. We are going to be running up hills, and you are not used to it. It would be better to have and not need than other way around.”
Of course, when we went over to Devin and Harry, Harry wanted to see what we had. He took my GPS.
“Is this the new model you’re selling?” Harry asked Devin.
Devin took it from him and showed him how it worked.
“It gives you an aerial view of the terrain. It also shows you two or three choices on how to reach a destination. You can use it both on road or off by switching the setting. It comes with both a car mount and a belt holder. We designed it for hunting but found runners liked it. I have a couple more if you and Beth would help test them out for us.”
While Devin had been talking, Colin had been taking pictures. I liked that we weren’t going to be doing a lot of staged shots. He took Kat and me aside to explain how today would work.
“We’ve laid the course out so I can take shortcuts and catch you at the more interesting parts of the course. You’ll be running last so that we won’t have any other runners getting into the shots. I just want you to have fun and run. Ignore me unless I stop you. I’ll only do that if I miss the shot.
“Don’t let Lord Smyth get under your skin. He really is a good sort, once you get to know him.”
“I’m sorry; did you say ‘Lord Smyth’?” I asked.
“Yes, he’s in line to be the Duke of Smyth when his father passes. He’s not one to make you bow and scrape, but he is used to being in charge. So don’t be offended if he seems bossy.”
We were finally called to the starting line and given our numbers. The wardrobe gal made sure that none of the Range logos were covered. They gave us the coordinates to the first checkpoint, and Colin told Harry which route he wanted him to run. At first, I thought he was going to argue, but Colin reminded him that the purpose of the run was not to win but to get the best possible shots.
I think Harry thought he would take out his frustration by setting a brisk pace. At first, it wasn’t so bad. Then we started to climb the first fell. I quickly found that being last could be dangerous. If we headed up rocky slopes, the first three runners could loosen rocks and make it slippery. I now saw why they had the little rubber spikes on the bottom of the shoes. I needed the extra grip they gave me. It was obvious that Harry was going too fast for the girls.
“Harry, slow down!” I called out.
The jerk just ignored me. I tried twice more, but finally had enough and called a halt. The girls were more than willing. Harry just went on without us.
“Is he always like this?” I asked Beth.
“Sometimes. I think Colin pissed him off. He’ll cool off after a while.”
“Do you know route?” Kat asked.
“Yes, we run this often. There’s a fun stretch coming up. We get to run up a little stream. Just follow me and watch where I step. There’s a hole about halfway up that will soak you if you aren’t careful. But it feels good if you want to cool off.”