DARK PEAK NEWS - Dark Peak Fell Runners

Dark Peak News October 2007 page 29The Dog’s DiaryPhil Crowson has chalked up a Dark Peak first by managing to get lost betweenregistration and the start of a race. Mike Nolan took pity on the witless Philand gave him detailed instructions for negotiating the half-mile to the start of theMount Famine race. He then rather foolishly let him out of his site, whereupon Philnipped into some woods to lighten his load, lost touch with the rest of the runnersand missed the start after going walkabout. He was later seen trying to regain thequarter-mile he lost on the rest of the field on the first hands-and-knees climb.You’d never catch Kev Saville being so disorganised. He drove up to the Lakes in suchgood time for the Dunmail to Wasdale leg of the Bob Graham Round that he had timeto get his head down in the car for some kip before the runners arrived. Unfortunately,he parked a little too far away from the point where the runners cross the road. Sofar away, in fact, that nobody knew he was there. The runners came through, got fedand watered, changed their supporters and headed off up Steel Fell while Kevin sleptblissfully on before waking alone some hours later.My ear has been bent by club chairman Andrew Moore. He felt - strongly - thatthe reference in the last edition to his reckless custody of the Skyline timekeepingequipment was, to quote, “a pack of lies”. Harsh, and not something I take lightly.I have been back to my sources, (there were several), who insist that my account ofevents was, well, broadly accurate. All I can do really is leave you to make your ownminds up. I do not wish to damage Mr Moore’s reputation, and should probably nowleave him alone for a while. But I can’t resist passing on a snippet that reached merecently about his early career aspirations. It seems he tried to get into the RAF butfailed to pass some key tests. The job he was after? You guessed it... a navigator.Interesting new Bob Graham diet technique from Mark Harvey. I’m told his intakeon the hills was next to nothing, augmented with a chicken curry at Wasdale whilethe other contenders walloped down the traditional stodge. This lack of carbohydrateinduced the mother of all bonks, with Mark simultaneously losing the powers ofmovement, speech and thought. His supporters had to keep themselves amused whileMark ambled aimlessly behind them like a trappist zombie. If you’ve not yet seen thevideo of his trance-like meanderings on the hills, treat yourself now:http://www.youtube.com/user/FellrunnerJimWuffThe Dog’s Diary consists of assorted snippets collected by Chase the dog while out running.Whisper your titbits in his ear, or e-mail him in his kennel: holmesloxley@blueyonder.co.uk