Bum Steer from TF for Henderson's End

Not one of my better outings, and JtE and the Man With No Pseudonym were wise to avoid it.

I ran from home as a warm up and to try to flush some of the residual Duddon lactic from my legs, but succeeded in doing neither. The map of the course was a little unclear, so I assured everyone that we didn't have to go to the top of the Pike, just follow the spiral path round to the right.

The midges were fairly wicked (in the traditional sense, not as in "Wicked, man" (do they still say "man"?)), so it was a relief to hear the gun/klaxon/shout of "Go!" (can't remember which), but this soon turned to despair when the likes of t'Yorkshireman and others quickly pulled away, leaving me trailing behind with just a few other would-be runners.

The gaps gradually widened and I was reduced to toing and froing with a slightly chubby young lady from Rossendale whom I passed on all the climbs, but was in turn passed by on all the descents.

As it turned out, we did have to go round the Pike tower, there was even a marshall on top with a big cardboard arrow pointing the way. Anyway, by the time I finished all the folk I had mis-advised had long gone, even t'Yorkshireman was on his third beaker of orange.

But look on the bright side; when I finally do have a good run, won't it be great.

EtU