Dentists Make Me Nervous...

...especially female ones, four feet twelve tall, one place behind me in a fell race. And so it was at Aggie's Staircase tonight at Darwen. OK, I've had to get used to T'Yorkshireman beating me in fell races; but TF had always been a reasonable distance behind, not a worry, just our protege, bobbing along and no imminent threat.

Tonight was different, she had me worried. I felt like Butch and Sundance when they were on the run to Bolivia; every time they thought they were clear, they'd stop and listen, and the Pinkerton Agents were still behind them, and every time, a little closer. So it was with the little figure in the blue cag. TF didn't beat me, but it was a close call.

But mustn't get downhearted, or neurotic; it's no good having a protege if you get upset when they are ready to beat you. But it was worse than that, I broke the golden rule of fell running: don't race the guy behind, race the guy in front. Tonight I was racing the guy(!) behind.

More generally, the night was even wetter than last year's race, with so much water that it was more like gill scrambling than fell running. There was a good Horwich turnout, with Dennis Mason first home for Horwich in what we think was eighth place. Suzanne, third lady overall and first o45. No prize for her at first, but a bit of barracking from the wfdbwgua squad, when the second open lady (fourth lady overall) was awarded a prize, secured her a bottle of wine.

Colin Waterworth, having cycled to the race from Bury, beat Richard Longlands and all our little squad, and T'Yorkshireman beat me by about a minute and a half. Several other Horwich runners beat Colin but I'm afraid I didn't know any of them. (No results at time of posting).

Marks out of ten for this race? Six I think, not enough open running and twice past the Tower stop it ever being a classic.

EtU