Downhill Fast

I am not sure if that is a description of the race or the state of my running!

Being up North to do some mother-in-law sitting I thought I would meet up with EtU for a gentle run on the moors. "It's the Downhill Race" he said, so we drove up to Wilderswood and jogged/walked to The Scotchman's stump. The organiser clearly did not believe me when I said I was an ex-runner as he started me 30 seconds behind EtU. All went well for 5 mins until I forgot it rains up North and therefore what looks like nice green grass is in fact a bog. In I went to the great amusement of Tony Varley who had caught me up. The 40 secs or so that I lost extracating myself were to have disasterous consequences.

Even in my prime I was never a good descender and now coming off the Pike I was reduced to a snail's pace. When I got to Georges Lane there was no-one in sight. I hadn't done this race for over 20 years and I haven't lived up here for over 10 so I was relying on following someone to find the Devil's Steps. Well I did find them - eventually - after blundering about in some woods for 10 minutes. I jogged home about 7 minutes behind the last runner but I can say I enjoyed it. I even got a prize; I am not sure if it was the booby prize, a sympathy award or the prize for the person who had come the furthest to do the race.

It was nice to see some old faces and to take part in a proper Horwich race, and tomorrow I hope to do my 10th run of the year.

TLoB