Winter Hill Run Sat 27th Nov

Just me and SN for this one. I'd left the car at the car park near R&B School given the icy conditions and run to the lower barn. SN was there waiting for me and was happy with an 11:00am finish so we set off, heading for the track to the Pidgeon Tower as the initial starting point for our run. At the top barn we came across a bunch of about 20 fine looking specimens (missed a treat NLN) just setting off on their run. We both made the assumption that the (rugby) match had been cancelled due to a frozen pitch.

You'll all be proud of me and SN as we beat them to them Pidgeon Tower, us two emerging from the north, them from the south. I think our superior local knowledge won the day. We waved them off from the top of the Pike and headed our separate ways. So off we went to 2 Lads, took a bit of a short cut across country to the path down to the shooting hut (higher up to avoid wet feet). On up to Burnt Edge and back to 2 Lads via the top of the Quarries. We avoided a second visit to the Pike and instead turned downhill to the school, where we parted company to return to our respective cars. About 10 miles for us both if you include the sections we did on our own.

I completed Saturday's running with a 30 min orienteering event in Leverhulme Park. Finished 2nd, although it was a low turn out, but beat a couple notable faster runners on their first orienteering event. i wonder how long it'll take them to get the hang of it. If you wish to know who they were have a look here www.seloc.org.uk


An early start on Sunday saw me line up for the Women's 5.25m race round Swinton. This is one lap of the 2 lap course that EtU ran as the Swinton 10m in September. Bitterly cold, took 2 miles for my hands to warm up. Pleased to report that I managed my first sub 8min/m for a 5m race, 41:46.

Could be a minor hiccup in the training this week with the wintry conditions forecast, but I suppose that's why they invented gyms and treadmills.

TF