Thought it'd be straight forward this one, gentle ease into racing at the start of the new year. But it was a battle of all the 'elements' involved in fell running from the off.
First element, Mandy and Wayne. Who caught up with me at the queue for the first style. So much for the racing start.
Second element, the wind and rain. Had to be careful not to run to close to the drainage ditch that circles the Turley Holes plateau, just in case you got blown in and had to swim round.
Finally the third and surprise element (at least for me). Agility test. At about the halfway point the open drainage ditch became a smaller closed one. Route choice was deep, peaty mud or running along the top of a 2ft wide cylindrical concrete tube. I managed to find a picture of part of it here, it's the bigger one on the left in the centre of the picture.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Walkingmum/0903BlackstoneEdgeWarland#5308285683822199474
If it'd been smooth all along it's length it wouldn't have been too bad, but it was obviously made in sections joined together, as about every three foot there was a wider bit sticking out from the tube (the joint, I presume). So trying to stay on the top, and also not trip yourself up was extremely testing.
Came back in about 2hrs 10mins, a minute or so ahead of Wayne and a couple ahead of Mandy. Apparently according to the organizer it was the best turn out they'd had on the most miserable day for running the race.
I'm off to do the 'Hebden' next Saturday and away the following week so won't be out for a utup for the next two Saturdays.
TF
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