Burbage Skyline 5.75m/1200ft Tues 10th May

A little trip over towards Sheffield to practise some boulder hopping. Not an auspicious start for the organizing club (Dark Peak) when the queue for registration was doing two laps round the pub car park. They'd remembered the numbers but not the registration forms. It took until 6.45pm until they decided that we were a trustworthy enough looking bunch not to sue for millions. So basic details only (name and age category) and no signature.

Given the registration problems, they did well to get us off only ten minutes late. With an apparently ever increasingly popular race, unless you were at the front you were never destined to get off to a 'flyer'. Being congested it was difficult at first to get a good route choice, but eventually we thinned out a bit. Was doing ok, but then hit the typical peak district boulder path, sandy bits interspersed with rounded bits of rocks of varying sizes. Not sure why it is but I always seem to struggle on these paths, even on the flatter sections. However I persevered and even managed to keep running up two of the steeper climbs.

I had hoped to get under 60 mins for this one, so was a bit disappointed to make the finish line in nearer 65 mins. I was however pleased to achieve my other aim which was to 'run' the whole route without any walking, a year or two back I'd have struggled to do that on a race with 800ft of climb, let alone 1200ft. I also feel it did me good to race over an unfamiliar route, keeps you on your toes so to speak, and a whole lot better than running circles on a track. I didn't stay for the prize giving but I bet they're still there trying to sort out the team awards!

Will be out on thursday this week for a utup, but away in the Lakes at the weekend.

TF