Vanessa Chappell Fell Race 5.6m/1317ft

You needed a bit of insider info for this one or have run it before. I had both but Colin W still managed to get a good 100m ahead through the initial obstacle course of steps, gates, and stiles. He must have been doing some seriously hard training this year as try as I might I couldn't manage to reel him back on the next road section.

After that it's game over, as a seriously long wait at the next ladder stile scuppers any hope thereafter. All I could do now was to hit the original target of beating last years time. Not one for taking the easy option, I'd done a hardish run the day before and had to contend with the organizer altering the course slightly, adding a detour to avoid a collapsed bridge.

I think having a Manchester YMCA harrier lady breathing very hard down my neck along the last ridge concentrated my efforts for the last descent. She must have wondered where the sudden burst of speed came from as I set off downhill like some startled rabbit. Worked though, 3mins quicker than last year, but 2 mins slower than Colin W.

Impressed with the speed of the availability of the results

http://www.goytvalleystriders.org.uk/pages/vanessaresults/vanessa2011.html

Question - He's got the speed, but can he do the distance?

Next CW/EtU/TF show-down is Duddon Fell Race Saturday 4th June. Need to get serious for this one, can't be letting the girls' side down, so don't think I'll be doing a little trot from Belmont to Darwen Tower and back in under 2hrs the day before like I did this week!

TF
ps Found a new trod to avoid running along the road section near Tockholes Wood. Remind me to show it to you all next time we're out that way.