I made three mistakes on Sunday. I’d taken my micro-spikes but seeing no-one else was wearing them including such luminaries as Paul Murray, I didn’t use them. Mistake 1.
After crossing the tarmac road to head for the Shooting Hut I realized that no-one was taking the optimum route. Having already had a few slips I decided to opt for safety in numbers, but after 50 yards or so I saw a solitary figure taking the best path, so I cut across to join him. It turned out to be Kev Latham and we stayed together until the Knoll, both with the main ambition of getting round safely. I especially had one eye on my Tenerife holiday on Friday. From the Knoll down to Georges Lane I gradually drew away from Kev who I think of as Rik now(Re-installed Icelandic Kev). I was amongst a group of runners and having gone through the farmer’s field and up the bank at the other side of the dip we couldn’t, in the mist, find the path to the checkpoint. Mistake 2. When we eventually did, the time it had cost led to us being timed out by 4 minutes. Kev meantime was 4 minutes within the cut-off time. Adhering to the request not to recce the course , it being a farmer’s field I didn’t, which in hindsight, not having been there since last doing the race 3 years ago was mistake 3. As the title says, I should have stayed with Kev.
Well done to Kev for completing the course, and to EYJ for such a good time under treacherous conditions. Also to FSS for the feat of doing the Amblezarke Amble and the Winter Hill on successive days, and the feet of staying on them for such a distance on such hazardous territory. Black marks to EtU or TBT(too busy talking) as I think he should be known nowadays, and myself, mistake-ridden Matt.
So apart from getting lost, getting a lump on my head as a result of one of my many falls, knocking a lens out of my glasses, getting my footwear wrong, running the descents like a Big Jessie, getting timed-out, being too casual with my reccying, I had a pretty successful outing! Roll on next year.
It was good to see and chat to NLN at the end. Every cloud has a silver lining. By the way, good piccies of your Lakes weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment