Coiners 12.2k/405m Mon 7th May

Just what the legs needed, dips in some icy bogs.

Curiously I last did this race in 2008, when it was (like this year) 2 days after Coniston. The organizers have added an extra climb to take into account my now 'vast' experience in the hills over the last 4 years. So on the face of it the race was now an extra 1000m long and 100m higher.

So given that I'm having trouble breaking 5 mins for 1000m on a flat, oval shaped tarmac on a tuesday evening I was reasonably pleased not to take that much longer on this new extended route over the time for 2008 of 1hr 24mins. (Results to confirm when published)

The downside was I was having difficulty keeping in front of the sweeper, I think the poor forecast had put a few off. Eventually caught up with the two gents in front of me, though to be fair one had a gammy knee and the other as blind as a bat. Hampered by a bit of wire fencing towards the end (short legs, the bane of my life), otherwise they'd have both finished behind me. As it was 'blind as bat' gent pipped me on the line.

Think I'll give the track session a miss tomorrow and get a bit of hill practice in. Mearley Clough looks suitably steep enough.

TF