Eddies Revenge Fell Race

This was to be my first race since spraining my ankle at Saddleworth nearly four weeks ago and I was really looking forward to it. Feeling strong on the warm up I knew I should run okay and this turned out to be the case. I have a had a pretty solid two weeks and knew that the hills on the course would suit me, I just had to hang in there at the start! The race starts up a tarmac road for about 200-300 meters before heading off up the first climb. The start was as frantic as ever and although I have been running I haven't done as much racing this year as I usually do so was a little bit shocked by the pace! I was probably in about 10th place at the top of the climb. The race then flattens out for a few hundred meters and descends steeply for about 400 meters before the long climb up to the summit of the race at the transmitter. I managed to pass three people on the descent and one more on the climb and assumed I was in about 5th or 6th place. I managed to hold on to that position for the descent but then comes the sting in the tail. You actually run past the finish and do the first climb again before dropping back down and by now I was absolutely hanging out of my arse! I could see two other runners chasing me down and thought I had better get my arse in gear and get to the finish. It turned out that one runner had gone off course and I ended up finishing fourth. Very pleasing result and that was the quickest  I've run that race by 30 seconds. A confidence boost just at the right time, off to Italy for the Dolomites Skyrace in three weeks and I'm feeling good again.

I love where I Live!

Been a bit hit and miss on the running front since the champs race in Northern Ireland. The two weeks after the race i felt very tired and run down and had a lot of work to get on with for college and the running was the part of my life  that suffered most. Everything caught up with me. Then whilst running the Saddleworth fell race on the 27th May i sprained my ankle quite badly and this has stopped me running a step for the last ten days. But my experience of injuries over the last few years has shown that sometimes its good to slow things down for a bit and that sometimes not being able to run is a blessing in disguise.

Over the last ten days i have been out climbing, cycling or hiking everyday and its been great to get out and see things from a different perspective and do something a little different. This injury has also coincided with the release of the new Moorland Grit  climbing guidebook which covers Kinder, Bleaklow, and my local crags of the Chew Valley and Marsden. It's been great to get out and move over my local rock and have a a real adventure just 20 minutes from my front door with good friends. Its also nice to scare the shit out of myself aswell, which is quite often the case when i go climbing. But more than anything else, when i get out into my local hills, whatever i am doing, i feel a deep sense of satisfaction and belonging. I have been spending time in these hills for 18 years now and i still get excited about the place. I love where I live and I feel that wherever i go in the world that something about this place will always drag me back, its where i feel at home, in this wonderful little corner of England. Everytime i get out there i feel refreshed and content, and i hope that i never lose that feeling.

Anyway.....67 days before Sierre - Zinal...... let the training commence!


Home sweet home!