All the short runs this week may have made very little difference to my fitness but they did get the legs working again in time for the 2nd English Fell Championship race at Mearly Clough yesterday. At 3.5 miles or so it was not really my thing – I tend to need at least 6 miles to warm up! And the lack of running in the previous 6 weeks was not preparation in any way! Still, I tried to phsyc myself up for it and had a good warm-up running at least 4 miles up and down the fields at the beginning of the race route.
The race was a new one to me, although the summit cairn is a checkpoint on the Tour of Pendle which I ran some years ago. I don’t remember it though as it was thick mist at that point! It was also strange as I’m not used to women only fell races and it was interesting to see how this affects your running as everyone you are racing against is in your class! I set off fairly fast and just tried to keep on going. I thought I was doing pretty well, but as the climb went on and steepened my legs started screaming more and more. I was so grateful when the summit arrived. It was disappointing to see how far Julie and Cat where ahead of me, and how close Sam was behind me! But I dug in and found something in my legs to surge around the top of the clough and then just went for it on the descent. I think the couple of thunderstorm retreats we’d had in Corsica really helped my descending on this as I felt really good and passed two ladies on the steep descent and then managed to haul another two I think on the run in. Finished 25th overall, behind the lassies I’m normally behind and ahead of ones I’m normally ahead of!
Julie commented that if I could do that well with 6 weeks off then there was probably no point in training…. I think Duddon may prove that statement wrong….
The result puts me equal 24th in the Ladies Championship after 2 races. Duddon next, and little time to find any speed or stamina.
No comments:
Post a Comment