A strange feeling of deja vu surrounded this year’s Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon, based around Conniston on July 3rd and 4th. Once again, Crispin and I had teamed up at the last minute (the Friday afternoon!). Once again Manny had pulled out with a bruised pinky or some-such. I’d intended to run with Chris Upson,
Kielder Borderer Fell Race. 17 miles / 3000ft. 1st August, 2004 It’s thankfully rare to come away from a race and regret having done it. Not so the Kielder Borderer Fell race on Sunday. I wish I’d never heard of the bloody thing, and certainly have no intention of ever returning. It seemed like the
Bumper Beer Fest as Westies Avenge D.B. Humiliation A thumping victory by the mens team at the Bishop Hill Race yesterday accounted for only a small fraction of the total prize-haul, with westies of various ages and hues dominating just about every section. Manny had chosen this as the second race in the Summer Hill
Eildon Hill Race. 26th June, 2004 After the novel experience a couple of weeks ago of winning a race on the strength of my descending, normality returned with a thud and a whimper yesterday in the Eildon Hill Race, when I remained in contention to the top of the course and was comprehensively humped on
South Wales Traverse. 4th & 5th June 2004. 80(ish) miles. 27000ft ascent Note: This report was written for Crispin’s employer’s website, hence the references unfamiliar to Westies. Crispin told me some months ago about this hair-brained scheme, and immediately I was hooked. Back in the olden days when I was a fit young man (i.e.
Life on the Good Ship Chunder 19th-21st May Long ago, before I left England, and before my lobotomy, I heard tell of a mystical race in darkest Scotland involving mountains, bogs, boats and ship-devouring whirl-pools. At the time I was living near London, where the most adventurous local event took participants down to the Tesco
Saturday, 25th January, 2003 Chris Upson & Demon Rodwell The forecast for January 25th was gales, possibly severe, with frequent blustery and wintry showers. Thus encouraged, Chris Upson and I set off for Kinlochleven for a spot of Marilyn bagging. We’d initially hoped for a spot of company, but over the preceding week first Manny
It’s an odd thing, you know. On the biggest island on the planet, more spacious than all of western Europe with only a third of the population of Britain, where land is in such plentiful supply than virtually all houses are single-storey, sprawling affairs and every other street corner has a designated area of parkland
April 28 Five hardy souls braved balmy sunshine and a gentle breeze on Saturday April 28th to tackle the Erskine Bridge Cross, an annual Christian Aid charity event. The course was similar in many respects to Manny’s notorious 12-Trig Trog, apart from the heather and the peat… and the mud, bogs, forestry and hills. Er
15/8/99 It was after enduring my first effort session in eight years (the exact number of times we ran up and down the Kilpatricks is lost in a wobbly-legged blur) that Mark suggested I have a bash at the trial for the World Hill Running Championships on August 15th. I decided a reccy would be