Jack of all, master of none. (Wuthering Hike)

Today I realised the hardest thing in running.  It's not hills or sprinting.  It's not marathons or 10k's.  It's not getting beaten by your nearest rival for the 10th time in a row.  It's not the weather or a speed session in the snow.  No, the hardest thing about running is myself.  I am far to critical of my performances and want to be good at everything.  I want to get a good half marathon time one week and then I want to race a 33 mile ultra marathon which in parts was more like a cross country event.  Looking back to the middle of February when we did our last 31 mile WHW training run I have raced every weekend so perhaps that's what is getting to me but the hard fact is that I felt shocking all week and probably in need of a rest.

Still I was looking forward to doing a race that was different from the norm and meeting some fellow West Highland Wayers.  We had arranged to meet Brian Mc when we got to Haworth.  We have decided to run the OMM later this year together so this was a great chance to finally meet him in person and for both of us to make sure that we wanted to spend a weekend together in a stinky, crammed, wet tent.  After a couple of remarks about farting I knew we would get on just grand.  Brian and his wife are a really nice couple and so is their daughter who was fast asleep but I met the next day.  Then it was off to the Youth Hostel that Debbie had booked to give her a crash course in navigation.  As we got into our romantic bunk beds I couldn't help think that perhaps Brian had made the better choice in renting a cottage for the weekend. Especially when the YHA of England tried to charge Debbie an extra £6 for not being a member.  Lets just say that we are probably banned from future nights in hostels.

HAWORTH YOUTH HOSTEL

I woke up the next morning feeling a bit better than I had been.  Maybe it was adrenaline.  Debbie and I got dressed quickly and it was off to registration and the start.  After some pictures with Phil Robertson and Brian, we were off.

PHIL, DEBBIE AND ME

ME AND BRIAN

ME, BRIAN MC and PHIL

I started pretty far back in the pack and through the narrow streets of Haworth it was difficult to get out of the pack.  Once out of the village I felt I could breath again and spent some time talking to Brian Mc.  By mile 3 I was feeling shattered again and Hugh caught me up.  I spoke to him for quite a long time but I was really struggling to keep up with him and eventually he pulled away.  Not long after that Kate Jenkins caught up with me and I decided that I would have to stop feeling sorry for myself at being of peak and try to keep up with her.  At first it was a nightmare but after chatting for a while I started to forget about feeling gubbed and started to finally enjoy the run.  Kate was funny and didn't seem to have any patience for anything.  Later on in the race when I was about 20m in front of her I could hear her shouting and swearing at a car that was beside her on the road.  It made me laugh and I was waiting for her to throw something at a car.  When I asked her about it at the end she said that one year she did throw stones at a car.  Kate had her dog with her as well.  I think the crazy dog was more crazy than Kate and must have covered 50 miles in the race as it ran all about.  Kate seemed to talk to the dog in 5 different languages as well. 

When we went up Stoodley Pike (the highest point in the race) I noticed that a lot of runners ahead of me had started to slow down.  I love hard walking up hills and I had soon left Kate and started to catch up other runners.  This gave me a bit more confidence and near the top I heard a familiar voice shouting me from above.  It was Hugh.  I passed him and then had to slow a bit for the descent into Hebden Bridge.  It really killed my legs on the steep downhill.  there was then a big uphill section that I managed to walk fast and get refuelled before the last 8 miles of the race which was more like the WHW.  I finished in 25th position in 5hr 2min and 12 secs.  Debbie finished in 7hr 3min.

EEK, DEBBIE AND ME WITH OUR WHW BUNNETS

THE FINISH

ALL FINISHED AND TIME FOR A FEED

HUGH LOOKING DODGY

It was a good day out that I would like to do again one day with a bit better preparation.  The best part though was meeting all the WHW people (Brian, Hugh, Phil, Kate and Jim)

Also wanted to say well done to everyone that ran the Lairig Mor Hill race.  John beat Ian to make it 2-1 to Ian in their race series and Tom had a marvelous result to come in 8th in 1:38:22.  Well done to you all.

IAN, JOHN AND TOM DISCUSSING THE LAIRIG MOR RACE.  JOHN LOOKING EVER SO PLEASED AT THE RESULT. MUCH BETTER WEATHER THAN WHAT WE GOT