Away With The Elves

The guy who runs the campsite recommends we move our tent. Apparently the cones that appear to be scattered randomly everywhere in fact indicate the safe camping area when we are less likely to get a tree blown down on top of us in the coming gale or rather they did, until the wind moved them. Health and Safety... pffff.

We move. At least we’re not feeling so Billy no mates now as a few other tents have pitched up near us.

The gale arrives, or rather the rain arrives, in time for the race at midday. We both don Santa hats, something I’ve not done for a run before. L says I look more like an elf. Cheers. I wonder if all us elves have to run in a group together..

The race is under new management this year and they have dedicated the race as a ‘testimonial’ to the guy who used to organise it. We see him running the fun run before the main race, which is a relief. We don’t want it to turn into a ‘memorial’ just yet.

The only change in organisation that I can see is that the 10k is marked in miles this year. Pffff. Sacrilege.

I take the event very slowly and the knee is fine, on the flat bits and even the uphills but I have to crawl down some of the downhills. Funny thing is, I’d always had this run down as pretty flat in an undulating sort of way. Funny how your perception can change when injured.

The result is my slowest ever 10k... 54:34. As L would say shoot me now or lead me to the Old Peculiar.

Instead we have a swift one in the New Dungeon Ghyll before heading back to the tent for mulled wine and to think of creative ways to kill time before heading to the Old Dungeon Ghyll for tea and a few evening ales. The mulled wine is nicely aged, it says drink within six months but must be two years old. Seems fine to us.

(Saturday 14^th December)