Slaughter

We’re on the park this morning, counting the deer, seeing how many have escaped the winter slaughter that has been going on this week. Sad but true. Well perhaps not to Doggo and MD who have never had much time for them. Come to think of it, neither have I...

Then I get the bus over to Derby to check on another kind of slaughter, that of Derby County. This one doesn’t arrive and instead we get the most boring hour of football you’ll ever not want to see. There was one shot between the two sides in that time, in the 43rd minute from Bristol City, if you’re interested but then the game sort of burst into life. They scored, probably by accident, but this at least woke the crowd up and subsequently the Derby team who went on to score two good goals and win the game. Which is a nice novelty to start off my long weekend.

I have Monday off because straight from the match we head up to the Lakes. L needs to add another six miles to her running total if she’s going to make her 500 and the Langdale Christmas Pudding 10k is an old favourite of ours. I’m happy to tag along if there’s dark stuff to be drunk.

It could be a cold one tonight, so we might need that dark stuff to keep us warm. Actually whereas it’s a mere two degrees as we head out of Derby, it’s oddly a balmy six degrees in the Lakes but we’ll have a few anyway just in case we need the insulation.

We end up in Sticklebarn until closing time, which is a first. We’re normally in a beery sleep long before then. How people manage to cause mayhem after drinking is beyond me. I’m always just too inebriated to be bothered.

(Saturday 10th December)

Should Be Quicker Tomorrow

The race is a 12 noon start. So plenty of time to work off last night’s overindulgence or alternatively to shred the pre-race manual some more. There was no pre-race pasta last night, only ham and cheese rolls. Then on top of last night’s alcohol, I’m even drinking coffee this morning which is usually a no no. Breakfast kind of goes out the window as well. Instead L’s munching on Pringles which I don’t think features on the must do list. At least I’ve brought an energy bar to go with one of the bananas.

The Great Langdale road races started in 1988 with the Christmas Pudding Run. There is now also a Marathon and a Half Marathon as well as these races in April, the Saint Georges Day 10k's, now in their 12th year. One race on Saturday and another on Sunday. It's a week early for Saint Georges Day but we'll let that pass.

The course is an out and back, slightly undulating route, along the Great Langdale Road. Starting at the Stickle Barn pub, running through The Langdale Estate before emerging in Elterwater and returning to the finish at the pub.



Conditions are almost ideal and it's not a bad run, considering my preparation, which couldn’t really have been any better. It just wasn't honed for running. At around 42:20, I’m 90 seconds or so slower than my best time here two years ago. Oh well. They do say 'the older you get, the better you used to be'. Perhaps if I’d been on OJ and water all night things would have been different but never mind.

L is running again tomorrow, whereas I prefer just to concentrate on one race per weekend. It will be interesting to see what her pre-race approach is tonight compared with last night. I think it’s going to be the Stickle Barn this evening, which have possibly the best line up on the bar I’ve ever seen in 15 odd years of coming here. Hobgoblin (although not very Cumbrian), Cumberland, Coniston Stout but I think the winner is the old fave Jennings' Snecklifter. Only 5.1% to OP's 5.6%, so L should be quicker tomorrow. In theory.

(Saturday 16th April)