You never know, I might fancy the actual race next time...
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I overtook Glen there too, I'm sure it was the same line but I'd lost sight of you by then, your previous contour put some good distance between us, and you can't really see round the corners for what is up ahead behind the woolpacks! I think I'd made some ground up by the time I shouted across to you at Grindslow Knoll though. You're right though, much easier on the legs on that line behind. That was the section that I was running with 2nd lady. Hopefully somebody will enlighten me as to her name so that I don't have to keep rudely referring to her as 'second lady'...
'Third Lady' also showed me a clean pair of heels about three miles before the finish. I lost my shoe in a bog, fished it out, fiddled with getting it back on and whoosh, Nicky shot past. Couldn't reel her back in, her climbing at that late stage was awesome.
15 minutes faster for me this year, but after a rubbish winter of endless colds and chest infections, I suspect that all of that improvement was down to the perfect ground.
I'm surprised how many people are totally wrecked today, regardless of their position in the field. My theory is that we all went way quicker than we'd planned - I kept telling myself to slow down on the first half, sadly the legs didn't listen and then they fell off somewhere after Brown Knoll!
I've only done this race twice, but on both occasions a good portion of the field go like the clappers for the first 5 miles hit the climb on the other side and start walking, then presumably staggering from Brown Knoll onwards.....seems like a 5 mile fell race strategy followed by some awful war of attrition ?
Ian, i saw you make good ground on me there with your line and Simon caught me up. I did enough to keep you in sight for the line down behind the wool packs. TBH, i actually thought you must have been in front of me. Had a bad patch over brown knoll and around there where i thought i was going to be sick. I think my drink was too sweet that i carried and i gratefully (at the time) took some jelly babies on offer. I think the combo was too much for my stomach there. Got through it after that and then with you having trouble on the downhill ian, i almost caught you up.
talking To Dave tonight and he said there is about 300 more pictures to go on...!
Rich, I have spent the last 2 years trying to work out who you are and then I had an epiphany running over lords seat. stupid really when you're friend on my Face book page! Doh. Well at least I think you are.
My legs are ok, nealy got a PB tonight at the Trunce, quite a few ES runners there.
I always walk the first climb, it's far too early to run, ran from the top until I caught Judith up then stuck with her for the next 3 miles she ran away from me going Lose Hill although she was never out of sight until the end.
My sister though she was hallucinating bacon butties at Jacob's Ladder...I can assure her she was not! Yum yum...
Finally got round to registering after months of following some great race threads!
Fantastic day yesterday - the Skyline just gets better. Thanks to everyone who helped - amazing organisation and dedication from so many volunteers.
Beat last year's time by half an hour - still in shock that I did around 3:20, but the conditions couldn't have been better!
I was sure the contour from Jacob's Ladder would help me, but I lost the 4 places which I'd gained around Brown Knoll. I still think it's the best line, but too hard on tired legs by then.....but not sure that I'd have fared any better with the bigger climb on the path.
Sounds like I need to learn the racing line around the Woolpacks for next year......