Running race 1:18:10 [4] 9.32 km (8:23 / km) +408m 6:53 / km
The Turkey Trot. Turns out this was horrific but in a good way. Started at the bottom of the Trassey Track and the run up to the ford wasn't too bad although the rain was fairly brutal. Over the Trassey and angled up the hill towards the col between Meelmore and Bernagh, had to walk a bit of this cos my chest had tightened right up. Across the a small gorge and up onto the track towards the col. This is where it got brutal. Straight into a serious headwind and the rain had turned into snow but it felt like you were being smacked in the face with tiny ice pellets. I was very lucky there was a man with a red stripe on his Lycras as I couldn't actually look up the hill to see where I was going! So focusing on him I got beyond the first wall.
Over the stile and contouring round towards the col between Meelmore and Meelbeg. It was like a wild Narnia between the walls and it was in a Blizzard. Many thanks has to go to Billy Reed for his much needed encouragement as I climbed the final hill to the col. He was standing in the most exposed area of the course and was still cheery as I went past. The serious tailwind propelled me up the hill to the wall. Then over the wall and the sliding down the mountain began. It was fine was we were on the snow but the marsh was lethal. I wiped out a couple of times on the way back down.
Round the man with the white flag then just followed the wall home, went over on my ankle about 600m from home so hobbled the last section. I have never been more relieved to see a finish line. No warm down just back to the car quick change and home for a hot chocolate.
Definitely need to do a bit more hill running before I do it again and a route recce wouldn't have gone amiss, struggled to find a good line down to the wall in the end