Running race (Hill race) 1:28:41 [4] 12.6 km (7:02 / km) +980m 5:04 / km
shoes: Walsh PB Trainer Ultra
A hideous day - terrible conditions for the fell race. Organiser Don nearly shortened the race to make us turn at the zig-zags, but made a last-minute call to let us run all the way. In the end only one runner needed attention from the Mountain Rescue on the hill, so - right decision.
My legs felt OK on the climb, but as the rain turned to sleet and then to snow, I lost all feeling in my hands and then my jaw, so by the time I decided to put on gloves and hat my fingers refused to cooperate and I wasted at least a minute fumbling trying to get them on. I should have put on my coat at that point too, because by the time I did, later (with yet further faffing) my sodden helly was freezing and coated in snow.
So the climb was okay, although I felt my lack of stamina towards the top, but my descent was pretty useless, really. Don Reid and then Gary Fraser flew past me and both took about 4 minutes out of me on the way down. I just wasn't confident over the rockier stuff - (a) I've lost the knack, (b) I was too cautious, (c) I wasn't springy enough, and (d) I don't like what they've done to the track, too many ankle-turning cobbly bits! All but the latter can be fixed with more downhill practice and speedwork. Much work to do.
Times were all down, typically around 5-7 minutes slower than usual for most runners, but that would still make this yet another PW for me!
Oh well. I felt sufficiently hard to have actually gone ahead and raced in such terrible conditions.
Running warm up/down 10:00 [2] 1.4 km (7:09 / km)
Warm up; warm down consisted of a stand in the loch! Curiously the ice-cold water felt warmish; probably due to the rest of my body being pretty cold too.