Completely unrelated to the rest of my post I thought I would include a few pictures of the rice harvest in Jyamrung, Nepal.

The Wuthering hike, the first step towards my twin objectives for the year. The Vasque 12 plus using the Lakeland 100 to raise money for a range of projects in Jyamrung. Donations gratefully accepted, see previous post for contact details!

I enjoyed Martin Beales race report, it's nice to know what those up front are doing. But I would crib a bit at his description of it as a 'near perfect day'. It might have been for most of you but for those of us wearing glasses running those peaty paths sprinkled with small boulders in the cloud was a bit of a problem. I couldn't see with my glasses on (condensation) and I couldn't see with them off (that's why I wear them).

He was obviously way faster than me but I reckon I beat him for time over the last short stretch. As he did, as I emerged from the churchyard into the main street and hesitated as to whether to go right or left (I also vaguely remembered something being said at the start about plans to mark this last section?). A friendly local pointed across the road to a passageway almost directly opposite and said 'go down there, its a short cut'. And indeed it was, a few yards down a passageway, down a few steps and I was on the main road directly opposite the school gates. Not much use next year of course if we are back to the Community Centre.

And it did only partly make up for getting it wrong (again) at the road crossing in Hebble End. I found the cobbled lane and the steep steps but then lost it. I think I turned right too soon, finished up on a lower road, asked directions of a builder working on a house and got back to the the Heptenstall road by a route that seemed very reminiscent of last year but left me some way behind a group of 4 or 5 that I had swept past on the previous descent to the road. The only sweeping past I think I did all day.

Overall how was it? Well, my ankle and knee held up - just about, though I felt them all day. As soon as I started I knew my legs had not recovered from the (always mistaken) attempt in the penultimate week before the race to catch up on the training I had missed. Then, towards the end the lack of training due to the ankle injury began to take its toll. Overall the main problem was on the poorer paths from about two miles to around checkpoint 2. Not helped by the mist and conscious that though the ankle was holding up one badly placed foot could finish it. That's my excuse anyway. Plus one trip/fall - I always seem to manage one and always on a relatively easy section of track. And one extended toilet stop, a frequent feature of my races - I did try Immodium for a period but it did not seem to make any difference. I had hoped for about 6 1/4 hours and finished a few seconds over 7 hours. Better than last year when with a worse ankle injury I hobbled in in 7 hours 52. Reasonably satisfied in the circumstances.

So, now it is the Hardmoor 55 (or 54 as it now is due to a last minute route change). My knee is fine now and the ankle at least as good as it was at this time last week. I did two runs of 5 and 4 miles on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, this week I will do nothing so I hope it will be fully recovered. I have done significant sections of the Hardmoor route before (Lyke Wake and Osmotherley Phoenix) and recall the paths as being pretty good. I understand from others that the same is true of the rest of the route. So, I am looking forward to it. The weather forecast for Saturday, rain and a fresh easterly wind, is not too good at the moment but perhaps it will change. And at least an easterly wind will give us a push start.

Good luck to all those running nexct week.