Running race (Race) 55:36 [5] 9.23 km (6:01 / km) +750m 4:17 / km
My watch thinks I did 1,444m of climbing, which tells you something about the weather.
Ran ten or fifteen minutes before the start, plus a few token stretches. A boggy, tussocky field isn't the ideal place for a comprehensive warmup. Made sure I went out reasonably hard to avoid bottlenecks. A short descent off the main path was a little slow but I didn't lose any time. Didn't bother trying to gain any places low down as it meant wading off into the heather, but I picked off one or two here and there once we were a little higher. From Scald Law to the Howe I was around Es, James Waldie, Joe Mann, maybe gaining a couple of places but mostly just trying not to get blown over. (We'd been warned at the start that the MR guys on South Black Hill couldn't stand up.)
Es caught me on the last climb to Carnethy so I tucked in behind and hung onto him to the top. I passed him on the descent but then him and two Ambleside guys passed me on the shitey run to the finish.
The depth at Carnethy is cool. Everyone racing from beginning to end. If I'd been 15" quicker I'd have made 5 places. I think I was 20th. Serves me right for having an ultra runner's finishing kick.
Comfortably under the hour but a minute off Mudge's cr, which I had pegged as a second target. No problems really. Hamstrings know they've done some work lately, and hips/glutes/lower back stuff was talking to me on the last climb but I imagine that's true for everyone.