Shining Tor 6m 1250’

Midges! And flapjack. One is tastier than the other, but I ended up with both plastered all over my face by the end of tonight.

This event was another reminder of just how tough a short race can be, I suppose the 9 mile run home from work 2 nights previous didn’t do me any favours, but the main climb of the race, up from the valley bottom is a real tough one, up a rocky trail that twists and turns upwards, never allowing you to get your head down and strike up a decent rhythm.

From there it’s a bit of a plod across the flagstones of the open moorland and eventually coming out at Shining Tor, after which you start to come back on yourself and enter the second part of the race.

Apart from the aforementioned midges tonight was quite humid and drizzly, and the views from the top would have been pretty impressive under most other circumstances.

There was just time for a couple of suicidal descents down rocky trails and through the pine forest before we found ourselves by the foot of the dam and a nasty 20 metre uphill finish. There was a lady runner just ahead of me but being a gentleman I held back and let her finish ahead of me J
Then it was flapjack time! The spread at the end was pretty immense, as you can see below.

Probably about the most fun I could have had for £4 tonight in all of England!

Pennine Fell Runners 7th July

Tonight was my first night out running with Pennine. Mrs theoptimisticrunner had insisted that I have a run out with them, she is currently pregnant with optimistic junior v 2.0 but is a keen runner herself so can understand me going there.

It was great to find a new route up Lantern Pike, which is probably my favourite spot round these parts as the views from the top over Kinder, New Mills and further afield to Manchester and the west coast are spectacular. Plus it’s a bit more accessible than Kinder; you can be at the top within 30 mins from New Mills.