Half an hour before the start, enough time for my customary 3 visits to the toilet - where I met Tom H and we planned our recce next week for Leg 1 of Milleneum relay. We had our prerace instructions and with little more ado about 200 of us set out, most a bit worried that today was a wee bit too hot.
I'd done this race last year, when I was in pretty good nick and though my running is picking up, reckoned I was a bit off the pace - so decided to run against my hr monitor and planned to run at hr 158-168 - which to be honest i pretty much stuck to.
The climb from Threshfield over to Consiton Pie is beautiful but already I was feeling the hot humid conditions and expected that things would go nasty at some point. I met up with a couple AGH folks on the way up, Chantelle Busby and Richard Jackson - so we were ok if we needed resusitating. Tom and Jon were long since gone into the distance.
There's a cheecky little climb to the first check point and water before the welcome long decent to the road at Conniston, and crossing to Arncliffe. The descent came with a welcome breeze but the somewhat daunting view of Mastilles lane.
From Arncliffe the ascent though initially steady became somewhat relentless up Mastilles lane, I took a couple of walk breaks of about 150 yards, other than that it was slow and persistent. Pretty sure I ran more this year than last up the hill and arrived at the turn off in pretty much the same time as the year before.
The return run from here is just classic dales running, a combination of ups and downs, (mostly downs), across fields, tracks and green lanes, the temp now was about 22/23C and the breeze intermittent. I knew I wasn't as fast as last year but held my position and a bit more. Had one odd racing dip, when talking to Richard we just stopped running and defaulted to stroll in the dales for a minute or 2 - not sure what that was about we weren't even running up hill.
The last section hits tarmac, and arriving at the tarmac was like walking into a furnace for me. Looking at my hr for this it just started climbing and climbing.
The last wiggle across the main road, saw Graham Breeze overshoot the turn so I called him back though he'd already realised and we had a collective grump as exhausted and fearing spontaneous combustion I allowed him the lead back, properly giving way to my elders and did my best to look good in the last 100m. Great to catch support of Mark T(great run Mark) and Sarah ("you looked terrible Andy" - thanks Sarah), and Jon Sinclair (awesome run again Jon) and the general encouragement of the crowd.
Finishing you bleep your chip, take it into the clubhouse, where they exchange your chip for a printed splits/official finish time thing, pick up a wearable t - shirt and then I just collapsed in a seat whilst sweat poured from every pore. I even refused Jon's offer of a beer - which is frankly worrying in restrospect, but was revived by a pint of coke and ice enough to queue up for a bacon butty and become all sociable again with finishing harriers and dodgers (and those who should dodge). Helen (I don't run on roads) Shaw recognised me beneath the sea of perspiration.
The time - 2:09:46 - just in the top 1/3 and only 3mins slower than last year - so being honest and in that heat and with 1600ft up and downess, I think for me that was at least on a par with last years performance.
Great runs and times from Jon S (1:40 and 2nd fastest old bloke), Mark T (sub 1:40), Tom H 1:52 as well as others on a hot hard day for running.
Mid afternoon got back and bro and sister in law and youngster turned up unexpectedly which made a pleasant afternoon and evening bbq feast and good company. I currently ache a bit but if today was summer - I'll take it.
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