Kinder Scout, Clwydian cloud inversion

Gradually trying to regain some strength and fitness. Still affected by my flu bout, even though it was three weeks ago, and now seem to have developed some kind of hamstring injury to make matters worse. A few runs last week, including an intervals session, went OK - but mileage still well down. Met my old friend Pete in the Peak District on Saturday, and we traversed the Kinder Scout plateau to the downfall via Grindsbrook from Edale. Back over Kinder Low via the Pennine Way in classic Peak conditions of low cloud, high wind and knee-deep peat bog. Most enjoyable. Yesterday I ran from Pantymwyn in fog up to the Clwydian ridge where I popped through the cloud into perfect still winter sunshine. I sat near Moel Dywyll watching the cloud bank gently creep up to the ridge, before running up Moel Famau pursued by the bank of cloud: quite beautiful. Then, on the top of Moel Famau, enjoyed a 20 minute long 'glory' - my silhouette reflected on the cloud below the summit with a rainbow halo: the sun above the Vale of Clwyd, the cloud bank just east of the top. Only the 2nd or 3rd time I've seen this famous phenomenon in nearly 20 years of mountain activity. I then ran down to Pantymwyn in thick mist.

Post-flu border league nightmare

A disastrous performance in the third race of the Border League season in Prestatyn yesterday. Had a really bad dose of flu in early December, confined to bed for nearly four days, and had only done two or three mild runs to prepare (and had lost form even before the flu). But even my weakened state after the flu didn't prepare me for the struggle I had and the massive loss of speed. I was OK up to half way near Splash Point but lost it completely on the return along the prom, losing dozens of places to finish around 100th - nearly 60 places down on race 1 in Capenhurst when I was 45th! I can only hope that I will gradually regain strength and form over the next month. I'm not planning any races, just hoping to recover (24 races this year).