Full moon run up Moel Famau

A quiet weekend, not great weather, no races. But a full moon and clear sky allowed for a tremendous run up Moel Famau on Friday night. Always memorable to run in the hills at night, it was -3C at Bwlch Penbarras when I set off, the moonlight casting a clear shadow and illuminating the frosted fields and iced pools as I ran to the summit. A longish nine or ten miler on Saturday got me up to around 34 miles for the week, so getting closer to an acceptable training volume again.

Border League, Birkenhead

A reasonable performance in the 2nd Border League fixture of the season: a 5.5m, four lap circuit of Birkenhead Park. I was eight places down on Prestatyn, finishing 48th from the usual strong field of 270, just a tad over 33 mins. Given recent problems with my hamstring and cold, I'm fairly satisfied with this but need to work a bit harder if I'm to finish higher up the field as the season progresses. Still not back in full training (30 mile wk), but had an excellent night-time run around the lanes last Thursday. Entered the Paris marathon today after a tip-off from Dave, so an easter of pain looks on the cards, particularly if I get a London place (which is one week later).

MBR trail, Coed y Brenin

No races this weekend, but my injury seems to be righting itself, so I took the opportunity to up the training closer to the level I was at before the 'tweak'. A longish run of nearly 10 miles around Dodleston, Pulford and Rossett was a good start on Saturday. Then Rich and I paid our first visit to Coed y Brenin for a few years to do the new MBR trail - short but quite demanding both physically and technically. A surprising number of tricky rocky descents, compensated for by good open views over Cader Idris and the superbly quick and smooth pink heifer singletrack section leading down to the river. The new centre is splendid and it looks like the other trails - all of which I've done in their old form (Red Bull, Karrimor) - have been altered slightly. Today dawned clear, crisp and cold - in contrast to recent drizzle, so I went for a rewarding early morning run up Waun y Llyn - great views over the entire Sandstone trail and the Clwydians, flocks of redwing overhead - running back along a very muddy bridleway on the Ffrith side.

'Over the top' Clwydian MTB, Abergele 5 road race

After the OMM disappointment, things got worse last Tuesday when I tweaked my hamstring during intervals with the club. Out of action for the rest of the week, icing the injury, trying unsuccessfully to jog, all rather annoying. By the weekend, it felt a bit better but by then I'd developed a cold! Felt a bit cooped up, so myself and Rich did a quick variant of the 'over the top' mountain bike circuit over the Clwydians ridge on Saturday morning in low cloud and unforecast persistant drizzle. Enjoyable as ever, with an excitingly wet descent down to Gellifor and one very long skid! The climb back to Penbarras took it out of us, though, so all in all I was hardly in a great position for the hilly Abergele 5 mile road race on Sunday, which I probably shouldn't have bothered with. But I had a jog along the seafront with the children in the morning and felt OK and, indeed, the first three miles went well. I felt my cold, but not my injury (much), and was in about 20th place until the steep hill on 3 miles when I blew up completely and lost at least a minute, possibly more. Eventually limped home in a very disappointing 31:16 for 34th place from 246.