Dash in the dark

A cracking first race of 2008 on Friday night, when I ventured out in the wind and rain for the first Dash in the Dark race of the new series. Basically a night-time fell/trail race, run with headtorches, tremendous fun. Starts up the mountain bike track in Llandegla, then cuts across the open hill to a steep, hazardous descent to the lake. Round this, very muddy, to another steep descent then muddy climb back to the centre - about 4 miles, 750ft climbing, but feels longer in the dark, wind and rain! I finished in 9th place, about 29:29 (but an unsurprisingly smallish field of around 40). By chance, I'd reccied most of the course last Wednesday after picking my bike up from the mechanic: helped a bit. Felt a bit tired for the rest of the weekend, which was rainy anyway. But managed 6+ miles on the road on Saturday, then 12 miles on Sunday (Rossett circuit). Urgent need to increase endurance, as my spring/summer plans are now set: Rhayader 20, Paris marathon, Edinburgh marathon, Welsh 1000m fell race, Icelandic Laugavegur mountain ultra-marathon. Each event is progressively harder and should, theoretically, lead smoothly (?) into the next: - supplemented, hopefully, by smaller races, rides, climbs, and some ambitious peak-bagging trips in the maritime Alps and elsewhere.