Clwydian run

A grim start from Cadole in howling wind and lashing rain this morning. I didn't hang around for the run along the leet then up to the ridge at Moel Dywyll. Very strong crosswinds made life difficult to Moel Arthur, but it soon eased and the run up Pen y Cloddiau was surprisingly calm. An easy jog down to meet Kate in Bodfari after just over 90 mins of running. Picked the car up later following a day in the Vale. After a few days in the Arabian heat of Dubai and Sharjah last week (enlivened by a desert trip to the interior near the Oman border), I'd been trying to make up for lost training time with a novel sleepless post-flight run up Moel Famau on Friday night before following up with a brisk 10k yesterday.

Tour of Pendle fell race

Race: Tour of Pendle (16.8m/4830ft/AL)
Time/Position: 2:52:18 (44th from 385)
This was conceived of as an end-of-season 'away day' to a classic Lancashire fell race, and worked perfectly in that respect. I have a tendency to split races into 'competitive' and 'tourist', but it has been a long time since I've really been able to put a race into the latter category and just plod round aiming for maximum enjoyment. Our small group of Welsh raiders really enjoyed this as a result. Peter sped off while Jez and I started at the back of the field in the pleasant village of Barley. Pendle towered overhead, quite isolated and impressive, rather like a northern Ventoux! A gentle trot past a series of reservoirs led to the first quite easy climb up to Pendle Hill itself at 557m. Perfect conditions: sunny, quite warm, deep blue sky. A boggy section led to a gloriously runnable long, gradual descent along a narrow valley to Pendleton Moor and the second checkpoint at the Nick of Pendle. More good running to Churn Clough reservoir, where I caught up with Peter. My ultra-slow start began to pay off as I upped the pace slightly for more fine running before I followed some local lads to take a steep line down the infamous 'geronimo' descent of Spence Moor. It feels like you're about to jump off a cliff as you approach it, but it's actually just a very steep and muddy hill. We then headed west through a valley and along to the fifth checkpoint at Howcroft Barn. Up to this point, the race had been very relaxed and enjoyable, but the hard work was about to begin with a steep, almost hot climb up Mearley Moor which is quickly followed by another sharp climb up Barley Hill. By now I was scooping water from small streams at every opportunity, dehydrating slightly but otherwise still comfortable. I caught Jez on the descent to CP 9, before the climax of the race - a 'Blorenge-like' hands-and-knees climb up the ultra-steep northern flank of Pendle Hill. A wonderful long descent then gains the valley and the finish back in Barley: all very relaxed and enjoyable. A fine, classic race which is very reminiscent of Shropshire's Long Mynd Valleys (albeit longer) in that it lulls you into a false sense of security before delivering a series of short but desperate climbs. It looks contrived on the map, but never feels it.

Birkenhead Border League

Race: Birkenhead 5.5m (Border League race 2)
Time/Position: 31:11 (14th from 304 [2nd V40])
Another encouraging performance which felt quite similar to last Sunday at Abergele. Not just because of the distance, but also because I felt relatively comfortable throughout, far more so than at the first race of this season in Prestatyn. Four laps of Birkenhead park, so I just concentrated on maintaining the pace and staying fairly relaxed on the third lap in the knowledge that I was able to pick up places on the gentle climb from the pond to the finish. Because of the twisting nature of this circuit, it was hard to ascertain position, so I was quite surprised to come away with my highest ever league finish.

Moel Famau night hike

I was keen to capitalise on Morgan's enthusiasm for the concept of a night hike, and waited until this evening to ask him because it looked likely that a full moon would illuminate our walk from Penbarras. In the event, though, mist and low cloud made torches necessary. The walk was quite atmospheric, and we enjoyed an eerie picnic in the dank mist near the top before the moon emerged from behind shifting clouds on the way down.

Abergele 5m

Race: Abergele 5m/North Wales 5m Championships
Time/Position: 28:51 (9th from 261 [1st V40])
As this event always clashes with the Clwydian fell race I'd only done it once before. However, I felt that the rigours of last weekend's OMM were sufficient excuse to opt for a 5 mile road dash today! Furthermore, I've been meaning to make more of an effort for the championship races for some time and this is a tricky course with some very steep hills that I hoped would suit me. Despite all this, the beautiful weather meant I still had some regrets at not being in the hills as I set off - although I was relieved to feel fairly sharp after last weekend. The pace was quite high, and a group of 5 or 6 runners formed after 2 miles. Another runner and I gradually pulled away, and he went clear on the steep hill after 3 miles where I blew last time I did the race in 2007. Because it's such a hilly course, you get some recovery time, and the finish was relatively comfortable as a result - a very fast final mile. I won the V40 prize in the race, and the gold medal in the North Wales Championships. This was the 25th anniversary of a fine race.