Bowstones fell race

Race: Bowstones fell race, Poynton (11k/1063ft)
Time/Position: 48.27 (17th from 384)
Third consecutive year at this race on the edge of the Peak District, and another minute slower. It's very runnable throughout, so any lack of speed is quickly exposed; but it was still a bit disappointing to feel so sluggish after having a good race at Round the Walls five days ago, and finishing 4th at the hilly Buckley handicap around Moel Famau on the 28th. There is no real downtime on the course, you have to push throughout, and I began to feel it on the path through the woods and the final climb up to the highpoint. A few seconds to enjoy the views of Greater Manchester (another nice sunny day for this race), then it was into the long descent, predictably muddy underfoot.

Round the Walls race

Race: Round the Walls, Chester (4.5m)
Time/Position: 26.10 (8th from 443)
The bridge over Watergate re-opened after months of work just days before this year's race, which meant that an almost-complete circuit could be run again. As usual, we all went along for this perfect Boxing Day outing, and it was a nice day: cold, but not freezing, sunny and crisp. The initial half loop of a wet Roodee led to another sprint below the grandstand then up on to Nun's Road for a clockwise loop of the walls, coming down briefly at Northgate where rebuilding work continues. Two passed me before the narrow section round the cathedral but I didn't lose too much ground. Step technique is always the key! We came off the walls beyond Handbridge and then looped round the Roodee on the Dee path, where I managed to regain the places I'd lost. Kate enjoyed the race too: always an excellent way of burning off some of the excess and making space for more food and drink.

Cylch Llangollen variant

A short version of the Llangollen Round, a 32 mile trip round the Dee catchment. Peter suggested it as a Christmas Eve outing, and it was an excellent idea, but I hadn't properly checked the details and needed to be home by midday. So, sadly, it was a curtailed version for Steve and I, but all very enjoyable. We left Trevor at first light, in drizzle and lowish cloud, then headed through the lanes to join the OD path through the woods north of the village. These emerge on the Panorama road and we climbed through the Monument boulders to gain the escarpment and the edge of Ruabon moor. The route then takes a direct line across the edge of Esclusham Moor, much of this new territory for me and much more runnable than I'd expected (I have always used the OD path below the crags when doing loops of this valley). As we approached World's End, a brief glimmer of sun, and a useful tail/cross wind. The terrain, kind underfoot until this point, turns boggy after the duckboards and the crosswind turned into a headwind as we crested Cyrn y Brain. After a coffee and jaffa cakes at the Ponderosa, we continued in a strong wind over Moel y Faen and Moel y Gamelin before going our separate ways: Peter continuing to Carrog, Steve and I looping back to the Ponderosa.

Wepre parkrun

'Race': Wepre Parkrun (5k)
Time/Position: 20.05 (4th from 143)
An unexpectedly beautiful morning. Even Deeside looked stunning, with a cloud inversion over the estuary and low sunshine streaming through the light mist. I felt a bit rough throughout, my third outing at Wepre, but it is a good fartlek session and a nice start to the weekend.

Berwyn run

Peaks: Cadair Bronwen
Area: Berwyn
More like a badly equipped hillwalk than a run, we were stymied by waist-deep drifts across the Berwyn ridge, a fairly common occurrence when running in full winter conditions. A cold snap coincided with my trip to Malaysia and the days following my return. Much of the snow has already disappeared from lower levels and it was a predominantly slushy run up from Llandrillo until the slopes beyond the stone circle of Moel Ty Uchaf. Soft snow then gave way to much deeper cover, drifting in many places. The snow also had that characteristic unpredictable quality, every fourth or fifth step leading to a plunge through the crust (which otherwise supports your weight). This is always exhausting, and was the primary reason for John B's hypothermia in similar conditions on Creigiau Gleision a few years ago. We plodded on to the top of Cadair Berwyn, then down the ridge (the duckboards under feet of snow in places) until we reached the col. Strong winds and dreadful snow conditions meant we had to descend, which made for an interesting nav test as the path was undetectable until we regained our footprints.

Kuala Lumpur run

Not so much a run as a slow jog or quick walk in humid conditions around the environs of the Batu Caves. The steep steps up to the caves would give an excellent hill rep session, although the volume of visitors makes this impractical! They are, however, considerably more impressive than I'd been led to believe, and a fresh coconut was a nice way to rehydrate.

Moel Wnion run

Peak: Moel Wnion
Area: Carneddau, Eryri
A full frontal assault up the Aber Falls side of Moel Wnion, just a quick early morning blast on the way back from Anglesey. From the usual path to the falls, I branched west then took the obvious shallow but very steep 'gully' that leads to the summit plateau. This is steep throughout, but gets very steep towards the top, involving heathery handholds and a great deal of wet grass. Thick mist on the summit so just took a vague northerly bearing and headed back: the mist didn't part until I was just above the road, I could hear the A55 traffic but couldn't see it, a cloudbase of 100m perhaps.

Penrhyn parkrun

'Race': Penrhyn Parkrun (5k)
Time/Position: 18.34 (2nd from 125)
Staying on Anglesey for the weekend, so Kate and I nipped across the Menai Straits for the Penrhyn Parkrun. Drizzle and low cloud obscured the normally superb views of mountain and sea, but the circuit is a pleasant (though tortuous) one, with two long laps round the grounds and two short ones. Not particularly fast: muddy, narrow and hilly in places. A nice finish, inside the castle courtyard.