Anglezarke Amble

Typing away on a cold and damp week in the North West

Well, typing away during a cold, damp, and dank week in the Man Cave office in Saddleworth. Thankfully it is nice and toasty in the house, with the wood burner on. Claire is with her parents descending on Hebden Bridge. Does Ronnie know it's deep secrets? I wonder. I may take him out for a pint and divulge all. Ted is engaged in "Ted TV" which entails sitting on top of a sofa, looking outside of the window, and woofing at bystanders who foolish pass in front of his domain.

This week has been a nice recovery from the Anglezarke Amble, as organised by the LDWA, on Saturday. 25.2 miles and approximately 4k of culmulative climb from Rivington and back, taking in the Pike, Winter Hill, Darwen Tower and Anglezarke Moor and reservoir. A beautifully scenic race normally, but Saturday's conditions meant it was appalling weather, cold, damp, raining all day, with snow underfoot, and very boggy conditions. All runners struggled, some more than most. At times I could not feel my fingers even with SealSkinz gloves on, to the point that I could not handle running vest buckles or my phone. On getting wet you chilled right down to the core and the only option was to move, or drop out. We were nearly broken at the second to last checkpoint prior to Great Hill with Claire really struggling with the cold, and the bad cough she had. That said we pushed on, completed it, got the time on our feet which will be helpful for the Edale Skyline in March... gulp.

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