Langdale HorseShoe Race

The journey to Jura continues with a simply joyous, if painful at times yomp around the Langdale HorseShoe.

Here we are descending from Thunacar Knot with a big fell in the distance and the dawning reality that after a bit of down were going up there.

Compared with the race a month ago I felt like I was running and racing better. After this shot I threw my considerable mass down the hill and left these guys behind. Some of the improvement is conditioning and some clearly technical as I adjust to the very different demands of fell racing.

All was fine till the final descent when my downhill racing skills reached comic proportions - I gathered plenty bruises and cuts, I did most of the descent with a fellow runner who said she'd never know anyone fall down so much (which is probably a generous compliment in the reserved, understated languague of the fell racing culture).

After my last fell race snips and snaps (who greeeted me on the fell with some encouragement and photo today) sent me a message suggesting i bought some proper grippy shoes, like fell racers use. I walked straight from the finish line today to the retail van and did as she advised before I get the reputation as the slapstick clown of the fells.

Runners high tonight and a body that temporarily feels 100 years old.