Drink milk not whisky- you won't regret it

Ok, whisky poured and now I'm going public on something.

A few months ago probably now - the last glass of whisky I had, I was with one of my best mates in the world Jon, lets says it wasn't the first glass of whisky and he says "it starts at a distillery and finishes at a distitillary" and I said yes. The following morning it came to me that he also said - the words "8000ft of ascent" and "18miles in Jura" and the word "race". Now Jon is a lean mean running machine still clocking 2:50 mararthons a year older than me. I'm lean too (under the energy stores sufficient to last for a cold winter) and am not a fell runner. I politely said to him that I wasn't sure the day after.

10 days later I'm doing a race with a couple of old friends and we have a couple of beers after - and Mark says to me after the second pint, fixing me with his gaze, "now there's something I want to do, it's on my bucket list (I'm not aware that he needs a bucket list but he had my attention) and I want you to do it with me" before I could imaging what fine treat he had in store for me he says "will you run Jura with me next year". (he also said something about a Ceidhl afterwards which he deemed a very strong selling point, which reflecting on it now is worrying me)

Now Mark and Jon have never met and I'd never heard of the Jura fell race till now. Coincidence? Fate? Mark had it all planned out, races to qualify, doing hill reps up Ingleborough, camping in the lakes and drinking beer to rehydrate. I said I'd think about it.

Last year was dreadful for running with a recurrent hamstring. It's only since November that I've managed more than a run a week. I promised myself for 6months that I wouldn't push it, I'd run slow and for fun. I'm enjoying my running and getting stronger, but am way off fell racing fit, but I am pretty goal driven. So I've decided that I'm going to give it a go.

I have to do a couple of qualifying races in the autumn and I'm currently not sure I'm fit enough, so its lots of hills and some new shoes, a few trips to the Lakes for races and training and some craziness with the 2 boys - who will soon meet each other.

The madness of the Jura race is May, so time is on my side - if nothing else.

I've said it now, I'll have to do it.

Today did a couple of hours running along the moor, down into the valley, up Middleton Moor and back home - only 1600ft of upness but you've got to start somewhere, oh and it was lovely out there this morning, damp with dew and all blue skies and loveliness. This blip is a cow in the distance is my side of the moor, the cow is on the Middleton side of the moor, I think I'll be saying hello a bit more.