Alwinton Border Shepherds Show

Gridlocked

Alwinton Border Shepherd's Show
start of fell race by Rob Stephens.

It's always a good idea to arrive a little early for these show events. They are usually popular, depending on the weather of course, and access to 'carpark' facilities is often restricted after all it's usually just a gate and a field. I thought I'd left plenty of time, the weather didn't look great so I'd assumed that it wouldn't attract too big a crowd at this end of the season and it's way way deep in Northumberland, miles from anywhere. Oops how wrong could I be. Stuck in the biggest traffic jam I've been in for ages. Queuing from Harbottle all the way to the show ground. That extra hour I'd left myself, to change and warm up all disappeared. Changing in the car while on the 'move' (a euphemism for a kerb crawl) and eventually dumping the car half a mile from the showground.

MM2

I'm late but it would appear that they have delayed the start by 1/4 of an hour because of the traffic. So I sign in and get a number, 74. So I'm stressed and I've had little or no sleep for the past two nights what with servers going tits up. I feel as old as my running number. I'm working on the fact that it's a really short race and although steep, so steep I'm told that it's only possible to walk up, and I like running down hill, I'll be fine.

The first 1k was hell, I felt like quitting, really, but not wanting DNF thought last is better than not. Dig in climb up, then the run down, it gets better. The run back, down hill, fast, the last 1k through bog, finish, not last.