Thewooden bridge thats like an ice rink in the wet but thankfully this year it was dry
The return view of the incline. Your legs should be jelly at this point.Now being local I've done this one a few times but the race does not actually visit the rocks it winds its way from the Rugby club near the mill in Cromford, blasts along the track and basically heads up to the summit trig and returns via the woods back down to the canal path again and back to the Rugby club.
Normally about a hundred runners attend and this year was no different. A quick blast around the field then flat out along the canal to the start of the incline. This is were you wish you had not bothered. Its a mindset of a climb with one of those gradients that has to be ran and just got out of the way. At the top we turn into the woods and then drop down back to the path at the top of the incline. We then head for the summit after another blast along the path. This is where it starts to steepen but if you can keep going you save a lot of time. I know from experience that its just a few hard hard minutes to the trig point so keep running. All too soon i hit the trig point and the marshall gives me a smile and says the hard work is done but actually its not. The descent back down to the woods is made tricky at first by the many rocks and boulders that have to be traversed with the added problem of meeting oncoming runners that are coming up behind you. You dont want to be running into someone flat out. ( It bloody hurts , i know). we then turn off and there is only one way you can attack this descent and thats quick or you will be caught and god forbid have to race for your place back along the canal path to the finish. I manage to get back to the bottom of the incline with about 150yds between myself and the runner behind me. Now everyone knows you should never look back in a race as it costs you time, but every runner i know does this and if they say they dont there lying. I get to the canal bank and for a crazy moment think im in with half a chance of catching the runner in front. I try to sprint but realise my legs are like jelly and have not recovered from the Skiddaw fell race on Sunday. I am catching him but in the end he beats me by about 20 yds. i descover later that he is the first Under 20 runner. Im 38 so not too bad given ive got eighteen years on him. Things dont ache when your 20. A quick lime and soda in the bar and check my position and time and its another race done and time for home. I resist a filet of fish in Mcdonalds on the way back but have to have a Latte.
These are the rocks that we dont visit
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