11th Place At Harrock Hill!

Photo; Rob doing the 'Funky Gibbon' in the back ground or is he surrendering to my awesome power :0]   
RACE PHOTOS fb.me/EBUYbXOg

Last month I could only manage 40th place a far cry away from my best!
I was standing nervelessly at the front of the race looking around at all these fit lean looking guys and girls thinking shit did I really have a right to be at the front of the start line and would I get trampled on in the stampede once the gun went off!
Thankfully Steve McLean's short hill sprint session seems to be working for me.
The race starts at the bottom of the quarry road and winds up the gravel path for a mile before reaching the top of Hunters Hill, its a tough climb and a cruel start to any race, your lungs and legs are burning  with pain within 50 m!
My tactic was to push all out from the start then recovery on the steep single track section half way up the hill, its almost impossible to overtake here so its better to just sit on the group then explode all-out once you hit the green bank near the top!
This worked well for me and a passed quite a few runners including teammate Rob Ashworth!
Over the stile where last month a guy slipped and caught his arm in a barbed wire fence, needing  a doctor to cut him free!!!  
On to the downhill and I was flying-Weeeee!!!
Until I reached the farmers gate in the cow field, the guy infront of me got stuck in the foot deep mud and could not make it over the stile!
I gave him a friendly push over and said come on mate lets get moving!
MUD!
Once over the other side my legs felt heavy but really it was my figging shoes, they felt like lead weights due to the mud caked to them!
I pushed as best I could!
I was soon starting the second climb and more mud was on the way, the cows had churned up the field and turned the steep path into a horrendous quagmire of yuck!
TORTURE!
I slipped and slided my way forward at a snails pace, this was grim.
As Neil latter said you had to take your mind out of your body, look down and realize that everyone was going through the same torture!
THE ESCALATOR
Once onto what we call the 'escalator' a farmers green top lane that winds is way up into the distant horizon things started to impove for me.
My feet still felt like lead weights from the clinging mud but I was pushing hard and making reasonable progress!
Paul Boardman caught me and we exchanged places at the front pushing each other ever onwards.
I put in a hard effort to pull away from Paul before the final downhill and managed to hang on to 11th place as I sprinted up the short hill to the finish!
MAN THAT WAS FIGGIN TOUGH BUT A VERY GOOD RESULT!!!
There was a great turnout by the club, unfortunately I don't have a result sheet yet so not able to give team mates results here.