We headed off to Rivington Green, through the kissing gate, across the field and down to Dean Brook, before turning right along the private road, up the hill and across the fields out onto Dean Head Lane. We then ran up the road a little and there's a ladder stile on the left which I said to Ed I had never been over before and neither had Ed so we decided to explore. At first there was a discernible path but this soon turned into moorland but we made our way across, picking up a couple of direction markers, coming out at the path junction near Higher Hempshaws. We took the path straight across which brings you out at Hordern Stoopes. We then ran up the steep hill to Winter Hill, where, half way up, there was a stile on the right which I commented I had never been over before. Ed said 'get over it then' so I did and started to climb a rocky path up to winter hill which I realised I had been up before because it's the last climb on the old Belmont Winter Hill Fell Race route.
We ran along to the trig point then down to Two Lads. From there we ran down to the kennels then along George's Lane and up the Pike.
I made a promise to myself a couple of years ago that I would never, no matter what, walk any part of the route up to the Pike and, so far, I have kept that promise so off I went. I was gutted when I got home and uploaded my Strava to see that my time for this segment was 4.01 minutes. The reason I was gutted is that a few months ago I had turned this segment into a goal which I'm due to complete by the end of the year and involves me getting up there in four minutes or less. I was ONE SECOND over my goal!!!
From the Pike we headed back down to the barn as Ed needed to get home by 11.00 for a family get together.
After leaving Ed, I used the facilities at the barn and realised that it is extremely difficult to pull back up a pair of very wet 2XU compression tights. I was in there for ages trying to wriggle my way back into them. Sorry if that's too much information.
I then carried on towards home but decided to stop at Rivington School and cheer in the half marathon runners. I arrived just as Tom Carson was crossing the finish line as first runner home. I ran in behind him but on the other side of the tape and the young girls handing out the medals shouted to me to go onto the other side of the tape and come through the finish. They actually thought I was in the race! Just behind Tom Carson... I wish!!!!
Later on we went into Bolton to Camp Craft as Duncan wanted to buy a 1:16 scale map they have of the Winter Hill area. The map is priced at £5.50 but we came out of the shop having spent £100.50!!! The reason for this is that I got chatting to a young lad there who actually competes at track and field for Horwich and he showed me an extremely lightweight Berghaus smock that they had in, priced at £120. As soon as I saw it I knew it was just what I had been looking for for a while but which I couldn't afford. It's fully waterproof with taped seams and is FRA approved but is much more compact and lightweight than my OMM Kamlieka smock. I commented that if I had the money I would buy it there and then but unfortunately I didn't. One of the other blokes in the shop, probably the manager, then told me that as it was end of season for this smock I could have it for £95. Deal done! I took a picture of it next to a pen to show the size of it packed up. It's around the size of a medium apple.
Total Distance 9.3 miles
http://www.strava.com/activities/203175485/overview
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