Icicles!

Yet again, I attempted a long run this morning after doing an exhausting spin at altitude class last night and drinking win afterwards.  I will NEVER learn!!  If anyone thinks I'm just making excuses, get yourself down to the spin at altitude and you'll see just how tough it is.  It completely drains you and, when coupled with win, leaves you pretty exhausted the next day.  I think I'm going to have to change my spin night to a Wednesday so that it doesn't interfere with my Saturday morning runs. Either that or stop drinking wine on a Friday night... nah!

I was already walking before I even reached Wylderswoode Stud, that's how bad it was.  I had intended to do around 15 miles but only had three hours to do it in because my parents were coming round.  That should have been more than enough time but because I was so tried, it wasn't and I ended up cutting short to 12 miles.

I went up to Two Lads but walked about 50% of it.  I then headed up to the mast and, as I was nearing it, I could see stuff falling from it.  It looked as though somebody had thrown a load of sheets of paper out but I then realised that it was long shards of ice falling down from the cables.  There were loads of them and I could see them hitting the snow and making it 'poof' up around them.  All I was thinking is that if one of these hit me on the head, it's going to hurt! I carried on up towards the mast, looking up the entire time so that I could dodge anything coming towards me.  Luckily I avoided it all but I'm not surprised there are warning signs up about it, they could do some serious damage. A biker commented that he had to go through it and it was quite scary to which  I replied 'you're wearing a flippin' helmet, how do you think I feel?'.

After the mast I went along to the top of the diagonal and started descending.  This was incredibly hard work as I couldn't see the path and my feet kept sinking making it difficult to stay upright.  It seemed to take me ages to get to the bottom.  Once at the bottom, I decided to climb the fence and take the Monday night run round which I have never done in daylight before.  The path was actually quite difficult to see due to the snow.  When I neared the end of it, instead of heading down to the bridge, I climbed up, coming out on the road at dangerous corner.  I then turned right and ran along a short way before turning off on the left and following the path along to Higher Hempshaws.  I then carried on along it all the way into Lead Mines Clough.

I climbed up to Bomber Memorial then out to Jepson's Gate and ran down the road to Waterman's Cottage then followed the path around Anglezarke.  I was totally exhausted by now and was getting slower and slower even on the flats and downhills.

Eventually I came out into Rivington and followed the path alongside the road to the school then ran up past the llamas to dog poo alley.  As soon as my watch hit 12 miles I stopped it and walked the rest of the way home (only about an eighth of a mile)

Total distance - 12 miles