Four weeks on a run now for me attending the hill sessions, I think that is the most consecutive sessions I have ever attended but I'm set on improving my climb so needs must.
I ran up to George's Lane, along the edge of Wilderswood and, when I got to the top on the bend, I checked my watch and it was 6.29 so I turned right and ran along to the car park to meet everyone. There was nobody there when I arrived and it appears they must have set off early so I turned around and ran back the other way to try to find them.
I soon found them in the field opposite the dog kennels. They were all running back up it and informed me that the session was to run down the field, back up it, wait for 60 seconds outside the dog kennels and then run up to Two Lads. Once the front runner passed you on the way up, you were to turn around and go back down again.
As I had missed the first bit, I decided to go straight up the path to Two Lads, setting off at the same time as John and Emily, as they were the last to set off.
I managed to get a short way past the 'concrete tube' before the front runner, Gary, passed me and I was able to turn around. I was really relieved as I was finding it hard work.
I ran down to the kennels then went down 'my favourite field' and back up again, where I then waited 60 seconds before climbing towards Two Lads again. It was even harder this time and all I could do was look into the distance and pray that the front runners were on their way back down. They weren't and I could see them still climbing up to the top. All I was thinking was 'hurry up lads!'
Again, I got just past the concrete tube before they passed me and I could turn around.
Back down again, back through my favourite field, back up again, 60 seconds wait, and back up to Two Lads, again getting to pretty much the same place before being able to turn round.
On the next rep, Steve told us to all just run up to Two Lads as we would then be going back down the other side and back to the car park. I made it to the top without walking and felt like I had really achieved something when I got there. Poor Gary then realised that he had left his top down by the kennels and so had to go back down that way to retrieve it whilst the rest of us went down via the water tanks.
As we approached George's Lane, a huge mass of people, some on bikes and some on foot, were coming through the gate and ascending the hill. It was the evening where they were lighting a beacon on the pike to make the Queen's 90th birthday so I'm not sure whether these guys were walking up the right hill but, either way, they got in my way and halted all prospects of any kind of Strava PR.
Total distance - 6 miles
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