great pic of myself - don't remember wearing the bunny ears but the camera never lies - by the genius photographer St. Andrew the Stavert
OK here's the deal. You don't need to read my complaints about a 12 minute (and 4 seconds) run up a drizzly hill any more than I need to waste time writing them when I could be getting to bed (or drinking another beer.) (Actually another beer sounds about right.) And you can save me the bother of cutting and pasting last year's cut and paste of the year's previous complaints which are much the same by looking HERE.
It's a hill and the only way is up. GB gave me an early start which was kind and meant I got to put the waterproof on earlier and take photos of others struggling. I have run both slower and faster and hope to make up the time over the next 2 PROPER races. Commiserations to Michael who let his enthusiasm for this one get the better of him and may have set off too briskly, dropping 20s from his usual time of the previous 2 years. And congrats to Nick who was nervous but made a really good job of the event. We had a quick canter up to the summit before. Then after my 12minutes of hell I took some photos. The evening was the traditional drizzle and low cloud (I think him upstairs is trying to back me up on the disapproval.) Tonight's star performance was Del who may well have edged into an unassailable lead. He was working like blazes when he went past.
Not all of the photos I took were good - partly the fault of trying to ring a cowbell (all the way from Nepal) in one hand while taking shots with the other. If it had been decent weather I would have videoed it all with the good camera but frankly it wasn't and I didn't. Right that's it, I've already wasted enough time on this horrible stage and only grudgingly pass on thanks to marshals, time keepers, organisers, web result posters and bell ringers. It was quite cheery at the finish if you could hear anything other the heart in your chest and see through the red mist. Terrible business.
The only decent running of the day, up to the summit.
Nick standing in for Andrew as the fourth Porty. Photo by Andrew
crap weather for July
I was started with Barry.
Thanks to Lynne Zabek for photo
I managed to resist the temptation to start too quickly and passed the halfway around 5.48 which is almost exactly the same as last year. However last time I measured the 2 halves about equally and did 11.48, this time I slowed, although I think the second half is steeper and my internal alarms were all going off suggesting I was on the brink of a cardiac incident or stroke.
say your prayers
Willie with MG just visible
This race favours youthful lungs and legs, another reason it should be banned!
good effort from Nick
proper effort
Alastair just a couple of secs behind Del
Andrew saved himself for the last 75 yards.
Right off to bed.
just noticed these fine images by Ethan Lee....
I even wore a pretty summer vest to get with the positive vibe
- you can't say I didn't make an effort?!
and this one by Vicki Charlton...
Thanks Vicki although the other 3 are so grim I seem to have forgotten to put a link to them!
Find them at your leisure.
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