SUNDAY 5th DECEMBER 
BOLTON-BY-BOWLAND FELL RACE
8m/800ft
BOLTON-BY-BOWLAND

Winter has made it's statement of intent as the sub-freezing temperatures seem to plummet further and further, so much so that the BBC are now trialling a new shade of blue to use on their weather maps.
In the North West we have been generally lucky enough to avoid any snowfall so far, although not out here on the Lancs-Yorks border where a couple of inches has laid itself across the landscape and made for an intresting race with the conditions very similar to my last visit here two years ago. 
I was steady away for this one today and with the only significant climb coming very early on in the race there seemed little point in going out too fast and busting one's balls. Sure enough when the race really does begin off the top of that hill I reeled a few places back and midway through the race ended up in a tussle with Chris Smale and some other dude in a cap. Whilst I seemed to peel away from them on the road sections, they were dragging me back in when our ankles were emersed in snow again. Listening keenly to their breathing and making sneak peeks at their facial expressions, I had decided that I was in better shape than them and so approaching the farm yard before hitting the fields upon snowy fields for about three miles to the finish, took the decision to take it to them and kick on from there.
Rather than worry about the goings on over my shoulder, I now had my sights set on the guy ahead in sixth spot who looked impossible to catch at one point but was now starting to flag a little. I was pinging along nicely through the fields although the lad ahead rallied in the last field once he knew I was closing in and whilst still drawing him in down the road back to the village, he pipped me by three seconds.
I was suprised to find I was ten seconds down on my 2008 time even though I felt more quicker and comfortable today. However, next behind me was Nick Charlesworth who had beaten me at Pendle and Withins recently and to be less than four and a half minutes behind race winner Tom Cornthwaite over this distance wasn't a bad looking statistic either. One must try and grab as many positive stats as one can!
Time: 50:56   Pos: 7th/128