Out with the Harriers

Went out for a run with a somewhat diminished group of Harriers on Tuesday for a midsummer run. Reasons for being diminished were probably 2 fold- firstly the Kinder Trog at the weekend was probably still in a number of legs- it certainly felt like it for me- but I didn't realise until half way up the first hill, and also on Wednesday was Round the Resers race, which is a midweek counter, so a lot of people wanted good times for that.

So only 6 of us turned up for the run, it turned out that we were going clockwise around the circuit, which meant that the start of the run was up a hill directly up to Tintwistle quarry. We started off, and about a minute and a half later I was in oxygen debt. I could feel the fatigue in my legs from the Trog at the weekend, and try as I might to tag along behind Julien and Mark- who were idly chatting as they went up the hill, I slowly got dropped, puffing and panting in their wake. It seems that Julien has Wolverine-like recovery abilities and Mark is pretty much the fastest Harrier around at the moment, Im not making excuses, Im just saying.
So we carried on up and over the bogs and round to one of the cloughs where the other 3 opted for the B route- which left me with Julien, Mark a load of bog, aching legs and a slight feeling of forboding about the next hour or so.

Off we headed out toward Featherbed moss, through the peat bogs up Hollins Clough and over to the trig point, several times being nearly tripped up by Brae- the ever present collie. Dry shoes, never an option, we pounded through the bog, and passed a Fir tree in a clough, pretty remote, which is pretty much begging to be decorated come Christmas. Over to the Reservoir at Chew. Then a turn east, I swear that Julien was taking the most circuitous and treacherous route through the groughs that he could possibly find- but I managed to keep in touch as we bog-trotted back.
My inov8s really feel like they are losing their grip- its a wierd feeling and I'm trying to work out if its in my head or if they actually are... they don't seem to be losing it if you look at them, but when I run, its like they are slowly getting slippier. Wierd.

As we came over to the wall on Laddow moss, we saw the familiar shapes of 3 other Harriers who had waited a little too long in the leisure centre (while the rest of us had congregated outside and left), and had decided that they would do the route in an anticlockwise direction. John had brought up some homemade fruit moonshine and a load of plastic shot glasses, and we found a nice sheltered grough to toast Midsummer.
A good touch.
At least I have something to look forward to at midwinter as well!

Then off we went down into Oakenclough brook and down to the bottom of the valley, then back down along a reservoir to the cars.
(where we had a minor issue with the car, a tyre that looked like it had been punctured and a dodgy jack, but it all came good in the end).

As a note to self, its a really bad idea to have Pasta AND a whole garlic and cheese bagette before heading out on a club run. Maybe one or the other, but both may have been a little silly...
Heres the link to the run. We didnt go in the reservoir, I think the map pic might be a tad out....