January 1st saw me in a place I have not been for many many years – on a start line.

This particular wet and windy start to Olympic year put me in Kirkby Stephen N Yorkshire for the 13km/550m of the Nine Standards fellrace – a lung busting 4 miles climb out to the high point before retracing the route for the plummet back down.

I am attending with all faculties firing as new years eve in the Mouncey household consisted of being tucked up by 9pm. In my defense I can only plead that after a December when wife and small boys were ill for pretty much all of it, it was with sighs of relief and much residual fatigue that signs of wellness and happiness had begun to appear by new years eve. Those of you who are parents will know that when your little ones are flattened for any length of time it don’t half bring the whole house down. So yeah, the festive season had not exactly been all that festive, and overtrained I certainly am not.

So this is Benchmark Time and I’m particularly curious as comparing the Sept – Dec period in my 2010 and 2011 diaries has revealed the following:

• I’ve run 50% less in the last 4 months compared to 2010

• There’s been more faster running this time

• I only lost one week to injury/illness this year compared to 4 last – so more consistent

• I’ve done much more biking this time

• There’s been more progression in my conditioning this time

• I’ve raced 5 times – as opposed to nothing in 2010

• My diary is more consistently completed this time – (more motivated?)

• I seem to have improved through the period whereas I stagnated by Oct in 2010

So it would seem that I am in quite a different place – but how would that translate to racing?

There are some smokey boys and girls here so the front end of the mens and womens field will be quick and so it proves. After the initial dash through the twisty bits of the town the landscape opens up and we start the climb proper. I’ve started conservatively and feel good as the road kicks up. I stay controlled and concentrate on holding good form – yep, I’m definitely climbing better – so that’s the biking working then…I work my way through to around the mid teens and peg some familiar forms ahead of me. I’m holding well and the red lights aren’t even close to flashing. Alright then…

I don’t register it at the time but as we climb into the wind and cold I start to leak heat. I clocked that the course is very exposed but have figured that a straight up and down will mean once we’re descending it’ll all get very warm very quickly. So I’ve opted for vest only. Which is an error. I can get away with wearing next to nothing in grim weather working flat out over a short course, but this will be about an hour of exposure. I lose 3 places in the last 100 yards to the summit turn as I stumbled chilled through the bogs. Coldness doesn’t register as a cause at all - I just realise that my legs feel numb and don’t work very well and we’ve turned into a head/cross wind – and I’m pissed at being passed after holding my climbing place for so long.

Lots of snarly gurning noises are required to get 2 out of those 3 places back before we come off the fell and onto the road, but to my dismay and despite keeping my foot on the gas I’m not gaining ground on anyone else infront – the gaps have stretched and they’ve all gone. Bugger – and I’m supposed to be good on this kinda stuff!

I do get within 20 yards of retaking my place on the climb, but Chris sneaks a look behind and finds another gear to keep him ahead of me over the last half mile.

But I’m happy: It’s not been a flat out effort but that was not the main goal - I have some immediate answers and others come with more considered reflection that evening. And next time there might even be a little less flesh exposed…

Couple of race reports with pictures

http://calvaorbust.blogspot.com

http://cumbrianadventure.blogspot.com

Race results http://www.fellrunner.org.uk/results.php?id=1136