Fountains Abbey

Today's race was the first in the BlackSheep Series - the Fountains Abbey 10k.

Having resigned myself on Monday to having a 0% chance of running due to calf injuries, Thursday's brutal physio session with the former Birmingham City FC Head Physio meant that the knots had been unknotted and the legs able to run free(ish).

So, a 4th place finish in today's race was a satsifactory result. I am my harshish critic, and could have finished higher but the legs did not respond well to the hills and pushing them even more with dodgy calves could have meant re-occurence of injury. At 7k I tried to kick and nothing happened!!!

Thirsk & Sowerby won the team prize, and with Gary Dunn back for Ripon that will strengthen the team's credentials immeasurably. Only problem with being a coeliac is that I can't drink beer and so the BlackSheep Ale will find its way to willing drinkers down here in Brum.

25 miles training in 3 weeks is not ideal but I've already moved on to Ripon and hope everyone that beat me today races there so I can take them on in better shape. Anyway, I'll be wearing different trainers there as the ones I used today are caked in mud - so much so that I can't even tell if they are trainers to be honest.