My 2nd Ultra Race - the 41 (and a bit re 2023 diversion) mile Millennium Way Ultramarathon. P9! A full traverse of Staffordshire, West-East. With no 18 pesky mountains to bother about this time - nor 12,800 feet of elevation, this one was all about: Would my legs behave for the lion's share of 70K?; Would cramps stay away?; Could I be competitive over distance? I was certainly competitive and at the business end of a race for the first time in years. Some shoot off and fall back so amazed at 27 miles I was in the same farmer's field as the only 2 ahead of me (them at the far end - me just entering). I was still clear 3rd at CP3/31 miles but a navigational error shortly afterwards put an extra 1.22M on my run and I slipped from 3rd to 10th by time I eventually made it back to route where I originally went wrong. Delighted with top 10 though as a relative novice still. Another Freiheit run and just 12 days shy of me joining the V50 category. Nice to end at a former working town of mine, and Brewing capital of England, Burton-on-Trent 🍺 Didn't fall over; didn't lose a contact lens; did cramp after 35M - but finished in the daylight 😀TMWU??...completed it, mate! Moving time 6:22:31

Exploratory Plod

A little further/faster. No left quad strain today.

Back up a VERY sticky Bardon. Utter filth up there for those who like that sort of thing

Hilly run in light snow

49 @ 49...

50 @ 50

Dog Jog with Fudge

Hilly Lollipop Stick Loop with plenty of sticky/slippy off-road trails, attempting a v. long off-road strava segment. 3rd-overall on All around the Quarry edge, 23 mins 28 secs @ 10:20/mi pace average, with 134 ft of climbing, many many stiles, and (TODAY) many slippy/sticky sections I had to walk today - one to go back to in the middle of a baking summer!, 3 mins 16 secs behind Tony's 7-year-old CR, 2 mins 55 Skinner in 2nd, 5 secs ahead of Jake Perkind in 4th, 1 min 37 Murphy in 6th, 2 mins 15 Gaunt in 7th, 4 mins 1 sec Mike in 9th, 4 mins 4 secs ahead of 10th of 15.

Car retrieval from Bosworth Hall Hotel & Spa (Alan's Grace Dieu Ladies Evening last night)