high peak marathon

i've been awake now for 37ish hours, sleep seems a long way off. i'm on a high. yesterday feels a life time ago and today, well today, or is that yesterday? i suppose it it doesn't matter actually.

meeting team mates for the first time just hours before go, only adds to race anxiety. knowing that only 2 of them are from the original team and that the forth is also a 'random', twists that nervous knot even tighter. 42 night time hill miles-anything can happen.

for us it was a simple tale. 4 ladies with a sense of adventure and a lot of determination. running through the night is a good way to get to know folks. my new friends were perfect companions. easy chat and random thoughts. slow and steady and no complaints. some of us hurt and we all had lows. but everyone was looked after.

cocooned in our headlamp glows our night was uneventful. a clear sky and low wind. just keep one foot in front of the other. we could be anywhere. a game of 'worst job' top trumps. coat hanger factory worker was trumped by maggot farm.

lights off and a gray dawn. even a detour at bleaklow didn't raise voices, just solutions and laughter. keep on shuffling. another tea stop and all that's left is a half marathon for breakfast. the sun peaks through the clag but doesn't win. it doesn't matter anymore. we're on the home straight.

the original members can relax. all their training and recce's have paid off. us randoms can breath a sign of relief, we've not let the side down. never has the word marathon been used so loosely. but we took the challenge head on. 13rhs and 41min later, we're still laughing and make promises to meet for future fun. maybe during the day and maybe not so far.

the high peak marathon is the best value race you can enter. and you're guaranteed to meet some jolly nice folk too.