You run, you walk, you crawl. Then you go again.

I joined Newport to get some new adventures.
One of the new adventures was an appearance at the FRA Relays, held at Church Stretton.
Regular readers of my moaning & whinging will know I am an unbalanced, irregular but devoted fell runner, having competed since the mid-90s and I've been an FRA member also since that time.
So, when the relays came up, it seemed like it was too good to be true. National relays, big event, just down the road. When would I get the chance to do this again?
I was not in the peak of fitness, to be fair, though I had taken part in a triathlon and a duathlon in the preceding weeks. Should be enough, I reckoned, to get me round.
Oh, boy. It soon sorted me out and showed up how unfit I really was.
I was teamed up with Ian who is a genial chap. I figured out he would be waiting around for me a fair bit; so did he because he took his mobile phone with him to take a few pictures!
We were on Leg 2 of the Relays, which has since got a fair bit of press about being really hard. I'm sure it was hard, but how it was harder than a Lake District or Scottish or Welsh run I don't know. As I usually strut my stuff in the Peaks it compared fairly well.
To the race: We waited and waited for our leg 1 runner to appear at the top of the hill, eventually there he was, large as life. Yikes! we were off, and straightaway up and out of the Rectory Field, ahead of us we could see the runners walking up Ashlet. Blimey. No shame there then.
We got up on to the plateau and climbed up the road to Pole Bank in good order. By the time we were off Pole Bank I was going well, but ever so slightly worried about the next bit. Ian was bounding along..
We skirted Round Hill and Minton and then took a sharp drop to the stream below Callow. Ugh. The climb up Callow almost finished me. I worked so hard, I was on my hands and knees. Knackered by now, the skirting round Grindle and drop into Ashes Hollow went by me in blind acceptance. Every step was a trudge towards the fast-disappearing green vest in front. Once I got down into the valley agh no! back up Ashlet. This time I used the fence to haul myself up. Ian was surprised I was right with him here.
Off Ashlet for the last time, sharp drop into the valley for CP5. I hit a muddy patch and came down on my arse. But it didn't hurt by now....We picked up the pace in the last half mile and narrowly finished in front of the Mercia Ladies (B ) team but what a great day. I was absolutely battered.
Big thanks to Ian for dragging me round. Maybe next time I wont be so slow :0)