Post Script

A few months later now, it's time to take stock. 60 races completed in a year and more than half of them with a podium finish out of, on average, 15 MV60's in a race. 5 wins, 15 very frustrating seconds and 12 thirds. My average position in the field was better at 60 than at 50 but that may be more a reflection of my race choices than a real improvement in my times, although I did beat my V50 time more than once as a V60. My best achievement was perhaps 3rd V60 at Coniston, in the clag against a decent field of competitors but the ones that will be remembered will be the win at Sca Fell Pike late in the season, despite being injured, Bilberry Fields during the winter, because I beat Tim, my daughter's boyfriend, fair and square and of course, a trophy for 3rd place in the BOFRA Championship.

I haven't had a decent run since my 61st birthday or, it may be more accurate to say, since the late summer of my 60@60, due to my ongoing hip problem. I'll sign off this blog for now with an image of my GP's hilarious referral letter to Wrightington Hospital - a centre of excellence for hip replacements.

Race 60 of 60 @ 60: Screes

Phew.

That was a great way to get the challenge completed, despite being some way further down the results page than I would have liked, due, I will always maintain, to my lack of training because of the pain in my left hip. Family came over to support, some ran - check the results, club mates too, and what a great little event it is. Low key, village hall and a good pub opposite. What's not to like! We topped things off with a couple of bottles of nice cava on the finish line.

Results: 17th/31  V60-69: 5th/11 Time: 1:05:11

Race 59 of 60 @ 60: Withins

Having recently concentrated on the BOFRA Championship and other short form races, this is the furthest I've run in ages. Uncertain as to whether my hip would hold out for the whole race I set off really steady and carried on steady over the boggy top of The Stoop. Trying not to overstride on the descent through the ruins of Top Withins lost me more time so in the end I was happy to be straggling in well off the pace but not in too much pain. Somewhat slower than 10 years ago when, reading my account of that race, I also had a poor run. Never mind all that. It's in the bag, with just one more to go. I really hope to get a bit better in time for The Screes in two weeks.

Coming out of the quarry at the start

Results: 107th/183 V60: 14th/22 Time: 1:04:10 

Distance: 10.1km Climb: 300m

Race 58 of 60 @ 60: Fan Fawr

A busy weekend down in Abergavenny is broken up perfectly on a blustery Saturday afternoon by this low key out and back up Fan Fawr. Steep, grassy, a bit wet - ideal for me but with my recent lack of training I was a bit off the pace of the best local V60's. Katie and Tim were competing for their new club for the first time and both getting in to the swing of things nicely, Tim a couple of minutes ahead of me, Katie a couple of minutes behind.

Setting off

I really need to get over that competitive streak

Results: 45th/84 V60: 3rd/8 Time: 25:49 

Distance: 3.2km Climb: 305m

Race 57 of 60 @ 60: Eskdale Show

This is a great little route - runnable in terms of climb per km but pretty technical in places. All the more of a shame then that I couldn't go full steam ahead as the stream crossing and fence climb at the beginning took their toll on the sore tendons around my left hip. A bit of a write off as a competitive event but one more in the bag. I'll come back to this one next year. 

Results: 37th/50 V60: 5th/7 Time: 55:10 

Distance: 6.9km climb: 277m

Race 56 of 60 @ 60: Scafell Pike Race

The course being shortened due to bad weather was a bit of a disappointment for my Spanish visitors but a bit of a relief for me. We were reduced to racing to the top of Lingmell Nose and back - much like a BOFRA event - but to be fair, that's still a fair old climb. I was 5th V60 at the top and not feeling that fit for tearing downhill at full speed but one by one, I worked my way through to take an unexpected category win. Nice.

Results: 50th/78 V60: 1st/7 Time: 38:16 Distance: 3.6km Climb: 470m

Race 55 of 60 @ 60: Bradley

This is getting hard now. On the face of it this is a nice little route, very runnable throughout and a course where I would hope to be flying on the not too technical descent. I was slow to the top, having lost fitness through not being able to train between races, but I was just about still in touch with the leading V60's. Instead of working my way through the field and trying to catch the category leaders I lost touch entirely and limped down, with a seemingly endless stream of runners passing me by and leaving me for dead. Not so much powfagged as shot to pieces.

Results: 61st/80  V60: 9th/11  Time: 37:13

Distance: 5.6km  Climb: 244m