Just back from an unexpected race at Coed y Brenin, Mid Wales and getting the kit through the machine for the third wash already. The week had started off with me in bed with some virus/cold/bug thing and a blank weekend ahead with which to catch up on missed work, but when word came through the grapevine that there were places going begging in teams for the weekend’s ACE race, I couldn’t resist. After a bit of to and fro-ing that almost had me racing for The North Face, I ended up in the wonderful Total Adventure team. Despite almost being old enough to be my parents (sorry guys if you read this, although most folks in UK AR are in that position!), they are a strong team with lots of good banter, and I had a thoroughly enjoyable weekend covered head to toe in sheep shit, mud, rain, river water and snot! Story of the weekend I think was the chap that The North Face persuaded to stand in for them, and who worked so hard that he collapsed in a jibbering heap close to the end of a long run and had to be carried by his team mates to the finish line! Fair play, he gave it his all and you can’t ask fairer than that.

Next up is Porage in the Peaks on 14th May… Should really do some training if I didn’t have so much work to do…