Long Tour of Bradwell

This was my first time at this race. The weather was mixed with a small amount of drizzle but fluctuations of hot sunshine through to chilly wind overcast grey. The ground was relatively dry which made for a relatively easy run compared to what the Peak is like on a wet bog day. The race is hardcore, not just because its fairly rough in places underfoot, or the distance but because it packs in the elevation. This can be seen here.

It got dehydrated on this one through stupidity and thinking I had plenty of water left when I left the last checkpoint (about 44k), only to run out about half a k after. Oops. The last climb is fairly straight forward but the last tarmac section out of Abney is a ball ache that just seems to go on for ever. The sting in the tale of this one is the last descent into Bradwell. My quads had pack in so I felt like I was hobbling down hill on stumps. To be fair I think I looked like that as well. Great race, great price, great cakes and food at the end. Hopefully the legs will hold up and I'll be back annually for the next few years.