Lad's Leap - The editor takes to the fells!

Photo by kind permission of Mountain-Zac

If only the weather had been as clear as it was in 2012!
Mind you, looking at the photos of last year's race, I was praying that the same arrangement for crossing the fence would NOT be in place. Give me a rickety old stile any day of the week. 
I'd managed to get all my gear together the night before, I tend to be a last minute person who cries out, "Sal, where did you put my fell shoes? Where's my running vest?" What I did forget to do, was to ensure I had a bum bag with all the necessities for a fell race! Luckily, map and compass and whistle and... weren't needed. Well, that's what I thought.
After a breakfast of Shredded Wheat, banana, pumpkin seeds and a splurge of honey; I was now ready to take on my first fell race for ages. Being Billy No-Mates, I made my lonely way over the hill to Crowden. The mist became thicker and thicker, time to go back. Nah, stop being a wimp, you'll love it once you get going. 
A £1 parking fee meant that my pension wouldn't be going very far this week. I'd have to forgo the weekly treat of a Mars bar! I filled in the entry form, STILL can't remember my car reg plate and changed into fell gear.
Just about managed to spot Anne B queuing up to register, my ear-sight is deteriorating as well as everything else. Quite a few more PFR's than I first thought.
"On your marks... (he's got to be joking!) set... (he isn't) ...GO! This was the mad dash for the stile up on the hillside, everyone was polite in my group, though there have been occasions when someone thinks it's fine to push in. Why do they think that nobody else should have to queue? I heard someone shout a, "Com'on Yianni'" He's a famous fell runner and I'm gobsmacked to find him in WIKI!
   Yiannis Tridimas is a renowned long-distance fell runner, noted as being the first and only 60 year old to have completed an extended version of the Bob Graham Round, covering 60 peaks in under 24 hours. Wikipedia
Must try and get my details in there. 

 Lad's LeapPhoto by kind permission of Gary Smith

The mist was covering the hills, and patches of ice here and there made for steady progress. Hold on, I think I'm half enjoying this. We crossed over Lad's Leap and round the corner to the high point of the race.         
Now for the run down to the stile. "Where's the marshal sending us?" A new route that I'd not done before. Head down and try not to let anyone pass, concentration! We hit a number of pipes that crossed the moor but.. hold on, the flags seem to have disappeared. Suddenly, about 30 runners or so, came to an abrupt halt. The mist had cleared and just 100m in front of me was Andy Swift and the rest of the leading pack. ME, near Andy Swift... this calls for a pint! Heading back in a south-easterly direction, we managed to find the gate which led to the uphill quarry section. My favourite bit this, a chance to pass a few tired runners who will no doubt bomb pass me on the downhill section to the finish.
On the way back, I heard friends talking about how they'd gone wrong and that's why their slower team mates had managed to be in front of them. I still felt strong and looked back just after crossing Lad's Leap (stream). There seemed to be "loads" of runners, all desperate to catch up the slow ones like me and take their rightful place on the results sheet.

Photo by kind permission of dancingbadger72

Downhill, really slippy and of course a few runners manage to fly by. I HATE that! A strong run to the finish and my legs begin to burn. 
I could be in the top 20 or the bottom 20, I'd no idea how many of us went wrong. Damian (he finished in 6th place) was waiting at the line and already changed. This didn't bode well. 
After a what seemed like an age, Des came out with the results board and I found myself in a creditable 39th spot. How realistic that would have been if everyone had run the correct route, we'll just never know.
Now then, when's the next fell race for me to have a go at...2014?

Thanks to Noel for the inclusion of this video footage