Crazy race

after sitting around to 2 days (backblip posted) we decided to have a run.
It was the Scottish Hill Runners lunch and prize-giving following a short hill race and Mr Rat decided he would like to go, even though he hadn't won any prizes so I thought I might as well go ,too, and run the race.
It is called the Dumyat Dash, though for most a crawl was probably more appropriate (or even a drag if you want alliteration).
The start was just along from the cars, up some steps and a narrow path onto a track which went downhill - at least I could run that bit. In past years it was 4.8k going round and up the gully with the mist in it, then over the nearer top before back down a grassy path to the track and returning via the up route.
This year they decided to make it 6k and the extra route on the map just looked steep - more walking. Steep it certainly was! Once leaving the track it soon went onto unstable scree and there were 3 lengths of rope to help you up - even going across the scree was slow because the stones were always moving. A slight breather and up into the gully, grassy underfoot, and just when it appeared to be getting less steep the route took a sharp turn up the steep side to reach the left-hand peak. A bit of easier ground between the 2, though the legs didn't really want to go up any more (but I certainly wasn't going back the way we'd come!) but I made it to the top and enjoyed the descent.
I had company as I was at the end with the sweeper but my time wasn't too bad, last year on the shorter and easier route 4 people had been slower. And I won a prize - 2nd over 60 woman - so the chocolate and wine helped the memories of struggle fade. I don't think I'll do that race again, I can last quite a while on the stories!
Afterwards we had the lunch, a talk from Jasmin Paris about some running exploits and collected a prize for a friend.