Captain Cook's fell race

Starting the year off right with a 5-ish mile fell race from Great Ayton up to Captain Cook's monument & back. Much busier than I expected, with a great turnout of Striders to provide motivation and cheer. A bright sun lingering near the horizon (it never gets very high in the sky, this time of year) made for just about perfect running conditions. A heaping helping of mud churned up by weeks of relentless rainfall added some spice to the proceedings.

The climb up to the monument was brutal but fair: you have to get up there somehow. The descent was downright thrilling. Never have I thrown myself with such abandon down clartcovered hillsides. I put my trust in my shoes, in the trampled bracken, in the folks around me, and found it well-placed. I made it down that hill in record (well, for me) time.