SPIRITED FINISH
DON ASHTON MEMORIAL TOCKHOLES EVENING FELL RACE
The race to racing fitness has had it's ups and downs so far this Summer, nothing dramatic mind you, but if there are any traceable signs at all of even the finest lines of improvement then one has to take them, bank them, cherish them and look for signs of more next time out. Up against some familiar faces at Tockholes, I made very marginal gains on some of the guys who have been further ahead of me recently, but more importantly I came out on top in a bit of a ding-dong with the chap a place ahead of me at Harrock Hill last week. This showed signs of, dare I say it, improvement. 
On that same evening, an old favourite of mine the Bull Hill fell race was also on the calendar and despite some underlying deflation about this fixture clash, I had already committed to this one as a mark of respect. Bull Hill would have to keep for another year.
This year the race was renamed in the memory of former Vet 50 British Fell Champion Don Ashton. The Blackburn Harrier and Darwen Dasher very sadly passed away last year. I didn't know Don and I don't know his grandson Calvin Ferguson particularly well, but enough to know Calvin's a grand lad who is rightfully very proud of his grandfather, his fell running achievements and for his friends at the Dashers to name a race in his honour. At the start, we were told a record number of ninety nine were assembled for the off which was great to see. Treble figures next year for sure.
The sticky weather had returned for this one. Midway through the race my thermostat started playing up and just for a moment I wondered if I had blown and it was all over. I lost places, but back on the moors I managed some recovery, got back in to it and gained a few positions back. With a couple of miles to go I was closing in on a familiar black vest that I recognised from last week's race and decided this was my chance to affirm at least one statistical improvement from the night's shift. I cruised by and was feeling good, put in a surge and had the audacity to think that was that, Thomas Harkin taken care of. However, upon the short sting in the tail with less than a mile to go, Harkin came back at me and just on the brow of the climb nudged ahead. I was already screaming inside at this point, but I couldn't let him go now. I hung on desperately and as the track to the finish started to level out, Harkin made a few more surges of his own but I managed to respond and match him stride for stride before making my own move for the line. In running scared I somehow made up six seconds on him with a spirited finish. All that just to say that sixteenth is better than seventeenth. But it is!
It ought not to go unmentioned that prior to the race I was a very happy bunny indeed after treating myself to a swish pair of Walsh casuals that Calvin was selling as a one-off on the Bolton firm's behalf at special race-night-only rates. Looking forward to a pub outing in those babies, although I may have to pick carefully from my wardrobe to best compliment their purple colourway.    

Thursday 6th July 2017
DON ASHTON MEMORIAL TOCKHOLES EVENING FELL RACE   5.8m/1099ft    Tockholes, East Lancs.
1st Man - Jack Hindle (Blackburn H.) 37:35
1st Lady - Kirsty Hall (Wharfedale) 45:19
My Stats - 41:41   16/99