ALI'S LANG SYNE
DALESIDE BREWERY AULD LANG SYNE RACE
Well you really had to be there, and I'm glad to say I was. The swansong race for the brilliant Mr and Mrs Woodhead after thirty years of organising fell races. Fitting then, that at least one of the Brownlee's, of whom both brothers started racing here at the Quarry Runs in their very younger years, should honour this occasion and it was Alistair that did so by gracing it with his fifth Auld Lang Syne victory. Alistair's presence speaks volumes about how the Brownlee's, even now as two of the country's most famous sportsmen, are so refreshingly grounded. Brother Jonny was meanwhile engaged at the other side of the county border racing the Ribble Valley 10K at Clitheroe with the Northern Road Championship at stake. Each to their own, but I'm with his older bro on this one - no other place to be on New Year's Eve morning than packed in to the Penistone Hill quarry where Dave Woodhead yelled, "Reight yeeuo lot! Get baaack 'ere!" for the very last time.
I tried to even ever so briefly thank the man personally after the race and was completely ignored! That's just how it is with him on race day. You can't get near him. I was more embarrassed than offended though. Maybe I'll send Dave and Eileen a nice card that might get their attention to accept my gratitude.
The Woodentops thing captured my heart ever since my first appearance as a keen fell racing beginner at the Withins Skyline race back in 2006. Ever since, if fit, if able, Woodentops races have always been high on the agenda.
AULD LANG SULK
I can be a ridiculous creature at times. Sara would verify this, she lives with me. My well rehearsed mindset that this race was all about just being there and less about hoping for performance went out of the window. Recent weeks suggested performance wasn't going to happen anyway, but pre-race nerves somehow crept in to abandon all those sobering, rational thoughts that I had carefully put in place. Suddenly I was taking myself and indeed my place in the race way too seriously. It turned out I even forgot to pin my race number on - never done that before - so my head was certainly up my backside for some reason. Just as expected though, I didn't have a flyer and so the clouds of disappointment built up in the aftermath. In short, I got in to a bit of a sulk.
Woodentops races never do quite start on time so no chance in this one, especially with Alistair Brownlee poised on the front line - even more photographs taken than usual as we all freeze our bits off - but as one would rightfully expect in the presence of greatness. Once off and away I avoided trouble where the field bottlenecks out of the quarry and felt fairly strong at probably twenty somethingth, beginning to build confidence until around the halfway mark. Then I realised that for the easier, mainly downhill and wind assisted second half of the race I didn't have another gear to crunch in to and it was hang-on time as the testing ascent out of Ponden Valley took it's toll. There was very little kick left in my legs at all for the final mile to the finish. Past they came, I wasn't counting, but probably in to double figures and that's never a nice feeling towards the end of a race, culminating in a state of said post-race sulky chops.
All done then, and it really was just about being there in fact. Heading back across the moor towards the welcome warmth of Sara's car with heated seats, I spot a nearby runner and turn to Sara, already suitably impressed at seeing Brownlee in action to compensate enduring the bitter wind; "Look at that, a double Olympic champion there just tootling along, you don't get that every day when your out with the dog" ...thirty yards ahead, the lonesome figure of the race winner casually jogs across our path. "Go and ask him for a photo, I'm sure he won't mind", says Sara. I wished I had, he probably wouldn't have minded but I just couldn't do it. The lad was on his cool down and it was great enough just to keep an eye on him as he faded in to the distance, dropping off the moor towards Haworth. Besides, he deserved a few moment's peace to himself and had probably got a bit cold after sticking around at the finish for the final Woodentops photo shoot.
And so, with that inspiring sight, that was that for 2017 and the end of a Woodentops era.

Sunday 31st December 2017
DALESIDE BREWERY AULD LANG SYNE RACE Penistone Hill, Haworth, W. Yorks. 6m/1000ft
1st Man - Alistair Brownlee (Bingley) 44:54
1st Lady - Nichola Jackson (Ribble Valley) 49:49
My Stats - 51:47   44/368| 

2017 Mileage Total: 1528.3