A new year and a new month. Happy 2018 everyone! It’s the second instalment of the (fell) running realities series. Those quirks of this niche that are undeniable and irrefutable. This month……hills.

Don’t fear science….sometimes it’s right! What comes down must have come up from somewhere right? Unless you’re doing one of those rare downhill races (Caerketton or Bishop Downhill both spring to mind), but as I say, they’re definitely the exception, not the norm. As uncommon as capercaillie (STOP! – private joke, known only to me – sorry).

A brief remembrance of the hallowed Rule #72 ‘Legs Speak Louder Than Words’ and equally so Rule #55 ‘Earn Your Turns’ should stand you in good stead when contemplating the ‘ups’.

Unfortunately my legs couldn’t drown out the laboured, infantile straining of my lungs during the recent King of the Castle fell race down in Rosthwaite on the weekend…….

The moral of this story, save your legs and set the table for two because The Man with the Hammer is coming for tea.