Carlton Challenge Fell Race

Carlton Challenge is a five and half mile fell race which makes it fast and hard. After winning the race for the last two years and missing the course record by one second two years ago I was determined as ever to win this race in a good fast time and with pre-race tension building I was keen to get started.
I must of misread the sign at the start of the race saying Caution Bull In Field it obviously said Caution There's A Bulman In The Field. From the start of the race I changed my plan instantly and instead of the well drilled plan of not setting off too fast and saving myself for the second half of the race that Little Devil on my shoulder cried out "Full Steam Ahead" as the word "GO" was shouted out for the start of the race. By the time I reached the wooded section at about a third of the way round the course I expected I would have a slight lead over a couple of chasing runners, but Jim Bulman from North Yorkshire Moors was a good one metre behind and closing. I fretted not as I was confident I would gain some ground by the end of the woods as he would of out raced himself. Bloody Hell ! He was still right behind me, onwards up the steepish Jacobs Ladder section we went and on hitting the ridge I attacked immediately confident my speed over the ridge would be too much for him. For Christs Sake ! He was still stuck on my back like a flea on a dog. Another couple of attacks to try and get a slight lead also became fruitless. Still I did not fear as I felt I would out sprint him down to the finish from the trig point but that voice in my head was reminding me of all my previous tactics failing. On reaching the trig point Bulman suddenly went left and gave me a call for going his way, from experience I had no option but stick to my own route, those last twenty metres to the finish I was looking around like a Jet fighter pilot looking for a heat seeking missile, wondering where the hell is he ! I scanned the mountain side all around me. Fortunately my route was the better and I took the win in 32 minutes 32 Seconds twelve seconds off the course record. Bulman was a close second seventeen seconds behind and Charles Stead third.
After such a hard battle surely a half marathon on Sunday will feel quite easy now, that's what I'm tricking my mind into believing anyway.