Ian Hodge reports...
Distance: 21 m
Type: LDWA walk/run
Location: Newburgh, Lancashire
This was an event I did last year, when the weather was a lot colder and the ground rock hard. This year it promised to be much softer underfoot.
Starting at 9 am, an hour after the walkers, the route initially followed the Leeds/Liverpool canal before heading north. I'd planned to take
things easy but steady and to concentrate on keeping the pace steady. Some parts of the route were common to the Parbold Hill race that had taken place the week before, so there were some swampy spots, but nothing too bad. After the first couple of checkpoints the route turned south and I soon found myself more or less alone, catching the odd walker.
At Appley Bridge I made sure not to repeat the navigational mistake of last year (turning off down the canal, rather than the stream) and
continued my steady progress. At this point the wind was in my face and I could feel a slight drizzle which was chilling but not too bad. The conditions were mainly good, with the odd bit of clagging mud.
On reaching the last but one checkpoint I was asked by a fellow plodder 'where now?'. His only aid to navigation was a now disintegrated route description. Hadn't he read the advice that a map and compass (and the ability to use them) would be a good idea? Anyway, we set off, him following. Despite my best efforts I couldn't lose him (sounds cruel).
After the final checkpoint the route differed from last year, not sure why. The new route was not more scenic, or less muddy.
The final stretch back up hill (isn't it always?) brought me back to the start. Checking the clock I was pleasantly surprised, 3:17, which is about my normally Sunday shuffle time over a shorter route. As typical the food options include a vegetarian, but non vegan, option. So, out came the banana and apples. A pleasant day out, certainly better than the streets of Warrington.
Well done Ian, saviour of the lost!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Beacon Bash, 22nd Feb
Friday, February 27, 2009
Watford Half Marathon - 1/2/09
Hi Everyone,
We were fortunate to miss the severe spell of wintry weather that was about to hit England at least. Although conditions under foot were perfect, there was a very cold wind chill from the east as we were warned. With that in mind I wore two long tops underneath the vest, tights plus head protection and gloves. At the start there were still runners in just a vest with wind chill temperatures of -5C or so expected. Met Laurence here still wearing his fleece top until the last moment.
After the previous weekend's regional cross country I suffered a stomach upset but not necessarily due to the event. On the Monday following the event, just sitting upright was uncomfortable let alone walking. At that point it was a matter of recovery in time for this event. Fortunately it was not prolonged and I was back to normal by the end of the week. Obviously I was now going to be taking the Watford event more cautiously.
Off we went soon downhill in Cassiobury Park with the wind behind us. Coming out of the park we took a right turn back in the opposite direction parallel to the park but into the cold wind for several minutes. Turning back into a westerly direction again and eventually out into the countryside we hardly noticed the wind again until we came back into the park near the end. It is about 7 years since I last ran this undulating event which was more uphill in the first half. Despite the conditions, I soon had to remove the gloves otherwise feeling comfortable apart from the hill climbs. As we reached halfway and started turning back, the sun came out and it felt spring like sheltered from the wind.
Coming back into Watford I began to lose some places and was not feeling too energetic. With two miles to go and near the Metropolitan line bridge I had to stop but only to tie up the laces. We soon had a slow tiring climb before the park entry where we were greeted by the biting wind into our faces for about a few hundred metres. Turning into the straight with about 300 metres to go, Ade from the VC&AC overtook me on the inside which prompted me into starting my fast finish early. I was concerned I might not be able to keep up the pace and lose the battle but in the end there was a wide gap between us. The earlier lace problem may have prevented me from finishing under 1.40 but then again Ade gave me that extra incentive to push harder earlier than intended.
After the chat at the finish, the darkened sky and snow flurries prompted me to get back inside as soon as possible. A problem then arose trying to retrieve our baggage given the shortage of volunteers and the fact they were being stored under the stage and a level down. Hundreds of runners were soon gathering around the tables calling out or showing their number. It was a bit of a melee but I was lucky to get my baggage back in 20 minutes, meanwhile there were queues building up to the end of the large hall. With more volunteers arriving the situation did ease.
Luckily for some including Laurence and Verna they chose not to use this facility. Laurence and I visited the adjoining cafe as planned and later our other three runners Verna Burgess, Frances Humphries and Colin Braybrook also joined us but not all at the same time. By the time we left, the hall was almost deserted. Days later I notice my missing two tops and vest, somehow they were left behind presumably in the hall.
Peter
Monday, February 23, 2009
Newsflash: Sid reaches start line before starter (Winchester)
We hear from Sid DeLara who has made it to the start line before the gun gets fired - this time!
Nice to have got to the start line on time this week. Pleasant weather conditions, the Winchester 10k is an undulating course, you have to make a calculated judgement each time you come to an uphill section as to how hard you can attack it, trying not to over do it at and the same time not wanting to lose ground.
Only problem on this outing was the 5k marker was way off, thus i thought i had gone through this point of the race in a PB time, which may have caused me to ease off a bit. However still best showing on an undulator for a while.
XC Nationals, Parliament Hill
We hear from Peter S. and Colin B. (in his Snorbans vest) - James as ever is represented by a whooshing noise!
Peter S:
A good & varied XC course, less boggy than on some previous occasions at Parliament Hill. Less mud on the legs than at Hillingdon for the South of England AA but mud is preferable to a frozen course that I and any other county championship runner experienced on 10 January.
I thought I struggled through the boggy parts but then who didn’t and was wary of the possibility of leaving a shoe behind so changed my stride a little. Seemed to notice more participants walking the hills on the 2nd lap whilst I kept going. Finished with too much to spare I thought helped by the easier 2nd half of the last lap. Use to running 15K instead of 12K on this course.
There was a very long queue in the showers which remained hot for the first time possibly as a result of the refit a few years back or likely due to the women’s changing being transferred to the Harringay Athletic Club facilities rather than the lido? Thought I may have missed James Meldrum but on ringing him he was still at the rather deserted finish with his Liverpool club colleague who were staying overnight but not on Hampstead Heath. James made the long walk over to the Lido for a brief chat. We hope to meet him again at the London Marathon and maybe repeat our post-marathon social at the Chinese & pub?
The 25/26 April is going to be a busy weekend for me in London with the national anti-vivisection event on Saturday to mark World Day for Laboratory Animals.
Colin B
It was a nice day for it, and not as boggy as the Southerns - my spikes were crunching somewhat on some of the drier bits of track, although there were quite a few quagmires. Spotted Peter at the start. Looks as if James had a better run than we did, what a surprise!
My last Cross Country will be the Orion 15 on March 21st, which is a bit like two Nationals back-to-back.
Both busy as ever - good going guys!
"ultra" Anna has a "nice" marathon
We hear from Anna Finn, who has been, well, dare we say, slumming it at the shorter distances...
I had a fantastic week snowboarding in Austria (I organised the college ski trip this year) then went up to Rugby last night to complete the Draycote Water Marathon today. Peter Simpson turned out to cheer me on and I met another runner who plans to join VRUK soon. It was very windy around the lake at times, but otherwise a nice course, far less tough than the ultras! There were five and a bit laps, mostly flat, on roads. I've attached a couple of pictures - one taken by the lake before the start, the other with the finishers T shirt at the end. It turns out that a week of snowboarding is pretty good cross training! I felt very comfortable most of the way, apart form a worrying twinge in my leg which fortunately went away quite quickly, finishing in my third fastest time ever, at just over 4 hours and 1 minute.
We would all love to know your recovery secrets, Anna!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
South of England XC (Hillingdon), 24/1/09
Hi All,
Normally when the event is held in London it is located at Hampstead Heath (North London) but with the English National XC scheduled here on 21 February, the Hillingdon venue was selected. It was an interesting choice for me or going back down memory lane! I attended Brunel University back in the early 1980s and traveling to Uxbridge (end of the Metropolitan Line)was a regular route into/out of London.
After a 10-15 mins walk I arrived at the venue, the new facilities of Hillingdon Athletic Track. Other junior events were in progress obviously not on the track but around other sports fields and countryside adjacent to the facilities. Given the new facilities there were strict rules to remove your muddy shoes if you have been on the course. Fortunately having just arrived I was ok otherwise there were mud covered shoes of the same colour around the entrance.
With my event not too far ahead I decided to first go and view the women's race in progress and get my shoes muddy. Some clubs had put up their tents in the muddy conditions! Watching the women's race briefly it was obvious the heavy conditions were slowing the runners down as you come to expect with cross country.
Given the quality facilities there were also ideal lockers for a change rather than risking dumping personal belongings near the start on in bushes and hoping for the best! Given the temporary plastic course fencing, a longish detour was necessary to reach the start. I was not quite sure what to expect (apart from mud) although there was not much in the way of hills I thought! I could see the swampy area at the first corner but was not sure if that was the only time we passed through it.
Met up with Sid Delara at the start line, Sid was running for his local club (making up the numbers) and none too keen to be running the 15K. It was announced that we would be running 4 laps. Off we went and soon our legs were wetted as we went through the 10-strides or so swamp. It was immediately evident that it was going to be a gruelling run. The mud was ankle-deep for long stretches and difficult to steer a straight line with runners trying to take advantage of less disturbed surface by taking detours but it was still soft almost wherever you ran. As it got easier we then had the hardest long climb on the course and ran around the edge of a rugby field at the top which was a relief. Back downhill it was back to the tricky conditions and as we approached the end of the lap it was again very heavy. Starting the second lap we were greeted again by the swamp. Another 3 laps was rather demoralising but you just got on with the task and made sure you did not take a tumble by making an extra effort to lift your knees higher.
Soon into the 3rd lap we were being lapped by the leaders and I estimate by the end of the 3rd lap about 70 had passed and I noticed two at least had been lapped twice as I passed them. It was somewhat a relief to be running the final lap and with the home straight only being covered at the end, I was able to put is a final spurt and overtaking several competitors.
Trying to get my shoes off at the facilities meant hands getting plastered and will I find my shoes again when I return. Given the large amount of mud to remove from the legs, there was a long queue for the showers but luckily I got there early. Met Sid back at the cafeteria upstairs and we chatted for a long time until it was time to almost lock up at 6pm and had long since got dark. My shoes were almost the last to be reclaimed.
Enjoyed the day and the testing conditions. Role on the National XC at Hampstead Heath on 21 Feb.
Regards
Peter
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
"no result" - a cautionary tale from SdL
Sidney DeLara had one of those days where things just don't go as you'd planned...
Sometimes difficult to gain necessary information about an event. So with Salisbury city 10k advertised on Runners World website, you are directed to Salisbury Journal for info on run, unfortunately no info is supplied by this source. I obtained a brochure "Salisbury whats on" saying the race would start at 10.30am.
Earliest train arrived Salisbury 9.47am and cycling to event , I could see all the runners heading off into the distance. It was a 10am start. So after debate with organisers decided to do the non serious 5k fun run which did start 10.30am. Unfortunately myself and others went the wrong way and ended up running a 7k route. So non event for me.
However would recommend to anyone living in the area. It's multi terrain taking in Old Sarum , which you do a lap around a distance of about a mile, being an elevated structure it provides a scenic run.
Punchbowl LWDA marathon 30 miles - Frances H
Frances Humphries has been putting all of us (except Anna!) to shame, distance-wise...
(I did the) Punchbowl Marathon on Sunday: this is an LDWA event which I walked with my husband we took 8hrs 32mins to get round a 30 mile course following a route description. It was a wonderful day, glorious sunshine most of the time, crunchy snow, cold muddy puddles (these resembled small lakes in some places), and a lot of not so nice black ice - the check points are always a bit depressing for Vegans but I had taken the precaution of carrying some home-made flap jack and scones, yummy!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Surprisingly Pleasant Conditions - David Lloyd Southampton 5k, Sid deLara
Sidney DeLara gets another M50 Silver and reports of the race...
After a cancelled event on Friday evening Feb 6th , Boscombe (seafront) 5k due to weather. The David Lloyd Southampton 5k went ahead on Sunday morning in surprisingly pleasant conditions. Straight forward 2 lap road race apart from nasty little hill for last 100metres.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Anna "Ultra" Finn does it again
Anna Finn (how she has the energy to type beats me!) says:
Yesterday I did my third ultra run in 22 days - the 50 mile Thames Trot (though I actually ran 51 miles as I got a bit lost!). It was by far the toughest run I've done, due to the really harsh conditions underfoot. The cold wasn't a problem, but it meant that the snow was hard to run on. And when there wasn't snow, there was mud or ice. It was mentally very challenging to keep going, but I ran with another guy who was very encouraging and we finished in just over 10 hours. It was a beautiful course and a gorgeous sunny day.
You can read about it in more detail, and see her looking surprisingly not-dead after the finish, on her blog
She was fourth lady! Congratulations Anna!
Friday, February 6, 2009
May Hill Massacre Part Deux
I didn't write much about this earlier as most of my time was taken up with the extra time it takes to go downstairs sideways. Ow. OW! ow! ow. ow. ow.
But they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here's 2,000's worth:
Elevation
Lap times (1/4 mile)
It's pretty easy to correlate the two and work out where the stretches of ankle-deep liquid mud were... I was scraping out from under my toenails in the shower later that day. It just got everywhere.
Did I say that this is the first race I've been to with a decent PA? (As a counterexample I offer the PA at the Reading Half, which bellows at you from every corner as you try to find somewhere out of the arctic wind). An appropriate choice of tunes ("Road To Nowhere", "We've Got To Get Out Of This Place", etc), a few informational announcements about starting and the race charity, that's it. Great.
All the marshalls were so cheery you thought they must have slipped something in the tea. And did I mention the teenagers with cheerleaders' pompoms at the top of the hills? Bless 'em. Last but not least, this being a country race, there was a fine selection of dogs to make a fuss of, from a bear-like Newfie to a pair of chilly-looking Jack Russells. (My own two were in their coats but even so, looked decidedly peeved at being taken out of the nice warm car. They tiptoed round the puddles. Greyhounds are such terrible wusses!).
I'd heard scary, scary things about this race. People kept on saying, "Have you done this before...." in an ominous way. I imagined clawing my way up a thistle-strewn hillside with icy gusts of wind blowing sleet and hail in my face, while battle-hardened fell runners bounded away into the fog on the hilltop, and having to ford waist-deep bogs using legs I couldn't feel any more.
Actually the vast majority of the route was on very pretty (sometimes very muddy) paths through the wood, sure it was a little nippy at the top of the hill but the views and the sweet, sweet rabbit-trimmed turf made up for that (like a golf course baby!) and the downhills were not on scree but on wide, smooth trails and roads. The last bit being why I can only now walk downstairs facing forward... overdid it a bit there :/
Anyway, much recommended for next year! But you'll want to make sure your shoe laces are well tied or, no lie, you will get a shoe sucked off your foot. It isn't horrid, but it really truly is. that. muddy!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Watford Half-Marathon 3rd February - Race Report from Laurence Klein
Diary Man I said Diary man, send him your running plans Laurence Klein reports from the Watford Half this weekend...
It wasn't very warm at Watford either. The cold would've been bearable but accompanied by a gusty freezing wind, especially in the open countryside made it tough going. Those of us at the back of the pack also had snow flurries for the last few miles. VRUKers there: Peter Simpson, Frances Humphries and me in the colours, and Verna Burgess and Colin Braybrook wearing their other club vests. Yes, some people were wearing vests.
At about mile 10 when I just wanted it to end, someone ran up alongside me and started querying where vegans got their protein. We're all used to these sorts of enquiries so I started going through the usual stuff, although the cold had numbed my face and talking was difficult. But this chap was insistent that vegans couldn't get all the necessary proteins, despite me and others being alive and healthy after very many years without animals. Perhaps he didn't understand me because of my difficulty forming words - I'll give him the benefit of the doubt - but he kept going on. I slowed down a bit so that he ran on ahead, which is, of course the only reason for a disappointing time. Although 5 minutes faster than last year, I was hoping for more.
Non-vegan cereal bar and lip salve in the goody bag, but did have nice cup of tea, warm up and good chat to all the above-named VRUKers afterwards till we were chucked out of the race HQ.
Regards
Laurence
PS Please keep sending me your racing plans with place, date and time, race name and distance, and your name if it isn't obvious from your email address.
Dave Arnold adds a similar anecdote from earlier days, with a happy ending....
"A few years back I had a similar scenario half way round the 20mile Meon Valley Plod when on the verge of pulling out an old running acquaintance / adversary pulled alongside and offered words of wisdom.."You need more meat in your diet". I didn't offer a response but thought that I'd at least beat him to the top of the next hill before bailing out. His words, and my thoughts resonated in my head as I determinedly fumed my way up the hill, occasionally checking his demise over my shoulder. His words had fired something in me, and now it wasn't personal..it was far more important, it was vegan! I carried on and finished the race ......a good few minutes ahead of him! A few years on and I think he's tired of my humble suggestion that he needs less meat........!"
Ryde 10 - 1 Feb 09 - Dave "ouch" Arnold reports
Dave Arnold reports from the Isle of Wight...
Hi all.
So the 2 Andrews battled it out at Regents Park in apparently bad weather. Should have tried the Ryde (Isle of Wight) 10 miles. Hilly, and so windy several people had sand in their eyes BEFORE we even got started. Having slightly missed the start I realised within 300-400 metres I realised that I was going to struggle badly today, but not without surprise as I know this week I've been over tired and under trained / rested ...but hey ho!
Add the cold and winds to the hills and it was always going to be a slow 10 miles for everyone and I was no exception ..posting my slowest 10miles ...yep a PW!! (1:08:20). However it was scenic and on a good day would be stunning.
So, how did things go at Watford Half?
Look forward to hearing everyone's tales of the weekend.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
May Hill Massacre - 1st Feb 09
This is a race definitely "as advertised" - 1/3 uphill (so steep that power-walking is as good as running for us plodders), 1/3 wading through ankle-deep mud, and 1/3 overly-tempting downhill (I've been going down stairs sideways this week...!).
Funnily before the race started I was thinking what a pity it was that there weren't any other VRUK-ers around (as you all know, wherever you go to race it's still more likely than not that you won't be the only VRUKer there) when up came new member Diane Wynne and introduced herself! Good job she did too - she finished twenty minutes ahead of me, [picture!]
so by the time I toddled over the line she'd fled back into the warm for lunch.
But I'd got a spot prize, yay! a technical t-shirt, and my Dad and sister were out cheering me on (as you can hear in the video Dad took of me poddling gently downhill - I swear it felt much faster!) so all in all a great day.
Of course I STILL haven't got the mud out of my shoes (when I showered I found that somehow the mud was under my toenails!). And still only half-way through the weekend's results & reports....zzzzz
Tring To Town - Anna "only 30-something miles" Finn
I did the 'Tring to Town' 40 miler today (though I think it was a bit short actually, maybe only 30-something miles!). It wasn't as much fun as a cross country route, as it followed the canal all the way, but I did enjoy the day and was pleased with my time - unofficially around 6 hours 5 minutes ish.
I've attached a picture, taken within minutes of me finishing (which excuses it not being terribly flattering!).
I have also written a bit on my blog about the day. All good training for my first 50 miler this Saturday...
Regents Park 10k Feb 1st - battle of the Andrews
Andrew Knight reports
Andrew Taylor and I competed in the Regents Park 10 km run today. It was with trepidation that I saw Andrew there. He'd beaten me by about 30 sec last time apparently with ease. I was heartened, however, to discover that he hadn't done much running of any kind for about 3 mths, whereas I've been training. Also, it was definitely warmer than the –2C of last month's run. However, gloomy and slightly windy conditions gave the event a distinctly 'nasty' feel to this Australian, and probably dropped the temperature to around freezing with wind chill.
For me the event was a very long, drawn out ordeal of profound suffering. It was not actual torture, I decided about half way through, but fairly close to it. Had I not been displaying my 'Vegan Runners' vest I may well have dropped out. Curse the vest.
The first lap (of 3) was OK, although strong headwinds on some parts of the course made things a bit difficult. After the 1st lap Andrew appeared brightly at my side. "It feels all right when you've warmed up!" he chirped. I managed to gasp "I can't speak" as he bounced along, looking disgustingly fit. All the expensive, warm running gear I had gone to pains to buy did not appear to be giving me an advantage over his cheap shorts and T-shirt. In fact, I was starting to overheat, although I was actually too knackered to remove my running jacket or gloves, adding heat to my misery for 2/3 of the course. For reasons that remain a mystery to me Andrew stayed with me until the final sprint – clearly not trying hard enough. I finished in 43:50, less than 5 sec behind Andrew, who apparently achieved a personal best. I was over 2 mins slower than my time on the warmth of a gym treadmill last week.
I weaved my way through the finish chute, not always managing to stay upright. I had felt seriously ill for 2/3 of the event. Stretching afterwards was fun, especially my 'back stretch' which involves lying prone on the ground with my eyes shut J Had I not wanted to reveal the depth of my wimpishness amongst company, I would have stayed there for blissful minutes…
I will continue to train and perhaps steal some bananas from the snacks table next time, to toss under Andrew's feet when he's not looking, and perhaps also Dave Arnold, who still manages to whip my butt despite receiving broken facial bones recently in a cycling accident in Spain (last known 10 km time: 39:56!!). Unfortunately he seems to be ignoring my advice to rest for 6 weeks and eat as much fatty food as possible, leaving me with little choice.
Fiona Oakes running the London Marathon for CAPS
Fiona Oakes is running the London Marathon this year for CAPS (Captive Animals Protection) of whom she is a Patron. She will still be wearing her familar VRUK vest though, so she'll be easy to spot for those of us watching. She promises to "train herself silly"!
She says she has just OK'd an article about her and the Sanctuary for Prima and has asked for info the Vegan Runners to be included. The article will be out in the May magazine which hits the shelves at the beginning of April which will time very nicely for London.
Fellow CAPS Patron Jay Kay (of Jamiroquai, who people may also have seen recently on the best of Top Gear a few days ago) has promised to help & promote her efforts.
St Albans 10 miles, 18/1/09
Hi Everyone,
It was only 30+ miles down the road for a 9.30am start but due to the limitations of public transport, had to leave home at 6am to arrive at 8.40am. It would be just as quick to cycle but not at this time of year and not fit enough yet for such a challenge.
Took my fold-up bike for the short journey to the venue and later exploration. Given the long wait in the toilet queue, I did not have time to warm up properly. The position of the start was also not such good judgment, a narrow road flanked by high brick walls so unless you arrived early, finding a good position was not easy to judge if you are not tall. Shortly after the start there was a sharp right, taking runners on two circular laps before heading out towards the edge of the city and into the countryside.
Describing the course as flat is correct but the condition of the surface for long stretches gives the runners an uncomfortable bumpy ride. The former St Albans to Hatfield railway or St Albans Way is a key part of the course, joining it at about 5 miles and leaving it at the next village to loop back. The overnight rain left the course rather muddy for stretches. Re-joining it at the same point from the other side, the course continued in the opposite direction back towards the city. It was this mostly straight stretch that took its toll on many tired limbs. Despite finding it uncomfortable I continued to move up the field due to my poor positioning at the start. I was surprised to catch one runner who is normally well ahead of me but he laid the blame on the quality of the surface. About 1.5 miles later the torture to the body ended although the surface was constantly changing from road to parkland to pathways to cycleways and we finished on another circular route. The rival competitor had regained his composure and overtook me about 200 metres from the finish.
Still building up my fitness after a relatively low mileage November and December, I was satisfied with a time of 1.11. Back in the hall I met up with former VC&AC member of nine years in the 1990s, Jack Brooks. He started marathon running in his early years after joining and focused on this distance, to date Jack has completed a staggering 198 marathons with a quarter of them in the USA alone. Also met Sharon Davidson who ran a time of 1.23.
Regards
Peter
Sunday, February 1, 2009
County XC Champs - 10/1/09
Hi Everyone,
The county cross county champs were being held in most counties around the UK on 10 Jan. Locally I was competing in the combined Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire champs, this year hosted by Bedfordshire and held in Shuttleworth College.
The freezing cold spell endured for the past fortnight was still hanging on and on the day of the champs, the sub-zero temperature in this region was probably the lowest during the spell. Was not looking forward to running on frozen ground and I had to cycle about 12 miles plus a local train journey to reach the venue. Despite the adults races being held in the afternoon it made no difference to the numbified 2-stage cycle journey. Had not cycled much since the journey to Luton early in December for the subsequent cancellation of marathon & relay so was finding the journey from Bedford rather tiring as well as cold. Tried to offset the cold by walking for 20 minutes in Bedford along the bank of the River Ouse which had frozen over completely between banks for a stretch.
Relieved to reach Shuttleworth with feet particularly affected by the cold. Luckily we had good facilities to keep warm before / after events, not guaranteed every year for these champs, sometimes we just have a marquee. Despite starting away fairly early I did not have long for preparation and acclimatising. By the time I was ready and viewing the course, the short women's event over 6K was well underway. The course was easily visible and the runners were well spread out. Despite the weather most of the faster competitors were still just wearing a vest.
As normal with these events the field of competitors was quite small as compared to road races. Shortly after the women's event ended, the men were assembling for their 12K or 4 laps with a testing hill halfway which runners also approach from the other side on completing each loop so there were 8 hill climbs. The first kilometre or so was flat but exposed to the numbifying slight breeze. Despite wearing the road shoes being the order of the day, the frozen ground in this first K of each lap was particularly uncomfortable even though there was little in the way of icy patches and the course was generally grass covered. I was soon near the back of the field which also consisted of the V60 2-lap race and U-17 3-lap race.
I still felt I was recovering from the cycle ride and had not done much training over the past month and had the one 5-mile New Year's Day event. The first lap was a struggle but became more focused on the subsequent laps and noticed a few other runners were suffering around me. Soon after starting the 3rd lap two young runners obviously the leaders lapped me at speed but there was a long gap, over half a lap before the 3rd placed runner went pass at a more modest pass. It was a relief to start the final lap where I even passed a couple of runners in the remaining sparse field. Running down the hill towards the finish I still had a sprint finish left in me although difficult on the bumpy surface.
Finished in about 57 mins which was of little importance, overall in the combined race 80 / 101. Face was numb again and was relieved to get back in the building. That was not the end of the day, still the cycle ride back to Bedford, etc. Tried a different route which emphasised that the outward journey was definitely more testing. Despite the ensuing darkness the frost was apparent in fields and verges.
Regards
Peter
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