Well girls I leave you for a day and you start talking about CHRISTMAS!!!!!
Couldn't post before as stayed up in Aberystwyth last night and just spent the last hour emptying dishwasher, putting washing on, emptying boys suitcases, washing trainers....etc etc
RACE REPORT
Friday eve I went to bed at 6:30pm hoping to get 7 hrs sleep but failed miserably. Got to Clun at 3:30 dropped bags for checkpoints and forced that instant porridge down with 2 cups of tea and a cup of o-juice. Bus to the start and had to wee in a hedge as we were checked off once more.
5am start and walked/ jogged for a few miles of road before leaving along a track and had yet another wee. I was running with my buddy Andrew and he is much quicker than me so I was conscious that I was holding him back but didn't want to overcook it. Across a tumpy field and fell flat on my face -4 miles in. Not good. Through checkpoint one ok, had a banana in my waist pack and decided to eat it around 12 miles. Banana had burst and spread mush all over my kit. NOT GOOD. Got to checkpoint 2 wiped bag out and set off with sun shining brightly. We had been running with a group of about 6 others but left them behind and pushed on. Andrew had a wobble around 22-25, light headed and not taken enough fuel but we were more gutted on reaching the CP3 to see the group of 6 just leaving. They had taken a main rd which had been far quicker than our muddy trails. At 3 I ate a choc bar and half a flapjack to fuel the hardest stage up plymlymon. Legs were burning within minutes of climbing as the grass is long and tumpy with boggy bits, big holes and a force gale wind. Was so scared that I would get lost but I could just see Andrew who could just see the guy in front... Hit the top and nearly cried with relief, couldn't see far because the cloud was covering but views at other points were stunning. we were with a seasoned competitor who set off a different path from our plan, saying it was quicker but had a 'steep descent'. BIG mistake, he obviously had a screw loose as he appeared to jump off a cliff. Andrew and I tentatively scaled down on our bums, falling into holes and twisting ankles. Exited onto a dam which we had to cross as the water flowed over, not a great idea and think it was further than the original route so saved nowt and came into CP4 really tired. Opened my pack to swap bottles and the bloody flapjack had disintegrated too so now my kit had banana and flapjack all over it! We had planned on 2 hours per stage but we didn't leave 4 until about 1:15 so behind schedule. I changed into road shoes here as Achilles was hurting but made no difference and it was a hard slog to get going. Had to pass a scree path which was treacherous and very narrow but the views were amazing. Lots of grass fields before last CP5 where I stuffed bread pudding and tea with sugar!!! I had thought the last 8 miles were down hill....wrong, we were walking a lot of flat by now as my feet were painful and Andrew was chaffing. glanced behind us and spotted a lady in the distance so did a lotte and thought NO WAY. Had to dig deep to shuffle but we did run to the finish having covered around 47 miles in 12:18. Was disappointed not to get under 12 until I saw the results sheets this morning and saw I was 21st out of around 115.
Legs are sore but not unbearable today, feet are worse and toenails....well I am happy to take bets on how many I will lose.
