Report from race the train.....
Ok - this had it all.....
Travelled up with Jnr and friend on Friday, set up camp and chilled (with a curry - great race food)...
Sat morning had a nice walk along the beach in glorious sun, oh this is going to be so nice this afternoon....... WRONG......
Got ready, met up with some new and old faces and toed the line..... aim to get sb 2 hours for 14 off road miles with some hefty off road climbs..... (off 6 weeks of training after being holed up with an achilles issues for a while before that....)
so here goes in my normal style of reporting.......
As toed the line the rain camedown, and the rain came down a bit more, and a bit more too.....
1m - 6:46, This is easy..... yeah its the first mile, down hill and on road - it should be.....
2m - 7:26, Ok just coming off the road on on to the fields, no issues other than rain....
3m - 7:52, A few ups and downs but feeling good, achilles is nicely warmed and playing the game...
4m - 8:08, More than just a bump here, but still strong, train well ahead..
5m - 7:37, back onto the fields and normal XC applies
6m - 9:38, 1st big climb up to the falls, steps and mud and on the knees, then a sudden decent to follow, 2nd train goes past, great support
7m - 8:14, On to the fields again and long grass and pelting rain here.
8m -10:45, Turned at 7 then headed up 2nd train goes past, great support, but hard work....
9m - 11:17, Hell and back..... steep climbs knee high shoe sucking bogs, and a fall too, knocked the stuffing out as slipped on the side of the hill on the sheep track.... there is nothing else slipped a few meters down before stopping, now caked in mud and whatever and a sore knee that took the brunt... all in a second or 2, lost 3-4 places....
10m - 9:36, The 1st train had turned and now passed me..... thats it no beating the train as once its past you on the return you will never beat it.... even more support as Jnr and friend see me and cheer me from the train (wise to be on the train rather than running against it..... big comedy moment here as one runner turns to wave on the side of the camber, loses footing and slides into another runner who bothe end up in the fence 7 meters down...... both killing themsleves in laughter.... as were we.... The camber was murder, going diagonally up and over a field with no tracks that must be at least 1:3, when wet and trail shoes clogged with mud.....
11m - 9:22,Just some bumps and downs.....
12m - 7:39, ahhhhhh relief, normal flat fileds........ sweet
13m - 7:46, more of the above but with a hill
.75m - 5:16 on road and final push
13.75m - 1:57:28 Chip and 289th from 799
For a recovery went for a walk on the beach then went up Snowdon with Jnr on Sunday.......
Great, Great, Great Weekend.....
