Steve’s Report

November 21st 2010, The pressure is on. But at least I’m not racing under the entry of a senior female ; )

The day started, as most seem to, I was running late having maximised on available sleep prior to the event of the year (well almost). Chris having kindly offered to drive again this year was running efficiently early, with Lee and Andy being taxied in the back. Having learned my lesson from the previous year, wearing normal run of the mill trainers just weren’t up to the job so I donned the already mud caked trail running shoes ready for the muddy terrain we were about to face. Only to realise, as I was about to open the door that I had forgotten to grab my race number and safety pins!

The morning was a typical cold and damp late autumn one, which was to be expected, the rain however gratefully managed to hold itself back from drowning us. Arriving promptly at the race for 10:30am for the 11:00am start Chris, Andy, STB, Lee, Libby, Immi, Sally, Simon and I posed for the inevitable team photo, fresh faced and blissfully unaware of the punishing 6 (ish) miles ahead of us. We ambled across to the start line, with a fair amount of squelching under foot already I knew it was going to get muddy pretty quickly.

The race started as it did the previous year in a basin between two inclines. It always makes me smile thinking of the start, 700 people hurtling over the ridge in what must look to onlookers like a sporty battle charge. A fairly relaxed group huddled together for warmth rather than necessity, good camaraderie and a great atmosphere along with a few sneaky beers the night before helped me relax from the usual prerace nerves.

The race started by the air horn, sent a horde of runners swarming over the ridge towards the hedge line which created a bottle neck immediately steadying everyone’s pace to a shuffle, once through we were onto a gravel pathway, which soon gave way to the first of many muddy inclines, dodging thorn bushes and trying not to find myself face planting the ground on the steep downhill sections, I managed to find myself about a third of the way through the pack, with Lee and Andy close in front. The race then heads towards the disused railway track, which has mud the likes of which I have never known before it’s a mixture of clay, mud and pools of water, and most people with the interests of keeping themselves and their trainers clean and not water logged generally kept to the edges. Already knowing what was lying in wait I ploughed straight through the mud, overtaking and undertaking a good number of runners, one of the few places you can actually achieve taking people.

By the end of the mud track I had managed not only to cake myself in the first layer of mud, but also caught up Andy and Lee who were both going strong. Through a number of winding undulating single track paths, which makes it very difficult to try and maintain any sort of pace. Not that a PB is the object on this race (only to beat last years half drowned time). Onto an area of farmland with some terrific views from the top, this leads onto to some pretty muddy tracks through woodlands, which with a few leaps and bounds I manage to avoid a second layering of mud. By this point Lee can hold back his pace no longer, and decides to take off at a blistering pace, and no amount of effort could keep him in my sights.

We head out of the woodland momentarily and onto a tarmac path running adjacent the lake, the second opportunity to take in the sights. At this point the leaders have done the loop ahead and are heading back, making it look annoyingly effortless too! Heading back into the woodland we’re faced with a stream (not “the” stream) everyone laughs inwardly thinking, was that it, all the build up was for that! I smirk and think you’ve no idea what’s round the corner. We head up some seriously punishing terrain which even Rosehill cannot prepare you for, this eventually plateau’s and we’re off back down the hill, under then over some fallen trees and inevitably out and down to the stream. Having the steep learning curve from the previous year I tentatively step into the freezing water (not managing to completely submerge in it this year!) and back up the slippy bank on the other side.

The water slowly draining from my legs and shorts I trudge back down the tarmac path feeling the water swilling around in my trainers. I high five Immi, Sal and Libby and give some words of encouragement as they were on their way round the loop we’d just endured. Gritting my teeth I carry on, feeling Andy breathing down my neck. I begin to get the feeling those few beers the night before weren’t such a good idea, as we take on further gradients, Andy passes me with some relative ease as we approach the penultimate set of bends and onto the steps! Just when you think your legs couldn’t feel any more numb, Andy and I take on the steps two at a time eventually reaching the top, the finish line is now in sight, he pulls on his reserve energy bank and begins to pull away from me, round the basin (where we started) and down the steep slope to a sprint finish.

47m37secs from the start line, which seemed such a distant memory, I was glad to still be alive and no twisted ankle!

Watching the Chuggers come in I realise there’s more of us than first thought, Steve, Mike and Mel come storming across the finish line. I counted thirteen of us (apologise if missed anyone), which is a terrific turn out from the Chuggers, and for supporting a local event. Watch this space for the turn out to next years race, I know I’ll be there and judging by the smiling faces and tales of everyone’s own race perspective I’m sure they’ll be more of us next year.

Some cracking times produced considering the terrain and inclines. Chris and I both managed to beat last years time by a clear two minutes.

121 00:46:40 Lee Lawrance

140 00:47:23 Andy Scarle

144 00:47:36 Steve Meigh

149 00:47:46 Steven Millington

275 00:52:47 Chris White

295 00:53:19 Meltem Naylor

301 00:53:29 Steven Read

395 00:56:54 Michael Halloran

417 00:57:27 Nicholas Jew

477 00:59:54 Fran Jew

480 00:59:59 Simon Richards

542 01:04:19 Libby Gandhi

546 01:04:26 Sally Gandhi

578 01:06:37 Immi Gandhi