Rick managed to find some mud to wallow in this morning...
"An early start so I could go collect my number because I had entered at the last minute. So 8 in the morning and a steady drive to the north of Sheffield, arriving at about 8:40. I should have turned round when I had to drive up a long hill, but ever the optomist I kept going and drove into the middle of a field, miles from anywhere. Got number and went round the various stalls selling all the gear, and still had 50 mins to kill so decided to have a pre race massage - £5 got me pre and post race massages. The sadist got stuck in and told me I had a few knots and got rid of them for me.
Nearly race time so all went to start, and for some reason I was near front. Count down and off we go, downhill over a field of long grass like it was only a mile run, then onto some lovely wide loose stone or earth paths. Oh how easily we are fooled. Down a very steep hill for about half mile, thinking what goes down must go up and I was right, it did go back up and just as steep but I ran all the way. At this point the words "I can run all the way" slipped out of my mouth this ain't too bad. Then the fun started 20 mins into the run and we go onto proper trails with some lovely narrow ridges which if you fell off, you were in thick sticky mud. Up and down a few undulations just to keep us on our toes, with a few turns here and there to help you concentrate, oh and the odd low branch to take your head off. So do you watch the path or the trees, head or legs which are most important to a runner?
Finally arrived at drinks station at about 5 miles in under 40 mins, god this is easy. Pre race they said at just beyond drinks station you reach what they call Ayres rock (As in Australia and you'd know why when you got there). It was a lovely orange colour, the fact it was like a waterfall and went on forever wasn't mentioned. Everyone was walking or crawling depending on how wet their bit of hill was. Oh my hands and knees have gone orange (I've been tangoed!). Hit the top and start to run (well sort of). At this point some evil sod decided it would be nice if we went up and down the same bit of hill several times with a few hundred yards between to recover. Now I knew there was going to be a lot more walking, crawling and hanging onto any vegetation I could to haul myself up. Then suddenly I could hear music, ah we're nearly home... wrong it was the bit I had been looking forward to - the X-Zone, loud speakers, a gantry and smoke machines, into what what was supposed to be where all the fun started (it even has a separate race for the fastest through it). From pictures and site info it had mud, water, the works, but a few ruts the odd tree root and puddles you could jump over was all I got for a mile, gutted, so I complained to the guy running next to me.
Then It appeared, a large crowd and lots of tape. The first puddle I jumped into was 2 foot deep and thick of mud, then over a little ridge and 3 foot of muddy clay and it kept going for about, well what seemed like forever, so much mud and water that I couldn't tell where my shorts stopped and my t-shirt began. That has to be the most fun I've had outside the bedroom. Eventually we were through and back onto trails and tracks, but at this point my legs were gone, and it was then I realised we were at the bottom of the valley and had to climb nearly all the way back to the finish. Yes I walked, jogged and at points cursed, but I ran up the same field we had run down and crossed the line and got my t-shirt, and a very good goody bag.
Finally I washed down my legs, and the post race massage began - I managed to get the only male masseur, and made the mistake of saying my right calf was aching. Do they get pleasure out of giving pain? Then onto my hamstrings and I didn't know what pain was til then, but it was worth it, my legs feel good now.
I think we should add this to the club championship! But seriously, I can recommend this to anyone who wants something totally different.
Finish Time 1:50:22 Position 107th and second in age category, but think that was down to fact most over 50s had the sense to stay away, and the only disappointment in a brilliant day, it was the only age group where they only gave one prize."
Rick - you're mad! Sounds like you had great fun though and well done on your time and placing.
