Race Review - Major Series (Midlands) - 20th April 2013

The Major series is run by British Military Fitness, I don't train with BMF, but the missus does and she told me about this race. She wasn't up for it but I signed myself up for it. The race number and chips are sent out before the race, so i rocked up 30 mins before fully kitted up. A quick look around the event village and a trip to the loo, and I was starting my warm and stretches. After 10 mins of stretching the 'official' warm was due to begin, I joined in,. but I found the warm childish and didn't really get me warmed up, so i was grumpy in the corner doing my own thing whilst the majority of the rest of the runners ran through each others legs and did the hockey cokey. I must have missed the starting pistol, as i was just standing near the start line and people started running off. I joined the runners and worked my way up to the leading group.

The water jump in the pre race dawn

The running was good and an early shallow water jump livened up the pace and spread the runners out a little. The running through the fields and woodland was tough going with shallow tree hurdles, and muddy ditches to jump. This was certainly a cross country runners, run. so i was very happy to be able to keep in the leading group. In the opening few kilometres the course was mainly running with no real obstacles until a pool of dark muddy water to wade across. The water was pretty foul, so i was glad to be only at waist depth. after more running, a series of hale vaults loomed. The hale bails where up ended, large round hay bales that stood roughly chest height. the first two or three were tackled with ease, but got progressively harder and more painful to clamber over. by the final bale (10th, at a guess) I was pretty knackered but had to carry running. the next series of obstacles were around a steep sided bomb hole in the woods. steep climbs and descend with commando crawls mixed in, helped me gain a few places from the runners that peeled away from me in the open running.

Because I'm worth it

After more running through fields, I spotted the next obstacle which was a water slide on a large tarpaulin. I didn't slow my pace, in fact I may have cranked it up and leap out, feet first onto the wet slippery blue sheet. The rough grass at the end of the tarpaulin did a good job of slowing my free fall  but took a far amount of skin from the side of my left thigh too! at the bottom of the hill the course sharply turned back up the hill to climb back up a second blue tarpaulin. As I crawled like a cat up the blue tarpaulin, marshals tried to slow our progress with buckets of water. A few more hill reps help take more energy out of my legs and lungs.

More running and a few more minor obstacles,and i was faced with a larger obstacle, this time it was a deeper pond with four dunking points where I had to submerge fully under a pipe on the surface of the water. this disorientates and the extra chill saps what remaining energy I still had. The marshals gave out lots of encouragement and I push on for the last 250 meters which included a couple of kids with paint filled water pistols..

post race self portrait

I finished I was slightly disappointed I hadn't pushed harder in the last 2 kilometres  and let a few people past me, but I hadn't realized I when I was in the last 2 km. It was a decent trail run, and fairly average obstacles, with a couple of notable talking points.

In summary: A great trail run, but only a few obstacles and challenges of note. Incredible marshalling and motivating from the BMF instructors.

Scores (out of 10)
Course: 5
Terrain: 7
Difficulty: 6
Return factor: 5
Overall: 6.5

Race Review - Endurer - 13th April 2013

This is my third time at this race, and I keep coming back because I love the course, and i will keep coming back until i manage to run every step of this course, which may take a very long time!
I was picked up and we drove the 45 mins through the stunning countryside of Matlock, Matlock Bath, Darley Dale, the stunning Chatsworth Estate, Baslow and then up to Holmesfield its self. we parked up registered and then go into our race kit.

Whilst i queued for the toilets, Jim had time to sneak in a quick pre-race massage. The pre-race warm up was a bit of a mess due to sound equipment problems and most people not really getting involved. managed to jostle up to about the 3rd line of the starting group. a quick 10 second countdown and we were off. It isn't technically an obstacle, but the first 150 meters of the course is an incredibly steep run. that ends with a less steep field to run up. It was only a minute and a half into the race but my lungs and legs were starting to feel the strain.

After the killer uphill start we had a short sand bag carry and 15 meter commando crawl which was very wet and muddy but great fun. it was then my favorite part of the course and one of the unique selling points of this  race. The Ravine. The ravine is a steep stumble down to the valley floor into a narrow slate bedded stream. the course at this point become single file but it's hard to press hard enough, to try and pass another racer. running streams and and climbing up and down the small valley walls are hard work but this path is beautiful and incredibly challenging.

Thankful to be resting my legs by crawling

Once into the open the course took another uphill turn, this long drag always defeats me, turning my pace down to a somber trudge, towards the top i fired my self up and ran the last 20 meters before the narrow young tree wooded area and into the heather and gorse bush strewn moorland. The moorland is a hard place to run due to the tall, sharp gorse bushes trying to snag clothes, shoes, and in my case; beard. The trail its self is incredibly twisty to ensure zero rhythm, and incredibly muddy in places to ensure at least one poor sole will loose their footwear today. The one thing that pushes you on is the knowledge that some great tunnels are up ahead. these 10 meter long, mud carpeted. muddy crawl tunnels.

Managed to hit the ground running

another run around the edge of a farmer's field and I was met with the monkey bar challenge, last year I had mountain bike gloves on that had zero grip, and I fell at the first rung and, they were to high to re-attempt. but this year I came armed (or should that be handed) with neoprene surf gloves, with more grip than a gecko's gonad. after the monkey bars it was a shock to see the track was through a foot of snow. the hardest things was the dazzling reflection from the sun on the snow. the uphill snow run was hard, but was spurred on by the crowds poking their head over the warm, clapping and cheering on the runners. at the end of the snow was a huge pile of tires, piled up against a gap in the wall. it was half climb half fall to get over the rubber obstacle.

A welcome water stop and a short marsh run, and then, once again opens out into more farmers fields, this was a long drag of runs, but at least I could open up my legs up and build up a decent pace. After a km or 2 the run was brought to an abrupt halt by a 7 foot wooden wall. i slowed to a job and with a meter to go, i leapt and managed to get an arm over, which gave enough purchase to bring a leg over, which gave enough weight to throw the rest of my body over the wall and crash into the floor on the other side. its not elegant, but it is efficient and quick.

I'm a slow swimmer so jump as far as possible

After a few more minutes it was bath time, a swim across 20 meters of neck deep water with a couple of ropes to help drag yourself across on. As a approached the lip of the water, two cameraman adjusted their position and focused their cameras, and the gathering crowd expected entertainment. Well. I know's it deep. Go on then. I leapt as far as i could and give the water hard and fast. i managed to keep my head out of water but my beard got a dunking. i swam until last couple of meters and then used the ropes to drag myself to my feet and out the other end.

With only 1 km to go the tank is nearly empty

It was now three hard and lonely zig zags up and down the steep field, a traverse across some chipboard frames, a series of sole destroying hay bale clambers before the hilarious and high speed water slide, with added fairy liquid to help things along. I was now in the quarter of a km so I emptied the tank and ran as hard as possible to the finish line.

Once we hard cleaned up and sneaked another massage in we headed to a local cafe and replaced the lost calories with a huge 10 item breakfast and a mug of tea.

Summary: cross country running, the obstacles are basic and more fun than challenging.