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| Apparently I look like Tolstoy |
I rocked up nice and early, due to a day of driving around a lot and having lots of time to kill. I parked up and grabbed my race number, then headed back to the car to get ready. This meant changing out of my suit into standard running gear then putting a cheap jester costumer over the top. Then came the fun part of making up my face and beard with white and grey face paints. This took a good 10 minutes, and I also discovered thick face paint makes a great beard and moustache wax!
Once I was made up and dressed up I wondered out to warm up and see if I could find anyone I knew, I couldn't recognise anyone so I just pottered around looking at the costumes and a few warm up jogs. It must have been about 90% fancy dress and 10% serious looking runners. The effort in the fancy dress costumes was incredible I recommend everyone to check out their Facebook site to see the photos. It wasn't long before we mustered at the start line and were given the safety briefing.
From the gun I didn't go out at my usual break neck sprint, and held back and tried to show some restraint. I was still towards the front of the pack and just taking it steady. I felt good and was running well, only losing a few places to whippets in vests and short shorts. As the course turned and started the first up hill the course was littered with HUGE highland cattle, with incredible horns and thick shaggy hair. I gave them a pretty wide birth, even though they were very docile I didn't fancy being stabbed by one of those horns!
This first hill was hard work and once at the top it was a half mile downhill sprint. This is a great run when it's light and the path isn't covered with leaves and windfall sticks. As good as my head torch was it still only lit the path a few meters ahead so I was holding back a little in case of surprise branches, potholes or nocturnal animals. As we reached the half way point I developed a bit of a stitch and just couldn't shake it. On the second massive 1 mile climb I was starting to struggle, and lots a few more places, at one point I slowed to walk but was encouraged to run by a fellow runner which spurred me on again. Having ran this course quite a few times, I knew the exact point of "DOWNHILL ALL THE WAY". At this point I was determined not to loose any more places, and in fact I managed to pick off half a dozen other runners in this fast finale mile. I overtook a runner on the penultimate bend with 150 meters to go, this meant I really had to fight to keep ahead of him. But I was very happy to keep the lead. I didn't hang around after picking up my t-shirt and medal and just tootled off home.
A great night race, with a great atmosphere and the greatest closing mile of any trail race!
www.theskeletonrun.co.uk
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