Race Review - Nottingham Mo Run - 23rd Nov 2013

It's not often my pre race preparation starts the night before a race.
It's not often I prepare for a race.
It's not often that my preparation involve curlers, hair straighteners and a hair drier the night before a race.
It is quite often I use curlers, straighteners and hair dryers.
I woke up an hour early on the day to prepare using straighter, curlers, hair dryer, wax, and hairspray.
I hate getting up early.
I had to my Edwardian bathing costume to get ready as I wouldn't be able to get it over my head once i had finished my race preparation.
I'm proud to own a custom made Edwardian bathing costume.

Right so once I had waxed and hair sprayed my beard and moustache into place I was off to pick up my sister and head to Wollaton park for the mo runner race. we rocked up parked up and grabbed our race numbers, headbands and timing chips and then joy the very long queue for the loo.

Once the 5km runners had shot off my sister and I pottered about and joined the back of the pack. I was much further back then I would have liked to have been, but this was more of a fun run than a race, and the uphill start should help thin things out pretty quick. From the gun we shuffled off, and when i reached the line I went as wide as possible and pushed hard up the hill to pass the big swell of runners and try and get a decent pace going. Pah, so much for taking this as a fun run, I was weaving, diving and going off piste to get round people, interval training and fartleks are certainly proving their worth in the first kilometre as I final start to see the pack thinning and passing people is getting harder and harder.

This has to rate as one of my top races of the year.
1. It combines 3 of my hobbies, running, fancy dress and competitive facial hair.
2. I'm running round the grounds of BATMAN'S HOUSE! BATMAN'S! (Wollaton Hall was used in The Dark Knight Rises as Wayne Manor)
3. The marshalls are all super excited and encouraging with High 5's and shouts of encouragement
4. A Moustachedal when you finish (That's my new world for a moustache medal)

The first lap was done and had been spent getting though the crowds of runners and walkers, the second lap was more competitive, exchanging places with other runners of a similar speed, trying to pull away with a fast climb or crazy descent. I was loving this element too, took my mind off my legs and lungs. The kilometres just fell away and we were soon in the final kilometre. There was a big brute of a climb at the end but i had to empty the tank and press as hard as i could as I knew the reward was the final 150 metre descent to the finish line. It was exhausting at the top but the hilarious photographers and marshals gave me the extra couple of beans for a sprint finish down the hill and across the line for my beautiful MOUSTACHEDAL

http://nottingham.mo-running.com/

The only thing this race needs is unicycles, Star Wars, and free tattoo vouchers and it would be PERFECT