This race always starts the year off in great way, A local race, organised by local people, from a proper English country pub.
There is absolutely nothing to dislike about this race. I love it so much. My kids have ran with me in the past, my sister runs it most years too, and there are always clubs mates from my running club, and mates I know from life too.
The classic start of Tim firing a double barrelled shotgun is a great tradition, and really fires you up and starts the race with a bang, and every goes off like a shot (see what I did there?). I wasn't really up for a race today, hungover and simply happy to run around with either my sister or my mate Chucky. Chucky and I were still discussing to wear a coat or not when the shotgun went off, so we were one of the last people to start the race, but this didn't really matter.
It's a narrow uphill start so the pace was fairly steady at the back but Chucky and I slowly weaved our way through. Once the path opened up onto the road neither of us could muster any more speed. I was really struggling on the road uphill, and Chucky just seemed to be in cruise mode, powering up the hill. Once at the top of the hill I was feeling much more comfortable but didn't push the pace as it was nice to chat and run. We then hit the final third of the race, which was pretty much all down hill on muddy fields.
Muddy downhill running, is my bag. I frickin' love it. So I ramped up the pace and started racing more aggressively and picking off as many runners as I could, I left Chucky and put about a dozen other runners in between us before the final steps and the finish back outside the pub.
The prize for completion is a bottle of real ale, custom made for the event. BOOM. Perfect way to start the new year.
There is absolutely nothing to dislike about this race. I love it so much. My kids have ran with me in the past, my sister runs it most years too, and there are always clubs mates from my running club, and mates I know from life too.
The classic start of Tim firing a double barrelled shotgun is a great tradition, and really fires you up and starts the race with a bang, and every goes off like a shot (see what I did there?). I wasn't really up for a race today, hungover and simply happy to run around with either my sister or my mate Chucky. Chucky and I were still discussing to wear a coat or not when the shotgun went off, so we were one of the last people to start the race, but this didn't really matter.
It's a narrow uphill start so the pace was fairly steady at the back but Chucky and I slowly weaved our way through. Once the path opened up onto the road neither of us could muster any more speed. I was really struggling on the road uphill, and Chucky just seemed to be in cruise mode, powering up the hill. Once at the top of the hill I was feeling much more comfortable but didn't push the pace as it was nice to chat and run. We then hit the final third of the race, which was pretty much all down hill on muddy fields.
Muddy downhill running, is my bag. I frickin' love it. So I ramped up the pace and started racing more aggressively and picking off as many runners as I could, I left Chucky and put about a dozen other runners in between us before the final steps and the finish back outside the pub.
The prize for completion is a bottle of real ale, custom made for the event. BOOM. Perfect way to start the new year.
