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Slipping Sliding and Getting Soaked!

Yesterday I did "The Suicide Sixish" - it's a 10Km cross country run that involves lots of mud and hills and a river to ford! I was running with friends from the Runners World Forum including Glenn who had agreed to pace me round (and will be pacing me round the 4 Villages half in January too!)

The race started off will and I was really impressed with myself! I was feeling strong and (for me) fast and was coping really well! I was OK going up the hills and speedy going down them, even overtaking some people! I was able to pass Glenn by a lot going downhill but he was always there shortly after we leveled out!!

Then the first real section of sticky mud came and I realised that my shoe was in danger of coming off so walked as I had no chance of undoing the laces!! So that slowed me down but it wasn't exactly easy - I was glad I wasn't running that bit or I may have landed on my butt! Glenn patiently waited for me at the end - I could see the look on his face thinking I was being a wimp!!

The trot through the wood was nice with some great speedy downhill sections and then you came to the bit when the fast runners passed you. I always hate sections like this as it reminds me just how slow I am! It was also about here that my legs noticed that we were not on tarmac and that mud is a lot harder to run in and they started to ache and complain of tiredness! Glenn decided that this would be a good occasion to instruct me on "how to run fast" by improving my "cadence" so pointed out the fast runners and advised me to watch them! Grrrr

Then we passed the water - it didn't look too deep - where a crowd had gathered for a laugh! But we had to pass this and go the very long way round to the other side! As this was a XC event there was no distance markers so I had no idea how much I had to endure! Glenn kept on reminding me to forget about that feeling as there was nothing I could do about it, stop thinking and get on with it!

I was delighted to be able to slip my way down through the wood then ford the river and get up on the road way ahead of Glenn - then he returned to haunt me!!

The remainder of the race was pretty average for an XC in that there was plenty of slippy mud! Then the steps came! We'd been warned about these 97 steps and boy did I suffer. The already very tired legs could not even attempt to run up 1 step let alone 97! The breathing became very laboured and I wanted to sit down and sulk! From the course description provided by former runners of this event there was just 100m max downhill from the top of the steps to the finish.

We reached the top of the stairs ... turned left and I expected to see the finish in site. What I did see was the top of a hill and fog ... but no finish! So I struggled round this hill top still expecting the finish and Glenn said the finish is over the top of the ridge so I put in a final effort and burst of speed, went over the top and saw the finish - a further 100m away! I tried to continue the pace but started to slip and slid and almost lost my shoe! I started to feel sick with the effort and all but collapsed over the finish in 86mins and 3 seconds. I was totally shattered!

I have to say that Glenn was a star - an absolute angel and made the whole run a pleasure really! I'm sure I would have been slower without him there!

Today my legs are aware of the mud they endured but not bad! I'm fairly impressed actually!

Tonight I will be doing a gentle 4m recovery run with my headtorch again!

Comments

Dan said…
Kim,

Sounds like a bit of an adventure. Makes a bit of a change from a plod round a park or some local streets. I hope you didn't wear your best shoes! Anyway well done for making it round without drowning in mud.

Dan
beanz said…
what a great report, EP. I wish I had the courage to go for cross country - maybe next season when I have lost more weight.
beanz said…
Great report EP - very envious of your XC running, maybe next season, if I am faster and less overweight I might have a go.
Evil Pixie said…
Thanks Guys!
But seriously XC is fab fun and the weight is not an issue ... unless you are a hard nut wanting to win then trotting round at the back getting covered in mud and laughing is what the event is about!
Don't put it off ... just get out there!
AH I exclude you from this comment until you can run!!

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