(entered by Patrick as a comment, but deserves it's own posting)
At least Richard got to the course before he got lost! Having never been to Mow Cop before I used my Sat Nav. Great until the roundabout just outside Congleton, when it asked me to ‘do a U-Turn’ as soon as I entered it! Tried to hang a left to see what was happening. Usual thing ‘turn around immediately’. A scenic tour through some sunny lanes and I was back on the main road approaching the round about again: ‘do a U-Turn’ she said. Ignored her! Ended up in Congleton and re-keyed the post code – seemed to resolve that problem. Though, in the end, it might have been better to drive home and do a slow easy jog.
Arrived with 8 minutes to spare. Discovered I’d left Gel at home – so couldn’t experiment with my fuelling techniques this week. Shoes on. Got to hall and filled in form. Paid, attached number. Shoes off again and ankle bandages back on. Find Start. No time for warm up or stretches. Find colleagues. Good advice: take it easy. Look after hamstrings [still very tight]. Don’t race. Don’t mess up your marathon. Pull out if you feel anything – we’ll get an Extra point!
Started sensibly – I thought. Came to hill!! A few hundred metres and legs said, we ache, you should have stayed at home! Slowed down, stiles helped there in one way but spread everyone out into a 200m crocodile.. By the time I’d got to the top several of you had passed me. But I wasn’t worried though as legs had already informed me we weren’t racing today. Views up here really, really good. Until running across the top found that bog. Left foot sunk further than I’d dreamed it would, right foot stretched to make it a three step crossing sunk as well. Left foot exiting – no shoe! Sh@t I thought – stop! Never having lost a shoe before I don’t know the runners tactic here. Stop seemed fine. Unfortunately the Laws of Physics disagree. Body velocity forward, right foot stuck. No air-bag to stop me, so head heads south. Hands dived forward – and sank several inches into the bog. Face now only a few inches above the evil smelling, black, ousing sh@t! I hadn’t realised in a previous life I must have been a yoga master. From the back I imagine it would look like I had combined the Down Facing Dog pose with the Half Moon Pose – 3 limbs locked in the bog with left foot and sock pointing skywards. Felt backwards for the hole I must have made. Wrong. Sock now wet and boggy. Second attempt felt shoe and hooked toes into it. Realisation dawns as I look at my arms – hands have disappeared – my Garmin is submerged. I quickly pull both hands out and adopt the one legged Muddy Stalk pose. Or more like panda. People are running past me. I am stuck. Has now to be the adopt the crab approach and go left, but right leg doesn’t move so lever it out by diving sideways onto some reeds. Luckily left shoe remains on foot hooked by toes. Now I need to put it back on and clear the mud from watch. Start off again.
Spot Andrew now 200+ metres in the distance. Oh well, let’s just continue. Views still great – but not appreciated now. I just go along plod, Squelch, plod, squelch.. until half-way. Finally out of the narrow woods and onto some decent track/road the squelchy noise has stopped. I manage to pick myself up a bit. Thought I’d give the young 40’s men something to thing about who’d overtaken me running down the hill. I got into a good relaxed rhythm on the road section – went past them tongue in cheek, and arrived close behind Andrew as we hit the second hill.
Closed gap quickly to 20 metres whilst he was walking. I then had two options – drive past him for 50 metres and then walk, or stay behind 20m behind and walk. Legs voted walk – which was probably the best choice for my long term health. Got to the downhill side. Andrew now 70m in front. Thought – shall we give it a go? Yes! Within a few seconds had nearly fallen oven a steep side and followed this by stumbling a few steps later. Glasses askew I corrected them and dirtied one lens with my boggy hands. Eyes…
Patrick