Sunday, November 19, 2006
The Seagrave Wolds Challenge!
I get up at the not too ungodly hour of 7am, get dressed, remember I haven’t cut my toenails for a few weeks and get the clippers to them quick! My cousin joins me for a cuppa before going back to bed with her little lad, Josh- I start to wonder whether I am crazy for doing this!
I arrive at Seagrave and we are being directed to park in a farmyard up a rutted farm track, making it quite a good walk to the Village Hall and start point. There are two checking in desks in the Hall, one for runners and one for walkers. It feels really odd entering as a runner- almost as though I have defected to the other side! I certainly don’t feel much like a runner, everybody else looks really lean, fit and well prepared. I grab a cuppa and hob nob (carbs), spot Simon and chat with him for a few minutes. He’s walking but I tell him he will probably catch up with me later, as I am more likely to be walking in the later stages.
After a visit to the loo (there were portaloos but I found some inside) I make sure I stretch and at least look as though I know what I’m doing. We move onto the playing field- there are loads of people, runners and walkers, haven’t seen crowds like this since the Belvoir challenge!
Ready for the off!
The Village Hall (note the queue for the ladies!)
Loads of folks!!!
Suddenly we are off, moving through a narrow gateway onto the road. I start to run, and as I expected, all the runners stream past me! We turn onto a track which is so muddy running is impossible, and I manage to overtake a walker. The route takes us through several fields and over several stiles- one of which causes a bit of a backlog as there is a steep, muddy ditch to be negotiated the other side. It’s also quite hilly, I overtake two girls who have slowed to a walk. Most of the route is quite muddy, varying from fairly solid mud you can run on to the real ankle deep slurry which can only be waded through. My running shoes resemble two large lumps of mud, and I feel a bit like a shire horse! I have my waterproof on, but am so hot I tie it around my waist. We take a sharp right, and the runners in front of me turn left at the bottom of the field. Suddenly there are a load of people coming over a stile from the opposite direction- “we went wrong!”
We reach the first check point at Wymeswold, and are greeted by half mars bars and bananas. I take one of each and have a few swigs of Boots Endurance drink and a couple of bites of my energy bar. A couple of fast walkers come in whilst I’m there plus-fantastic!- some other runners. I reluctantly leave and actually manage to pass another runner. A track and a few fields later (one of which must have been at least a mile long) I reach a road- there are marshals at all major road crossings. One of them tells me there’s a ‘nice downhill stretch now’. I thank him and run along the field, to be confronted by the biggest hill on the route so far! There is a slight downhill section with Stanford Hall in the distance, then through a farmyard and- aargh- an even bigger hill than the last! This is gonna hurt… I stop and take a few more sips of drink and nibbles of Energy Bar whilst I mentally gird my loins.
Typical Wolds Scenery
It’s not quite as bad as it looks though and although I am wheezing like an emphysemic 90 year old I am pleased to note no Achilles or knee pain! I’m starting to feel tired though- the longest run prior to this was the 10 mile Barrow Classic. A path through woods brings the welcome sight of checkpoint two, in the church adjacent to Prestwold Hall. I select a home made flapjack and gratefully accept a cup of coffee, allowing myself the luxury of lingering for a few minutes. Apparently there was a wedding in the church last year and they had to move the checkpoint onto a field. The two girls I overtook earlier come in and leave before me, and some faster walkers and a couple of runners with a dog also join us.
I take my leave, it’s really chilly getting going again! After a disconcerting leap across a brick lined ditch I pass in front of the impressive Prestwold Hall.
Prestwold Hall
Stanford Hall
Prestwold Hall- these are out of order!
I am feeling really tired now and it’s becoming a bit of a struggle to keep going. The route goes through the village of Burton on the Wolds before looping back towards Seagrave. I find myself just behind the two girls and, when we hit yet another hill, they slow to a walk and I do the same. That’s the pattern for the rest of the route- walk up hill and through shloshy mud, shambling jog on the level and downhill. I’ve had it- I can’t run uphill any more!
We cross another road; there is a chap coming towards us, back towards the road and the marshals, carrying somebody over his shoulder- “want a ride, only £1 each!” he calls. I thought it was a child he was carrying, but on peering closer I realise it’s actually a woman in running gear- hope she was ok! I stop to pull my sock up and, as I bend my leg, the muscles at the back of my leg seem to cramp up and my toes curl and lock into a kind of spasm. For a brief panic filled microsecond I think I’m not going to be able to free it but it relaxes.
We go up a really slushy, muddy, seemingly endless track and- shame!- are overtaken by a walker. A downhill section brings us to a narrow plank bridge over a deep ditch. I have a moment of panic
before realising there is a blue rope along the side, although it’s still a bit hairy! A final steep hill and over a stile onto the road- a marshal tells us it’s “Only another 100 yards!”
We run down the road, over a stile and across the playing field to the Hall- I actually manage to put a bit of a spurt on and keep up with the girls. There are photographers and we protest that we are not looking our best! Finally we run into the hall and I am pleasantly surprised to see that my time for the 15 ½ miles is 3 hours and 36 minutes! I’m pleased with that, and the fact that I ran most of the way, plus no undue pains apart from the normal muscular ouch-it-hurts-when-I-stand-up pain. Took me nearly as long to clean my shoes later!
Had a gorgeous big bowl of apple pie and custard before collecting my certificate. The results aren’t yet on the website, I have a horrid suspicion that I may be in a photo, but hopefully not! Would I do it again? Yes, definitely, although I may walk it next year to take advantage of the cobs and home made cakes at checkpoint two!
