But I'm getting ahead of myself aren't I.Last week was a pretty good one at work. Got a project going, I may have improved another and I'm getting pretty busy. All good.
Training was ok. I will admit to being quite tired having done a lot of races lately. But I'm not broken yet.
I had Friday off work to travel up to Birmingham, my annual pilgrimage to the JW Ultra. As much as I say I'm not doing the race again that's a lie :)
I stopped at a hotel near the race finish and arrived around 2. I then promptly fell asleep for 90 minutes :-D woke up and went for a little run really just to do some hill stuff cos I don't have any near me do I! I was only a little deflated when Lesley told me that the place I went to for hills is where she goes to avoid them. Haaaaaaaa .
I found myself some food and whiled away a few hours in the hotel bar just relaxing before going. Early to bed.
Next morning I was invited round to Lesley's for brekkie as the hotel didn't start serving early enough, which was ace. Was able to have PB on toast which is my preferred race breakfast.
We got the coach at the sea cadets place and had a good old catch up with Cas on the way to Stratford where the race starts. Once there I met up with my relay team mates Matt and Jules and we sorted out numbers and toilets and all that. It didn't seem long at all till we were lining up to start. On the start line I met a twitter pal Iain, who was a first timer at the JW but I thought could win it.
I was first leg, just short of 10 miles and basically my race plan was, hammer it! So I started like I always do. Bat out of hell......you need to in this race because after not very long you are sent back on yourself into a field with a couple of gates and then into the woods with a couple of flights of steps. It's essential to get good position early or you will be held up at these obstacles.
I seemed to do ok here anyway and had plenty of space as we came out onto the canal. Crucially I knew that no women had overtaken me as my goals were A) first woman to cp1 where I would finish and B) a quicker time than last year.
There isn't much to say about the run as it is just along a canal! There isn't room for much support though there was one runners crew who were very encouraging clapping me wildly for being First Lady. I had to tell them I was just a relay runner so I should be! There was also a chap I desperately tried to get rid of for ages. He was huffing and blowing and shouting at himself which was most disconcerting. Every time I overtook he sped up, then flipping slowed down again. He was doing my head in! He was wearing earphones and at one point took one out to bellow an introduction at me. I nearly jumped in the canal :-/ anyway, he eventually couldn't keep up any more. Ha!!!!
When I came to the aqueduct I was happy cos I knew that was about 8.7. I ran with my hand in the water, and managed to make a tidal wave that soaked my left side...clever me huh? But it didn't matter I knew I was running well and soon enough saw the crowd on the bridge at cp1. And this year my second runner was there. YAY!!!!
Was told I had done 1.14 something, so that was B, and I was first woman there too. Mission accomplished!!!
I hung around there for a while with Jules who was our 3rd runner before setting off to cp2 to await Matts arrival.
There he is! He ran his heart out!We had a drink at the pub at cp2 and then raced to the end to try and meet Jules as he finished. Sadly we failed, but he had a really cracking run, thanks Jules!
Then we had a lovely sit back at the sea cadets place and a chat to various folk before it was time to head back to the hotel for another relatively early night.
Next morning was picked up nice and early to head to the W midlands waterski centre for a 5k Spartan sprint race. Yeah you're right that fella had a lot to do with it. However when he first suggested it on twitter I thought, that chap ensured that I got through the. 10 in 10 in one piece, who better to do an obstacle course with where mutual support might be the difference between finishing or not?
I was apprehensive though. I know I can run but rope climbing ain't my forte! So when we started I think we were both nervous, but probably just fear of the unknown as they really don't tell you what will be out on the course. The build up was cheesy but great, lots of shouting 'I am spartan!!!' And all that and a few burpees and stuff. Then we were off. A gentle jog, no need to push it. First obstacle, get over a fence. Ok.
Then it's a blur, we gad to carry loads of stuff up hills, ammo boxes, logs, Gerry cans. We had to pick up heavy weights and carry them then do press ups then carry them back. There was a massive tyre to drag that Mark had to help me with, I couldn't even move it! There were monkey bars.....which to my utter amazement I did without dropping off. There were fences to go under. There was a long walk carrying bricks and going under barbed wire and cargo nets. There was a massive cargo net to climb up and over, a rope to climb.....couldn't! Throwing a spear at hay bales, a fire to jump over and and well lots more.
It was fucking brilliant! We laughed so much it was unreal and pretended to do the burpees that were the forfeit if you couldn't do an obstacle.
It was brilliant to see Matt and Max there who came to watch and take some photos. I'm sure they both wanted to do it and I for one can't wait to do it again. Who's with me?
I do hope you like that photo Mark :-D
No comments:
Post a Comment