So good the LDWA events are back on! Have missed them a lot during Covid times.
Have done the Winter Tanners 30 before. Each year they make a new route, and I have run a few of the routes with Tara and Andrew during lockdowns too.
Early start at 05.00, a bus, a tube and a train, where we met fellow Tanners runners Eamon and Andrew. The start was in Leatherhead, from the Mole Business Park, which I always find very intriguing - it feels like the type of place which is so unassuming, yet filled with very random business (Applied Photophysics, ES Pipelones, Magnet Trade) so that it could quite easily be the headquarters of MI5. Met Sarah and Tara, and following a swift shot of toffee vodka courtesy of Coach Tara, we set off. I should mention, I don't normally (or even, don't often) start runs with vodka, but this was Christmas, a reunion, and the welcoming back of the LDWA all at once, so it was a time of celebration.
Loved the route, the scenery was stunning, and the weather perfect!
Set off with Sarah, Andrew, Tara, and Neil, and we ran the first half marathon all together and it was so good to have very very long overdue catch ups. During this time, half of the party fell over at different points (including me, obviously, perhaps due to the vodka chocolates supplied by Coach Tara?)
About half way, I fell over again, doing an impressive (or that's how I imagine it looked) face forwards mudslide down a steep hill. Thank you Sarah and Andrew for picking me up and for your skilful first aid, I'm sorry I caused us a delay, and thanks Andrew for your knee support which managed to keep everything in my knee area stuck together until the end. I must get one (or two!) of these, so useful! My scars from the Halloween 100 were starting to fade, so it's good I'll have some new ones now, to match my other knee. But then, I might get them tattooed, to hide all the scars.
Checkpoints were fabulous, giant buffets, hot drinks, and friendly marshals.
The Bog Factor was scored as a 7.5/10.
Brilliant to see so many familiar faces on the way round, and to see the event so well attended.
Thank you Surrey LDWA for an excellent event!
Great to catch up with lots of people at the end, and even though Covid means no indoor stuff, having hot drinks and cake (thanks, Tara!) with everyone, milling around in the carpark afterwards, felt just like old LDWA times again. Here's to more adventures....
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