was a great way to round off 13 in 2013! :-)
It was totally different to anything I've done before, and it ticked a lot of boxes:
1. Muddiest
2. Darkest
3. Latest
4. Spookiest
5. Smallest
6. Best refreshment tent (EVER!!! seriously)
7. Best dressed participants
8. Most laps (31)...
9. And most hills (31)
10. Best decorated...pumpkins, glowsticks, people...
Mildly stressful morning...my head torch broke, and then we got stuck in THREE traffic jams on the M6! Arggggh, I can't miss the last race!
It felt a little surreal at the start, we parked up on a little lane near Telford and walked up a path into the woods in the middle of nowhere to the house where the start was...I admit it, I'm a little unsure of my situation here. Slightly out of my comfort zone. Glad my Dad is here!
Changed into a cat...
and off to the start line...
How good does everyone look!? Both costume wise and athletically wise..there were two marathons today, and lots of people had already done the one this morning. Respect :-) Feeling a bit nervous about coming last as there are only about 30 of us and everyone looks really good! Eek. Turns out everyone is really nice though (as always) so who cares if I do come last.
The start...
...of an amazing race!
Set off at 4 pm, and the course was run on a lap around little country lanes which was just less than a mile, so 31 laps altogether. I hadn't fully appreciated the word 'mud' before this race. I wish I had not worn brand new trainers! Ruined!!! Also lots of pot holes which added an extra level of surprise in the dark. I'd have thought after a few laps I would have remembered where they all were, but no, apparently I'm not that smart.
Did about 8 laps before needed head torch. Fancy dress is a really great way to distract yourself from running, I should totally have tried this before. I spent the first half an hour of darkness trying to figure out the best way to wear head torch plus cat mask at once. Another 3 laps done without realizing!
Very different experience to run in the dark (real dark!) really have to concentrate on where you're putting your feet, I found that the miles went past faster than usual I think because I was focusing so hard on something else.
Because there weren't many of us, sometimes they'd be no one in front or behind, and no one watching. Found it quite a calming feeling to have some time to reflect on the year, watching the rain sparkle through the light from my torch, and following the little glow sticks on the floor of the route, then all of a sudden I'd see a big arc of light in the trees ahead from the next persons head torch. It was a cold, miserable night, but within my little circle of light and thoughts, it felt warm.
Also, my Dad started walking around the course at about half time, so that was great, we kept passing each other for a few laps then! He is 65 in January and has been walking 650 miles in the last year to celebrate, so he blasted out another 5 miles tonight!
Was a bit (very) nervous about all the laps, and running past the start/finish so many times, what if I want to stop?! But turned out to be fun, we had elastic bands to wear on our wrists and take off after each lap. Its pretty therapeutic pinging an elastic band into a bucket every mile. AND it meant we ran past the refreshment tent 31 TIMES!!! Amazing. Seriously I have never seen refreshments like it, and I consider myself experienced in the sampling of all refreshments on offer at races. Sweets, quality street, chocolates, Halloween cakes, crisps, 9-bars, coke, red bull, juice....... turns out the hardest part of the laps was not stopping to eat something else every time.
As I got down to the last few bands I started to have the opposite feeling to what I'd had for the rest of the laps....I didn't want to take them off because I knew I was getting so close to the end of my 13 this year and I didn't want it to be over...
....but, I met some more nice people who have given me more ideas for the future now 13 is done.... these were serious people here today! Who really really run marathons, like, lots of them! The guy who won had just run 37 in 37 days (and had also won the race in the morning!). And I ran with Brian for a while, who was doing his 7th in 7 days, whilst on holiday. What a holiday! And I also met Kate who had done something similar to me last year, 12 in 2012, and who's hooked and had done the two races today, and she said to me when I told her how I felt about finishing, that I mustn't finish, this is the beginning!
Well, after I chucked elastic band 31 into the bucket, it was back around the course for a few hundred meters, to the 'finishing pumpkin' then back around to the finish. Coolest medal, and a pint glass! All it needs is some beer.
Brilliant race, big thanks to the organizers and my Dad for coming to cheer me on in the rain :-)
13. Done!
Changed into a cat...
How good does everyone look!? Both costume wise and athletically wise..there were two marathons today, and lots of people had already done the one this morning. Respect :-) Feeling a bit nervous about coming last as there are only about 30 of us and everyone looks really good! Eek. Turns out everyone is really nice though (as always) so who cares if I do come last.
The start...
...of an amazing race!
Set off at 4 pm, and the course was run on a lap around little country lanes which was just less than a mile, so 31 laps altogether. I hadn't fully appreciated the word 'mud' before this race. I wish I had not worn brand new trainers! Ruined!!! Also lots of pot holes which added an extra level of surprise in the dark. I'd have thought after a few laps I would have remembered where they all were, but no, apparently I'm not that smart.
Did about 8 laps before needed head torch. Fancy dress is a really great way to distract yourself from running, I should totally have tried this before. I spent the first half an hour of darkness trying to figure out the best way to wear head torch plus cat mask at once. Another 3 laps done without realizing!
Very different experience to run in the dark (real dark!) really have to concentrate on where you're putting your feet, I found that the miles went past faster than usual I think because I was focusing so hard on something else.
Because there weren't many of us, sometimes they'd be no one in front or behind, and no one watching. Found it quite a calming feeling to have some time to reflect on the year, watching the rain sparkle through the light from my torch, and following the little glow sticks on the floor of the route, then all of a sudden I'd see a big arc of light in the trees ahead from the next persons head torch. It was a cold, miserable night, but within my little circle of light and thoughts, it felt warm.
Also, my Dad started walking around the course at about half time, so that was great, we kept passing each other for a few laps then! He is 65 in January and has been walking 650 miles in the last year to celebrate, so he blasted out another 5 miles tonight!
Was a bit (very) nervous about all the laps, and running past the start/finish so many times, what if I want to stop?! But turned out to be fun, we had elastic bands to wear on our wrists and take off after each lap. Its pretty therapeutic pinging an elastic band into a bucket every mile. AND it meant we ran past the refreshment tent 31 TIMES!!! Amazing. Seriously I have never seen refreshments like it, and I consider myself experienced in the sampling of all refreshments on offer at races. Sweets, quality street, chocolates, Halloween cakes, crisps, 9-bars, coke, red bull, juice....... turns out the hardest part of the laps was not stopping to eat something else every time.
As I got down to the last few bands I started to have the opposite feeling to what I'd had for the rest of the laps....I didn't want to take them off because I knew I was getting so close to the end of my 13 this year and I didn't want it to be over...
....but, I met some more nice people who have given me more ideas for the future now 13 is done.... these were serious people here today! Who really really run marathons, like, lots of them! The guy who won had just run 37 in 37 days (and had also won the race in the morning!). And I ran with Brian for a while, who was doing his 7th in 7 days, whilst on holiday. What a holiday! And I also met Kate who had done something similar to me last year, 12 in 2012, and who's hooked and had done the two races today, and she said to me when I told her how I felt about finishing, that I mustn't finish, this is the beginning!
Brilliant race, big thanks to the organizers and my Dad for coming to cheer me on in the rain :-)
13. Done!
Fantastic, wonderful, inspiring !!!!!!!!!!!!! (that's 13 x !). It's been great to follow your progress and to support you and we've enjoyed the walks we've done at some of the venues (especially the cake ones) . And a good chunk of money raised too - Aunty Earninks will be proud of you. Love Dad and Mum xxx
ReplyDeleteAmazing achievement Amy, really incredible! Congrats from all at Chapel A Runners.
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