It was a rather cold and damp morning for round 5 of the Kent Fitness League. Luckily, there was a marquee with a bar near the start which provided a slightly warmer feel to meet the rest of the team. There was a lot of water on the short walk from the car park and so the initial thoughts were of a mud fest somewhere along the course, although this didn’t turn out to be the case. Instead was a water jump on each of the two laps.
While huddled at the start waiting for the signal to get going, there were rumours circulating that the course was now 7 miles instead of the usual approximate 5. Too much noise meant it was difficult to hear the starter and so I set off on the assumption of a longer course than I was expecting. The first half was run on undulating fields and included a hay hurdle as well as the water feature! Having managed to keep fairly warm before the start, I felt warmed up as I approached the water but the shock to the system was about to come with water so cold that my feet felt like ice blocks from the minute they got wet! We continued nonetheless, hoping circulation would soon be fully restored to my lower extremes. It took until near the end of the first lap, around 1.5 miles after the dip, before my toes felt warm again! On the way to that point, we headed through a woodland section which was only damp and gave a nice spring in the step. There were a couple of fallen trees to hurdle as well as a couple of short steep descents and immediate climbs the other side. The end of the lap presented a long steady climb with an Irish chap half way up informing us there wasn’t far to go, with a broad grin! Hmmm! Maybe it just felt longer than it really was! Having negotiated the first lap, fatigue began to find me. I made it through the water second time around but didn’t feel the cold anywhere near as much this time. The remaining fields sapped much energy out of me before I reached the wooded section for the second, and as it turned out, final time. The conditions underfoot were a great help, especially after the those fields. Eventually, I came across the happy chappy telling us there wasn’t far to go. I had established by then that the original distance was the correct one and so however long the uphill felt, I knew I didn’t have far to go. One last push to the top, and then it was a flat sprint to the finish. From somewhere, I found the energy to push on and move up 5 or 6 places as I crossed the line. A touch course, but a good workout which cleared a lot out of my tired legs. The annual PWR trip to the Minnis Bay KFL race took place the day after my 13 mile run. At 12 miles yesterday and the end of my parkrun, I wondered if my legs might not be interested in the fun event along the coast near to Margate. Luckily, although a little tired, they had not given up just yet and so an 8:30am departure from Petts Wood beckoned.
The journey down was rather uneventful and we arrived in good time near the start. The post race fish and chip restaurant was undergoing refurbishment and so we were booked into a local pub for a Sunday roast. The weather leading up to the weekend had been dry and we had heard reports that the dykes were dry! However, we were still in for a treat! Off we went at 11:00am sharp, legs tired but nothing serious. The nature of this race tends to focus on fun and not actually racing and so it was helpful to run alongside some other PWRs. The first 4 miles are all about getting warmed up for the fun of the finish, at least it was this year with no puddles along the way. A pace of around 9:10 per mile was maintained throughout and real tiredness was just about starting to kick in as we approached the series of dykes. I wondered if we were going to miss out this year when the dyke which had claimed a few runners last year appeared, and was completely dry! However, on approaching the second, normal service was resumed. The puddle which had been present when the early runners went through, had now been mixed in to form a quicksand like mud bath! And it did it's job. I nearly lost a show as it was nearly sucked back in as I attempted to lift my right foot out. Others took a more sensible, although less fun, route by skirting the worst of the mud! A couple more less wet dykes and we were through with only the handful of mounds to see to. Last year, these had been almost treacherous on the way down with no grip whatsoever. This year though, sufficiently dry to be able to maintain grip and head off to the finish. Despite the dry nature of the course this year, enough of a mess had been made below the knee to warrant a bath.....................in the sea! I've read of cold baths being beneficial following a workout but this wasn't just cold, but quite literally freezing! I didn't last long and having rinsed much of the mud away, I headed back to the club tent to dry off and warm up! Overall, a good run which seemed to clear out a lot of waste from my legs. A nice roast lunch followed before heading back to Petts Wood before dark. |
ABOUT MEHaving completed 5 marathons between 1999 and 2016, I decided this year, I would try to do it properly and plan my training! Alongside, I wanted to keep a blog as it went along, partly to look back on, and partly to help anyone else who may benefit from my own experiences. Archives
November 2023
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