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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