FIERCE! 10 Gruelling Miles - 25 July 2009...

Distance: 10 miles

In a time of...
hh:mm:ss
01:02:33 Personal Best!!!

Finishing Position: 3
Number of finishers: 71
Putting me in the top: 4.22%

Less of a race report for this one, as despite my fortunate finishing position, I wasn't really racing this one. The course measured up a little short of the advertised 10 miles (though I'm not sure by how much) and I thoroughly enjoyed what was essentially a challenging and hilly 10mi run with various obstacles throughout.

After much deliberation, and following a desire I've had since I started running to enter a race in fancy dress, it was decided I'd run this one dressed as a smurf. I sorted my outfit and was really looking forward to it – then when I arrived at Moreton Morrell College (where the race was being held), I had a sudden moment of realisation – I was topless, with a white hat on, bright white jogging bottoms, and covered in bright blue body paint – and I was about to walk around like this in public, where everyone else was dressed normally.

I sheepishly left the car and went to register – I think everyone I walked past either sniggered, laughed out loud, made a comment to me, or made a comment to whomever they were with – heheh. Eventually I met up with friends Ros & Pete… Ros had also decided to run in fancy dress as Lara Croft.

Anyway – to the race, I charged off at the start, probably in about 4th position and slowly overtook people at each obstacle until I was leading the race – I built up quite a lead actually, a good 50-60m or more, though upon reaching the forest, somewhere around the halfway mark, the sodden wet jogging bottoms were really beginning to take their toll – it felt like running in wet jeans,  or running with lead blocks attached to my feet. My lead deteriorated and I was caught – I kept up with the new race leader for a while, but soon started to drop away when we began climbing again. At this point I could see 2nd place closing in on me too and eventually I conceded this position as well.

I end seemed forever away, and things just got harder and harder as my energy levels dropped more and more – by this point my blue body paint had faded drastically through all the sweat, and my costume was generally looking worse for wear. I managed to cling onto 3rd place, which considering the circumstances I was over the moon with – though I'd be lying if I said the idea of winning hadn't crossed my mind as I passed 4mi with a 50m lead!