I fully appreciate that it’s the 1st of March and
I’m still over here reviewing 2017! However, this is the last in my reviews of the events I did during 2017.
Although road runs are not my favourite type of running, I decided to to the Great South Run to experience the crowds and the bands around the course. I did regret my decision when Storm Brian meant that the Saturday races were cancelled and thought I might get blown away along the seafront!
I had an eventful start, as I had put down my actual expected finish time not realising that it put me in a different wave to the people I went with (who are speedier!) That would have been fine as I was never intending to run with them, except I didn't want them to have to wait around for ages at the end particularly as it was so cold and windy! So to get around this, I was naughty and hopped over the barrier to the start pen and ran the first few miles with my hoodie on as I was too scared to take it off in case someone realised and disqualified me or something! (As you can see below, I have a different colour bib!)
The crowds and the bands were great, and I definitely found myself jigging to the steel band as I ran along! There was so much support along the whole course and plenty of people offering out jelly babies and high fives! Even people who had set up scaffolding outside their house and were playing music out!
But things got a bit serious at mile 8 - as this was when the route turned back onto the seafront and into the path of Storm Brian! But despite Brian's best efforts, I managed to come in with a new 10 mile pb so I was very happy with that!
Does that mean there wasn't a point when I hit a wall? No! Does that mean I wasn't swearing after going down the zillionth hill and turning the corner only to find you had to go up the bugger again?! Definitely not! But then you come across the aid station where they've got music playing and the marshal's are dressed as angels and all is forgiven! And yes I did give the perfectly white angels a big muddy hug!
Just before the finish is another water pit and the lovely marshals made me swim under a log (other people they raised it so they could walk under!) This meant that come the finish line, I was completely soaked! Normally I wouldn't have cared, but it was then about a 15 minute walk back to the car and by this point we were frozen! There was no dignity involved when you're trying to get changed in a car park and your hands no longer work!
I made an error before this run - I looked at the route my circuits instructor was doing (45 miles!) and for my section on that profile it showed two hills and two little "bumps"! So it was much to my surprise when those bumps turned out to be quite substantial! A lack of running leading up to this meant that I struggled on this first section (and also made a decision which I will cover at a later date).
However from 5km it was much flatter and I found someone to chat to for the next few kilometers, which as we know is my favourite type of running! However I did leave her as she made a comment that she was slowing me up and although I would have slowed and couldn't have cared less what my finish time was, I didn't want her to feel any pressure.
This could have been an incredible picture as that is the famous Durdle Door - except its obscured by a very inconsiderate runner! (Who also makes me look like a dwarf!)
My only issue with the organisation of this event was the finish. By this point, a lot of people had finished, as there were various distances starting at different times. So as the finish point was in the car park, I literally had to run between cars coming in, cars going out and people everywhere! Meaning that I missed the guy signalling off right to the finish, who in my defence wasn't even wearing a hi vis! Good job I don't care about times as I had gone past and was heading off on the half marathon route before someone stopped me and pointed me in the right direction!
Well done if you have reached this point having read all 14 reviews! If I've inspired you to sign up to any of the events I've mentioned, I'd love to know! So please drop me a comment.
Or if you have any recommendations for some nice running events, please feel free to pop a comment below!
Great South Run (10 miles) – 22/10/17
I had an eventful start, as I had put down my actual expected finish time not realising that it put me in a different wave to the people I went with (who are speedier!) That would have been fine as I was never intending to run with them, except I didn't want them to have to wait around for ages at the end particularly as it was so cold and windy! So to get around this, I was naughty and hopped over the barrier to the start pen and ran the first few miles with my hoodie on as I was too scared to take it off in case someone realised and disqualified me or something! (As you can see below, I have a different colour bib!)
The crowds and the bands were great, and I definitely found myself jigging to the steel band as I ran along! There was so much support along the whole course and plenty of people offering out jelly babies and high fives! Even people who had set up scaffolding outside their house and were playing music out!
But things got a bit serious at mile 8 - as this was when the route turned back onto the seafront and into the path of Storm Brian! But despite Brian's best efforts, I managed to come in with a new 10 mile pb so I was very happy with that!
Official time = 1:42:12 pb
www.greatrun.orgHell Runner – 18/11/17
This was one of those "what I am doing" runs as this was a 15km course of constant hills with a few mud pits thrown in for good measure! However, it was bloody brilliant fun! Everyone was in good spirits and we had a laugh with the runners around us (including the guy who saved himself from face planting the mud by grabbing my bum!)Does that mean there wasn't a point when I hit a wall? No! Does that mean I wasn't swearing after going down the zillionth hill and turning the corner only to find you had to go up the bugger again?! Definitely not! But then you come across the aid station where they've got music playing and the marshal's are dressed as angels and all is forgiven! And yes I did give the perfectly white angels a big muddy hug!
Just before the finish is another water pit and the lovely marshals made me swim under a log (other people they raised it so they could walk under!) This meant that come the finish line, I was completely soaked! Normally I wouldn't have cared, but it was then about a 15 minute walk back to the car and by this point we were frozen! There was no dignity involved when you're trying to get changed in a car park and your hands no longer work!
Official time = 2:40:21
www.hellrunner.co.ukDorset Coastal Trail Series 10k – 2/12/17
However from 5km it was much flatter and I found someone to chat to for the next few kilometers, which as we know is my favourite type of running! However I did leave her as she made a comment that she was slowing me up and although I would have slowed and couldn't have cared less what my finish time was, I didn't want her to feel any pressure.
This could have been an incredible picture as that is the famous Durdle Door - except its obscured by a very inconsiderate runner! (Who also makes me look like a dwarf!)
My only issue with the organisation of this event was the finish. By this point, a lot of people had finished, as there were various distances starting at different times. So as the finish point was in the car park, I literally had to run between cars coming in, cars going out and people everywhere! Meaning that I missed the guy signalling off right to the finish, who in my defence wasn't even wearing a hi vis! Good job I don't care about times as I had gone past and was heading off on the half marathon route before someone stopped me and pointed me in the right direction!
Official time = 1:28:43
www.endurancelife.com
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