The walk from Hemel Hempstead station to the club house confirmed that the weather forecast was 100% accurate. It was freezing and pouring with rain. We looked like we were heading to the arctic rather than to a running event. We huddled together in the club house for as long as we could before having to shed our coats and head to the start.
Despite the weather our spirits were high and the atmosphere very friendly. The route was the same as last time but with a slightly longer middle section. This meant that the first 3 miles were once again along the towpath. Last time the problem was ice. This time it was mud. It was literally like a mud bath. At first I tried to run around the muddy puddles but by mile 2 this seemed rather pointless as my feet were completely wet. It was actually safer to go straight through them. It felt like army boot camp!
Having done the route before was a huge advantage. The hills were not a surprise and seemed more manageable and it was also a morale boost to know when the downhill sections were coming. But the weather was something else. I have literally never been so wet. Even though I was wearing a waterproof jacket, I was soaked to the skin although curiously not cold. I couldn’t help but smile when the driving rain turned to snow at about mile 10. It’s nearly March for heaven’s sake!
What made a huge difference to me was that I seemed to get my nutrition right this time around. I had done a bit of research and the general consensus was that I should be taking between 30g and 60g of carbohydrate every hour. From mile 7 I started chewing on jelly babies (5g each) and then took a HIGH5 Energy Gel at miles 8 and 13. This seemed to work really well and I felt like I was running with a full tank of energy right to the end.
I was surprised to thoroughly enjoy the day. Charlotte had a great race and finished in about 2.20 hrs, I was next at 2.30 hrs and Claire was a bit behind us. Waiting for friends to finish is no problem as the club lay on steaming tea and huge slabs of cake that really hit the spot.
Once again the event was brilliantly organised and I cannot recommend it more highly. We’ll be back in 4 weeks for our final 20 mile training run. Bring it on!
Is this supposed to be fun?
www.thoosa.com
I was an hour behind them ... the fact that they waited shows what good friends they are.
ReplyDeleteThe 17 miles really, really was very hard work and the conditions were terrible. I saw two people nearly slip in to the canel - imagine!