WEll done, Trin Harsh that your leg kicked in in the last darned mile But heck, you ran a fast race and met a target, pretty darned good.

Pre-congrats on the series prize

Good report Trin . . as ever difficult to follow . . a bit like in the race actually!

This was not a happy day for me either, because this was the day when it dawned on me that if I want to keep running at the standard I aspire to I need to make some changes in my life.

My running has steadily gone downhill (I wish – it would’ve been easier if it had) since the Duchy Marathon in March 2006, when I thought I’d set myself up for a good long summer of marathon running. In the months since then I’ve had to give more and more of myself to my job, and there’s been less and less of me to give to running, and all the other things and people that matter.

I’ve enjoyed this race in the past (1.44 in 2004, 1.50 in 2005 – can you see a trend?) and I’d been looking forward to it once again, oblivious to the fact that my training was wholly inadequate.

So as has become my custom in recent months I was fine for 6 miles (50 mins or so) and then died a few times. 7 miles is a long way to hang on, as I know from bitter experience!

Anyway, I finished in 1.58.34, 203rd out of 279 finishers. The last couple of miles were a real struggle and for the 3rd race in a row I just wanted to stop and go to sleep.

My disappointment was made worse when I found out what had happened to Trin, who incidentally finished 77th overall whilst wearing number 77.

The cakes were good, and on the way home we enjoyed Gingerbread Lattés (very good for tummies after suffering from upchuck apparently).

Now I’m looking for the positives – and I might have found one!! I’m beginning to think I did quite well to run 13.1 miles on the limited amount of training I’ve done . . it’s something to build on!!

It's easily done, Rich The work-life balance swings too far towards work sometimes for me too. I think the thing to do is focus on doing what you enjoy, even if you run less, but get more fun out of it that way. Focus on what you want out of life, and think of ways to get there.

Anyway, I'm jealous of the gingerbread lattes

Thanks Katten . . you're right . . it's all about finding a balance. At the moment I've not got it right but I've started to try to do something about it . . can't say much more at the moment . .

We've had several Gingerbread Lattés since then btw . . I'm tempted to try an Eggnog Latté for a change, but as Trin put it, I'm not sure if it's going to taste Eggy or Noggy

I got a free sample eggnogg latte the other day, it was really really nice. It tasted smooth and warm with a hint of ginger, no idea what actual eggnogg is supposed to taste like, but I will try the latte version again someday

Rich and I drove away from Brent Knoll yesterday feeling a little sad... for that was the last race in Somerset Series 2007 and my last race for a while, due to the surgery in 8 days time

But what a race it was!!! As we drove into Somerset on Sunday morning in lovely weather, we looked to the right to see the Knoll looming and, quite literally, putting everything into shade.

We arrived at the start venue in good time and I don't know about Rich but my stomach was churning at the very thought of what we were about to attempt.

The start time came all too quickly, and I kept trying to settle myself by saying that it's only 5 and half miles, but it didn't work because I kept getting flashes of what we had to climb.

I couldn't settle my breathing at all in the first mile, even though it was a 7.15 min/mile. Then we hit the first big climb, during which I had to get on my hands and knees couple of times and literally climb up the grass! When I got to the top I looked up and expected to see that I was somewhere near the top of Brent Knoll, only to find that I hadn't even started on the main climb yet :eek:

But I soon found myself on the way to the very top, (and yes...it is about a 1 in 4) just as the lead runners were on the way down at an incredible speed, partly due to their natural ability and partly due to gravity.

The view at the top was so worth it though... it was almost as breathtaking as it was climbing up there. There was a couple of marshals at the top who, on this fantastically clear bright day, had the best marshalling post ever!

We had to then run round the very top of Brent Knoll before going back down the way we came up, which was both treacherous, and very scary for the likes of me who have never been able to master the knack of running down almost vertical muddy, slippery, wet grassy mini-mountains. I wibbled a couple of times and slipped a couple of times but thankfully didn't fall.

The ladies that had flown past me on the steep downs weren't so good on the flat and ups so I got in front of them again. The last mile seemed to go for ever and I wasn't feeling too good but I got to the finish in 52.05, 10th lady overall and 5th in my category.

Rich was not far behind me but I'll let him report on his race.

Because it was the last race in the series a short while later it was the presentation of awards for the Somerset Series, and this was the bit I was looking forward to

All that hard work and hard running paid off as my name was called out to pick up the prize for 2nd Lady Overall. I got a Lead Crystal glass which was engraved plus a bottle of something very nice, which I can't remember the name of (and probably nor will I after I've drunk some!) but Rich will because it's at his place right now until the festive season

So I guess that's it, with just Rich to add the final report...

Here's to Somerset Series 2008

Sounds like a doddle Trin!!

Thanks for reports...been entertaining throughout!

Rest up now and get fighting fit again asap post op.

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Get it sorted...and get it sorted early.

Thanks Steve... It's been quite a trip this year

Hasn't it just....you and me both.

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Get it sorted...and get it sorted early.

Well done to the both of you for seeing the series through.

Especially well done to you Trin for your efforts in winning a prize in a year that hasn`t been without its problems.

Thanks Dave...

triumph over adversity!!

Another great race, Trin, and another excellent report.

It was certainly tough going. If I had any strategy at all (other than to finish) it was to get to the bottom of the hill as quickly as possible (within reason obviously) and then hang on. I realised that everybody would be struggling up the hill but figured that given my recent lack of training I’d struggle more than most. Having said that I do enjoy “letting go” down hill, so I thought I might do some catching up on the way back down.

Like Trin, I expected one long drag from bottom to top – and other than that I had thought it best not to think about the race much beforehand. Nah nah nah . . I’m not thinking!! That sort of constructive approach, you know!

So it was a surprise to find that after one extremely steep grassy incline we had to run back down hill a little way before going uphill once again. And on the second slope there was the nuisance of having to keep out of the way of those who knew no fear and were just hurling themselves down again.

I did try to hide in a farm half way up but somebody saw me and told me I was going the wrong way – darn! – and so that little ruse failed. And after that I was out of little ruses!

When I reached the top I saw Trin just coming back to start the run down, having already circled the summit. I tried to yell some encouragement at the top of my voice but there was no air in my lungs and it came out as a whimper.

The view was superb but I had no time to admire it as they’d forgotten to flatten the top of the Knoll so I had to watch where I was putting my feet as we ran round all the dips.

Then it was my turn to run down again. I couldn’t go for it as I my lungs were still recovering from the climbs. On the second section of descent I managed to cast all fear aside and let my legs go – pointless really as I only passed one person and he passed me soon afterwards back on the flat.

After that I just kept my head down and focussed on finishing. At the last bend I looked over my shoulder and saw the guy I’d been close to all through the Series some way behind, so that was mission accomplished. Only later did I realise that up until yesterday we’d beaten each other 6 times this year so yesterday was the decider. I’m so pleased I made it!

Garmin tells me that the first hill started 27’ below sea level, and in the space of a quarter of a mile we climbed 217’. The downhill stretch took us back down by 56’ in the space of a third of a mile. And the final climb took us up a further 263’ in three quarters of a mile. So overall we climbed 480’ in 1.3 miles. Nice!!

Trin was 63rd yesterday, and 5th LV35, whilst I was 90th. A total of 108 mad souls threw themselves off the top of Brent Knoll!

It was great to see Trin’s broad beaming grin when she was awarded her well deserved prizes, and even I got a pair of running socks as a reward for having turned up and raced at least 8 times!

For the record, to take part in the 15 races, we travelled 1,502 miles, we climbed 1.2 miles vertically, and we raced 123.42 miles overall.

We’ll have a break now to average out our carbon runningshoe print!

Awesome race reports!

Well done to you both, congrats Trin on your prize! Second overall while carrying an injury is pretty impressive.

A big achievement to do the whole series

Thanks Katten

Rich...great report! Made me smile over my breakfast...


now I'm off to work

Great results to both of you.

Trin you have something very nice to keep by the sounds of it and luckily refill again and again and again...

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A loser is not the one who runs last in the race. It's the one who sits and watches and who has never tried to run.
Bird in Boots