As ever, Trin has written a great race report that's as good as her performance in the race itself. Katten also got a pb, so well done to you both

Trin covered just about everything in her report, and I've spent the two weeks since then trying to think of something original to say about it, but as you will see if you read further, I've failed!

This is a good pb course if the weather's fair although I would think a bit of wind might slow you down. The main problem I encountered was the camber on the road which was quite pronounced at times. Of course this just meant that I ran much of the race in the middle of the road but this wasn't always possible or practical. Heard a few others complaining about the camber afterwards so it's not just me being awkward - which makes a change!

I thought I was pacing myself sensibly in the early part of the race but realised I was in trouble when I passed 6 miles in about the same time as I'd raced the Sedgmoor 10k a few weeks ago. Although I eased off a little I struggled badly over the last couple of miles and I know (because Trin said so ) that I could have done better than my 1.53.57. Trin's observation was backed up last week when we did an 11 mile training run at the same pace as my early Burnham pace, and the training run had hills in it!

I was 174th overall, and 28th V50. There are far too many men in my age group!!

Tomorrow of course it's the 16 mile Exmoor Stagger, which we're going to take "steady". I've still got a blister on a little toe that I "won" at Burnham so I'll put a special plaster thingummy on it and forget about it!

Looking forward to the cake

Ok, so after this race you can make the first report But it'll have to be as soon as humanly possible post race!

Hope this is quick enough for you Trin!

Well, that was some race! Trin and I had a few hours of clarity shortly after the Burnham Half, when we realised that taking part in the Exmoor Stagger wouldn’t be very constructive and that we’d benefit more by doing a “normal” Sunday run.

24 hours later and we were back planning to take part after all, taking it “steady” and running together.

Forward planning and hindsight are both wonderful things aren’t they? Some of our forward planning paid off. For example, when we got to the race HQ before the race we drooled at the sight of the cakes laid out before us. I was already starving after the drive from Bristol to Minehead and so I had a slice of apple cake straight away. Trin and I looked at one another and realised that we ought to buy some cake there and then, and leave it in the car for afterwards

It was lucky we did as there was no cake left by the time we’d finished. As we carried the cake out to the car I pointed out that we didn’t need to actually do the race now as we had got what we’d come for, but Trin persuaded me that we needed to earn that cake! With hindsight . . .

We started comfortably although the first 3 miles were uphill. I found it hard to keep up with Trin on the climbs but managed to catch her on the way back down. Unfortunately in the 5th mile I slipped as I pushed off a stile, and I felt something pull in my thigh. It was painful to run uphill, and uncomfortable to run on the flat, but I could manage downhill

Trin had already waited for me once, and the second time I had to tell her to run away! She didn’t want to as we had agreed to run together and laugh in the face f adversity, but I knew it wasn’t to be. As we started the long uneven climb up to Dunkery Beacon (519m above sea level) I could see Trin pulling away from me and passing people as I tried to deal with the discomfort in my thigh.

The views on the way up and from the top were stunning, and almost made it all worthwhile! But if the climb up had been difficult, the descent back down Dunkery Hill was equally difficult, and in places dangerous, as Trin found to her cost (it’s ok, she survived and will tell you her tale soon I know). Despite the difficulty I was at last able to start running, and I even caught up with some people. The sign telling us we were half way was irritating – I had hoped we were further on than that!

I found my eyes were struggling to focus on the surface of the paths and roads we ran along. I normally wear varifocals but run without them and normally cope well, but today it was quite uncomfortable. And if I wore my sunnies it was even worse, so I had to use them as an Alice band.

The course wound its way round to the village of Wootton Courtenay, where after passing the archery club we got back onto the road for a short while. At this point a marshall said there was only 2¼ miles to go. I’m sure she meant well but I knew she was havin’ a laugh really!

On the way down the previous hill it had been possible to look a head and see some matchstick runners climbing slowly up a very green hill. I hoped this was a completely different race but knew deep down that it was the same one as I was in. I passed through the village and came to a left hand turn, through the gate into this very steep strip of green grass. Two marshals were sat on either side of the gate, and one of them handed me a jelly baby, saying it would help me get up the hill. What could be in this jelly baby I wondered? I knew a normal one wouldn’t make the slightest bit of difference but she seemed a nice lady so I took her word for it and chewed away. She was wrong. As I trudged slowly up the hill I was passed by three runners and a beetle, all walking quicker than I was. I felt lonely, and so so tired, and just wanted to curl up and go to sleep.

Nevertheless I made it to the top and found a drink station, had a bit of a banana and a natter with the marshals and then set off down the hill towards the finish. I have to say I’ve never run such a long way downhill in one go. This was great for me as I was able to run but I knew that Trin’s leg doesn’t like going down hills and was worried about how she’d got on ahead of me. I passed a sign saying there was just a mile to go, and then I passed a runner! Got down to the road and I knew there wasn’t far to go.

Somebody told me there was only a third of a mile left. There was a runner up ahead and as I wondered if I could catch her I realised I couldn’t work out if a third of a mile was further or shorter than a quarter of a mile. The runner ahead started to slow and even walk, and I caught her up and burst past her on the last corner.

As I rounded the bend I could see the finish and the clock at the end of the road. It wasn’t far really but it stretched far ahead of me and the clock read 3.29 and 5o-something. I couldn’t quite make out what the something was, so I kept on pushing and sure enough my official finishing time was 3.29.59. Phew!

I poured a couple of cups of orange squash down my neck and hurried (it’s a relative term) back the race HQ to find Trin as I was anxious about her. I found her in the hall watching the presentation. She was as pleased as I was to be re-united (after all, I’d got the car key, and guess where our kit was?), and I’ll leave Trin to report on her race, and the quality of the cakes!

I have to say I’m worn out, physically and mentally, and I’m looking forward to finishing this and getting to bed! I don’t ever want to go back to West Somerset Community College for a race! The Exmoor Stagger is a great event, don’t get me wrong, it’s just not for me.

A closing thought . . thank heaven it was a beautiful day!! And if I knew then what I know now . . ahh . . hindsight

Well done Rich sounds like you had to put everything into that to make it round, nice ending with the time aswell

__________________
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

ow ow ouch ow... and that's just typing on this keyboard!

Great report Rich, thanks for setting the scene.

I distinctly remember the period of sanity after the Burnham half, saying to Rich that I didn't think I should run the Exmoor Stagger, especially with how my leg was. But next day insanity returned and as I looked at the vague details of the race again (2000ft of climbing in 16 miles of Exmoor National Park) I thought, actually I would quite like to do that

Spurred on by the knowledge that there would definitely be cakes at this one, we packed our kit bags and headed for Minehead, actually looking forward to a notoriously tough event on what was turning out to be a lovely day.

We did wonder briefly why there weren't any of the usual Somerset Series faces there at the start line...but now we know, they had learnt the hard way, just as we were about to

Safe in the knowledge that we had our cake reserved in the car, we set off with a spring in our step. I was ok with the first 3 miles of climbing, but the ground was very rough and mostly a combination of large rock and loose stone so it required constant concentration. While other runners appear to cover the ground with ease I always seem to pick the worst route, and twist and stumble my way through.

The down hill sections were at best treacherous and at worst like coming down a cliff! It frightened me to death because with the momentum it was impossible to stop and you just gathered speed the whole way until either the ground levelled out or you crashed into something/someone.

Everyone was mostly walking the steepest climbs and I stopped to let Rich catch up a couple of times. Then he told me of the injury he'd picked up on the stile and I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to leave him, but I wanted the nightmare to be over as soon as possible. He told me that I should go on and reluctantly I agreed to.

The view from the very top of the course was amazing, and if you had any breath left, the scenery took it away! You could see for... well, for ever.

That could very well have been my last memory though, because on the descent from Dunkery Hill (strike Hill and replace with mountain) in trying to trot down, my foot slid from under me and I landed hard on my back and then slid a bit further. The shock waves that went through me gave me an instant headache and I'd also hit my arm so hard that I thought for a moment that I'd broken it. There was some concern from runners as they ran around me but mostly everyone just carried on. That was my lowest moment and I just wanted to cry, but I told myself to just get on with it and simply focus on surviving to the finish.

I had the same problem as Rich with focusing on the ground, which almost made you feel dizzy. But I put it down to the fact that it required so much concentration, and that I was becoming tired.

I was actually relieved to see the half way sign, knowing from looking at the course profile before the race, that the worst was over...I'd forgotten about the almost vertical grassy hill followed by the even more vertical muddy, rocky hill.

Getting to the top of that was bliss...for a while. But shortly after I felt that familier old pain in my leg, and there was still about 4 miles to go. On the down hill stretches where I could have made up some time, I was forced to walk because running down hill, no matter how slight, is pure agony. So I made the most of every incline, until my leg didn't like that either. I struggled on toward the finish, watching everyone pass me who I'd left behind way back in the course.

It was a long downhill to the finish and while other runners flew past me enjoying the easy part, every step for me became more and more painful.

As I turned the corner to see the finish ahead I could hear another runner behind me, instinctively I knew it was a female runner so I picked up my legs, gritted my teeth and ran for it. I wasn't going to let yet another place go. The pain was so intense that I felt nauseous but I didn't stop until I got to the finish line. My time for the 16 mile nightmare was 3.12.28, over twice as long as it took me for 13 miles two weeks before!

My first thought was for Rich, I didn't know if he'd pulled out of the race or was still battling somewhere out there on the course. I felt so helpless and all I could do was wait, so I went into the presentation, amongst all the smiley happy people, just to keep warm, and waited for him. I was so relieved when he tapped me on the shoulder. My next priority was food because by this time I wasn't feeling very well at all.

An hour later, fed & watered, showered, and fed again, we were on our way home vowing never to return.

Like Rich said, it was a good event, well organised and well supported, but just not for us. We'll leave those events for the nutters

Oh, and I was 37th lady and 5th LV40. Rich was 17th MV50.

I`d love to run that one next year..............




















It`s just too far to go...........

A brilliant effort from both of you........Well done..

Just got round to reading all your posts Trin and well done YOU!!!

Well I reckon you both did well.....sounds like a race to avoid!!

My god, I've just read your 2 race reports and feel tired out! Fab effort from both of you. Remind me to book my holidays when this race is scheduled next year!

Almost there...

The penultimate race in the Series was the Cheddar half marathon. Renowned for it's flatness (surprisingly, given the location) and very popular because it's such a nice course.

We didn't run it last year because of my injury, but had run it for the few years before and in 2005 I got a PB there with 1.37.22, which stood until Burnham half a month or so ago.

I have had so many problems in latter parts of the longer races in the series that I decided to do something that I'd never done before, and had always considered to be wrong. I took some strong painkillers just before the race, because I wanted to finish just one decent race pain free, without worrying about what was going to happen in the last mile.

So, with that I had three targets in mind...

Target 1.. it would be nice to end the year with a PB
Target 2.. a course PB
Target 3.. sub 1.40

I was quite near the front but felt ok with that so when the race started I went with everyone around me. In the first mile though, I became boxed in to the side of the road and one particular female runner was making it very difficult for me..I was constantly changing my stride to miss clipping her heels, turned my ankle a couple of times as I was forced right into the side of the road, and everytime I tried to move forward through a gap it was immediately closed!

After a while I got very fed up with it, put my right arm out sideways and said "sorry, I'm getting out of here", forced my way out and into my own free space just ahead of the little pack.

From then on I just concentrated on my own race and pushed on. By 10 miles I knew I was just about on for a PB of 1.34 something, at 11 miles I confirmed it, at 12 I was fine one minute...but the next my leg went suddenly and I pulled up. I couldn't believe it...the same as ever, only more sudden. What happened to the painkillers?! I was so angry and frustrated that I kept running as much as I could and for as long as I could before the pain was too much. Then I'd walk a few steps and pick up the running again. I think my body realised I wasn't going to give it a break this time and I managed to run just about all of the last third of a mile, if a little slower. What made it worse though, was the female runner who had given me such a hard time in the first mile, came running past me during one of my enforced walks

I crossed the line in 1.37.44, no PB, missed the course PB by 22 seconds, but inside target 3. So I should be grateful for that time, which after all is a good time. But I'd worked so hard for 12 miles I felt I deserved more, which is why I was really disappointed.

Rich had a tough race too, and for the first time we both came away from Cheddar feeling as flat as the course.

The cakes were real good as always though... it's a shame that later on I was very sick and upchucked... probably due to the painkillers

Sorry to read things didn't go to plan Trin. Pushing oneself can always lead to problems as you know...but hey it was still a very decent time and considering the probs you've had this year you should still be fairly pleased.

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

Thanks Steve... and yes, I am pleased. Despite everything I haven't had a completely wasted year.

And my series prize is in the bag, so I'm quite looking forward to the last race on the 25th, and the post race prize presentation

So all in all not a bad year at all then!!

They always say beware the injured sports(wo)man!!

Trust the series prize involves loads of cakes and choccie!

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

No doubt cake and choccy will feature heavily Steve, but I'm not sure what the actual prizes are... I should receive 2nd Lady overall for the series, so there might even be a little bottle of something in it too

Well raced Trin.

Glad to hear that Rich is putting some effort in too ;-)