Louise remembers getting seriously drenched last year - looking through archived photos, it looked pretty soggy - so it must have been good for Louise to sign up for a second shot!
It starts from the middle of New Milton, heading out of the town through Bashley into the Forest. The finish is in a different spot to the start - bags are transferred for you using a bin bag & sticker system that seemed to work well. And the forecast was good - not raining, not windy, not too sunny (although a tad too warm & close).
What's not to love? Well, parking was the only thing I could fault. It was a kilometre from the start - and further from the finish at a rather expensive looking school (it had a water garden....). It did mean that we had a good warm up & cool down walk, but at the end with aching limbs, I'd have loved it to have been a little less remote.
We were piped to walk to the start - a new experience & rather good. Unintelligible PA - but Louise managed to hear that we were to hang to the left generally. Some roads were closed, some partially closed and the marshals did a great job at keeping the cars away - mostly. I was impressed with the organisation - we couldn't get lost, lots of supporters, well placed water stops and cycling injury marshals too. We were all given sponges - to mop ourselves with en route which was a bit random.
I didn't mind the town bit, but I felt more enthusiastic when we got into the Forest - I'm a sucker for scenery and views. My pace picked up a little too. Very sad to see Marian at 7km - she'd started well ahead of me & I wasn't expecting to see her until the end. However, her IT band was clearly causing her pain and the blisters that she is plagued with were also playing up. She took the very sensible, but tough, decision to drop out. No race is worth wrecking your knees for. I saw her again towards the end - still walking but understandably not happy.
My race was going well - I was really happy with my pace and felt comfortable.
Jelly baby stop & then the final big hill - which was adorned with some fabulous posters, including:- Pain is temporary, internet results are forever.
- Your legs will forgive you. But not today or tomorrow.
- Are your legs Kenyan?
- No matter how fast you are, you're still lapping everyone who's still on the couch.
Through gates to the school hosting the finish line & I was too spent to sprint. Kirsty was at the gates - a lovely surprise that really did spur me on. Louise cheered on the last bend - usefully pointing out that the finish really was imminent. And over!
Medal (yay!), water, found Jo, Claire, Kirsty & Louise & we cheered Tanya and Marian in. Restorative ice cream & then the long walk back to the car.
Results: Claire H 1:58:09, Louise 2:12:03, Jo 2:20:03, me 2:21:39, Tanya 2:39
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