Great South Run

I'd told Louise that as we were doing the Great North, we should do the Great South too this year.  And I had my spider costume to wear as I'd promised my generous sponsors that I'd wear it for both runs, raising money for the Footsteps Foundation who have helped my niece Annie enormously with physio (their key piece of equipment is known as a spider).

We've done the Great South a few times and now I've done more big scale runs, I think I've learned to appreciate it more.  Yes, it's pricey, especially as transferring numbers is a no-go.  Yes, logistics need planning and patience.  Yes, it's tricky to find your running buddies and supporters.  But it's also one of the best organised big runs - and one of the biggest running events in the deep south.  And 10 miles is a lovely distance.

Debbie and Sam

Lou, Clare W & I got there via Gosport & the ferry (much complaining from Lou's kids about how it is compulsory to sit outside on the ferry).  Arrived early enough to not have to queue for a loo - weird.  The baggage drop off sounded remarkably insecure so Clare ended up running with more of her stuff than she'd expected.  I put my spider outfit on again - it had survived the GNR remarkably well.

We were in the white wave - middle speed for mortal runners.  Spotted Lyndsay & her husband.

Jo Pavey was there to start us off - she won the event in 2012 - but sadly, no opera singer for the first time the 3 of us could remember.  Trumpets though.  Clare set off on a mission for a PB, Lou & I were going slower.  I did toy with the idea of sticking with the 1:40 pacemaker, but we were a little ahead.  My favourite bit is in mile 2 where the route goes through the Historic Dockyard, past Warrior and Victory. Lots of music - drumming and a pipe band.

We spotted Claire D and Maria - both looking very good round about mile 4 just before the first water station - unlike previous years, there were 2 water & 1 lucozade points (and very thankful it wasn't gatorade).

We ran past a Chinese restaurant where apparently Peter Sellers was born.  Great to see Lyndsay again - quality support - and Louise was chuffed when she heard one of her students cheering her.

Sam, Debbie and Lucy

I started to struggle before the halfway point.  I'd had a cold the week before and although I was OK at the gym on Friday, my chest started feeling tight and my heartrate was too high.  Louise tried to convince me that we both needed to slow down before realising that I wouldn't do so enough whilst worrying about messing up her race - so we split up and I promised Lou that I'd be sensible.  Couldn't get my heartrate to go below 180 and it felt tough!  The 1:40 pacemaker had overtaken me long ago.  Mile 7-8 through a housing estate with no music was hard.  Traditionally, it's miles 8-10 that are toughest - as you turn onto the seafront, there is always a headwind and mentally, you feel that the finish must be closer than 2 miles away...  Jelly babies were being given out (sensibly) at that point.

I finished in 1:45:35.  Ended up walking through the finishers' funnel behind a group of marine commandos, complete with drummers and green berets, which was rather cool.  Met up with Lou and Clare - so pleased that both of them had good times and that Clare had a PB.  Bit sad that I didn't find any other Sisters - but it was great catching up with everyone subsequently.  19 of us took part - most impressive!

Long walk to the ferry made shorter with a fab conversation about debating (yes, really!) with Lou's eldest.


Having said it would be my last GSR, I'm weakening already.....

Solent Running Sisters Nailed the Great South:
Bernadette: 1:55:27
Claire Deacon 1:28:58
Clare World 1:33:21
Claudia Lucas 1:55:07
Debbie Harvey 1:52:12
Dee Atyeo 1:42:03
Eileen 1:52:02
Emma Hickman 1:41:54
Gin Tidridge 1:45:33
Joanne Thomas 1:42:50
Louise Hillier-Wheal 1:39:54
Lucy 1:52:02
Maria Warwick 1:26:17
Nic Jones 1:33:46
Pauline 1:33:57
Rachel Sturdy 1:30:41
Sam Radford 1:52:04
Sophie Mackenzie 1:37:11
Tanya Marie Carter 1:49:19

Great North Run

Photo: Debbi Barnett

The Great North was the run I wanted to do before I started running.  My parents live in Corbridge - close to Newcastle, it's the UK's biggest race (56,000 runners) and my little sister Debbi has been on about it for years.  This year, I got a place in the ballot for the first time - as did Louise.  Debbi bought a charity place from Great Ormond Street.  Very glad I booked up the flights as soon as I could for Lou & I - and very grateful to Mum & Dad for agreeing to put us up.

Because it wouldn't be my first half and I wanted to raise money for the children's physio charity Footsteps Foundation who have done amazing work with my niece Annie, I decided to make it my first fancy dress race.  The key equipment that Footsteps use is a frame/harness system called a spider - so my outfit was a spider.  Black tights with bubble wrap inside for the legs, a web window decoration as a cape and a black hat with 6 eyes....

The day before the run was fab.  My parents took Louise & I to Hadrians Wall - Housesteads & Steel Rigg.  It's the bit of the wall that Robin Hood got to in less than a day after landing at Dover apparently!  Introduced Louise to Debbi & finalised web cape with help from everyone including a bemused neighbour.

We knew that logistics would be tricky so we got the bus into Newcastle very early.  Debbi found the Great North Beer Tent crew she'd hooked with on Facebook for a photo op.  Queued for the loo, walked to the baggage buses, queued for the loo, found the start.  Lou & I decided to start in Debbi's wave - she'd done loads of research on which side to be on which was helpful.

Red Arrow fly past, then we set off.  Water handed to us almost immediately. I was a bit surprised how many people were walking within the first mile - nothing wrong with that at all but not something I'd seen to that extent before.  Also unusual was running on traffic free dual carriageways - a first!  Over the Tyne Bridge - the bit I'd really looked forward to.  The level of support was amazing - supporters lining pretty much all 13.1 miles of the route.

Great North Beer Tent

Debs was finding her first ever half tough.  She'd got to 8 miles in training, but the heat was getting to her big time around mile 3.  I decided to stick with her - and impressively, given that they'd only met the day before, Louise decided to do so too. 

Photo: Louise Hillier-Wheal

Loved the karakoke man - never have I sung so much on a run!  We overtook Tony the Fridge and saw so many fabulous outfits.  Loads of water & lucozade stations - and locals with hosepipes from their gardens providing showers!  I didn't find it hot, but many others did.

The route wasn't too hilly - a couple of long slogs though.  Most picturesque bit was coming over the last hill to see the light house at South Shields.  Debs was still running - so proud of the way she dug into the run whilst finding it really tough.  Mark Knopfler's "Local Hero" seemed to be playing for most of the last bit, but we went over the finish line to Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now".

Met up with Mum & Dad amongst hundreds of people at the end.  Debbi shot off to try & catch her pre booked train - but ended up queueing forever for buses (luckily train operator was kind).  Mum & Dad took me & Louise back to Corbridge - a tortuous journey that took longer than it took Phil to drive from Exeter to Eastleigh that afternoon!  The event was exceptionally well organised - but the sheer numbers meant lots of queuing and waiting.

Nice easy flight home.  It was an amazing event, but I found the support from Mum & Dad, Louise deciding to support Debs, and Debbi's tenacity in running 13.1 miles for the first time the most inspirational components.   And there's the £390 pre gift aid donated by friends, colleagues and family for Footsteps - thank you so much for your generosity.

Great South to follow - second outing for the spider outfit!

Wimbledon Half 27th July

Womble medal.  
  

Clare W, Louise & I had been looking for runs with good medals (or any medal for that matter - Louise was very uninspired by the buffs awarded in a 10K earlier this year) - and Wimbledon came up as an option.
There are 3 half marathons organised every year on Wimbledon Common - and at £20 for affiliated entry, seem good value for money, especially given that medals and t-shirts are in the deal.  We chose July & entered.
Panic ensued when the organisers announced that the medals would be tennis racquets instead for the July run - any medal is good, but let's face it, a womble is so much better.  We also worried that our friends & families would be led to believe that we'd given up running for tennis.  I think that others may have been (even) more vocal in their feelings about this change as a subsequent announcement "clarified" that the racquets would be in addition to wombles - not instead of.  Phew.
So, 6:30am on a sunny Sunday, Clare picked Louise & me up & drove us to London.  Little traffic and despite dire warnings, easily found a parking spot close to the start.  Again, despite dire warnings, there were loos with acceptable length queues.
We could tell we were in London as the catering included a posh expresso van!
I was really chuffed that my manager's manager came along to see us off (he lives near by).
The route was good:

Weird tags

• 2 loops
• Tagged - but needed a degree in engineering to work out how to fix to shoes.  And they weren't recycled at the end which didn't seem very womble.
• First 1.5 miles were uphill - and miles 7-8.5 thanks to the laps.  This worked out well as it was over early on - and we knew what to expect in lap 2.  The rest of the route was flat or downhill.
• Car free!  In fact, there were points where I could have been in the New Forest - apart from sounds of distant traffic and that the horses we saw all had riders on.
• Didn't need trail shoes - but suspect that they will be essential for the October run.
• Varied scenery - woodland, common, parkland and a windmill.
• The water stations weren't where advertised, but all had plenty of water bottles, making it easy to keep hydration up on a warm day.

The marshals weren't exactly engaging - but did seem to cope well when a runner fell ahead of me & Lou.  We would have appreciated more directions at one point, but it was OK.

Clare soon outran me & Louise - she had a great run.  Lou & I tackled it as a team, which works well for us when not chasing times.  We entertained ourselves by freaking out passers by - saying "good morning" seems akin to establishing eye contact on the tube.   Sadly, ran past a sleeping homeless bloke in lap one - he was awake & on his 1st fag when we passed him on lap 2.

No wombles spotted en route - but my Mum pointed out that they may have all been underground, out of the sun.

We finished the run with a local runner who thanked us afterwards for chatting to her as it kept her going.

At the end, Clare pointed out where to get our womble medals (not obvious) and we finished with a picnic on a playing field.

Traffic wasn't great coming home & we were lucky to get past an overturned horsebox on the M3.

Many thanks to Clare for driving & organising us and to Lou for being such a good running partner.  Photos are Lou's.

• Clare W: 2:12:32
• Louise: 2:29:01
• Me: 2:29:02

RR10 Wilverley Plain 2014

Thanks to Paul Hammond

My first RR10 of 2014 - and it was fabulous.  I don't clock watch when doing cross country - I just run as hard as I feel like doing & enjoy the scenery, being outdoors and the challenge of getting over the changing terrain.  We had a stunning sunset and many many trees to appreciate!  Wilverley requires one of the longest drives to an RR10 & is in the New Forest, between Brockenhurst and Burley. 

Thanks to Paul Hammond

 


Heather & I decided when we arrived that we'd use the loo - sheer luxury to have one.  But it was just one and queuing for it took at least 15mins - at least it served as a meeting point where we met Verity, Sue and Bridget.  The queue also provided the opportunity to apply insect repellent - a must for any summer Forest run - although Lynne later had some accidentally sprayed in her mouth - not an experience to repeat.



Thanks to Paul Hammond

There were fewer of us than I expected - certainly fewer Southampton regulars - but I'm sure that was partially due to this being the furthest RR10 from home.

The safety briefing lacked the drama of the CC6 from Wilverley Plain - no mentions of quick sand!

Setting off across a heathland plain, I caught up with Bridget & could see Lynne ahead of me - and this was pretty much the story of my race.  Bridget & I ran bits together but I'm a little quicker downhill.  I could see Lynne but couldn't catch her.  The route headed downhill into forest on gravel tracks.  More hills & we switched to mud paths with roots to dodge - but there weren't too many properly boggy bits.  One tree to clamber over - I wasn't brave enough to hurdle despite encouragement from the marshals.

Several marshals told me I was looking good - so that must have been true.  I'm glad that I'd sprayed on insect repellent - but still sported several bites on my legs afterwards.

It wasn't quite the 8K described - I made it 7.4.  The finish was at the edge of the woods shortly after the last climb - but with enough levelness to enable strong finishes.

At the end, we met up with Tanya who'd not arrived in time to run - so good of her to stay & support.  Lynne & I went back to cheer the rest of the Sisters in.  Very impressed with Sue L & Heather's finish - sprinting beautifully!  7 of our runners managed their highest finishing position for the season so far - including our rocket Siri.

We were concerned that the water seemed to have disappeared by the time we got to the start point - only to see big bottles being brought over to replenish the supplies.  So much better than Salisbury/Eastleigh/Sheffield.

Lovely sunset to admire on the way home.  Cross country rocks.

Results (with positions, not times):

• Siri Froystadt 16 - amazingly speedy & her highest position this season.
• Jo Green 56
• Lisa Graham 68
• Verity Fisher 73
• Maria Warwick 88
• Nikki Skeats 111 - highest position this season
• Lynne Newson 117 - highest position this season
• Gin Tidridge 124
• Bridget Wells 126
• Sue Leith 134 - highest position this season
• Heather Lovelock 135
• Sally Lucas 136 - highest position this season
• Jessica Martyn 139
• Kelly Singh 140 - highest position this season
• Pat Rogers 141- highest position this season

We managed 5 teams - so a good evening for Solent Running Sisters.

Netley 10K 2014

Laps (3 of 'em) and no medal - not a recipe for a must-do race in my view, but I enjoyed Sunday's 10K, organised by Southampton Athletic Club at the Royal Victoria Country Park.  To be honest, my main motivation was to complete the 7 runs for the HRRL league (apparently there's a mug involved) and Netley was the most convenient of the remaining league races.  

Positives included the park, views and lovely weather - and lots of Running Sisters (13 I think) plus honorary Sister supporters in the form of Verity's partner & Lou's buddy Gordon.  And we had some fabulous support from Tina from the wall of her home - right inside the park & about 3/4 of the way around the lap.  Pat was there in her race official capacity, reminding us to put some sunscreen on at the start - good advice as it was decidedly summery.

Another positive was loos.  There are a few in the park (all open) plus a few portaloos that meant minimal queuing.  And unlike many recent races, water was readily available en route and at the end - in fact a positive of 3 laps was 3 water station opportunities - thanks to John Compton & the rest of the SAC team. 

Having discussed warming up with Kelly, I led a "proper" warm up for once - I really should do that more often at races!  However, I still forgot to stretch afterwards...

I set off with Lou & Gordon but got selfish and decided it was flat enough to at least attempt a 1 hour 10K.  I ran with Melissa for a bit, but finished alone - the price of pushing for a time!  And I was unsuccessful: 60:25 although I'm convinced it was 60:13 when I crossed the line.  I guess I could probably justify knocking off a few seconds for it being non-chipped.

Sam had a rotten race, having to pull out after lap 1 with calf pain.  So galling for her.  I'm impressed that she stayed to cheer us in - hoping for a speedy recovery.  The good news is that she hasn't done any damage.

Marshalling should have been simple - but seemed to require more traffic management than I thought would have been needed - they did well.

Weirdest part of the run was being handed a red towel at the end.  It's embroidered with the race details - but still random.  Sadly no cakes - and I couldn't use the ice cream van as I had no cash.

But I'm being churlish.  It was a well organised, very enjoyable summer run & I could see the sea.  All good.

Results (bear in mind that these aren't chip times):

• Dorte Barkley 48:47
• Lisa Graham 52:03
• Verity Fisher 52:38
• Rachel Knott-Sturdy 53:45
• Gin Tidridge 60:25 (hurrumph)
• Emma Hickman 62:59
• Melissa Halford 63:33
• Louise Hillier-Wheal (and Gordon) 65:14
• Kelly Singh 66:15
• Claudia Lucas 66:47
• Tanya Carter 71:11

3 Forts Half - 4th May 2014

There are 2 runs on my calendar as “must do” for 2014 – and this was one.  Louise persuaded me to run it in 2012, promising amazing views from the South Downs.  The route climbs up from Worthing onto the Downs on chalky tracks, joining the South Downs Way along a ridge before dropping back down – almost tarmac free.  It describes its self as "The Tough One" - I can't disagree!  Even tougher for those doing the full marathon. 

Back in 2012, rain & mist meant that we couldn’t actually see the tops of the hills were running up, let alone relish the views – and as anyone who has walked on the Downs will know, chalky tracks are very slippery when wet.  But we still had a blast.  In 2013 – we were both too ill to run.  2014 – time to tackle those hills again.

It was a beautiful morning but neither of us were feeling great – Louise had a cold & I hadn’t slept well.  We took the decision that we’d run as a team and not clock watch – just focus on enjoying ourselves.  There was a bit of a bottleneck at the start going up a narrow, slippery ascent, but I can’t pretend that I was upset to have to walk a little.

Once past that first hill, the tracks opened up & were mercifully dry so we could actually get some traction.  Sky larks, buzzards, bluebells, lambs and glorious views of the Downs, the sea and Sussex stretching north once we’d (finally) reached the main ridge.

The hills were still a killer.  We experimented with walking vs running and concluded that it made no difference to our pace! 

The race was exceptionally well supported with 4 marshalled stations with water, squash, jelly babies, bananas and choice of cakes at each – plus very enthusiastic marshals.  It seems to be a feature of Rotary organised events that the support is so good.

On top of the ridge, we stopped to take photos, feeling very Sound of Music.  

The descent was also noticeably easier than last year.  We hooked up with another runner who was as obsessed with speed as we were (i.e. not very) and nattered all the way.  Even so, the very last bit seemed to take much longer on the way back than it did on the way out despite being more downhill.

Finished 7 minutes faster than in 2012 and had medals placed around our necks by the Mayor of Worthing (#coolmayor) – and we have a fab selfie with our new bestie mayor.  More cake, lots of drinks and we headed back to Hampshire.

It’s a nice run, not too big but very well organised.  Parking was an issue for many but we were lucky & ended up in possibly the closest space to the start.  Probably not helped by there being a new housing estate in the field where we'd parked in 2012!  Fab photos are courtesy of Louise.

If you fancy an off road half (or even a full marathon), I recommend it.

Eastleigh 10K 2014 - the race report

The Eastleigh 10K feels like our race to many SRS Hubsters - it's on the streets we pound most weeks and it's often the first 10K we've faced - convenient & reasonably flat.  And fast - it's the home of many a SRS PB.

Before...

This year, 35 of us ran.  For Lyndsay, Jenna and Sue it was their first ever 10K, but they weren't the only ones feeling nervous at the start.  We didn't manage to get everyone into one picture - but one group shot did feature in the Echo.  It was cold but bright & sunny - another HRRL race with nice weather.  The t-shirts were well received this year - bright orange with a very cool graphic & a reminder on the back that this year was the 30th Eastleigh 10K.

I ran with Rachel B to start with - who seemed fixated on beating a gingerbread man.  Later, I ran with Jo T who was suffering from numb toes.  I had Nikki S in my sights for most of the race but couldn't seem to get the speed to catch up with her.  I was impressed that so many of us buddied up - Dee & Lyndsay, Kirsty & Jenna.  Marian, Rachel D and Jayne

came out to support us on which made a big difference - Marian could have a whole new career as a motivational cheer leader....

I had an idea of doing sub 60 - but had to concede that as my 5K time hasn't been below 30mins this year, that wasn't a realistic goal.

Afterwards

A whopping 14 PBs were achieved: Kirsty, Karen, Verity, Clare World, Claire Wilson, Lowri, Sam, Sarah N, Claudia, Lisa, Rachel B - and of course Sue, Lyndsay & Jenna.

It was a bit rubbish that anyone who finished after about 59 mins didn't get any water.  This is the 2nd HRRL race with water issues & we've escalated the issue to the HRRL committee.  It was also demonstrated why headphones are supposed to be banned - reports of a runner oblivious to an approaching ambulance.

The other bit that could have been better was getting together afterwards - due to a long funnel & the water shortage, we weren't really able to do so.  Next year, will see if I can get the SRS flag up at a good point towards the finish so we can cheer each other in.  Many thanks to Sharon for the group "after" shot - she's taken some really good ones.

And the end was just the end of phase 1 for Dee who went onto complete 20 miles as her longest pre-London run.  

Well done to all the SRS offspring who went onto do the fun run.  

I did get a medal - thanks to Kirsty who presented me with one she'd created on Monday - felt quite emotional.  Talking to Louise afterwards, we both felt a bit disappointed about not getting PBs - but maybe we should be focusing instead on how incredible it was that 35 of us ran 10K - and how we helped each other to get to that point in our running - whether supporting beginners, chatting each other through tough runs, sharing good ideas, keeping the club going - and all the rest.  Will stop now!

We rock.

Becky Hewitt	00:59:55
Bridget Wells	01:03:45
Claire Deacon	00:50:49
Claire Gay	00:57:18
Claire Wilson	01:00:17
Clare World	00:55:24
Claudia Lucas	01:06:52
Dee Atyeo	01:15:41
Dorte Barkley	00:49:37
Gin Tidridge	01:00:59
Hannah West	00:57:18
Heather Lovelock	01:06:20
Jenna Dyke	01:11:43
Jo Summerton	01:00:17
Jo Thomas	01:01:17
Karen Bolton	00:52:58
Kirsty Ross	01:11:43
Lisa Graham	00:52:06
Louise Hillier-Wheal	00:58:29
Lowri Evans	01:05:35
Lucy Smart	01:21:25
Lyndsay Dobson	01:15:40
Nicola Skeats	01:00:40
Pauline Herd	00:58:00
Rachel Bradley	01:03:20
Rachel Everett	01:15:52
Sam Radford	01:05:41
Sarah Nangle	00:50:46
Sian Whiffin	01:02:53
Siri Froystad	00:45:07
Sue Leith	01:02:08
Suzanne O'Gara	01:08:03
Tanya Carter	01:05:30
Tracey Cantlie	01:06:16
Verity Fisher	00:51:20

Salisbury 10 Mile Road Race

Thanks to Louise for this picture

The third HRRL race of 2014 – and like the other 2, blessed by blue skies and sunshine.  It was decidedly warm – so much so that I regretted putting on my warmer running tights – and Louise divested a base layer mid run (but more of that later).

Parking was in the enormous central car park for Salisbury for £1.70.  I was dreading the walk to the leisure centre start as I remembered toiling along the river path thinking uncharitable thoughts about accuracy of race measuring at the end of the 21K option in last year’s 5-4-3-2-1 race.  It turns out that walking to a race start in good company (Louise & Sam) is much easier than running a final 1K of a 21K race.  Enjoyable even.

We picked up race numbers in the sports hall, panicked about safety pins (saved by Lou – and then we spotted the desk with safety pins), dropped off bags & had unusually short queues for the loos.  Met up with Tanya – making it 4 SRS runners, 1 team.  Feeling very on top of things, we used the track to do a proper warm up for once.

It was properly warm.  Lou removed a layer at the first water station & handed to a marshal on a bike who very kindly offered to take it back to the leisure centre.  And he did, leaving it clearly labelled for runner 51.  Pete, you win the SRS award for lovely marshal of the race & you are high in the stakes for the 2014 award.

The route was beautiful – lanes through pretty villages with gorgeous old houses, views of the river, Old Sarum, countryside, black swans, white swans and lots of daffs & snowdrops.  Almost an out and back – we followed the river north on the west bank outwards then on the east bank south.  It wasn’t too hilly although the roads did climb more in the second half.

Both Sam & I overcooked our pace at the start.  I figured I was taking it too fast when I realised I was close to my current parkrun PB at 5K, so at 4 miles, I persuaded Lou to go on without me.

The best bit was being cheered on by Sally who had made the trip to support us.  Very much appreciated.  I high fived a couple of kids – and the marshals were very upbeat.

The worst bit was the 3^rd water station at 8 miles being dry by the time we got there.  I’d been telling Louise about one of the reasons for Salisbury relocating from the Old Sarum site was a limited water supply (the fascinating facts I regale fellow runners with…) – I wasn’t expecting history to be repeated as we ran past Old Sarum!   Louise very kindly handed me a cup of water as soon as I’d made it over the finish line – and I appreciated that so much that we caught Sam & Tanya at the last bit of the run with water.  I don’t think that Sam or Tanya expected to get sunburned!

Sadly, no medal & no cake.  But unlike Ryde, it was easy to find post run water – and unlike Stubbington, no queue for bags.  The race t-shirts were similar to the Lordshill 10 t-shirts – technical and red. 

Beautiful morning, beautiful run.

• Louise 1:43:41
• Gin 1:47:20
• Sam 1:56:59
• Tanya 2:05:15

CC6 Wilverley Plain – End of the Season

It’s not often that the safety briefing at the beginning of a race covers a river crossing and quick sand – but it’s not often that a race director has had to opt for a third version of a course due to conditions being changed by this winter’s storms.  Particularly reassuring was hearing that there would be “big guys” amongst the marshals who would be able to yank sinking runners out of that quick sand!  Novel for a CC6, runners did actually seem to be listening to the briefing – nearly as novel as the presence of a (drum roll) toilet.

Wilverley Plain is between Burley and Brockenhurst in the Forest, reasonably high up.  Fluffy Shetland ponies meandered around the car park bit, but they stuck to the trees whereas the race was mostly on the heath.

We did notice that there were just a few yards between the start and finish – but apparently going straight from one to the other would be bad form.  Instead, we were expected to run 4.6 miles, mostly on gravel paths but with some seriously muddy sections.  We scanned the route map, but I was a bit distracted by a seriously impressive cake display.  Our big green SRS bag spent the race as ballast inside Romsey’s tent which was in danger of taking off.

Three of us represented SRS – so yes, we did have a team, but only just! 

Claire D set off ahead from the start and I ran with Louise, taking a slightly (OK , very much) slower pace than speedy Claire.  We did catch 2 other runners – a Hartley runner who hated hills & a Lordshill runner who was concerned about slipping & falling in the mud.  We kept ahead (just) of the Hartley runner, didn’t hold our lead over the one from Lordshill.

Many of the marshals had great signs to hold – and all scored very highly on the helpful/encouraging/lovely marshal scale.  Views were mostly of heathland with little bits of gorse to brighten the scenery.   There were ponies at the start – but oddly none en route.

Things I discovered on the route:

• I’m better going up hills when the terrain is challenging – rocks, mud – ideally both.  Maybe my brain doesn’t then clock the incline?
• Louise prefers hills to leap out at her, doesn’t like them to be looming on the horizon.  I prefer to prepare – just don’t ask tricky questions like “so how do you prepare?”.
• Yes, they weren’t fibbing about the river crossing.  Calf deep and freezing.
• Mud.  Lots of mud.
• When a marshal assures you that there may be a mile to go, they may not be basing this on knowledge of the course!  We nearly wept at 4.2 miles on being told we "only" had a mile to go....
• My bottom fitted through the size zero funnel at the end.
• Yes, there were cakes left.  And tea – how civilised.

I’ve loved the CC6 season this year.  We’ve had some lucky breaks with the weather and all have been organised so well by the participating clubs.  Fabulous locations, routes that challenge and engage.  Louise has done a sterling job of organising us – and well done to all of us who took part.  

Give me a muddy cross country over a road race any day.

RR10s - possibly the most confusing name ever for a race series

Marwell - Paul Hammond

One of the best bits of being in Southampton Running Sisters is being able to take part in 2 series of free cross country runs - one of which is the RR10 series that takes place on Wednesday evenings in the summer.  The first is at Royal Victoria Country Park in April and the last is at IBM's beautiful Hursley Park in late August.

Did I mention mud?

Paul Hammond's photo of Verity - Alver Valley 2013

So - the name.....  "RR" stands for road race.  But these are not road races - all are tarmac-free on gravel tracks, mud paths & grass.  RR comes from "Hampshire Road Race League" - the local collective of running clubs of which we are one.  10 doesn't refer to 10K or 10 miles, but the fact that there are 10 races in this series.  The length is between 4.5 and 5 miles.

Each run takes place in a different location - and all are marshaled so that even with effort, getting lost during the run isn't an option!  No matter how slow your pace, you will not be left

Itchen Valley - Paul Hammond

alone as there will be a back marker & marshals wait for the last runner.  Trail shoes are good - especially if it's been raining heavily in the week or so before the race.  The least uneven terrain race is IBM Hursley.

Personally, I love this series - and its winter counterpart, the CC6.  Cross country is everything I love about running - beautiful scenery, great company and a physical challenge.  And the route is worked out for me! When the going gets tough, it gets funny when you're with running buddies who will spur you on & giggle about the ludicrous hill/mud/water etc.  Yes, there are (very) fast runners there, but I figure that the cool kids are at the back.  It's a great opportunity too to chat to runners from other clubs.

How to take part

• Get to the start point - but try to allow as much time as possible due to the vagaries of traffic during rush hour in our part of the world!  Car share if possible - it makes finding the start easier and saves on fuel.
• Ensure you are wearing an SRS top to run in.  Don't have one?  No problem - we can lend you one.
• Find the SRS flag (or people in SRS hoodies attempting to put up the flag!) where fellow SRS runners will be congregating.  Make yourself know to the woman with a clipboard (likely to be Tanya, our summer race director) who will note your name & age - and can introduce you to the others.
• Run the race!  It isn't timed - position is what's recorded.
• You'll be cheered in by SRS runners who have finished before you.
• At the end, you'll be given a raffle ticket.  Find the clipboard (at the flag) and note the number by your name.  As backup, write your name on the back of the raffle ticket & store it in the envelope that's with the clipboard.
• Grab a drink from the organisers. 
• Make your way back to the finish line to cheer in SRS runners who are behind you.

Important Stuff

• Not every RR10 has loos!  Check on the website beforehand.  
• Insect repellent is necessary for midges in the Forest, especially mid-late summer.  Also essential for the RR10 we marshal (Manor Farm) as you'll be standing still.
• We can't run in the RR10 that we marshal - Manor Farm.  However, we'll need as many helpers as possible, so please do persuade partners/friends/family that an evening standing in a country park wearing a hi vis vest & pointing is fun!
• You don't have to be fast.  You can be as slow as you need to be & will be fully supported.  SRS is all about inclusive running - and this series is no exception to that.
• Rain doesn't stop play.