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.