Rollicking

My first run as a Chepstow Harrier is complete - but I looked more like the club tent than a runner. My borrowed vest was a little on the large size.

Thornbury's Rickerbank Rollick was good clean fun - well, actually, no it wasn't, it was muddy as anything you'll encounter - although they did make us run through 20metres of stream just before the finish to clean off - how thoughtful of them. The course was pretty flat - about 400 feet of climb in total, but it was bloody knackering. Slogging through copious amounts of mud, followed by knee deep water, and then more mud was damn hard work.

From the start I headed out as quickly as I dared. I overtook a few people and got overtaken in equal numbers until the stretch along the side of the River Severn. From there things settled. I stopped gaining places while continuing to lose a few. The last couple of miles was a time to hang on in there - and I was hanging, I can tell you. I paid for the faster start but I got to the finish - eventually. Overall I think I placed better by getting out there at the start but can you ever really tell?

Well I don't know my finish position but I reckon I was was top 50 - and hopefully more like top 30 but I think that's ambitious as I'm pretty sure there were far more than that ahead of me. Still the results will shine out the truth like a beacon.

So there it is, I've swapped the white background for a blue one - kept the red band mind, can't go changing too much all in one go, now, can I?- and I'm raring to go run in the year ahead...

Oh, and before I forget, well done to Thornbury Running Club and all the marshals who put on the race, without whom we wouldn't be able to do it.