15 miles

[Charliecat5]

Running this last week has been the expression and epitome of what life itself is all about.   Even though nothing actually happened on the running front until Thursday evening’s track session with the herd. 

I have been reflecting somewhat on track nights, as they have shifted in my conscious from being an horrendous activity but one that’s good for you… to one that I have started to enjoy and even look forward to. 

I can only come up with two answers to this: 1) I am getting better at it. Only throwing up now and again, rather than every lap; and 2) I enjoy the company.  It’s a good craic.   This Thursday I had the company of Outalongtheriver (OATR) and Hugs.  Both very fine runners and both whom should have been in a quicker group.

However, Thursday evenings are Thursday evenings… nothing really new there.  What is new, is that today I entered and ran my first ever running race.  I have a number and safety pins to prove this.    The reason for this madness is a good friend call Baz the Haff.   Baz the Haff, for reasons I won’t explain here, has decided to take up running again after quite an absence from the sport, and thought that the ‘Lewes Downland 5’ would be a good target to aim for.   From a distance (i.e. on Twitter) I have noted a marked improvement in his running form over recent months… but there is a gulf between 3 miles on the flat and 5 miles over our beautiful hills.

To help him conquer this challenge he looked towards a few of us who understand the tenacity of the Downs.  Those of us who on a regular basis take her on as our mistress, and have leant over the years how to tame a little of the cruelty she inflicts.  So Sweder, OATR and yours truly agreed to stand shoulder to shoulder with the man.

However, there was the small matter of the Twittens to deal with first.  At 9am the original band of Twitten runners, the founders of this Sunday morning lunacy, found ourselves as three taking on this strange form of medieval torture.   With only three pretty evenly pegged athletes (!) in attendance… it was a tough run.  Little time (or should I say NO time) to take stock at the tops before setting off again. 

So back to the race – having adequately warmed up – we arrived a Wallands School to pick up our numbers and to meet the Baz the Haff posse.  It was a very strange feeling walking in; the last time Ash and I entered the school was the morning of the Moyleman.  Numbers collected we set off for the start-line.  A start-line we discovered to be at the top of the hill, not at the bottom.  A start-line it quickly transpired, that meant running back down the flippin’ hill only to run up it again to get the full 5 miles in. 

Baz the Haff had set himself the target of one hour for the five miles.  A target that, truth be know, we thought was a bit steep given this was his first time out with the cruel mistress. 

The first three miles of this challenge are up-hill; and even the relief of the downhills are tempered by the view of the elevations ahead.  It’s a hard run.   His pace was not setting the world on fire… it was steady… but it was relentless.  He didn’t let up once.  He stopped only at the drink station to briefly re-hydrate before kicking off again whilst the rest of us were still sipping.   This was determination at its best - written all over his face as he took on Mount Harry. 

At mile four, Sweder and I slipped in behind him and OATR, resolute that we were going to get him over the line within the hour.  The banter slipped away to singing – I kid you not – OATR and BGG produced, at an ear splitting volume, what can only be described as, well, an un-describable rendition of Rawhide.  As we turned into the last hill – as short but evil affair - we pushed the man hard, keeping him moving when every bit of him wanted to stop.  A feeling I know so well.  As we turned the last corner with the end in sight it was time to ramp up the pressure even further, to finish on a sprint.   The crowd was cheering as the four of us crossed the line, Baz the Haff leading us over in 55 minutes.   An awesome achievement and one that I am very proud to have played a little part in.

For me, this is what running is all about.  Great friends, great countryside, and great experiences. 

The only thing left was for Rob and I to run the mile and half back home.