Posh photos, timings and speedy Sian

This one might go a bit weird... I only understand computers in so far as they either 'work' or they 'don't work'. Blogger has been down for a whole day and so my evening spent sharing more news of Oblivion with you was, er, fruitless. However, I did save what I had written so that I could paste it in when Blogger was mended. Online. Whatever. But I expect the text will go a bit weird... And as I have Absolutely No Idea how to fix it, we'll stick with weird...

We've got proper posh photos - they're FAB! Huge thanks to all the photographers who sat patiently for several hours just clicking away. I did notice one of them was awfully muddy without even having had the fun of running through puddles... he must have been splashed by the passing troops...

Here's Ice Cream Sian at the first swamp - smiling but wonderfully upright:

This was the first serious mud - Fit Mark was miles ahead, but he yelled back 'SMILE' then came back to us to pose. Which was fine until I fell over sideways... The photographer kept clicking and I think Fit Mark said 'awesome' several times... I must have disappeared behind that very useful tree so the photos didn't come out...

And this is just after the big 'over or under' logs - because the water level was a bit lower than before, Ice Cream Sian and I were able to duck under the logs, whereas Fit Mark simply climbed over the top. And, again, as we approached the photographer, Fit Mark yelled 'SMILE' and 'THUMBS UP'. Us girls managed the smile bit...

And then I fell over ...

Again.

But, look - my lovely team-mates are on hand to haul me out. For the second time...

And here's Fit Mark climbing out of the first lake - see, he knows where the photographer is AGAIN. No sign of us in the background...

And this is smiling Ice Cream Sian climbing out of the same bit some time later... I'm within earshot (just) and do remember the photographer shouting out 'FABULOUS - LOVELY SMILE!' as she passed. I don't think he said anything to me. Maybe he couldn't think of suitable alternatives to 'knackered' and 'old'...

And this is Ice Cream Sian and me at the 'pull yourself up a very steep slippy hill using only a few knotted ropes while you're sopping wet having just waded through the first lake'. And we're STILL smiling! That's because we were rapidly catching up that guy disappearing out of the photo...

And then it's the FINISH - Fit Mark still smiling straight at the camera, and me a rather alarming shade of puce... You'll notice it's just a photo of Fit Mark and me:

That's because Ice Cream Sian was IN FRONT!!!

Some time this week (is it me, or have all the days just merged into each other since Oblivion...?) we received the accurate timings for our run. 2.06.33. Except for Ice Cream Sian who was 2.06.32 - SHE BEAT FIT MARK!!!! Obviously it was really close and he probably could have won if he'd gone a bit quicker on the way round and with good training he'll probably be up to Ice Cream Sian's speed next year. I expect he'll say he was hampered by trying to drag me through that sprint finish...

We could have had accurate timings earlier if I'd been better at managing my clever watch timing thingy - it got very muddy on the way round. So muddy that I couldn't see the face, and told the others I didn't have any bit of me dry enough to wipe it on. Which was when Fit Mark said 'Sian's dry...'

And then I was so thrilled at having actually GOT to the finish that I forgot to press 'stop' until after the picnic, after the drive home, and after emptying my running kit bag. So my official time, according to my own watch, is 4 hours, 21 minutes and 58 seconds.

Not quick, then...