Got A Sec Not A Sec Race Report.
The Tintern Trot.
So picture the scene. A wonderful summers evening, the beautiful backdrop of Tintern Abbey, and a lone member of the Got A Sec running team forlornly waiting for the starting gun amongst 200ish club runners.
Was it Sarah, the Imelda Marcos of the group? Nope (probably out buying more shoes)
Was it Ice Cream Sian who is training for a half marathon? Nope (AWOL)
Or was it Mark who had suggested the race in the first place and got a firm yes from both the others? Of course it was!
The race started on the Tintern side of the old railway bridge and I loitered near the back of the starting area waiting for the off. The field was mostly club runners and there were some very fast and fit people there. I was hanging out with the club members who run for fun and for the social side of running. When the klaxon sounded for the start, off sprinted the real athletes and then we ambled along behind. Once over the bridge, we followed the old railway line along the river towards Chepstow for about a mile. I gradually picked my way through the slower runners in front of me until I was running on my own in a gap of about 100m.
After the 1st mile, the course started to climb up towards Offa’s Dyke and gained about 250m in elevation over about a mile. I made up serious places here especially the super steep section where everyone I passed was walking. The hills around Waterloo had me well prepared for this section of the race. There was then a ½ mile descent and another climb before we gained the top of the ridge and made our way through the woods on some really nice technical single track. This really suited me and over the next mile or so I passed a few more people.
With about 2 miles to go one of the marshals was counting places and I was in 53rd position and just behind the 1st lady. (I may have misheard and she may have been the 3rd lady, but it was hard to hear over the noise of my breathing. I sounded like Darth Vader with asthma.)
We then started to descend back to the river, down a super fast trail across a long grassy field. Despite the protestations of my knees I let gravity do most of the work and performed what would best be described as a controlled plummet for the next ½ mile or so. A couple of people passed me as the course flattened out, but thankfully there was another gradual climb which allowed me catch up and then a really steep technical descent down a rocky chute where I passed them both again.
There was about 200m to the finish and one bloke in front of me who was within catching distance. I wound up my pace and started to sprint just as I caught him. Sadly this was also the point where I realised that in fact there was still 300m to go as I had misjudged where we were. At this point I was committed so continued to sprint making noises that probably haven’t been heard on that bridge since the age of the steam engine. Thankfully the chap I had passed was in no state to catch me and I wheezed over the line in about 50th place.
The official results aren’t up as write this, so I don’t know my actual position. However I can give you my facts and figures.
The Tintern Trot – 10k offroad.
Mark - approx 50th place - time 47.33
Sarah - DNS (Did not start)
Sian – DNS
Oh, in protest at the poor showing from my team mates I didn't even wear my Got A Sec shirt. I also didn't have my free beer. That will show them ;)
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