Mendip Muddle

Right Legs

Wrong shoes

Great race!

The Muddle is one of those classic races if you get the right conditions and the right frame of mind. Today we had the right conditions – rain, mud and wind. Team Chepstow were up to the challenge, with Niki, Matthew & Gerry ably supported by the team manager and limo provider for the day – Andy C. Meeting at the leisure centre Andy refused the offer of a road map to find the muddy field in the back of beyond and navigated there flawlessly whilst telling us about his disastrous orienteering, with a map, the day before. The closer we got, the wetter it became. Surprisingly the car park was busy, with more than 250 other nutters.

As in past years the organisation was superb. Me taking over Andy’s entry was fuss free and done with a smile and the many marshals round the course all seemed happy despite the weather.

Too cold and wet for a warm up (it was warmer inside and then huddling up with others at the start – 3 of us trying to shelter under Andy’s girlie umbrella.
The start was the usual Muddle muddle. There are a few opportunities to use the alternative overtaking manoeuvres. As Andy has taught us, overtaking is not just about running faster, it requires nimble footwork, use of elbows, some flexibility with the route (e.g. through hedges rather than through gates) whilst risking the odd slip and slide. It was in this section, perhaps during one of Niki’s nanoseconds of zen-like calm that I managed to get ahead of her. I knew from her recent form that she would fight back.

Surprisingly for me the climbs were on my side. The descents, usually good for me were a bit of a glissade. The rocky climbs needed so much concentration I forgot it was tiring and the longer grassy climbs always seemed to have someone in front of me with a bulls-eye on their back – I can take him!

At about 5 miles Niki came past me. I felt right on the limit (any faster and I would end up slower if you get my drift), and she glided past, seemingly without effort. I managed to track her for the rest of the race. Occasionally I got up close – only 10m behind at the end of the last climb. When she started reaching into the back of her lycra’s I thought perhaps she had lost concentration, but out came a gel. It wasn’t the sign of weakness that, if I waere competitive I would have welcomed. Instead she gained a glucose energy burst that I couldn’t match. I chased her down the hill and into the finish. I would like to say it was gallantry that let her win – but on the day she was better than me, though only just.

The Team Chepstow was all there at the finish. The order as predicted. Matthew’s 20^th place another excellent result. Niki was well pleased with her time and I felt great – possibly my best race of the year. Just a bit quicker than last year (2008 – 2:17:06; 2009 1:50:43).

Time to change and into the centre for a nice coffee and a slab of chocolate cake (Matthew still owes me £1.50) and a bit of a wait for the presentation. Results were published on the day and now available on their website .

Niki was presented with the only trophy, and a membership of a gym which she traded in for 3 bottles of beer. What a girl!

Thanks to Andy and the rest of the crew for a good day out. And to Niki for her posting on the Chepstow Blog.

Ps We think Helen Fines broke the course record – a great result considering the conditions.

Tags: Chepstow Harriers, Mendip Muddle, Running