Waking at 4am by the sun coming through the Velux windows and the cockerel crowing outside Chez Blamires is not the best race preparation I've every had (can you feel the excuses coming on yet?) let along the digestion situation of a certain home cooked madras resurfacing (actually it was very nice Mike!). We made ready and got in the car for a one and half hour drive further north.
While Mike swore and generally drove like a madman, I marked out Mike's map for him which only made him swerve around more, peering over the two unfolded OS Explorer 26 maps taking up much of the front windscreen.
Arriving fashionably late, surf shorts seemed appropriate as it was already very warm. We parked (in what can only be described as a junk yard!), asked a bloke (he happened to be the mini bus driver that had stopped ferrying people to the race start 20 mins before) where the races started and he kindly ran us up in his car to the start. Arriving as the tailenders were disappearing up the first hill, we dashed into the village hall to grab our check cards, wooden bucket drop fob and ran like hell to catch up, much to the amusement of the onlooking villagers.
The Osmotherley Phoenix is a race I'd heard of, but not really heard anything about it. Let me put you in the picture, its a 33 mile course of 4000ft ascent over a mixture of scenic forests, fields and moorland. Its also a bit of a nightmare when its 80 degrees. To make things more interesting, half an hour into the race I got stung not once but three times but sodding hornet’s. I was only just controlling my laughter at the bloke in front who had just shot in the air as if he had been shot by a sniper, when me and about three others did the same...not the best early few miles either (see I told you they would be along shortly!).
Nevertheless, the Phoenix is a well organised race, with a variety of well chosen trails and CP’s stocked with wine gums, juice, Jaffa cakes, flapjack etc and good humoured volunteers. Who could ask for more!!
Meanwhile back on the trail, Mike had gone ahead at a pace I didn't feel comfortable with at this early stage (note: always run your own race, at your own pace) so I just tuned into my own steady pace and churned out the miles. I ran with a group of people up until CP3 when a navigational error took me 5/10 mins off course. Not to worry, I wasn't alone in this error and we were soon chasing after those that had got it right. The route was full of obstructions, muddy areas with logs over and dead rotting sheep, that kind of thing. Cracking on to CP4 which was a self clip (two on this course - the other after CP7) more people fell behind, one guy with a dodgy knee and the other guy sorting out his hornet bites - He generally wasn't having a good day and i think chose to finish on the shorter 26 mile (as many did) when the option came up at CP5. I think the climbs and the relentless heat had affected quite a few people, I think there were also a few DNF’s.
I linked up with a fella called Dave from Surrey and we cracked on through CP6 and 7, which was handy as some of the navigation was a bit testy but we did well and stayed on the course.
Just past CP7, I was going OK and then the knee that had been swollen (you knew there was going to be more excuses didn't you!) over this last week started hampering my run. So, I started to walk, then run until the knee flared up and then walked again. Took some pain relief and 15 mins later I’m catching back up with Dave.
I too wobbled at 32 miles up that final hill with the hand rail (I thought it was just me but apparently this got a lot of people that we spoke to afterwards, some put it down to low blood pressure after coming off the last descent before it - I don't know?). I arrived in around 10 mins after Mike I think, no great shakes on the time but steady and good to get time on my feet, which is what i need right now... so all in all a great day out.
Jez Bragg won the event in a PB time which is remarkable as he was 3rd at Western States 100 last weekend. It was also good to meet Nick a veteran of the WS100 and another distance competitor who had completed the West Highland Way, they offered a lot of useful advice, which is just part of the uniqueness and friendliness of this great sport. Thanks.
While Mike swore and generally drove like a madman, I marked out Mike's map for him which only made him swerve around more, peering over the two unfolded OS Explorer 26 maps taking up much of the front windscreen.
Arriving fashionably late, surf shorts seemed appropriate as it was already very warm. We parked (in what can only be described as a junk yard!), asked a bloke (he happened to be the mini bus driver that had stopped ferrying people to the race start 20 mins before) where the races started and he kindly ran us up in his car to the start. Arriving as the tailenders were disappearing up the first hill, we dashed into the village hall to grab our check cards, wooden bucket drop fob and ran like hell to catch up, much to the amusement of the onlooking villagers.
The Osmotherley Phoenix is a race I'd heard of, but not really heard anything about it. Let me put you in the picture, its a 33 mile course of 4000ft ascent over a mixture of scenic forests, fields and moorland. Its also a bit of a nightmare when its 80 degrees. To make things more interesting, half an hour into the race I got stung not once but three times but sodding hornet’s. I was only just controlling my laughter at the bloke in front who had just shot in the air as if he had been shot by a sniper, when me and about three others did the same...not the best early few miles either (see I told you they would be along shortly!).
Nevertheless, the Phoenix is a well organised race, with a variety of well chosen trails and CP’s stocked with wine gums, juice, Jaffa cakes, flapjack etc and good humoured volunteers. Who could ask for more!!
Meanwhile back on the trail, Mike had gone ahead at a pace I didn't feel comfortable with at this early stage (note: always run your own race, at your own pace) so I just tuned into my own steady pace and churned out the miles. I ran with a group of people up until CP3 when a navigational error took me 5/10 mins off course. Not to worry, I wasn't alone in this error and we were soon chasing after those that had got it right. The route was full of obstructions, muddy areas with logs over and dead rotting sheep, that kind of thing. Cracking on to CP4 which was a self clip (two on this course - the other after CP7) more people fell behind, one guy with a dodgy knee and the other guy sorting out his hornet bites - He generally wasn't having a good day and i think chose to finish on the shorter 26 mile (as many did) when the option came up at CP5. I think the climbs and the relentless heat had affected quite a few people, I think there were also a few DNF’s.
I linked up with a fella called Dave from Surrey and we cracked on through CP6 and 7, which was handy as some of the navigation was a bit testy but we did well and stayed on the course.
Just past CP7, I was going OK and then the knee that had been swollen (you knew there was going to be more excuses didn't you!) over this last week started hampering my run. So, I started to walk, then run until the knee flared up and then walked again. Took some pain relief and 15 mins later I’m catching back up with Dave.
I too wobbled at 32 miles up that final hill with the hand rail (I thought it was just me but apparently this got a lot of people that we spoke to afterwards, some put it down to low blood pressure after coming off the last descent before it - I don't know?). I arrived in around 10 mins after Mike I think, no great shakes on the time but steady and good to get time on my feet, which is what i need right now... so all in all a great day out.
Jez Bragg won the event in a PB time which is remarkable as he was 3rd at Western States 100 last weekend. It was also good to meet Nick a veteran of the WS100 and another distance competitor who had completed the West Highland Way, they offered a lot of useful advice, which is just part of the uniqueness and friendliness of this great sport. Thanks.
I wont bore you with the Guinness drinking, excellent dance moves, terrible Karaoke and hysterical laughing that went on that night in Lincoln. Only to say that at 5am the next morning it wasn't a cockerel that woke me up but a Pantomime horse! You just cant make that kind of thing up!
A great weekend and many thanks to Mike Blamires for being a fine host!
