So, with team bagged, we met up at the very plush Tattenhall cricket club and eyeing up the competition, we soon realised that we were no competition for what appeared to be a very experienced cross-country crowd. You know the type, built like bean poles and all wiry looking.
Most people, like ourselves, signed up for the event on the night and with registration out of the way we gathered at the start for a brief safety talk before we hit the country lane which led steadily nearer and nearer to the mid-Cheshire ridge. We kept a steady pace going up the first hill which cruelly took us past The Pheasant Inn where the gentry were supping suitable beverages for a fab summers evening.
The climb continued onto the Sandstone trail and by this time the rest of the field had disappeared into the woods. With no marshals in sight, we made an educated guess that the stripy tags were marking our route and just hoped that they weren’t left-overs from an earlier run!
After re-joining the Sandstone Trail, we were plunged back and down a very steep drop which took us further and further down and around the bottom of the Sandstone Trail. This didn’t bode well and we knew that the ominous Tram-line track was just ahead.
On tired legs that had been up and down for just over 4 miles, we turned up the hill to see ahead tram-lines going up and up and up, getting steeper and steeper as they disappearing into the woods. We had caught up with some of the field who were staggering slowly up, with bottoms in the air and on hands and knees. The three of us joined the snake and grappled our way to the top only to be greeted by The Grim Reaper who lent an obliging helping hand. (Ask Tom about the tram-lines. It’s something to do with a reservoir built in 1949).
Once we had lost the jelly like feeling in our legs, we set off through the woods again. Luckily, Ben, who did not have his head down, noticed the field we had to turn into which Tom and I had just sailed past.
From there on in it was down-hill all the way, back onto the road and back to a well-deserved beer, tea and delicious home-made cakes.
We didn’t come last, just second to last, but what I was proud of was that we stuck together all the way from start to finish.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and it is a very well organised race. I just hope Tom and Ben agree. I’ll definitely want to do it again…anyone up for the challenge!!
PS think we should run this as one of the Monday night runs, but starting and finishing at The Pheasant Inn.
For more information visit the website.
Cheryl
No comments:
Post a Comment