Getting the excuses out of the way. Zero training in February due to a bad winter virus. Then getting a stinking cold last week meant that i have done the smallest amount of training in a fair while. So to get me back into to swing of things then what better than signing up to do an adventure race in the New Forest.I decided not to do the kayak stage so as to just give me a chance, although with the superb weather I was a little disappointed not to be kayaking down Bealieu river.
Team tactics was that I was gonna have to do all this on my own and so, i decided to try and clear the running section and see what time i had left for the biking. Being given the points and clues list at the start i realised that my plan was a little disrupted by a few checkpoints (CPs) being dummy'd out of the game. After a little flaffing around I changed my first CP and decided to make up the route as i went (which worked well as i only got lost the once).
The first couple of hours went well. Legs were fine, weather was something else and i was ticking off the CPs. Then it went wrong, had terrible heartburn for the rest of the run, legs got very heavy and my route finding took some blows. Times like this you wish you had a partner to give you a kick etc to stop you from walking too often. Finishing the run in 3hrs10 i was puffed out and my legs had taken a beating but i had achieved clearing the route (something only 2 other teams managed, both category winners).
Came 6th in category. Happy with result just needed to crack on better on the bike.
All in all another great race, well organised, beautiful location, a good turn out and as a bonus i got my car cleaned.
