Avebury8 Nine, 2018

'There's no wind at all', I declaimed as I stood on the doorstep, 'it's cool and calm - definitely singlet weather'.  And so the lovely Mrs S and I headed off to Avebury, Mrs S with sensible race attire and me with minimal kit.  By the time we arrived the temperature outside was just 5 degrees and there was a brisk cold wind. I couldn't back down now - it was singlet or bust.

A chilly morning

But in the village hall there was warmth, noise and hearty bustle.  We didn't know anyone, and it was a bit much in there, so we hovered around the quieter but still warm porch.  Soon enough we were ushered to the start line on the other side of the village, which meant a nippy 10 minutes of bare shoulders trying to keep mobile.  A mercifully short briefing ('it's a trail race... there will be mud') and we were off.

I found myself in a front group of 8 which thinned down to 3 fairly quickly - me, Courtenay Chessell and David Warren.  For a while we were all dead level, but quite suddenly Courtenay seemed to switch a gear and took off.  There was a rutted steep downhill section on the side of Windmill Hill where David ran ahead of me, and then I overtook him... and the holding pattern was now set.

There was a long drag uphill, including a field of winter cereal where the wet soil clung in great lumps to my shoes (but was nothing like last year's comic quagmire), and then a long section downhill and through the hamlet of Yatebury, from where I was aware of David's persistent presence behind me.  A long rutted uphill drag and then downhill along a narrow footpath with dense vegetation on all sides.  A bramble caught against my leg. 'Ow', I yelled in surprise, immediately feeling like an eejit.

Back to Windmill Hill, where David ran decisively past me.  I couldn't hold him, but pushed o to the top of the hill and pushed on for the final descent and then over the multiple stile section back to the village.

There was no chance of reclaiming second place, but I was keen to finish in under an hour.  I heaved through the recreation ground to finish in third place in 59:08, 92 seconds faster than last year, albeit in dryer conditions.

I chatted to Courtenay and David, and got a few gasps from my leg, from which a few scratches had bled into a dramatic-looking injury.  I was urged to go and see the first aid man, but not before I had taken a photo.  Check this out.  Here are my stats.

It's only a flesh wound

Mrs S came home in 1:22, 16 whole minutes faster than last year, and was absolutely made up.  A very successful morning, and another splendid race from Marlborough RC; low-key, no-nonsense, good-humoured.

Souvenirs of a cracking race