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An extra club run today! And what a run it was. Such fun, such camaraderie. It was a four way mob match between Pettswood Runners, Orpington Runners, Bexley and Old Elthamiams! Hotsted by Cook and Mathews at the Old Etonians club house! It was like a party atmosphere! There were running 'stuff' to look at, try on and even run with, to see if you like them! I tried a pair of mizuno shoes. I would have probably liked some sort of chocolate manufacturer to have turned up as well, to see if I liked their goodies, that would have made it perfect!
Any way, to the mob match. There is in excess of 200 people in their 'colours' (its seems there's far too many yellow shirts as usual!) and we all have registered and were raring to go. The beginning of the run is about three quarters of a mile away! A nice gentle jog is required over the main road towards Scadbury Park.
A chap in a yellow shirt stopped me, and asked me if I was friends with Janet at PWR, well I know a couple of Janets! Once established which one it was he told that he was one of the baggage marshals at the VLM (see how I got my marathon mention in again!) and Janet told him to look out for me! But we must have missed each other. Maybe the night shift had come on by the time I came in!
I digress again, as usual. The race was a 6k route through Scadbury park, and then along to the underpass and back again up the the Old Etonians for pasta and beer or soft drinks! And also some prizes! Goodies from our hosts.
It was a formidable site, all the runners crossing the road together and heading to the park. Once huddled at the start of the race, the route was explained. "Just stay on the main path, don't deviate, there are flags and marshals to direct the way, just stick to the path and head straight" Seems simple enough, even for me!
"Erm, Karen, what if I get lost" I said to her just before the off, "Oh that won't happen, DiscoRich is last runner sweeper, and he is picking up all the orange flags as he sweeps along" she assured me. I felt a lot better, still, I was wondering if I should have actually brought my phone with me instead of leaving it with the PWR Nanny Mcfee (formally known as Mrs. Hippo).
I was at the back, as usual and there were two other runners running along at my pace, both of them were Orpies. As long as I keep one of them in my sights I can't go wrong. But if the worst happens then I shall just head for the traffic noise, I thought to myself flag down a taxi! The Orpie ladies were running well, at my pace thankfullyand I kept up with them. Then one must of got into her zone and took off, so I was left following the other Orpie lady. Then there was a little slope up. I decided to try and get up in front of her using the hill. I had noticed that she is not that keen on hills either! I did over take her! but it didn't last long she edged her way back in front of me again. I decided, then to keep her in my sights and maybe blast past her at the finishing point, on my sprint home. It's always good to have a race.
A marshal pointed us up to yet another hill and then once at the top of this it was a nice slope down. We both had to take a little walk up the hill. I started chatting to her and found out her name is Ally, and we stayed with each other for the rest of the way. It was just as well, the sight of the other runners was no more. Not even any 'dust' to follow. But still, not to worry, DiscoRich is behind, and the path looks like it is the main path, so no worries.
But then came decision making time. The path broke into two ways, left or straight on. There were no flags around, no tape, and no marshal to direct the way. Well the straight on option looked fairly good. The path was wide and it still looked like it was the main path. Makes sense to this Old townie to keep going straight! They don't have signposts country parks for some reason! Ally and me decided that was the way. We started to run up yet another hill, this a 'lovely' undulating mob match! For some reason, this way didn't 'feel' right. I could hear the by pass to our right, and there was a path leading that way. But then there was also another path leading straight up again.
All the t.v. programmes that I had watched in the past, came flooding to my mind, how to make fire, what berry's I could and couldn't eat. How to catch and skin a rabbit! I was glad that Ally had some water! Who knows, we could be lost in the deepest darkest Scadbury all night long! Could I remember how to make a shelter?!
But this path didnt look like it was the one used by 200 other runners! We had a discussion between the two of us decided that maybe we should go back and look for DiscoRich! I did my whistle but there was no response. Then Ally called out when we got to the first path where we had to make a decision, the path that bared to our right, (left when we ran passed it earlier) There was a couple out walking and they told us that they all had run up this path, and he was kind enough to run with us to point us towards the right the way.
We popped out of the woods and looked down to the right and saw a mulling of marshals! They were a bit worried about where we were. Apparently DiscoRich had already passed them and couldn't understand why the other marshals hadn't seen us! From this point we should have turned right to go down to the underpass and then back up the same road, we both decided that we would just run back to the club. It's not as if we are in the scoring positions anyway! And besides, there's pasta and stuff to get to. I might even buy myself a shandy! Well, I am driving!
"I am not going around the field" said Ally. "Oh yes, you got to do the field" I said, and so did the marshal that was running along with us (Who by the way is another inspiring person, being just under 80 years young, I think he said, and still running!) "Oh go on then" she said, "and we shall cross the finish line together". I think that is a most fitting end to a brilliant fun run. Even with the getting lost bit, its always fun when there is two or more.
We got back to the club and we exchanged our survival stories with our fellow club runners, how we had to find out way back to civilisation. I explained it to DiscoRich and then he explained to us that some of the flags had been stolen! At least 10 of them, even though they had put them out as late as possible!
So no need to rub sticks together to make a fire, no need to catch a rabbit for dinner, no need to make a shelter out of logs, mud and leaves. I wished I caught the rabbit though, I missed the pasta!
So geeky stats, and you can see where we dithered. The bit we ran was not quite the same distance as going to the underpass, but it was up hill, does that count?
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