So it begins! Predictably, I can't sleep and am up early. I have a moment with the shower in which I call it many four letter words, and get out still with shampoo in my hair!
Good news, it looks like the rain has stopped, still a touch windy though. We all head off for breakfast, kit check and registration together. I get my number, 202, and my "dibber", the chip attached to my wrist for timing, and get all my compulsory kit checked a number one scrawled on my hand denoting a satisfactory kit check.
Then it's time for breakfast, the choice of options is good, but the porridge is cold. Still, I struggle to get it down, then back to the van for pre-race ablutions, last minute supplement mixing and general faffing! Back at HQ for the briefing we're told the worst of the wet weather has blown through last night with just a few wintery showers expected, but the wind is gusting up to 45mph, wouldn't be so bad if it was on our backs!
We all pile onto the minibuses for the 50 minute drive to Charmouth. We were told at the briefing that it would be a pretty low key start, basically the driver would open the minibus doors and say "that way" and we'd be off. This they were not joking about, the bus stopped, doors opened and bodies in High Vis and compression clothing bursted in all directions, some to find the nearest tree to remedy the last minute panicked hydration, some to find the dibber and get going, others just running because, well that's what they do, utter chaos!
Dumping my dry bag in the minibus for the finish, I dibbed in and set off. At last, all apprehension and worry melts away, and I'm even running down hill, bliss!
A stile, and confusion reigns, actually confusion reigns for the next mile or two, everywhere you look there's a little string of runners trying to find where the hell the coast path is, I tell you its not marked like my old South Downs Way! It soon becomes apparent that becoming lost is all part of the fun, sometimes it's even beneficial.
Going up golden cap, I find myself in front, or at least I can't see anyone to follow, having not been in this situation before I tentatively carry on, with frequent looks over my shoulder to check other runners are following, not because it means I'm going the right way but at least I'll be lost with others.
Check Point 1 appears rather quickly and I'm the first one there! I have a quick mouthful of Gatorade and carry on. By this point there is a small group of 3-4 of us that tab along together, occasionally stopping to check the map and take a consensus on the best way to go.
CP2 comes and goes and our merry band continue forward. The odd thing was that I ate at CP2, I normally avoid eating anything while running, accept energy gels or chews perhaps, but the look of a cheese and pickle sandwich was too much to bear and I scoff one at every CP.
The run up to CP3 was muddy, contract farmers ploughing up the headlands didn't help, but it was nothing compared to the mud after! Sticky, sucking, clawing, slippery, slithery stuff, it was awful! By this point our merry band had dissipated into 3, and then we got lost. Actually I got lost, others just followed, the coast path stopped, all paths stopped and we were in a flipping campsite! We marched on through and, coming to a road we were joined by another chap that had seen us and followed. After a quick perusal of the map we figured out where we were, and how to get back to the coast path, which meant a bit of road running, which was nice.
Once back on the coast path our little group began to string out and the chap who got lost with us, who turned out to be called Rick, and I pulled away from the others. After several miles of mud, the finish was in site, and we were first back. Feeling rather chuffed I went in search of a brew, a minor disaster the geny had gone down and there was no hot water! The day was saved however, with the offer of soup.
Back at the van the shower even decided to play ball and I was able to wash Dorset off my legs! Apparently last year people were suffering heat stroke and sun burn, this year hypothermia and trench foot were more common!
All in all a brilliant day, I genuinely enjoyed every second of Day One. I think back and I'm sure it was sunny, flowers out, birds singing as I skipped merrily through the Dorset countryside, not gale force winds and wind chills in the minus figures!
My time 5:18:54 24th out of 195. Happy!
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