Malvern Midsummer Top 10

I went to Malvern once, on a course of some descrition, I saw precisely bugger all of the hills due to them being encased in thick, thick fog. So I was well up for a marathon over the Malvern Hills, what better way to see them than run over and around them!

Trouble was two weeks before, whilst out on my Sunday long run, my flipping IT band goes at mile 12 or so! Cursing I think about what I’m doing, and stride out a bit, correcting my foot strike, over coming the immediate problem and finishing the run. Unfortunately the damage is done.

Thinking back I know exactly what went wrong, I was lazy! Okay so it was my Grandmas 80^th, Happy Birthday Grandma, and we had had a late night and a couple of beers, so hauling my ass out of bed the next day for a 20 miler before the drive back South was less than appealing! That combined with a very flat, coastal route along the Mersey Side Coast Path, lulled me into a lazy lollop, and injury ensued! Still a couple of unscheduled days off, which drove me bonkers, and I was okay, or at least able to run.

The next problem hits a week before. Every year I forget I have asthma, and every year I remember when the hayfever season comes around and I find myself trying to breath through a straw! And I’m not talking those nice big Maccy D’s straws, I’m talking capri sun straws, great for stabbing capri sun but utterly useless as a straw! It’s then a mad dash to find an inhaler, which is usually down the back of the bed with about two puffs left, the first of which is dust and dog hair!

So the day before the Midsummer Malvern I’m not 100% to say the least, and there’s no map just a road book, odds are looking good that I’ll get lost, then have an asthma attack and die of hypoxia! Still should be a good day, might even manage a pb.

Arriving at the campsite the day before I change my mind about a pb, the hills look mighty tall, I couldn’t see that last time I was here, damn the British weather. Which was actually being rather kind today, so I set about lolling on the grass in the sun, perfect race prep me thinks!

It piddles down all knight, and I can’t work out whether my tent is leaking or the reason my sleeping bag appears to be wet is that I’m a sweaty git, deciding it’s neither and most likely condensation, and even if it was leaking I can do nothing about it, I nod off.

Whilst looking for a parking spot I manage to upset a cyclist by stopping in the middle of the road whilst trying to figure out where to go. He then shows his displeasure by over taking me, and promptly falling off in spectacular fashion, apparently being taken out by absolutely nothing! Poor old sod. Managed to find a parking spot pretty close to the start, so all’s good, for me anyway.

After registering I set about for pre-race ablutions, entering the cubicle I’m stopped in my tracks by the smallest toilette I’ve ever seen! Honestly it was about six inches high! This made things awkward to say the least.

0900 came and off we went, starting with a big ascent. Once up, it’s not too bad, theres a series of undulations and I get into the swing of things, I tab along with a guy that I later find out lives in Aus, runs 100 mile ultras and is just out for a bit of exercise before lunch with the inlaws! As it happens this turns out to be a good moove, he sets a pace that, normally I’d think was beyond me, but I keep going. At about half way there is a group of four of us and we’ve stopped overtaking people.

I have a bit of a bonk at mile 17 or so and the other three press on slightly. I catch up to one guy and tab along with him until cramp stops him in his footsteps, feeling a little bad I carry on, then the hills start with avengance! I catch up with the Aussie and the last 7 miles are quad killers, if you’re not blasting uphill you’re getting hammered going down, a cheeky little end to an enjoyable race.

I managed a time of 4:51 ranked 4^th out of 200ish runners, my first top ten, better, my first top 5. Okay so it was a joint 4^th but who cares, and admittedly the guy that won did a sub 4, but there’s always one weirdo that wins, one day that will be me!