The best on offer was the 'Muddy Shoes' race from Calder Vale Village (nr Garstang oppo side of M6). There was an option of 5m or 11m, you were to be given a map and a set of directions and the promise of getting very muddy.
The 11m route came on an A3 size of paper and at the 1:50000 scale. The start was part of the top loop heading in an easterly direction and then heading south to then follow the larger lower loop in an anticlockwise direction.
The numbers on the map refer to the numbers on the page with the written directions
So the first dilemma, which do I use for getting round the route? The black line depicting the route had obliterated most of the detail for the type of path you'd be running on. Was it a walled track, a track, a footpath or just a 'ROW'? Some of the road junctions and crossings weren't that clear either. Most of the other runners appeared to be opting just to have the written descriptions in their hand, little evidence of any maps.
In the end I folded the map in half, and placed this in my A4 placcy bag with the first part of route visible with the written directions back to back so I could see both. It was going to have to be swapped over when I got to the fold. As an additional safety measure OL41 was put in my rucksack, folded so the section involving the route was evident.
So after all this preparation what happened? Well we all set off and because I was able to keep people in sight and it was well marshaled, I hardly had to refer to my map/directions at all.
It was muddy (as promised), but it was a nice route and made a pleasant change. My reward for finishing was a medal, a hat and pair of gloves, a bottle of water and a big bar of milk chocolate.
Not bad for just over 2hrs effort (?2hrs10 no published results yet).
The same organising team have a similar event on the 6th March from Bamber Bridge with a choice of a 15m or 7m run/walk. I guessing it'll take a similar format.
TF
No comments:
Post a Comment