Dovedale Dipper

I'm really not quite sure why I thought it would be a good idea to enter a very, very hilly, offroad marathon. Perhaps just the general lack of longer distance races in summer for variety of training. Who knows?!

It was with some trepidation that I lined up at 10am outside a village hall in a little village by the name of Hartington. The journey there had involved twists and turns and some almighty hills, so I had an idea of what was coming. I was armed with tissues, Imodium, Gaviscon and Buscopan, oh, and a few gels and a print out of the directions.

The first few miles were easy, just follow that chap in the brown vest ahead, he clearly knows where he's going. Sadly he got away after checkpoint 2, and that was the first 'navigational error'. I was not alone, but Mr Heanor Vest didn't know the route either. We soon found it though, and soon found the promised gorse plantation. I really thought there'd be a path, or at least a track, but no, you had to just fight your way through thigh deep gorse bushes. And then there was a mighty mighty hill. I think this was where I lost Mr Heanor Vest.

The next navigational issue came where the instructions read 'go diagonally across field' without specifying *which* field. Luckily by then I was running with Mr Ultra Runner who had a GPS thingie on his phone. This also came in handy two more times when it really wasn't clear where we were supposed to be going.

Then there was the descent from hell. Note to self - road racing flats are not ideal shoes for rocky, muddy, slippery, near vertical drops. I swore a bit. OK, a lot.

I'd lost Mr Ultra Runner on that as I was so slow, but once I'd asked for directions at a junction in the road (go North - er OK, which way is that?) I caught him again on the flat. After the last checkpoint there was a nice long flat stretch and I left Mr Ultra Runner and navigated the rest on my own. The directions were bobbins but I finally got to the finish (inside the village hall!) after 27.3 miles and 4 hours 27 minutes. I was first lady and I (eventually) received a cut crystal glass on a plinth for my efforts. Novel. Makes a change from the naff trophies!

My insides didn't trouble me all day, nor did they on Monday. I was so overjoyed to feel so well and normal that I'd have done a little dance, if only my legs would cooperate. Sadly today normal service in the ill health department was resumed. Perhaps because I didn't go out for a crazy long run ;)