Loving The Trail Life
Last Saturday (7th September) I ran my first trail race in a long time. It was the Maverick Original Series Somerset event and its left me loving the trail life!
I’d been looking forward to this event for a while as I’m predominantly a road based runner. I’ve done a few mixed terrain races over the years but very few proper trail races.
After mixing things up with my first track experience in July, I’ve realised there’s more to running than just pounding the pavements.
So I arrived at Bath Racecourse, home to the start, finish and race HQ, with a fair bit of excitement. As I’m not used to trail running and also due to working a night shift that night, I had chosen the middle distance route which they said was 10k.
All three distances, short, middle and long, left the racecourse and went through various parts of the Cotswolds and along the Cotswolds Way. I haven’t been near the Cotswolds since my ultra 2 years ago but I had a rough idea of what to expect.
All the gear, no idea
The race instructions recommended taking your own water and a waterproof jacket as parts of the course can be exposed to the elements.
So I turned up with my trail shoes and hydration pack etc looking like a serious trail runner lol! To be fair I wasn’t the only one but considering I was only running a 10k the hydration pack was probably a little bit overkill.
Still, it’s always better to have what you don’t need than need what you don’t have.
The atmosphere before the race was probably the most chilled I’ve ever experienced. I guess because there’s not so much pressure on times etc, unless you want to win of course, so everyone is generally more relaxed.
There was also a real community feel. I got the impression that a lot of runners had done at least one Maverick race before as there was a sense of familiarity there. It certainly put me at ease and made me wish I was more involved.
The race briefing was entertaining and the event was so relaxed that I think it actually started a few minutes late!
Hills, gates, hills and more gates
We were soon off and running. The start of the course was running alongside part of the racecourse before exiting into a field.
Upon entering said field, it was immediately downhill and straight into a load of cows. The farmer responsible for the cows didn’t look too impressed with a load of runners hurtling towards his herd but everyone made it through unscathed from both the cows and the farmer!
The next field was also downhill and the views across Bath were amazing. Of course you don’t really get much time to look up whilst running down a grass hill. You need to look where you’re going but I afforded myself the odd glance so can confirm it was stunning.
The ground soon plateaued but after negotiating a couple of gates we were going up another hill. And this one was a proper hill, so much so that I don’t think anyone ran all the way up it. I still wasn’t sure what else was in store for the rest of the race so I was happy to walk some of it.
It would be the last walk break I took apart from when dealing with the many gates, styles and a few busy road crossings.
Losing yourself in the trails
They say trail running is good for the soul. I’ve never really known if I agree with this statement or not but I can’t deny that there’s something exhilarating about running at speed through the countryside. Dodging roots, potholes and stones. Knowing that you’re one wrong foot placement away from going ass over tit.
And the views. The best thing about running up hills in an area like the Cotswolds is the views that are the reward for making it to the top of them. It’s a truly beautiful part of the country.
I was quite content running behind two people when they offered to let me past. I took them up on it and it was then that I decided to push it.
Racing this event wasn’t what I was planning but I felt good and because it was only a 10k I felt like I’d be comfortable doing it. I then managed to catch and pass two other runners up a seemingly never ending hill.
After that it was mainly undulating terrain, a couple of road crossings and lots and lots of gates!
When a 10k isn’t actually a 10k
I was motoring along at a decent enough pace with another runner close behind me. We soon came to what was the worst field of the whole race for me. It was like a corn field but it was all cut short with no clear path through and running on it was just horrible.
My companion then went past me but I was more concerned with the awfulness under foot. My watch was also approaching 6 miles which meant the end of the race must be getting close.
Yeah, about that. Turns out Maverick are pretty loose about the distances they use for their events. So as my watch ticked over to 6.2 miles (10k) I realised I was nowhere near the finish.
At first I was a bit annoyed but as I started to tire I became more concerned with just getting to the finish, whenever that may be!
After the awful corn field I was held up by traffic while trying to cross a busy road. It allowed me to get my breath back and I pushed on until I finally re-entered the racecourse.
As I had no idea how long the race actually was, I assumed, wrongly, that once I saw the finish that would be it. However, we had to run all along the outside of the race course again before getting there.
It was very much a so close yet so far kind of scenario. There’s nothing more agonising at the end of a race than running AWAY from the finish line!
When I eventually made it back under the start/finish banner I was informed I was 3rd runner home. I was genuinely surprised and it more than made up for the long course.
A free beer with that sir?
After finding out I was 3rd I was given my medal, which was decent, and also a free beer. Unfortunately there were no prizes for 2nd and 3rd. I was more than happy with a cracking medal and free bottle of beer though.
After looking forward to this race since booking it, I wasn’t disappointed. Maverick races put on a great event and its only made me want to do more of them.
It’s also made me realise how much I love trail running. I won’t be turning my back on road running anytime soon but I will most definitely be adding more trail races to my calendar.
In fact, my next race on Saturday 21st September is also a trail race. It’s another event I’m looking forward to as I’m running both a 2k and 10k race on the same afternoon.
Its going to be multi terrain, hilly and apparently includes stream crossings so it should be a lot of fun!
