The Hangover that didn't disappoint....

Well, at 5.50am when the alarm went off, I could have quite easily turned over and gone back to sleep.  We went to bed at 10pm, but with all the fireworks etc from the celebrations, it's fair to say that we didn't really get any decent sleep until gone 1am, and the next minute, the alarm was bleeping!

Despite having sore hamstrings - a sofa related injury (don't ask) - I was really looking forward to the day.  The weather warned of a little light rain in the morning (it lied - it was a little light rain ALL day) and the temperature was above freezing - which seems like a real novelty at present!

The event is the Hangover Challenge run annually by the LDWA (Long Distance Walking Association) group 'The Irregulars' based in West Yorkshire.  Entry is a meagre £5 and you get 3 sheets of typed talkaround plus refreshments.  We always take a map, but in fairness, we rarely need it - they're pretty good at their stuff.  You get enough tea and toast to sink a ship at the start and refreshments at 5 places along the 21 mile route - juice, water, sausage rolls, biscuits, cakes and even some leftover 'Roses' chocs from Xmas.... bliss!

We arrived in enough time to mark up our map (we were provided with a 'Talkaround' but like the map as a back up) and have a cuppa coffee....we kept away from the toast - I really can't run on bread!  I managed a few ginger biscuits dunked in the coffee though, and we were ready!  We set off in the drizzle that remained with us throughout the day, but it was warm enough without being too warm.

The run starts from 'The Leggers Inn' on the canal in Dewsbury, Yorkshire.  The first 2 miles or so follow the canal, so it's a nice and gentle start to the run... plenty of time to warm the legs up.  The rest of the run up to mile 17 was a mixture of woods, fields, lanes and tracks, all pretty undulating with some long, fun downhills and a couple of punishing ups.... but not enough to make your heart really sink.  It was cold on the tops in the wind, but mostly we were pretty sheltered.  The ground was (as to be expected) pretty boggy, and all running across the fields resulted in 'clay overshoes' that weighed about 2kg a leg!  Bit of a nightmare and very draining on the legs.  Hard to wash off too.....

The state of our feet from the boggy ground...... mine are on the right..... obviously.... I hope!  The other half (bigger feet) has to tape his feet up to prevent rubs and blisters - hence the carpet tape!

The last four miles was on dreaded canal.  You can see ahead for miles, but never seem to be getting anywhere.  The 90 miler I'm doing in 2 weeks time is ALL on canal, and I fear brain-death by mile 20!  We trotted along using scouts pacing to keep us moving forwards.  My legs felt very good and my energy and CV fitness were great.  I could have done with some hillwork on my legs as I struggled a bit on the hills up, but I think this was partly due to the sofa-injured hamstrings.  Considering I hadn't run in a month, I was very pleased.  My left Achilles that has a tendency to play up was fine throughout, mainly due to me actually resting it for a change!!

We ran through the finish and collected our certificates and badges.  We were looking for 5-6 hours as a reasonable time considering we didn't know the terrain (if it was really hilly, 7 would have been reasonable), but we were thrilled to find we had completed it in 4 hours and 40 mins.  Not bad for the first trot out of the year. 

I think this wins a prize for the best badge....hilarious!

Came home, walked dogs before I dared sit down, then got into a hot bath (muddy clothes consigned to the wash bin).  After bath I talc my legs up and slip into my Skins Recovery Tights (invaluable) that I will remain in for at least 36 hours... usually 48 for a longer run.  They really do help the muscles to recover quicker, although I am sure I'll be a bit stiff tomorrow.  I've looked on the Fellsman website for the entry form (still not on there) and entered the Calderdale in April.... 2011 is going to be a busy busy year!

Post run diet?  Ummm... Mushroom Byriani, Nan Bread and an Onion Bhaji..... fab!  Ran today on porridge, ginger biscuits, ready salted crisps, a gel (for the electrolytes), a custard cream, a sponge cake slice and a toffee Roses Chocolate..... like ALL athletes!

So - to sum up - fab day, great company, lovely route, ok weather, horrible canals, lots of fun.  Looking forward to the Tandem 28 miler next week.... and may venture out for a short training run later this week..... may......