I’m yet to be bitten by the trail or cross country running bug: as a youngster I never really enjoyed getting cold and muddy and it’s no different as an adult.
That said, it’s good to give all exercise and competition plans a mix up and running is no different. With that in mind, today saw the 2013 edition of the Squeaky Bone Relay near Olney.
Squeaky Bone is a relay race for teams of four with each team member running 3.5 miles cross country. Seeing as the race always takes place in early November, you can guarantee mud, puddles hefty gusts of wind rolling across those open fields.
In which vein, today’s event duly delivered.
As a club, Redway Runners took to the course with 13 teams of four, easily the largest contingent among the field. Those teams ranged from potential challengers for the men’s, women’s and veterans’ competitions through to those of us just there for a laugh.
Personally, I love taking part in races and events where you’re not focused on achieving a PB or claiming a medal. At the end of the day, we all do this sport, and whatever else we do that isn’t work, for fun so it’s really important to occasionally take part in events where the only goal for the day is enjoyment.
With that in mind, Squeaky Bone was a huge success – I don’t know what position my team of four finished; I don’t even know which position we held when I passed on the baton (a squeaky bone dog toy, hence the competition name. I had wondered).
After submerging my right foot in a deep puddle in the first half a mile, I generally enjoyed the run through ploughed fields, past a lake and along an old rail track. There were no huge dramas, although my lack of confidence on uneven ground did mean that I never really hit top speed – however, I was definitely pleased with my time of 24:50 for the 3.5 miles and would certainly do the race and other cross country events again.
I’m told that trail running is excellent for athletes – it builds strength in a way that is perfect for your ‘normal’ running and makes races on even ground seem easy and more comfortable.
That being the case, I’ll make time for more work off the beaten track and see what happens – especially during this off-season period before proper marathon training starts again, so I’ll have good time to recovery from any potential injuries.
From a social point of view, there’s something quintessentially British about the whole nature of events like this: standing around in a cold and muddy field, sipping tea and eating while cake while friends and strangers run through the countryside to pass a squeaking dog toy on to the next man or woman. What else would you be doing at 10am on a Sunday?
One thing I would say against today’s race – my bone ceased to squeak after the first few yards of my run.
Now there’s something I never thought I’d say.