Extreme Knitting Redhead: Three Forts Challenge

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Three Forts Challenge

The weather had not been good all week. It rained, then it rained and then it rained again for good measure. It was, therefore, no surprise to find that on the morning of the Three Forts Challenge it was raining.

The good news was that it was nothing like as heavy as the last time I'd run it.

The bad news was that the tracks would be slippery and I was a bit anxious as I had a nasty fall in the final couple of miles the last time I did it.

In common with most trail marathons it's a lovely friendly sort of race with runners of all abilities. Being a back-of-the-pack runner I enjoy seeing the speedy whippets dash off and on this course there is an out and back section so you get to see both the people in front of you and those behind too.

I'd taken a variety of outfits with me so that I could make a final decision when I saw the conditions. It was cold and wet so I opted for long tights and long-sleeved top and I didn't regret that decision at all as it got quite cold up on the hilltops. Someone told me that the total ascents were around 4000ft.

Here I was snapped by the lovely Anthony from Sussex Sports Photography as I ran up one of the many hills!

As I'm not a sure-footed runner I took great care on the slippery bits. Even so I managed to do the splits on one of the claggy uphill sections. I chatted to several runners en-route which always helps to pass the time. The marshalls were very friendly and supportive and provided us with water, squash, cake and biscuits.

Although I was aiming to beat my previous time I wasn't unduly concerned as I was feeling strong and when I reached the last 2 miles I still had 45 minutes in which to beat it. However, there was no time for complacency as these 2 miles were all downhill and I was scared of falling over again. So, I let the cluster of 5 runners who were around me go ahead and I watched them hurtling down with gay abandon. I didn't! I picked my way down really slowly and still managed to slip and slide although I didn't go right over again.

However, my extra caution meant I took 30 minutes for that last section and one of the ladies I'd told to go ahead without me had waited around to check I was OK as she was worried that I might have fallen over again. How kind!

Still smiling after 27 miles of mud, grass, loose flints, chalk, rutted tracks and a few hills.

My time?

Oh yes, 6:07:03 - 14 minutes faster than before.

Hoorah!

Marathon 26 done and dusted.

Now for marathon 27 in a few weeks.

1 comment:

Shan said...: You are crazy!! (I say that with enormous admiration.); May 10, 2012 at 9:37:00 AM PDT

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Mum's Story

In 1997 my mother, then aged 81, had a series of minor strokes. Shortly after that we started to notice behavioural changes notably memory loss and confusion over everyday items. We thought it was just old age finally catching up with her. Then she started wandering and had violent mood swings. Although she already lived with us it became obvious that she couldn't be left alone for long and so I left my job to care for her. The next few years saw a gradual decline into the blackness that is 'vascular dementia'. My normally placid mum became violent and aggressive. She had psychotic incidents where she would see imaginary people (children hiding in her wardrobe, Russians sitting on the stairs, women stealing her clothes) and she would shout at them and sometimes throw things too. She was so convincing that we used to go and check that there wasn't anyone there! When my sister died mum did not know who Judy was or that she was her daughter. There came a point when I suddenly realised she no longer knew that I was her daughter and this was a terrible time for me. In the last 2 years that she lived with us, life for us all became almost unbearable as she needed 24 hour care - she couldn't be left alone at all because she would either wander off or hurt herself, she never slept for more than 30 minutes at a time during the night, she became incontinent and incapable of doing anything for herself. Finally my husband and I realised that we could no longer provide her with the care that she needed and she went to live in a special care home where the team did a splendid job caring for her in the last few months of her life. There she lived a zombified existence unaware of who she was, what she was or where she was. It was heartbreaking. She died in March 2005, the day after her 89th birthday.

Thank you for taking the time to read mum's story and I hope you'll dig deep and sponsor me using the link below to help find a way of beating this destructive disease.