I made the right decision though. I was sore for weeks after the 2014 Leeds half and my legs would not have thanked me for another race day so soon afterwards. This year though, because I wasn't going to run the Leeds half I decided to give Over the Odda a crack. I even managed to talk seven of my running buddies from South Leeds Lakers in to signing up too for our first Group race day*.
Of course it turned out that I had entered the Leeds half, but if I set my mind to something it happens. So one week on I was stood in the freezing cold windswept grounds of Hawksworth School wondering what was in store. It was so cold that I even join in with the group warm up!
We were in good spirits as we were lead from the school to the field where the race would start. The stiles we had to clamber over to get to the start line really should have been warning of what was to come, but I was too interested in getting going to think about what lay ahead.
With words of thanks to the local farmers, who let the race veer from the public footpaths, we were under way. As normal I set off without any due care for the rest of the race. My initial pace was too hot but weaving through people, navigating tractor troughs and knee high grass meant I didn't leave much brain space for race-day niceties. I didn't need to worry about my pace for long though as we came to the first "Steep Hill" warning sign.
Steep didn't come close. It was effing vertical. I've not been so worried about going down hill since the time I went mountain biking in the Afan Forrest in a flowery frock. I was in uncharted territory. How on earth are you meant to run fast and safely down hills? Soft knees, arms flailing like wind socks, I made it to the bottom in one piece where I joined a queue of people walking up an equally steep climb. At this point in the race I was itching to pass people but there was just no room so walking it was.
Due to the hills my second mile split was 4 minutes slower than the first, but today was never going to be about times. We passed the start, crossed the main road, and then hit another climb that even with room to pass, most people walked up. A welcome water station met us at the top and then it was back down to business, and by down I mean straight down. The sharpest decent on the course, through flowering gorse. I was starting to get the hang of this off road stuff.
Running over stiles is hard, momentum is lost in an instant and in a group you can take what feels like an age to get over one. Running over cattle grids however is something else all together. The fear of slipping and getting my foot stuck at speed meant I took the grids at the same pace as climbing the stiles.
The thrill of running around trees while trying to keep to the course marked with red and white tape hanging from the branches was short lived, but once I was out of the wooded section I had a treat in store. Coming the other was were two of the Lakers, Steve and Gavin. I was expecting a wave of encouragement, or a misjudged high five. Instead I got "I'm going to f***ing kill you!" from Gavin, I'm not sure he was feeling the love at that point.
The final mile was yet another up hill section, one which I will readily admit to walking up sections of. I don't know if it was the start of the race or a hangover from last weekend but I didn't have much left in the tank. My trail shoes were starting to feel full of feet but before long I was back at the school to cross the finish line in 55:47. This was never going to be a fast race, I knew that before the start, but I'm still happy with my time.
It's fair to say that loved Over the Odda and I may well start looking more into off road/trail races in future. It would be a different kettle of fish if it had been wet but you can't book the weather when you enter a race. I have a strong suspicion that I will be back in Hawksworth next year, I also have a funny feeling that there will be more than 8 Lakers along side me on the start line!
*not including the Harewood 10k, East Leeds 10k, or Leeds Half Marathon.
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