Who would drive a couple of hours to perhaps the flattest, somewhat boring and most windswept part of the UK in Feb for a run? You’ve guessed it-me. Why? Why not I could reply-well actually because I was born there. So that sorts that.
The race that has the fantastic RAF Cranwell as its base and HQ was a sell out a week or so ago-for the 1st time. Great to have the facilities of the RAF-a sort of dividend for the taxes we pay (no Google runners here I hope!).
Described as a road half, the 1st mile is XC round the airfield on grass, then 1.5 miles along farm tracks and trails that were so muddy, slippery and filthy that they made our recent XC courses look perfect. So a very slow and sluggish start.
The trouble with Lincolnshire is that you can see the boring flat horizons probably 50+ miles for 360 degrees with no hills, woods, trees, towns or villages, farm houses, animals in the fields, people-in fact just nothing except quiet roads. Consequently the terrific 50 mph+ winds were behind you, smashing you sideways or head on into you. They were so bad that there was a rumour that the RAF had cancelled training flights! Hmm.
So a real toughie on probably the flattest half anywhere and we were all looking for good times-in my case I hoped for c2.15. Oh dear not to be. Most of us reckoned these winds added minutes to each “head on mile” then the final mile around the airfield again took most of us maybe 3 or 4 mins longer. The wind howled at us head on and forward motion was almost impossible but finally the end was in site and it was coffee, biscuits, T shirt and showers. Job done so bring on flat, calm Cov half next week for my 330th half. Champers in the pub afterwards?
Massey time:
Dave Phillips 2.31