We could easily have accidentally missed this, as bizarrely it was not actually on the last Friday of the month, that being next Friday, New Year’s Eve. I guess the Serpies thought it was a bit much to ask their lovely members to marshal on two cold days in a row (Serpie 10k on NYD). Well this was definitely a cold day and I was reluctant to strip off the layers, but Heather encouraged me with a nice gentle warm up and promises of hot chocolate afterwards. I was down to a mere three layers before I knew it!
We met the ever-present John Hanscomb at the start and a few other familiar faces too. The course was not the usual one due to the Winter Wonderland being right in the middle of that. (We wandered through said wonderland and were only really interested in the reindeer derby – a seasonal friend of the dolphin derby!). Today’s course was two laps, starting and finishing by the frozen solid Turpentine. (Our polar bear swim in Bedfont Lakes has been cancelled due to a similar problem. When i saw the Serpentine, I wondered if the traditional Christmas Day swim would go ahead, as I’m sure I’ve read stories of them cracking the ice first.I later found out it was also cancelled. Boo!).
Heather, on a mission for a final PB of the year, flew off like a rocket. I was trying to push reasonably hard, as much as my festive cold and cough would allow for anyway. It was a good-sized field of about 200, meaning there was enough space but also people close enough to try to race. The course was fantasically well marked and marshalled, especially in the icy section. I am fed up of running through ice in my trail shoes, and very much looking forward to a run in my road shoes, where the ground does not move beneath my feet!
There was a very nice little downhill into the finish and I was very pleased with a sub-25 minute time and a negative split.Heather was even more pleased with a fabulous pb!
We rewarded ourselves with a go on the aforementioned reindeer derby, and various things to eat.
Can’t wait for the Reindeer Derby rematch
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