A Race For Ducks.....?

There should have been no surprises for the runners of Romsey who had applied to the Lordshill 10 mile road race exactly what the weather conditions were going to be like as the weather reporting services, be it either radio, television, or the internet were very clear i.e. heavy rain and winds. This did not detract from the abject horror when the curtains were drawn back on the dull and gray Sunday morning to see the torrential downpour and blustery gales and the ultimate conclusion that this was going to be a wet one!!

Strategies had been discussed earlier even if they had amounted to the need to wear the old pair of rubbishy trainers for the race because no way were the shiny new white ones that had been recently purchased were going to be worn and ruined. Knowing how quick the car park at the Oasis Academy fills up our competitor left very early to grab a premium car park spot near the exit for the inevitable shivering and cold getaway at the end. It was clear however that things were not going to go to plan that day.....

Arriving that early had its downside, that being the actual Academy being locked up and so waiting under some awning to protect himself from the elements and trying to keep warm. A loud screech from behind broke the monotony with a large Range Rover braking to a halt and a man jumping out claiming to be the organiser of the newly tried chips for the untested "chip timing" for this years race. A few minutes later with the doors to the Academy still remaining barred and locked, after a quick mobile call, our man with the chips decided he was in the wrong place and so zoomed off into the morning gray. This led to the conclusion that our runner, like most had not read his joining instructions properly and so started the dangerous trek through the estate of deepest and darkest Lordshill to the start area to collect his chip and race number, as these had not been posted out due to the recent Postal Strikes. Wading through thick mud and ever growing puddles he joined the growing queue trying to gain shelter under the small tent and collected his chip and number. A warm up was not going to be needed this year as another trek back to the Oasis Academy was required to get changed and prepared for the race, but the center was this year very quiet with plenty of room and an almost non-existent queue for the loo which you would agree is almost unheard of at races.

Another trek back to the start, with no intimidating hooded youths to eye up his trainers for possible re-sale, our runner looked round for fellow Club runners to warm up with. It soon became apparent with such terrible conditions the majority were sheltering in the nearby rugby club changing rooms still trying to keep warm and dry. Ten o'clock soon neared and there was no avoiding the fact that it was time to get wet so the start line was soon full of shivering runners ready for the off.

The course out of the car park turned sharp left and then with a small loop and back up again to the first mile marker. Our runner had the first ever experience of seeing the front of the field actually passing the one mile point, but soon they disappeared left onto the main road. With a hill over the roundabout and over the motorway it was again ninety degrees left onto the track section. This is where most would agree that the term "road race" used to describe the Lordshill 10 mile is used in the loosest possible terms, as the terrain moved from concrete to stony track. The trouble with heavy rain is that it quickly fills up the potholes making the runner unsure what's underneath, so to avoid the risk of that dreaded twisted ankle a meandering route between the puddles was taken. Also high winds is a bit like hills I feel in that what you lose going up a hill/having the wind in your face, you truly don't regain when running down the hill/having the wind at your back and so PB's this year for the field were going to be few and far between.

The "meandering route" strategy was also out the window when whole sections of the road were under several inches of rain water, making sure that if out runner had attempted to try and keep his feet dry until then they were going to weigh considerably more now. Another incident occurred when grabbing a drink from one of the water stations he managed to "water board" himself. This is a torture method where the victim is subjected to the feeling of drowning by having water poured over his face, and in his haste to get a drink he managed to throw the cup of water into his mouth, nose and across his face causing him start to wonder about a career in covert intelligence services....

The course of the Lordshill 10 could never be called flat, with a deceptive hill along the road after the industrial estate and under the underpass. Another little fun factor section was the final stretch was on the grass field itself with a one hundred and eighty degree switchback at the far end which meant great care had to be taken not to end up sprawled all over ones face when negotiating this bend. However the marshalling was excellent as always and not all races are supposed to be ran in perfect conditions. All of the Romsey runners agreed that it had been a "challenging" event, and I know I shall be back next year come rain or shine......

For those interested in the route and with Google Earth installed, or right click and paste into Google Maps, just click here.