Gordon's Gophers tackle the Squeaky Bone Relay

So it was that time in the year when the Gophers must go forth and partake in the Olney Runners Squeaky Bone Relay;

http://www.olneyrunners.org.uk/Squeaky%20Bone.html

a tradition that has been kept up for the past 3 years be it with some team member changes. The team member change for 2012 was Greg Davidson, replacement for John Cheal who had left for a warmer climate setting up home in Singapore.

On the day the weather was less than favourable, I had followed the forecasts hoping for it to be dry, but my hopes were dashed delivering a wet, muddy and cold race. Luck has not been on my side for 2012, all my race events this year have been in poor weather conditions...and to think, it had even crossed my mind to enter the New York Marathon (hello hurricane Sandy!)

I applaud my team for taking on the challenge even though I was ready to pull out (not very captain like of me) and we lined up at the start to cheer on Dave for the first leg. Dave remembered to take off his tracksuit bottoms before the start of the race, a wardrobe fopar and running hinderance experienced last year. I have to say though, with the cold weather I thought he was brave not to run with them on. A cracking performance by Dave heading in for the handover in 27:42 minutes. Next up was Ben, I did not envy his run, very muddy and wearing road running shoes, not a good combination. In my mind I believed that the 3.5 mile run would feel like 6 miles because of the conditions and all Ben's training had been based on 5k runs. Coming in for the handover in what seemed to me to be no more than 30 minutes proved to be 34:32 minutes, a great effort bearing in mind every step taken resulted in having to correct himself from slipping. He finished looking as strong as ever, 5k distance training had worked for him. Greg our new team member took over, such a mad man relishing the conditions and I was left waiting with feet like blocks of ice listening to the stories that Dave and Ben were sharing about the driving rain which at some points were sleet and the puddles which were knee high in places but you had to go through them. Now I'm no lover of cross country racing, I've had to undertake such conditions in some races, the Colworth Marathon Challenge comes to mind, but I was dreading what was ahead and all I wanted to do was get going. I didn't have to wait long, Greg coming in for the handover in 29:20 minutes and I was now on my way. All the time I was thinking take it easy, early steady pace and quicken for the final uphill mile and just as I settled into my stride I hit my first major puddle which was knee high. I ran through it thinking upwards and onwards, feet slipping and rain hitting my face like little needle pin pricks. This was not going to be a fast final leg, each step making me feel more wary and strangley enough tired. I enjoyed the pleasure of passing two runners on their final leg but also had to experience three runners going past me at various stages looking all fit and well...difficult conditions to them, pah! I was nearing the final mile and then it happened, I hit the puddle from hell....was it a puddle or a river in disguise? I really thought I'd be better off building a raft to get through it but time and materials were against me. I waded through much to the amusement of one of the marshalls. That must be it I thought, the worst was over and now I must compose myself and finish strong. I enjoyed the pleasure of running on a better surface for a while but this soon changed to the slippery boggy stuff until the final run in to the cheers of my team mates. I finished in 33:37 minutes, not a record breaking time but I'd done it. I was knackered, no other word could describe how I felt, knackered but satisfied, our overall team time being 2 hours 05:11 minutes.

Well done Gordon's Gophers...same again next year?