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Catch that dog!

Let's start with a fact I saw on a runner's website recently:
"Just one run can increase energy and decrease fatigue."

Last Monday I woke up feeling good. 

 Optimism soon turned to apprehension as I pulled into the car park at the local country park to be greeted by deep standing water and a plethora of vests. Worcestershire's runners were out in force. Oh, and me.

Quite how I don't know, but I'd found myself on the start line at the CHEER5 Easter 5 mile trail event. It was sold to me as a short stroll through parkland, fields, and quiet lanes.

We moved off across the first open field and I smoothly dodged the first round of mud. Around 100 metres in, and it was going well - no complaints. 

 At 200 metres I followed a runner with spaniel through a puddle. They both glided though the opening with what seemed barely a dampening beyond their feet, except for the huge wave that the dog kicked back over me. I splashed forwards behind them and promptly sunk up to my knees, and nearly lost a shoe.

 Things really didn't get much better actually; I experienced the running cliché where I wasn't able to catch the older fella who walking in front of me. As we went round the course he disappeared off into the distance, leaving me with a couple of Pershore Plum Plodders chatting away behind me, and the sounds of my gasping and spluttering as my heart continued to pound out of my chest.

 I realised why I felt like this afterwards when I checked my monitor. You're not supposed to be able to spend more than a few minutes working at 90% heart rate. It turns out I did - nearly 25 minutes continuously in fact. Short stroll they said, suitable for all they said...

 One week on and I can look back at 5 miles complete, a medal, a first trail event in the bag, and a few lessons learned.
Back to that fact then, and I can confirm, categorically, that it's bollocks. Once at home I felt like I'd been awake for 24 hours being kicked in the calves and punched in the chest.

 At least I beat the spaniel.
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Twitter: @PhilJ0606
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