Blimey what a Hoohaah! 🏃‍♀️That’s Wimpole HM....

[Madge50]

Hi all,

Following on from Anniemurph and hoping wez70 had a good go at the Perkins great eastern run HM Peterborough, here’s my report on my trail HM at Wimpole Hall - a NT property, put on by Hoohaah - they do a 10k series at fantastic locations in east anglia and finish the year with a 10 miler and HM at Wimpole.....

I did the 10 miler last year, and had the mad idea of doing the HM, it’s trail running with at least 4 geerrrrt big hills, that you run up and down doing 4 loops round the Hall estate......they call it ‘undulating ‘ in the blurb, well, that’s like a member of the medical profession telling you ‘this might sting a bit’ , and it hurts like hell!😂

It’s woodland, farmland, bark trails and a bit of estate roads (pot hole heaven 😉). My training hadn’t gone too well and I was worried about finishing in the 3 hour cut off time........so much so, I actually collared the run director before the start and told her.....😨....there are fantastic marshals, but there are long gaps where you can be on your own, especially if you’re a bit more sedate like me.....so OH decided to stick with me, he’s normally a bit quicker than me, but if he hadn’t been there I think I’d have bailed. I was ok up to about 10 Miles, and knew I would struggle after that. I’d already decided to walk the hills, but after 11miles my walk breaks were getting more frequent....

A lovely lady who had overheard my conversation with the RD was marshalling at 12 miles, she looked out for me and was just lovely, giving me encouragement and a lovely smile right when I needed it.

So a steep down hill, round a field and then we were on one of the estate roads (pot holed!😂) but at least it was flat........leading in to the finish, marshals and visitors to the estate were encouraging us.........I nearly cried there, I really didn’t think I was going to do it, my hips were stiffening up, I as tired, but OH kept me going, and then it was finished! The RD was waiting for the finishers and gave me a lovely hug.

The route at Wimpole is really lovely, fantastic countryside and woodland, there was a bit near the end where with the sun out it was getting a tad warm, we went back into the woods again, which was lovely and cool and did a lovely gently sloping run down to the last 2k, not sure I’d do it again though, a trail HM is hard! Very hard!

As I said, my training didn’t go too well and I’ve got a sore shin - which behaved itself but is going to pay me back big time tomorrow.......😣

But, we did it, and did I beat the 3 hour cut off time?

Hell Yeah! 🏃‍♀️💪

2 hrs 44 😎

Happy Day, happy running all 🤗

Mx

[ancientrunner Half Marathon]

Well done Madge. It can be such a slog sometimes but sounds like you did great - an d in a couple of days will be raring to do it again. Meanwhile have a well earned rest.

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to ancientrunner]

Thanks ar, it was a toughy, I’d just about had enough of the uneven ground......although I’m quite proud of my residual fitness, it just reinforced the point of getting the training in......

And no.......I still do not have any desire to do a full marathon!

Mx

[Hidden]

Awesome running! What a fantastic and supportive lot at wimpole, hubs included. Your training obviously got you round combined with grit and determination so very well done. You should be feeling very proud and rightly so. I hope you are not feeling too sore tomorrow.

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to Hidden]

Thanks rfd, the peeps were lovely, all the way round, luckily the cattle and the sheep were totally unimpressed by the whole thing!

So far, soreness not as bad as I expected.......

Mx

[Anniemurph Half Marathon]

Fantastic, Madge50 ! Very well done! My course sounds easy compared to that one! We all know what 'undulating' means - and potholes as well You did brilliantly, and what a great time! I hope your shin isn't too uncomfortable today and you can bask in the glory of your lovely shiny bling

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to Anniemurph]

Thanks Anniemurph, the thing that worried me was, a seasoned runner who we know from parkrun, after we told her we’d signed up for it, said ‘no way would I do that HM, far too hard....’ 😱,

There must be some specially built people out there for this sort of run, the winner did it in about 1hr 32......crazy! He must have joints like those elastic stringy toys you used to get.....

Shin is ok, thanks,

Mx

[Anniemurph Half Marathon in reply to Madge50]

Ha! I hope you tell her Or perhaps you should just swan past wearing your t-shirt/bling

I know what you mean about build. On the bus up to the start of mine, I was surrounded by long, lean stringy runners, clad in club vest tops and shorts Rather disconcerting! x

[C3PO Marathon]

Woohoo! That's a great result! You must be so pleased.

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to C3PO]

Thanks C3PO, yes, very glad we did it.......whether we’ll ever do it again is another matter......

Mx

[ju-ju- Marathon]

Go you... fantastic achievement and a great time for a challenging HM...!!

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to ju-ju-]

Thanks ju-ju, gave me a little taste of what you’ve done, I think......I don’t think I could have stood much more of it.......but pleased overall....... 😄

Mx

[Tomas Marathon]

Well done Madge50 , that's a great run! 13 miles on trails? Wow, I'm impressed, no wonder it felt like hard work. Great time for it though. Congratulations!

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to Tomas]

Thanks so much Tomas, I’m pleased with my level of fitness, and if I keep it up, hopefully this means an improved time for the next road HM - i’ll be going after Cambridge HM again early next year......

Mx

[AncientMum Half Marathon]

Woohoo! Well done Mary. I knew you could do it! That's a pretty darn fine time for such a tough Half too. Trail AND undulating is a pretty hardcore combination and you absolutely did it! 👏👏👏👏👏

Hope the calf behaves itself and you're not too achey today. xx

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to AncientMum]

Thanks Carrie, it has given me hope that I can improve on Cambridge HM......as long as I do the training! 😉 I had aches in EVERY joint of my whole body last night!

Mx

[wez70 Half Marathon]

Well done Madge! Fantastic effort ... I didn't fare quite so well, started and finished in 2:38 but had to run/walk from 8 miles adding 8 minutes to last year's time but! I could have not even bothered so will train properly for the next (!) one (yes, even with the pain I feel today there will be a next one!) and know that if it' doesn't pay off then I'm more suited to Scrabble!!! Really well done!

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to wez70]

No, you won’t go back to scrabble, you did it see.....we only did this one because we fancied doing another HM, sort of, to prove the first one wasn’t a fluke......😂..........and on it goes.......😂

Mx

[misswobble Marathon]

Yay! Well done Madge! That runs sounds fab and what a route. It had everything!

I get stiff hips these days so I stop and do some hip swings mid run,hanging onto something handy 🙂

I hope you're ok now, suitably rested and looking forward to the next one 🙂🏃‍♀️👍✔️🏅

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to misswobble]

Thanks missw, yes, the surroundings are fantastic, and the views - if you remember to look at them - are lovely, a lot of the roads were ok, but they were typical private farm/estate roads, dodgy in some places, loose stones etc.,

Feeling pretty good really, Cambridge half opens this week.......👍

Mx 😄

[skysue16 Half Marathon]

Wow! What an achievement, you must feel so proud - well done indeed 😀 great report too, sounds a lovely location. One of my goals is to run a trail race (10k though!!😉)

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to skysue16]

Thanks Sue, yes the rest of the runs they do are all 10k’s and they are lovely.........I got carried away here and thought.....oh they’re smashing those runs......doing a bit more would be nice.....🤔........😩

But there we are ‘tis done, and I don’t have to do it again..........well.......errrrmmm.....I might have to think about that....😉.......what are we like! 😂

Mx

[skysue16 Half Marathon in reply to Madge50]

Ha, ha 😄

[poppypug Marathon]

Fantastic Madge !

Really Well done , that sounds like a very tough run , but you did it - Yay !

Hope you're enjoying a well deserved rest ! xxx

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to poppypug]

Hey lovely pops, how are you? All good I hope.....it was tough, but a right sense of achievement....even if the skinny stick sorts did it in under 1hour 40! 😜

Mx 🤗

[Mike1942]

Well done . Fantastic time for off road HM . Keep it up.

[the_tea_fairy Half Marathon]

You utter legend! Just catching up after your reply to my post. WELL DONE YOU BEAUTY! 👑

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to the_tea_fairy]

Funny how that run came into my mind after your post....trails and all that.....you know, I think I’d do it again......😂 what are we like......I reckon everything can be sorted with a trail run.....

Mx

[the_tea_fairy Half Marathon in reply to Madge50]

Definitely! I think if politicians had to run for 2 hours before making any decisions, the world would be a significantly calmer, happier place.