The Fen Flyer! 🏃‍♀️🏅😎💪

[Madge50]

Hi chums,

Reporting in from The Fen Gallop 10k, this is a fundraiser for the local school and has a 10k, 4 miler and a toddler dash. It’s a friendly relaxed event, with a local fair atmosphere, bouncy castles, scouts bbq, cakes.....flapjacks..... etc., etc., this is a fairly flat course that runs over farm access roads, round field edges, through woodland with a bit of tree root hurdling......😱........and a bit of undulating byway where 4x4’s can be put through their paces......depending on the preceding weather can be very rutted and muddy..........last year was very hot and some genius rigged up a hose pipe over an arch with holes in for a cooling shower at the end....bliss!

This year the weather looked a bit cooler, cloud forecast to hopefully keep the sun at bay......cloud cover wasn’t quite what was forecast, so although a little cooler than last year, still sunny and warm in places, the little breeze that there was, was cooler, so that was nice, there was also 3 water stations, great for chucking a bit of water down your back to keep cool.......at one point there were two ladies with water pistols.....excellent! Ground was mostly dry, some rutted tracks but not too bad, plus a bit of undulation to give you a bit of a work out! Beautiful countryside to gaze across....

Anyway, after parkrun yesterday wasn’t thinking of much other than just plodding my way round......plodding along nicely, then at about 3k my iPod gave up......I’ve got aftershokz, and though most of the time it’s just background noise, it’s nice to concentrate on a toon when you need a boost.....doh! what am I going to do? 😂 gave myself a bit of a talking to, e.g ignore brain, relax, leave the legs alone....just plod......

2nd water station was after 6k, good point, less to do than you’ve already done......sort yourself out woman.....you can run a half marathon.....! Shut up brain.....got to 8k, marshal says......keep going, there’s a car behind you, don’t worry.....car behind me? .....pppffffttt! to that.....I’m not stopping, it can wait for me.... it’s ok it’s a farm track road, and it turned off anyway! 😂.....

9k, Ok here we go, move it up, overtake 1, now 2, go for the 3rd scalp..... and heaven knows where that came from, there I went flying into the finish (see pic) a whole 5 minutes off last years time! Woohoo! Flying feet pics are my most treasured ! 😎

OH was happy with his time, one of our favourite events, no matter what the time, it’s always friendly and fun.

Happy days, happy running all, a good weekends work me thinks....👍🏃‍♀️💪

Mx

Oh, the medal is wood......

[aliboo70 Half Marathon]

Great result Madge you definitely look like you're flying! Sounds fun xxx

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to aliboo70]

It’s just a fab race, so lovely, real community atmosphere, they really care about what you think of it

Mx

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Ooh, that's a fab time then. All the HM work has clearly paid off over the 10k distance - congratulations!

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Thanks Linda, yes that last K was my fastest ever kilometre so far......I have no idea how that happened........I certainly couldn’t sustain that pace!

Mx

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Madge50]

Amazing - on tired legs too!

[over61andstilltrying Half Marathon]

Well done to you! How lovely to have a flying feet photo! Sounds like lots of fun! And what a last km!! 🎉

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to over61andstilltrying]

Thank you very much, that last K was hard work.......jelly babies = rocket fuel.....😂....

Mx

[Lavender1962 Half Marathon]

Great photos! Sounds like a fun event. And 5 minutes faster is amazing.

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to Lavender1962]

Thanks, I was rather surprised myself, this one is very dependant on the preceding weather conditions though, it can be really muddy, slippery and have deep ruts....must have been the extra jelly baby....💥🏃‍♀️😂

Mx

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

Awesome Madge! And I think a wooden medal is super cool! 🏃‍♀️ 🥇

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Yes, they did an oval design last year and every one was slightly different, a really unique memento. Like, a lot 👍

Mx

[MadDave]

Well done Madge! Sadly I pulled my hamstring in the 1st km and am now on the IC - hopefully will get to the physio today. It’s a shame because as you say, it’s a really friendly event and until my hamstring went pop I too was on for a good time.

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to MadDave]

Thanks, oh no......I thought I spotted you - which I wouldn’t normally have expected to.....so sorry to hear that, rest up, hope it’s better soon 🤞

Mx

[skysue16 Half Marathon]

Great race report. Sounds like an interesting route but hard work in the heat so very well done 😀

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to skysue16]

Thank you very much

Mx

[Whatsapp Half Marathon]

Well done Madge another great run, or should I say gallop!

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to Whatsapp]

Thanks, yes, less cart horse more prancing pony....😂....especially when I spotted the photographer.....😂📸

Mx

[Decker Ultramarathon]

5 minute improvement! That is big! Congratulations Madge! A wooden medal is quite unique too. Sounds like a fun race overall 👍🏼👏👏

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to Decker]

Thanks Decker, it’s a route that could go either way depending on the conditions.....so I’m not sure I’d get much more improvement....

Mx

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

Awesome!! There should always be ladies with water pistols 💗💗💗

You are proper galloping there, Missis!! Fabulous flying feet xxx

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to roseabi]

Thank you very much, I have no idea what came over me! Mind you it was a lovely flat soft grass playing field......makes a change from my usual trails!

Mx