Green (aka Brown Leak) Leek Run Report

[TailChaser]

We woke up this morning to torrential rain and I was almost hoping that it would be cancelled! But I know now from experience that runners are made of tough stuff and knew it wouldn’t be.

So, after trying to catch up on some sleep from a long day yesterday, we bundled into the car and hoped what we were wearing would be adequate enough (although Katnap was going for the semi-skinny dipping look). I was more worried about getting too cold more than anything as I love getting muddy!

The Green Leek Run has a fantastic ethos - they are basically raising funds for two schools and the run is between them, more or less. They laugh in the face of Summer Fairs and bake sales! What’s more, they can call on David Moorcroft as a marshall as he’s a local lad!

So we got the pre-booked bus from the car park at the finish to get to the start and everyone on there looked a bit nervous. We huddled down in the school hall until it was time to warm-up, then it was a short walk to the start to cool down again as we waited 20 minutes to get going. A few people huddled under the bridge (the first 4km is on an old railway line) to keep out the downpour but it was a bit futile tbh.

David Moorcroft started us off and away we squelched. The first 4km was all downhill on paths and I thought, ‘ooh, this is good’. Then we got to the park and the mud started...

There was more mud and puddles in the next 6.5km than in your average very Tough Mudder. Not only that, after going downhill for so long, the next 6.5km was obviously up. I’m very glad I had my trail shoes on as my beloved Brooks would have been ruined.

Muddy field after muddy field we squelched along, passing through kissing gates, ordinary gates and bewildered sheep. I ended up just running through the puddles as it was a bit pointless avoiding them. It felt like it was never going to end but...’Hark! I hear horns!’ I love a good brass band (luckily as the kittens play in them) and lo and behold Royal Spa Brass were standing by the entrance to the final push. That really helped as most of the energy had been sucked out of my legs by this time.

Around the golf course we went for another km or so and I saw the finish at the bottom of the hill. Everyone in front of me was going quite slowly, so there was a challenge: I went into Bomber mode and overtook 3 other runners as I raced towards the line, to be met by the inimitable David Moorcroft again who greeted all the runners with a lovely smile and handed me my medal.

Katnap was way faster than me and met me at the end (which was lovely as we usually miss each other and I spend ages looking for him!). We shared very nice cakes and biscuits (made by the parents and children at the schools) and a banana before attempting to make ourselves clean enough to get in the car. Thankfully home wasn’t too far away for a very nice, warm cup of tea and a badly needed shower.

[Dexy5 10 Miles]

You definitely deserve your medals for that one TailChaser and Katnap. Did you have to carry a leek around with you?

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Thanks Dexy! There were photos of people who ran with leeks last year and I did consider it but...no...😁

[Katnap Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Maybe next time! 😄😅😂🤣

[Oldfloss Administrator]

Fabulous, fabulous run.. and I think both of you are made of tough stuff... you had a terrific run and you both had amazing times in those conditions too!

What great fun and what muddy legs.... !!!

PS

I hope you kissed at the kissing gates... otherwise it doesn't count and you have to do it again... ! 🤣

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Oldfloss]

Oh no Floss, I’d have had to slow him down, he was way ahead of me. Maybe we could walk the route for that 😉. Thank you 🙏 x

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to Oldfloss]

If we come across kissing gates en route UpTheStanley adds them up to collect after the run 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♂️ 💋😂

[Granspeed]

Wowzer. That sounds like Some Mud indeed. You are tough runners. Iron Man training? You sure deserve your medals. 👏🏼🎉👏🏼

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Granspeed]

Thanks Granspeed! No, definitely not doing an Iron Man, although I did suggest to Katnap that this could be a combined Duathlon 😁

[SaskAlliecat Half Marathon]

Mud, mud and more mud! Sounds like quite the run. You guys rock!

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to SaskAlliecat]

Thanks Sask, kind of like your sort of run I’m guessing?

[SaskAlliecat Half Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

Definitely!

[Stephen_UK Half Marathon]

Very well done. That sounds quite “challenging”. Hope you are totally warmed up and recovering nicely now.

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Stephen_UK]

We’re warmed up but I’ve been starving all afternoon! Early dinner tonight will hopefully sort that out. Thanks Stephen 👍

[Stephen_UK Half Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

Eat well!

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

Well done guys, what fun! It sounded hard though - running through muddy puddles I like, running through fields of mud though? 😳😱😳

Stuff your trail shoes with newspaper and stuff yourselves with well deserved grub! 🏃‍♀️❤️🏃‍♂️

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Good idea cheeky x2! There was a great deal of mud!! Thank you 😊

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon]

Oh, that sounds like a wonderful but very tough one, Tailchaser! Well done!👍💪 And the wonderful David Moorcroft to start you off and hand out medals must have been fab too! 🙂

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Sandraj39]

Thanks Sandra. Funny to see him as I was only comparing his 5k world record to Kipchoge yesterday. Consistently only 15 seconds out during a marathon 😱

[Couchpotato2 Marathon]

Congratulations! It does look like a nice shower won’t go amiss!

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Couchpotato2]

Thanks CP2! Yes, the shower needs a clean now 😁

[Couchpotato2 Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

Well that can wait

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Couchpotato2]

Definitely!

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

Well what else would you be doing on a wet Sunday? 😂😂 Great photos, well done to both of you, bet that shower felt divine 😘

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

Oh it was lovely IP, so nice and warm! Thank you 🤗

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon]

Sounds like a wonderful experience to look back on! I have just returned home from spending 4 hours up go my bum in cold running water and being rained on at the same time! Lovely when it stops!😊

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

Oh my BC, what were you doing? At least ours only lasted a couple of hours 😮

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

Fly fishing. Don’t worry, no fish were disturbed in the process; too sensible to come out on a day like this!!

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

Wow BC, that takes some doing but I expect you’ve got all the kit for keeping warm and dry. Lol, I like the idea that it was too wet for the fish 😁

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

Main physical effort is bracing yourself against the current in order to stay upright. Good exercise!

[misswobble Marathon]

What a grand day out! David Moocroft too! I thought he woulda bin runnning!

Yeah, when you're wet you're wet so you just go with it don't you. Oh the shoes, sob!!!!!

Like the idea of the brass band! How fab. Pity it wasn't the end and you still had the golf course to negotiate, but a light relief from the pain of the run in less than ideal conditions

Back home to hot baths and drinks. Bliss! I do hope you're both restored and planning your next joint venture

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to misswobble]

I know, the shoes look awful but we have one of those Boot Buddy things and it does a grand job.

As for Mr M, he does Coventry parkrun occasionally, maybe it was too wet for him today...😉 And I’ve seen the brass band at Leamington parkrun, apparently they’re there quite often! I think they were in the right place tbh, there was so much going on and we were each named as we got towards the finish line which was a really nice touch - we’d never have heard that over the band.

We’ve had a big veggie curry and lots of cups of tea so all warmed up. Hmm...that’s a good question as to what to do next, I’ve no idea at the moment! We’ll get our thinking caps on 🤔

[backintime 10 Miles]

Well done to both of you. Reminds me of the song "mud mud glorious mud" you must both be made of tough stuff

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to backintime]

Very much so BIT, it’s been going through my head. Yeah, but I think most of us are probably tougher than we think we are. You don’t find out until you take yourself out of your comfort zone.

[grumpyoldgirl]

Very impressed with the sprint (?) finish! And with the lovely smiling faces despite all the mud 😊

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to grumpyoldgirl]

Thanks GOG, I was inspired by eldest kitten, it’s his USP at parkrun 😁

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Oooh well done! Sounds like that needed some determination today!

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Thanks Linda, yes it did but I managed to keep that little voice that told me it was too hard well and truly quiet! Sounds like you’ve been pretty determined yourself from what I’ve heard of Flick’s report. What a fantastic friend you are 😍!

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

It was a good opportunity for me to check out the logistics of the event, as with any luck I will be fit enough to use my deferred entry next year 🙂

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Fingers and toes crossed for you🤞🤞🤞

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

Bomber mode - awesome!!! I'm going to remember that one 😄

Fabulous run and report, sounds like a lovely event. Well done both! xxx

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to roseabi]

Thanks rose 😁 it was. I’d like to try it on a drier day next time though 😊x

[Hidden]

Wow, your conditions were far worse than mine! Respect

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Flick, it’s given me a very devil may care attitude to the rain today, very useful at the moment! I’m so glad you didn’t have our conditions - can you imagine a HM mud run 😱

[Hidden in reply to TailChaser]

A lot of my runs were muddy when i lived in Chipping Norton, (I remember mentioning on here running across a ploughed field) but absolutely not for any distance over 10/12k, and not for the whole run.

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Hidden]

It’s easier to stop when you don’t have such an incentive. I don’t think I’d do it for a training run either.

[Hidden in reply to TailChaser]

You did it though. amazing

[Hidden]

Congrats to you both! Well deserved medals. Love the grimy leg photo! ha.

👍👏👏🤗🎃

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Myfi, I think they’re just about clean now 😁

[Hidden in reply to TailChaser]

🤣🤣🤣