Tempo Winter Series 2023/24 - No.3

[TailChaser]

Or as  Shake-and-run would put it:

“I had rather be a toad, and live upon the vapor of a dungeon (Othello 3:3)”

That is generally how Shakes and I feel just before we start these races, busily questioning our life choices 🤣 This was especially true as we were still recovering from last week’s HM.

Tempo, the race organiser, changed this one. Normally it’s the same route going either clockwise or anticlockwise up and down and around the massive hill of Lark Stoke. This time we didn’t really have a massive hill, just a big one, skirting around Lark Stoke, and lots of undulating (although it doesn’t really show this in the elevation map above but it was, honestly!). It did make a change and it was still just as tiring with exactly the same feeling of elation when it was all over! We had the same amazing views, but this time of Edge Hill, the county boundary with Oxfordshire where the Roundheads and Cavaliers battled it out during the Civil War in the 17th century.

As these races take place in the autumn and winter, we never know what gift the weather is going to bring us. Thankfully it was dry, unlike last week’s race, but today we had the added joy of 25mph winds. I think skirting round the hill acted as a bit of a wind break but as soon as we got back down from the hills and worked our way back around the village (Ilmington, a beautiful Cotswold village, which Shakes informs me is where Morris dancers originated) they came back. The route still had the horrible uphill bit between 8 & 9kms, and just to add to the challenge there was the battle of the headwinds. Had to be really, couldn’t be tailwinds could it?!!

All three of us (including  Katnap who finished way ahead of us) found the route a bit short of 10km, but unlike Katnap, Shakes and I ran around a bit to make up the 30 or so missing metres. We then collected our sausages and wound our way back through the village back to the car, passing a very friendly, photogenic sheep and some lovely buildings.

I haven’t actually made our traditional toad in the hole yet, so above is a picture of the batter waiting to be cooked.

So, this is the last race of the year. I’m looking forward to a bit of a rest now until race no.4 in four weeks time - where we get to say what size we’d like our hoody’s to be 😀

[Runnerno]

Enjoy your sausages and your well earned rest and good luck for race number 4

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Runnerno]

Thanks Runnerno 🙏 Hope you are well x

[AlMorr Half Marathon]

Excellent last run of the year for you today TailChaser, congratulations, enjoy your toad in the hole once you have cooked it, Merry Christmas 🤶 🎄

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to AlMorr]

Thanks Al, I’m just trying to will myself off the sofa so I can get it into the oven 😁 Merry Christmas to you too 😍🎄

[AlMorr Half Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

PS TailChaser, I just had a X post(Twitter) from a runner who ran a sub 20 minutes parkrun at Dunfermline yesterday, what's remarkable about that, she lives in Stirling, according to Google maps, Stirling is around 21 miles from Dunfermline, she said that she RAN to the parkrun from Stirling, wow.

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to AlMorr]

Wow, that is very impressive Al!! How did she get back 🤔

[AlMorr Half Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

She was driven back home after parkrun by her husband, she is one of the fastest women parkruners in Scotland, most of her times are sub 20 minutes, 16:55 is her fastest parkrun which was at Linwood parkrun a few years ago, I met her at Palacerigg parkrun on 24th December last year, she was 2nd then she volunteered as a barcode scanner, her name is Jennifer Wetton, her father in the 1970's and 80's ran for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games.

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to AlMorr]

Impressive lady, with an impressive running pedigree 👍

[Katnap Marathon]

Nearly there TailChaser !

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Katnap]

Whoop whoop!!

[RunaroundSue]

Well done

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to RunaroundSue]

Thank you Sue 😀

[Dexy5 10 Miles]

Congratulations Katnap , TailChaser and Shake-and-run , I am very impressed that you got out in the cold for a 10k run again for your sausages. So much easier to go to the butchers you know. 😂

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

I was only in there yesterday as well Dexy 😂

[Shake-and-run Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Thanks Dexy, was a bit tough today but the scenery was beautiful and the TiH delicious. It always tastes better when you feel you have earned it!

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to Shake-and-run]

And another 10k on your accumulation!

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

😂😂

[SueAppleRun 10 Miles]

Well done all three of you, what beautiful countryside and i'm hoping your toad in the hole was as delicious as it should be.

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to SueAppleRun]

It was very nice Sue, unfortunately we’d eaten it before I realised I hadn’t taken a photo of it! Running in the winter certainly gives you an appetite!

[SueAppleRun 10 Miles in reply to TailChaser]

Ha ha, well glad you enjoyed it, yes, it's one of the bonuses of running, really appreciating food

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to SueAppleRun]

One of the main reasons I run, as I don’t appear to have a metabolism these days 🤭

[lexi6 10 Miles]

Great result, really happy it stayed dry for you all, those winds would have been very challenging though, so well done 👍👍👍

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to lexi6]

Thanks Lexi, it’s always a very challenging run but the camaraderie and the countryside make it all worthwhile (and the sausages of course!).

[Shake-and-run Half Marathon]

It was quite exhausting all that up and down, I found it a challenge to find my rhythm. That wind was evil. Toad in the hole was delicious!

Toad in the hole

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Shake-and-run]

Yum! Good on you for taking a photo, ours was demolished before I could take a photo!

[aliboo70 Half Marathon]

Congratulations on a successful run and sausages well earnt I reckon xxx

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to aliboo70]

Thanks aliboo, I hope you are feeling better xxx

[Time_Lord Half Marathon]

Congratulations to you all xx

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Time_Lord]

Thanks TL 😍

[misswobble Marathon]

well done gang! 👏😀🏅🏅🏅 sounds like fun, apart from hills and gales 💨🌬. The route sounds lovely! Good to have something picturesque to look at while climbing them ‘ills 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

You can have a well-earned rest now, eat some festive grub, and plan next year’s fun and games.

Enjoy your toad! 😀

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to misswobble]

The toad was fab and the fridge is now starting to groan ready for the big day misswobble 😍

[misswobble Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

Toad is awesome fodder 💪😋😋😋😋😋

Trying to fit everything into the fridge is fun. Not! 😁

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to misswobble]

It’s looking empty again now 😭

[misswobble Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

so sad 😔.

While I was out on the trail today (first run for ages ) OH replenished our supplies, bless im 😇

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

Great report, well done all of you 👏👏

TC, I don’t think I know what colour this year’s hoody will be…?

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

Thanks IP, no, neither do we…I know what I’d like it to be but they’ve used those colours before so…🤞