2013 - March 2

Dani's 2013 Challenges.....

Saturday 2nd March 2013

To the trees, to the trees.....

Today is the day for event no. 4 - The Legends of Sherwood... and 10km (and the rest) night run through Sherwood Forest with an assault course added in for good measure...

Claire, one of my bestest friends for the last 20 years, joined me for this crazy challenge;  we arrived at dusk ready for the event to commence... alot of peeps took the 'fancy dress' option as mandatory... lots of Robin Hoods, Friar Tucks, a Nun, so many different style onsies and even Batman and Robin. 

We were in Wave 2 of the event, watching the first wave kick off 20 mins prior was probably not the best idea.. seeing hundreds of peeps hurtling themselves over hay bales, falling here, there and everywhere kinda made us feel a bit sick with nerves!!

We all joined together at the start ready for take off in Wave 2, event organiser up at the front read out the rules and regs, told us what to expect.. this didn't make us feel any better...

With tunes blaring out and everyone getting ready for it, the siren went and we were off.. first obstacles were the dreaded hay bales, bit of a clamber and we got over.. hundreds of peeps all running together as darkness began to fall was really a surreal experience.. the route took us up steep hills and back down them, through dark narrow woodland paths where you had to dodge branches and tree stumps, the next obstacle was  a mud tunnel, had to crawl so knees got a bit dirty.. I was a bit naive to think that this was the most muddy we were going to get.. how wrong was I!!

Further we went into Sherwood, we were met with spaghetti spider tunnels, trying to clamber through them was entertaining.. running up the steepest hills ever, over log hurdles which is where I obtained my first injury.. a kind chap offered to give me a leg up to help me get over, he was a bit to eager which resulted in me landing scissor legged onto the log (yes I'm still hurting)... onwards through water tunnels, knee deep in the stinkiest mud ever.. into 'spooky wood' which was like remake of Blair Witch!! The marshall advised that we needed to stick to the path as one group that had come through a bit earlier had spent an hour trying to get through only to end up back at the start!! Crawling through what the lads described as a 'health spa', it actual fact it was an horrific mud pit with logs over the top and rules stated you had to go under... lost headtorch in the process of crawling... 

As we got towards the finish line, I'm positive hypothermia was setting in... thinking that was it for the obstacles.. we were again sadly mistaken... a seriously slippery uphill climb, with only a knotted rope to assist.. worst thing ever!! Hands were frozen, covered in mud and we were so tired but... slow and steady we got to the top... then faced the last challenge of jumping down a 7ft drop... after my stairgate incident, I was really worried I wasn't going to be able to get down... but the finish was literally a stones throw away.. so we both just went for it!!

This has to be one of the worst and yet best events I have ever done, and that medal will be displayed with much pride and love!!

However, not sure if the trainers or clothes will live to tell the tale...

Rest and recuperation for the rest of the weekend... think I deserve it!

Dani xx