Preparing for the Parrett Trail is almost as much fun as the day itself (especially now I don’t have the “fun” of sorting the teams and the chasing round for replacements this year – well done Matt! (you have been!!)) and this year I offered my services as Reserve and to help others with recce runs whilst waiting for the call.

This led to a run with Jill Harrison one evening after work along Leg 3 – starting at the Boat just outside Bridgwater, heading along the tow path for a couple of miles and then inland to Burrow Mump and the finish at Oath Lock. Due to a misunderstanding, I though Jill had printed out the route – and she thought I knew where I was going! (the route has changed quite dramatically since I last ran it with Lynda – they don’t go anywhere near Pincombe Drove and Bridge any more). Still, the first half of the route is the same as before and the second half easy once you find the gate by the Pub – but with it getting darker, we were running through persistent rain at my race pace – Jill just ticking over, and helpfully telling me I could be quite good if I trained! – and all was well until the penultimate field when the herd of frisky cows who wanted to check Jill’s dog out, and decide to keep back stories of people being trampled until we were safely at the finish!

Now allocated to Leg 1, which again has been changed, I ran a recce run with Richard Dodge – putting the world to rights as we went round. Having committed the schoolboy error of wearing brand new shoes for a long run, I soon regretted that – so with Rich struggling with a chest infection picked up on the plane back from Oz (the at was the only thing picked up – despite the flight being full of single travellers, not one offered him the chance to join the Mile High Club!) and me dehydrated and blistered, we weren’t setting any records today! The nice bench on the river side is still there, albeit looking bit worse for wear now, so we had the traditional jelly baby stop and then carried on – we won’t be doing that come race day! As a continuation of the theme, we were then set on by a field of complete Bullocks – big nasty ones, which terrified me and so probably best that the likes of Karen Edwards weren’t with us!

(We actually carried on to Bridgwater Docks – Leg 2 runners, be aware that it’s just over 3 miles from the start of your leg to the Docks!).

Come race day, the blisters were still there, but the cows had gone! 27 runners had made their way to the start out at Steart, where it was cold but dry. The small car park was crowded, as a group of twitchers were also meeting there, somewhat bemused by the runners in various states of undress, and heaven alone knows what photos they got of the various toileting habits - watch out for David Attenborough's latest blockbusting series "Weeing in the Bushes", featuring Yeovil, Exmouth and Crewkerne runners!). The start is along a narrow track, and Pete Darton and Gareth Ashmead were amongst the leading group as we made our way on to the beach section - I thought I'd gone off too fast, as although I was holding up a lady from SWRR (who didn't even acknowledge me when I told her she was going the wrong way!), the next group including Richard Dodge and Annie Ashmead were about 100 yards behind me. It wasn't to last - after about a mile and a half (and the burst of energy brought on by my London Marathon ringtone going off in my bum bag as my welsh friends were sending me score updates!) I was quickly reeled in by Rich and a group of three others - although the two Maiden Newton runners went for a team wee and I briefly took their places back. The blisters reared their ugly head before reached Combwich and both Jane from Wells and Crewkerne's Sarah Warren went past as I needed to stop and stretch out. Unfortunately none of the others got lost in the middle of Combwich [home to the house with the tower I will buy if I ever win the lottery!) and so I was destined to trail in behind the others - I did keep ahead of the chap from Wells who was as knackered as me, and the last three miles were a combination of walk-running and stile-climbing, with a fall into a hole and hurting feet chucked in for good measure. Richard had already finished (Gareth and Pete having done so a long time before and already had a lift to the start to collect Gareth's car), and Annie ran well to finish a few minutes behind me. Still, all 5 of us finished well, completing the 9.1 mile course and none of us got lost - at least not whilst on foot (don't mention meetin up in cars afterwards - as they say, what happens in Bridgwater, stays in Bridgwater!)