The Mendip Muddle is a 20km multi terrain race. Organised and well marshaled by Weston Athletic Club. The race headquarters and start and finish is from Charterhouse Education Centre high on the Mendips. The route is well known for being tough and not for the faint hearted with 420m climb and some fast descents taking in some of the finest scenery in the West Country. There are Roman lead mines, underground rivers, open moorland, potholes, an ancient rabbit warren, an Iron Age fort, deciduous and conifer forest and prehistoric tumuli. Most of these treasures I missed on this occasion as my eyes were fixed on the floor in front of me watching my footing. With a race limit of 350 the field at the start was quite congested, in places slowing down to stop while at least 20 runners queued to get over stiles. Hoping to finish the 12.45 mile run in under 2 hours, I needed a pace of just under 10 min/ mile. With the hold ups early on I knew I couldn't relax and would have to run strong especially when it came to the hills, slogging my way up them and letting the legs go with the descents. At mile 6 the marshal counted us over the gate 145 he said your still in the top 150 runners, I had run the first 6 miles in 56 mins, I had 4 mins to spare but would need to keep this pace up for the second half plus I would need those 4 mins for the extra half mile at the end. Miles 7, 8 and 9 were hard steadily rising up with some hard climbs too, I lost 3 minutes with mile 9 going up to 11.26 mins/mile, I thought I had lost it. The legs were starting to feel heavy but the route levelled and I pushed on chasing after runners in front of me picking them off one after the next. It felt good again some steady downhill running and I was gaining time back 11 miles 1:46:30, I had 13minutes 30 secs to run the last mile and a half. A steep downhill along a lane, my legs gained momentum I could see the parked cars I was nearly there but then the marshal directed me into a field 12 miles 1:55:24. I was going in the opposite direction the terrain was again difficult half a mile to go and 4.5 minutes to do it, through bracken and long grass, legs were tired I couldn't do it now. Out on to a gravelled footpath I kept pushing I could see the flags was this the finish I pushed harder. I could see the digital clock now 1:59:45 it read I sprinted telling myself under 2 hours I pushed for the line. The race was done I enjoyed it, had I come in under 2 hours I would have to wait for official race results.
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