Ill Concieved Plans Poorly executed

The Grim Challenge

Yet again I entered the Grim Challenge. It seemed a good idea when I entered as I had forgotten the cold wet mud from last year. Strangely I couldn't persuade any of my friends to enter. Angela entered but at the last minute decided that due to a lack of training and enthusiasm she would not be doing it. A few last minute phone calls and I got Ian to stand in for her. I promised that he would not have to wear a wig and told him that as a veteran of the KIMM he would find it a walk in the park.

The night before the race was wild and windy, in fact it was still lashing down when we left the house for Aldershot, avoiding the fallen trees. It wasn't looking good for an 8-mile romp around a tank-testing track, but by the time we arrived the storm was all but blown out leaving a very pleasant morning.

Unbeknown to me Ian had decided that he was going to put some effort into this run rather than his usual saunter round the course. Usually I pass he within the first mile and wait for him for a few minutes at the end. Today was different. I lost sight of him at the first puddle. I guessed that I'd some pass him and exchange profanities but he never came into view. There was something wrong, maybe I dropped him early on? I plodded on along the fire tracks and in and out of deep water. At the four-mile mark it was time to pick up the pace. When I say pick up the pace it was more of an imagined thing that actuality. In my mind I was breezing along quite happily but in reality I suspect I was meandering at my usual pace. The marker for mile 5 came up very quickly and I suspect that it was in the wrong place (it's not unheard of in the Grim).

Up ahead I saw him, the unmistakable profile of Ian, He really had been putting in the effort but now it was starting to tell. I slowly reeled him in, snuck up behind him and in the true camaraderie of good friends yelled, "You'll have to do better than that mate". Of course now I had to stay in front so as not to suffer the indignation of being passed and being thrown an equally derogatory line. Fortunately the rest of the route was over reasonable fire tracks with only the last deep pool to cool me down.

I finished in front of Ian, Job done. Now he's talking about entering it next year.