RACE 24 - GREEN BELTER HAMBLETON - 28 May

The sales pitch from the website - "From the guys behind the legendary Rat Race [this is an urban race in places like Cardiff, Nottingham, London, Edinburgh ....] comes the Green Belter – an Adventure on your doorstep offering a multi-sport mix of biking, running, a wee splash in our kayaks and our trademark mighty “Green Machine” obstacle course thrown in for good measure.

Hambleden is the quintessential English country Idyll. The Estate nestles on the banks of the River Thames just outside of charming Henley and our adventure makes use of the whole area, including rolling woodland countryside, superb bridleways and hidden trails, a bit of rough and tumble courtesy of Hambleden’s existing cross country horse jumps and a splash on the might Thames itself. Never before used for an event of this nature [except last year when I did it] and with special permissions in place, this location is a real gem."   As per usually, I've put a bit of background at the end of the update.


The race was a later start (12:30) than I'm used to so it meant I could prepare that morning and it's needed as they have a fair old list of mandatory kit including a mountain bike (unsurprisingly) but with a bell? Also a whistle, space blanket, first aid kit, mobile phone in waterproof bag 9good advice as it turned out!) compass .....  Anyway everything ready and off but of course being later in the day meant that the traffic wasn't as clear.  A fair amount of stress later managed to reach the venue with about 50 minutes to get settled and prepared but not enough time for the pre-race cuppa!  However the latter part of the journey was through the country idyll mentioned including the attractive town of Marlow and the fringes of the Chilterns which settled the nerves a bit. 


The information we were originally emailed differed slightly to that handed out at the event.  So the first run was 3km, the mountain biking was somewhere between 18-21 km, while the second run was between 7.5 - 11 km, and the final kayak stage involved a run of 2.5km plus 1km of actual paddling?  It was all a bit confusing but one thing was for sure - apart from the Thames which as a river is pretty flat (albeit with a current) the rest was a bit hilly with some cheeky obstacles thrown in for good measure. 
   

My feeling was that the latter information was probably more accurate so assume a 3km, 19km bike, 7.5km run followed by a round trip of 2.5km to get to the river for a 1km paddle.


Anyway to the start and the off like a bunch of scalded cats.  The pace across the fields was pretty fast but it was a case of keeping up rather than get caught behind slower runners in the single track sections.  Gentle uphill - then a killer of a gradient.  It hurt!  Through some rhododendrons in a depression requiring some contortions and branch climbing and the feeling that if that was the level of obstacles then it was going to be a doddle.  I was sure last year they had us going through trainer swallowing mud!   



Complacency rudely shattered by the first of the horse jumps.  They'd obviously been doing some work since last year!  Some of the braver took to them like horses leaping elegantly over.  Hearing the splashes the emanating from the other side I took them with a little more circumspect and not a little trepidation.  Yes - they put us through the water jump which was quite a scramble to get out of.  It was only six inches deep but enough to get a reasonable soaking.


Finally after a number of other log jumps and other obstacles - quite frankly I don't know why horses put up with it.  it was back to the bike to put on cycle shoes and shades.  Glad I spent the time putting on the cleated shoes as over the course I noticed a number of people slipping off their peddles because their trainers were wet.   As you can see from the profile there were more hills to be cycled up and then hare down again.  

Managed to overtake a few other riders - one or two were even on hybrids rather than MTB's so they were finding the going a bit hard (even saw one person on a cyclo-cross bike, though admittedly he was pulling out of the race and walking dejectedly back to the race HQ).  As we've had a fair amount of rain (yes it even rains in the south of England not just in Scotland) we had to negotiate a fair amount of mud and my achilles heel - wet tree roots.  However I managed, not quite sure how, not to fall off for  the first time while racing!  
Eventually made it to the roads where the marshal was carefully taking our numbers to make sure that everyone was accounted for.  Got cycling with a fellow competitor as we were being held up by a car!  To be fair they were being held up by a road cyclist (not one of the racers) who was just too pig-headed to pull to one side and let the car pass.  I'll say one thing for the driver - she was very patient.  We heard a whirring sound coming up behind us and it was another competitor on his MTB and he wasn't going to let anything like a car get in his way!  Not sure how he managed to squeeze through between the car and the high hedges but he did - just.  The two of us left behind just looked at each other and shook heads/ rolled eyes and said words to the effect of "what a bl**dy fool!"    Finally the car was able to overtake - well actually all the cyclist went one way at a junction and the car went the other.  Tried to engage the cyclist -one of those in coordinating bike colour, cycle gear, shades .... in some banter. But she was having none of it, obviously not liking mountain bikers especially those that were overtaking her uphill.

Then it was back onto to the estate and they made us cycle diagonally through the water jump - which was lucky as you can see the size of the drop-off. When I say amde, we did have the option of carrying it through but the cheering and egging on of the marshals was just too much to contemplate it.  Also they guy I'd been cycling with made it across OK - see how cunningly I let him draw ahead just in case?  I may be smiling (I saw the cameraman) but my feet had only just dried out! Then a long drag uphill where I finally managed to overtake and then a short (ish) ridiculously steep bit which I'm afraid I just had to walk up.   Then back through the woods over many more tree roots - unsurprisingly and a quick blast down the hill (first photo) back to transition.  Off with the cycle shoes liberally covered with tendrils of pond weed from the water jump, on with wet trainers and back out onto the run.  


I managed most of the hills but two I just had to walk. However I could hear a couple behind me (one of the teams racing) so that spurred me on.  According to the information it was a total of about 300m ascent - it felt more!  Then it was back to the water jump for the third soaking of the day.  As I was exiting I heard an almighty splash and a cheer from the onlookers.  Someone had been too ambitious and had gone headlong.  Sure enough after a few more horse jumps I heard a squelchy noise up behind me and a rather bedraggled bloke hove into view.  When asked he shamefacedly admitted he'd tried to do a spectacular entry for it to go spectacularly wrong. 


One thing the organisers had done this year was to introduce "dibbers" as timing chips.  One of the reasons for this is that to get to the Thames for the kayak stage, we had to cross a very busy and fast road.  They allowed us to 'dib-out' - effectively stopping the clock, have a bit of a rest and take our time crossing, and then 'dib-in' restarting the clock.  Really sensible and safe idea.  Then a run across a few fields, which was probably some of the roughest terrain as it had been churned up by cows; across some very narrow plank bridges; quick congratulations to the runners returning having already done the kayak stage; distracted by a flock of geese flying in 'v'-formation up the river no more then 3 foot above the water -  to the kayak embarkation point.  

Then a discussion with the man in charge, convinced that the buoyancy jacket would clash with my Prostate Cancer top, while also failing to persuade him to lift me into the kayak to save me getting my feet wet (again!)  Once in off down the Thames with the wind and current behind me - I mean how difficult could this be?  Passed a boat - odd looking thing - long and thin with single seats along its' length and hoops like those wagons in westerns have.  There were five people having a picnic lunch all seated the same way one behind another and being single seats - making conversation difficult I imagine.  What was even more amusing was that on the way back, as it had started to drizzle, they'd covered  the hoops with  a tarpaulin so were in some dark narrow tunnel.


Made the turn around point and headed back up stream into the wind.  This is when the arms really did begin to burn - though the drizzle did add a bit of a distraction getting all over wet rather than just the feet.   Was also passed by the couple who were behind me on the run but they have two in a boat - that's my excuse anyway.  However this stretch of river is particularly beautiful as you can see so there were compensations.

Then a return over the fields, passing a lady with a spaniel who was covering almost as much ground as we were supporting her other half - back across the road and to the 'Green Machine' (which is actually red, white and blue in colour and requires three small generators to keep it inflated).  Recommended to take trainers and glasses off - found I'd managed to hole yet another pair of socks - off through the obstacles and to the finish.


Celebrated with a bacon and egg roll and finally a cup of tea.  Its the first time I've had to remove pond weed from the bike while putting it away in the car.  Made for a somewhat fragrant journey home, what with the wet shoes (2 pairs), bike and me!   Doing another of these races in July down in Kent - again one I've done before, and which from memory is wetter still.  Oh well, something to look forward to!


RESULT: 14th out of 78 (solo category) in a time of 2:33:38





History 

The Roman villa at nearby Yewden produced a number of unusual discoveries, including a very high number of iron styli as well as lots of corn drying kilns, but most startling, a very high number of infant burials.  The latter may have been because the villa might have been a brothel (see  http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/archaeology/yewdon.page )


The village name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'crooked or undulating valley'. It was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Hanbledene, though previously 1015 it was known as Hamelan dene. St Thomas Cantilupe, the Lord Chancellor and Bishop of Hereford, was born in Hambleden in 1218. In 1315 a Royal charter was granted to hold a market in the village, and a fair on St Bartholomew's Day (August 24) every year. The charter was reconfirmed in 1321, though appears to have not lasted much longer than this.


The brick and flint cottages in the centre of the village conform to a similar design and have dormer windows topped with red tiles. St Mary's church dates from the 14th century and includes a conspicuous memorial to Cope D'Oyley (who died in 1633) and his family. The tower contains eight bells and the ceiling is quite intricately decorated in parts.The post office in the village serves also the local shop and cafe.
 
The Jacobean style manor house was built in 1603 of flint and stone. Charles I stayed there overnight in 1646 while fleeing from Oxford. Another notable building is the Old Rectory built in 1794.


Hambleden was the home village of William Henry Smith, founder (in 1821) of the book chain W H Smith, he died in 1891 and is buried in the new cemetery. Lord Cardigan, famous for his role in leading the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade, was born in the Manor House. The sea chest that he took to the Crimea can be seen in the church. Phil Vickery, Rugby Union London Wasps player and England 2003 World Cup Winner, lives in Hambleden.

The attractive village has often been used as a film location, such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Dance with a Stranger and the opening scenes of the recent remake of The Avengers starring Ralph Fiennes and also some scenes of 101 Dalmatians. 


Hambleden was also used in the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers to depict Easy Company's training in England. Also, the Tim Burton film Sleepy Hollow, starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. The 2010 film Nanny McPhee Returns, also used parts of the village in some of their scenes .

One mile to the south at Mill End are Hambleden Mill and Hambleden Lock on the River Thames, which feature in the novel Three Men In A Boat.