RACE 48 - GRIM DUATHLON - 22 October

Hmm... without the almost weekly events, I've soon got out of the habit of  the write-up ~ hence the delay at completing this one. The event is 'marketed' as "The GRIM Duathlon is one of the toughest short-course duathlons in the country. Take on the trails, hills, mud, water, cammo nets, moguls and the sand dunes on the Army's vehicle testing circuit. All the elements are there to be mastered, but all you’ll have will be your trainers and the bike – will you survive?" It also happens to be a favourite ~ it must be as being on a Saturday its one of the few that I'll give up hockey for. Also it is the source of my blog photo.

The drive down was pretty unremarkable ~ passing through Purley (changed almost beyond recognition since I used to live there as a boy) then around the M25 and down the M3.  It was based just the other side of Aldershot in the heart of the army part of the town. The venue is the same as The Grim (race 3) and The Grim (race 50). 


Having reached the destination I discovered that the snack trailer serving the early morning cups of tea had yet to arrive. Once it did, it took quite some time from them to produce a brew. However it did give me time to explore some of the course which looked deceptively attractive in the early morning sun. It also allowed me to read some of the army signs such as "unprepared river crossing"; "CAUTION: high speed vehicles can appear suddenly at any time" and "medium mobility test track ENDS". 

After my cup of tea I racked the bike - fortunately at the end of a row so I shouldn't be able to loose it and got ready. I was amazed at how many people were still registering, sorting out bits and pieces and generally faffing around just a few minutes before the race. One couple were asked to jog as they were just casually strolling along with the race about to start. That's taking "casual" possibly a bit too far?


The race briefing contained one gem of advice "if it looks deeper than a puddle - then it is deeper than a puddle! And you may need to get off the bike and carry it". 


Once the race started all hint of casualness disappeared as we made our way up the sandy tracks, skirting the deep "puddles" (some of which on the second run we were 'marshalled' through) and generally finding the going not too bad. It certainly wasn't as muddy (or cold for that matter) as the previous year, in fact it was almost balmy. Some of the course I recognised from The Grim (see race 3 ~ and my goodness didn't I write short blogs back in the day? Also I'll be culminating with race 50 on the course in December when I expect it to be just a bit colder, wetter and muddier). Admittedly there were a couple of cheeky hills to run up and a camo-net to crawl through (losing my glasses in the process). However did reasonably well, and got back to transition in a reasonable state. Then on with bike shoes and glasses, fingerless gloves and then off. 

As it was reasonably dry, the route initially was pretty rutted so it made for some interesting cycling ~ with the majority of us taking a fairly gingerly approach.  Just as we were getting used to it and beginning to speed up it then became very sandy which meant it was like cycling through treacle. It also meant that if you just stamped down on your peddles or put all your weight on them, your back wheel just spun. So just as we learnt to cycle this surface, it changed again to the kind of fire tracks you find in forests. Now most people have been on these before so we all took off like scalded cats and started racing in earnest. A few dodgy moments around some of the steeper corners but I managed to stay on. So haring down hill on one of these tracks we came to a smiling marshal pointing us to go left through the first of "if it looks deeper than a puddle it is deeper than a puddle" ~ well it was for me at any rate as I took the racing alignment. Seeing others taking the longer but shallower route, filed that piece of information away for the second lap!

This was the first bit of the technical section. Steep wooded sandy up hill, with deeply rutted down hill, through in some puddles, mud and steep corners ~ meant that the majority of this section was done in the lowest gear possible. Great fun and I actually managed to do the whole thing without falling off or needing to get off the bike (which I couldn't say later about the second lap). 


Finishing the technical section it was on to a very exposed section of the heathland. Last year the wind and rain had lashed down on this section creating miserable freezing conditions. This year it was quite pleasant - just a hint of a breeze. After about a mile it was back into the woodland for the next 'technical' ~ basically the wet bit. 

They took us through a number of puddles that weren't puddles, some just cycleable, one in particular you had to wade and carry the bike. One thing I've found from doing a number of races on these vehicle courses is that you don't follow the wheel ruts you go down the middle where it tends to be shallower. 


The other given on these races, is the wetter, muddier, most likely to result in mishap, sections of a course are where a) the photographer is positioned and b) where most of the supporters are. Unsurprising really, if you're going to stand around in the freezing cold waiting for your loved-one to appear, you might as well get some comedy moments while suffering.


The second 10km lap was similar to the first (kind of obvious really) with two main differences - being tired and catching some of the tail enders. By this time in the race (half way) the field had spread out quite a bit and you were now competing with people of about the same standard. Occasionally someone would drop off the pace, or someone else would find a new lease of life and catch/overtake. 


I managed the fire tracks at a reasonable pace, i.e. overtaking people and not being overtaken, but at the first technical section I managed to fall off twice. What was embarrassing was both times it was going uphill at a snails pace! The second time caused a lot of merriment from the person behind and the marshal at the top ~ as they'd never seen someone topple over in such slow motion. I hardly felt I was falling until I'd hit the ground. Fortunately I managed to stay on for the remainder of the lap though found out later when I had thawed out that I had some pretty impressive grazes and bruising. 


Catching and passing some of those on their first lap I was struck by their almost uniform cheerfulness, willingness to let you pass and in one or two cases, total inappropriateness of bike being used. One girl had a sit up and beg ladies bike with road tyres, was covered head to foot in mud, had to walk down the steep technical sections yet had a smile from ear to ear!


Finishing the cycle it was on to the second 5km run ~ basically repeating the route we'd done though this time marshals were strategically placed to make sure we went through all the puddles. As soon as I started the run I became aware of two problems. Firstly my legs and feet were soaking and felt like blocks of ice ~ well they would soon warm up, or rather they would have done if we didn't keep wading through puddles. Secondly, I had changed my breakfast routine and was beginning to suffer from stomach cramps. Instead of my normal cereal I'd had some belVita biscuits and they were not sitting comfortably! I'd broken one of the cardinal rules of competing (again). Never change your routine, equipment, technique - in fact anything, on the morning of your race. 


I was being overtaken by better runners probably loosing about ten places in all. However two thirds round I came across someone suffering even more than I was so we decided to run together giving each other moral support. Certainly took my mind my problems and we both finished if not with a flourish, at least at a canter.


All that was left was to change into dry clothes, pack up the bike and bits and go. First though, planning ahead and knowing what state all the kit would get, I'd taken my power washer. So to the envy of the other competitors putting their muddy bikes into their cars, I was able to get the worst of the mud off. 


RESULT: 50th out of 403 (+6 DNF) in a time of 1:44:38 (a lot faster than 2010 but then the conditions weren't as harsh). 


Well I've Googled and searched Wikipedia, but can't find any 'interesting' facts or background ~ I'll keep looking as my final event is back at this venue, so if you can contain your disappointment until then?


Two things are worth mentioning (maybe). I have started booking next years events such as Windsor and Eton triathlons ~ though I will have to be careful as I've a few Olympic and Paraolympic tickets. I'm going through all the events I've done and deciding on my favourite ones or those I've done quite well in and would like to improve upon. Before you ask I will NOT be doing 50 next year or even 51. It will be far fewer!


Secondly, I've decided to support Prostate Cancer by growing a 'tash as part of Movember. Some of you who are watching the rugby league 4 nations will have noticed that many of our 'Antipodean cousins' are sporting upper lip hair (as well as the customary  thrashing of their old-world cousins). This is all part of the Movember campaign see http://uk.movember.com/. I've only one race where I'll be sporting it - Hellrunner at the end of the month, but I do have a month of embarrassment in the meantime!