Four Grizzly Musketeer newcomers survived the infamous 20-mile cross-country race on Sunday March 12.
Mark, Neil, Guy and Dave bravely took up the challenge of this hugely and strangely popular race in Seaton to Beer and Branscome on the east Devon coast.
We started and finished as a supportive team of Musketeers round a route which varied in terrain from pebbly beach to steep hills, woodland, road and thigh-high bog.
Among the incidents to be-fall the intrepid foursome was a rescue by Neil and Dave who dragged a woman from the clutches of the thick muddy bog. She panicked as she sunk to her thighs and higher while her running mate also was frozen in fright, thinking she would never see her chum again.
Needless to say when the going gets tough, the tough get going – and Guy and Mark ran on into the distance! Seriously, all tributes should go to the knights on a muddy charger for pulling her to solid ground while a marshal failed to reach her.
The same very gratified girl Debbie proceeded to fall at least twice in front of the rescuers along the route – obviously she longed to be in their comforting strong arms again.
Mark would have been useless in the rescue any way – not only is a scaredy wuss, he lost both his running shoes in the mire. And meanwhile Guy was comforting Debbie’s worried blonde good-looking friend – someone had to.
Apart from that, the run was a breeze – only two beaches to somehow trudge along while the shifting shingle sapped any strength from your legs and right at the start too! – And very steep hills in and out of Beer and Branscombe in particular to crawl up. It is well named. And so was the Stairway to Heaven – a more-than-steep long cliff up-cline from water level to about 200-feet. No one I saw ran up it.
I don’t think Mark was prepared for Dave’s squaddie style beasting (he calls it encouragement) on the few miles before the finish. Sarn’t Major Mathias certainly made me run faster – to get away from the incessant rowâ�¦. However, it was a good tactic by the man who used to sport a Freddie Mercury moustache because Mark was flagging at our macho pace.
On the highly positive side were Dotty’s banana cake (She runs the Bere Alston Trekkers running club) en-route, the fantastic dry, sunny and warm weather, the great support, especially at Seaton’s start and finish and breathtaking coastal views (almost as breathless as the up-clines) and of course the beers, chips and ice cream at the end.
The goody bag consisted of a bottle of special Beer beer and a well designed Grizzly racing shirt.
Last but not least the support of Caroline and Jess the dog was really appreciated. Her photos are on the club web site and Facebook.
Surprisingly, we would all do it again. Well, that is what I told the others they would say. And others are encouraged to give it a go, or the less than half distance Cub – son of Grizzly.
By Guy
