12th December Going Locko (not )down in Acapulco

The ideal 10 km trail run is, without stating the obvious, one that is actually run on trails, either over the moors / fells, through a forest or within the grounds of a county park and consists of a single loop. Because many folks prefer to just run 5km, due to the popularity of Park Run, many events now offer two races within one with those wishing to do the longer 10km simply repeating the 5km loop. 

I can understand the practicalities but it doesn't hold a great deal of attraction to plod the same pasture twice over, especially not at my pedestrian speed. So to discover that Saturday's little jolly in Locko Park on the outskirts of Derby was going to be a triple loop didn't fill me with too much festive joy. But I was here and it was in the grounds of a lovely local country estate so in for a penny...

And on a reasonable day for a winter jolly we were off. Off dressed as Santas, elves, characters from the Nativity story, snowmen, Christmas puddings, turkeys and a whole host of other fancy dress outfits. In case you are wondering I was Santa's little helper. Off up hill. Nothing too steep or severe but just for once I would like to start a run with something that went downhill, especially as I knew I would have to run up it not once, not twice but three times to complete the 10km. 

Scanning the field, I thought that 'Bob' from Nottingham looked frail and feeble enough for me to try to keep pace with, but I gave up the ghost of that idea within the first km and instead just concentrated on not being passed by 'the sugar plum fairy' and the man running whilst pushing a child in a pram.

And so it was round and round and round and up and up and up. At the end of the day it was a pleasant way to spend an hour and four minutes, managing to finish 134th out of 190 and to end up completing the 10km only twice as slowly as the winner. But I still quicker that the sugar plum fairy. And in my book that counts as a win!

 

 


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