13th December 2014
Eton Dorney Lake, Berkshire
Team member: Johno
Almost a year to the day it all began, Challenge 2014 came to a close in a similar manner - a frosty December 10km run...only this time in the dark!
Eton Dorney Lake was again the venue, having already hosted your Challenge 2014ers at the Dorney Triathlon earlier in the year. Thankfully, a dip in the water wasn't required this time - instead it was two laps of the lake lit only by sporadic strobes and the trusty candle-esque glow of Johno's cheap head torch.
With the car temperature dial showing at zero degrees, Johno and his trusty support crew/wife Samantha crunched over the icy grass towards the start area. This series of Night Runs is a relatively new event and a quick glance at the entrants board showed only 77 participants which made for a good friendly, atmosphere...and also for Johno a real chance of finishing last!
And so it was off into the night, a horde of bouncing lightbulbs slicing through the cold dark air. The lake a black mirror reflecting the moon, stars and a few dozen aircraft coming in and out of nearby Heathrow. The route was getting icier by the second and (don't tell Alan Shearer) Johno was thankful for the gloves he'd decided to wear. The two laps involved a long straight down to the distant lights of the Eton Boathouse at the far end of the lake and then a winding section back up to the starting point. As the runners dispersed, and those with better head torches disappeared, Johno found himself back chasing the same small circle of half-hearted light as he had done in the Grim Blackout back in November. A familiar companion, a useless navigational aid.
Turning the final corner and a quick glance behind showed a handful of even slower head torches in pursuit and with a last sprint finish Johno came home to complete event number 13 out of 13.
So that is it for Challenge 2014 - we have had some fantastic adventures which we'll write a final blog about in the coming days. Thank you all for your support, participation and of course sponsorship. We are well on course to hitting our fundraising target which is absolutely fantastic. We have been so proud to support LLR over the past year and all the aches and pains have proved well worth it!
C14 x
Eton Dorney Lake, Berkshire
Team member: Johno
Almost a year to the day it all began, Challenge 2014 came to a close in a similar manner - a frosty December 10km run...only this time in the dark!
Eton Dorney Lake was again the venue, having already hosted your Challenge 2014ers at the Dorney Triathlon earlier in the year. Thankfully, a dip in the water wasn't required this time - instead it was two laps of the lake lit only by sporadic strobes and the trusty candle-esque glow of Johno's cheap head torch.
With the car temperature dial showing at zero degrees, Johno and his trusty support crew/wife Samantha crunched over the icy grass towards the start area. This series of Night Runs is a relatively new event and a quick glance at the entrants board showed only 77 participants which made for a good friendly, atmosphere...and also for Johno a real chance of finishing last!
And so it was off into the night, a horde of bouncing lightbulbs slicing through the cold dark air. The lake a black mirror reflecting the moon, stars and a few dozen aircraft coming in and out of nearby Heathrow. The route was getting icier by the second and (don't tell Alan Shearer) Johno was thankful for the gloves he'd decided to wear. The two laps involved a long straight down to the distant lights of the Eton Boathouse at the far end of the lake and then a winding section back up to the starting point. As the runners dispersed, and those with better head torches disappeared, Johno found himself back chasing the same small circle of half-hearted light as he had done in the Grim Blackout back in November. A familiar companion, a useless navigational aid.
Turning the final corner and a quick glance behind showed a handful of even slower head torches in pursuit and with a last sprint finish Johno came home to complete event number 13 out of 13.
So that is it for Challenge 2014 - we have had some fantastic adventures which we'll write a final blog about in the coming days. Thank you all for your support, participation and of course sponsorship. We are well on course to hitting our fundraising target which is absolutely fantastic. We have been so proud to support LLR over the past year and all the aches and pains have proved well worth it!
C14 x