Jemma Takes on the Spring Ram Run

After Marshalling for 2015 autumn ram Run I got to see and play on the course myself as a payment for giving muddy hugs.  I wasn’t disappointed one bit I opted for the Sunday run at 24km giving me good distance in my legs for Rat Race dirty weekend which is fast approaching.  I do like how it’s all been organised.  I went in the Fun runner’s category which started 1^st before the trophy hunters eventually would catch us up and overtake.  The 12km wave was then set off midday with the idea we should all start to finish around the same time and can enjoy more of the after race events.  This I think should where possible adopted elsewhere.

Coming to this race the only worry on my mind was the chest/head flu I had just recently get rid of had left me with a persistent cough and my running miles beforehand considerable reduced almost similar thing happened to me when doing 2015 Deerstalker race. I was aware this course is making use of the natural environment and its obstacles with others which was man made.  Some of these man made obstacle came in the shape and form of approx. metre high yellow hurdles which you jump over which also was used as course markers wherever possible I estimate I saw over 50 + of the now known as Little Yellow Bastards.  The 1^st 12km loop these was a sore point till fatigue set in on the 2^nd loop round and these LYB could have been two metres tall for how you felt getting over them.  Kudos to the Iain and the team for those.  With farmers spraying fields with fertilizer we didn’t have to swim in the river like I saw in the autumn ram run which was great fully pleased for but instead  had to shimmy across bridges with rope which was tricky as with MHSOF knew if you fell was onto concrete but falling into water wasn’t something I wanted to happen.

The man made obstacles wasn’t easy we had varying types of walls to complete in different heights too and the inverted wall one which was for the mere mortals aka fun runner and a massive something like 8 ft one for those trophy hunters was good thing to get teeth stuck into or my case have my bum shoved up and over.  By the 2^nd lap I about mastered the run and launch self over wrapped hay bales which was something nearly 4 ft tall with larger one for the trophy hunters.  The rig which was the new creation as the spring ram run is the 1^st one where you could get qualifier for the OCR championships later in the year so this rig to complete was a must.   Thankfully for my level I was able to get across the parallel bars and crawl under cargo net quite well but hats off to the guys who had the harder section to complete without touching the floor.

The course personally thought was well marked with marshals at every point would want to see one and they was armed with enough haribo sweets to keep any runner happy.  There was reasonably priced food and drink at the end of the event which was still serving hot fresh food right to the very end which some events been too in the past started to pack up before the last runners have come through.  The biggest bouns there was showers to clean up at the end as been one of the last runners I didn’t experience cues for these magical showers and got hot water.  (the boiler must have just heated back up).  This alone makes me want to come back again.  If was running both days there was optional free camping and an event where free car parking on hardstanding floor is great for the inclusive price tag will I be back again defiantly and recommend this to any OCR or newbie runner