Joy Decision

Saturday, Park Run and the Burnham breeze was blowing a hoolie. I trotted around with Jinny Darling and Tony McKee chatting to occupy my ‘racing’ mind and keep my powder dry for the evening’s main event, Storm The Fort 10k at Brean Down. Maybe the race should have been called Eye of the Storm. Little did we know when signing up that because the course was different to the usual access road and back but along the road, through the fort and back over the Down via the Trig point. This annoyed Aspire, organiser of other Brean Down runs, because the National Trust refused permission for a similar route.

The evening arrived and time for the road trip. Harry Petheram was our kind host and we were joined by Madame Pompomadour and Jonny Jacobs. Madame gave her usual directions even though it was dark and she had no clue where we were. Fortunately Jonny suggested following the road until it stopped. On arrival, I was easily persuaded to drop down to the 5km as the wind was blowing harder than an asthmatic in a Turkish bath. *cleaned that one up!*. Hence Joy Decision. Jonny Jacobs put forward a good case when he said that he loves a good cliff rescue!

We met up with fellow Harriers, Paula and Billie-Jo Hopley, Super Sue ‘The Pocket Rocket’ Nicholls and Jason ‘Run Fat Boy, Run’ Roberts. Harry and Jason were still running the 10km and I felt a little guilty for dumbing down, but not that much. Registration was easy and Jon, as a coastguard, was at great pains telling the organisers that he informed his colleagues that bright lights will be seen from the Down and it wasn’t an angry mob with torches and pitchforks chasing a man made monster off the cliff in Mary Shelley tradition.

Even though Jon and myself both felt a twinge in our pride muscle, Harry and Jason were still keen to tackle the two laps of the dark side of Brean Down. The 10kers set off after an entertaining pre race brief and followed shortly after by us one lap jockeys. Walking up the road onto the Down and seeing Jon and Billie-Jo speeding away disturbed me slightly. What if I got into some difficulty? A coastguard would be ideal to help me and then I remembered, Jon likes a ‘good cliff rescue’ and I didn’t want cliff to become Clive.

Running along the road to the fort at the seaward furthest point was fraught with difficulties even wearing a headtorch. The beam shone out a few metres in front of me and I could see what was coming but the problem was under my feet and many times I felt the unevenness of the path bend my ankles. Once at the fort, we ran through the compound and one of the buildings where a photographer was snapping our startled faces. Out of the fort and up the Down and slip, sliding to the Trig Point which provided outstanding panoramic views of Weston-Super-Mare in front and Cardiff and Barry behind. Then back down the access road to the finish to collect our goody bags and drink coffee.

Harriers produced great returns. Harry was 3rd in the 10k and Jason a creditable 18th after his injuries and illness. The 5k produced a clean sweep in the Ladies race with Billie-Jo winning, Sue 2nd and Paula 3rd. Overall in the 5k Jonny finished 3rd and I scrapped 6th.