Another attempt at cracking a marathon proved more successful at The Clumber Lakeside run by Rasselbock. This is a 6-hour event where for your lap to count, your final lap has to be completed before the 6-hour time limit.
This run is on harder paths than the majority of Rasselbock events, starting near the cricket pavilion, then off over the bridge to Hardwick Village, then back across the lake at the stone bridge and to the start again. at 7.125KM, the circuits were longer than other runs so 7 laps were required to complete slightly more than a marathon.
The weather was much better this time – even the sun came out, which was a welcome change to the recent dreary wet weather. This definitely lifted my mood along with no ice to make me think I might fall. Buoyed up with music, albeit stuttery due to poor DAB reception in the woods, I was ready to go for 7 laps. Certainly the first 3 laps went better than when I ran a couple of weeks previously.
I also managed to get 4 laps in by the 3-hour halfway point, so I knew that I would complete the target 7. By lap 5 I did ease off a bit – so I wouldn’t be tempted into an 8th.
The 7 laps equate to 50.39km or 31.3 miles. I completed it in 5 hours 40 minutes and 25 minutes. The first two finishers completed 8 laps which equates to 57.58 km or 35.8 miles.
