The Rat Race BRISTOL Urban Adventure Race
An Oarsum Bristol Rat Race
Team Oarsum / 06.07.2009
How did I find myself to be in this satisfyingly exhausted state, with fresh new memories of challenging tasks, leg-sapping cycle rides, my legs feeling the 20km running - but strangely happy ....
Cue wavy lines ...
A few months previously, I went to Portsmouth to visit Chris and Ben; fit and adventurous guys, who attended numerous sporting events around the UK. Whilst perusing a number of fitness magazines, I came across an image of them kayaking as part of the last Helly Hansen Race.
They had done well, and now planned to enter the Bristol Weekender; this consisted of the Mean Streets event on the Saturday (colloquially know as the Prologue) and the Ninetofive event on Sunday.
As the evening progressed we discovered a difference of opinion regarding which was the best tasting gin; Tanqueray, Gordon’s or Plymouth. Numerous un-controlled taste tests were inconclusive, but no clear winner. After many ‘tastes’ of gin, my friend Matt and I said that maybe we should do this again under more controlled conditions, which would require the purchase of ‘serious’ quantities of the juniper-based berry spirit. Clearly there were no volunteers to take on the financial outlay.
“I know!�, I (“Matt!!!�) exclaimed in gin-fuelled exuberance, “Matt/Dave and I can take part in the next Rat Race, and whichever team loses can provide the gin! “Simples!!�. With Team RAF Race’s recent success their confidence was high; they readily accepted. All we needed to do was find a third member, apply, attend and complete …not a problem!
With only 2 months to go until the event, and having suffered a snapped Achilles tendon; yes, totally snapped in half, in August the year before, I needed to get training. After perusing the ‘ratraceadventure.com’ website and finding out exactly what was involved, I was dismayed to discover lots of running, lots of cycling and lots of kayaking was needed… what had I got myself into?! Matt was already attending sprint triathlons so would be prepared, but me? A 15 stone chunk of man, with the longest run I had completed in the last year being 5 miles. My cycle training involved going to and from work (4 miles) and kayaking generated images of the Titanic, without Dicaprio and Winslett.
SleepMonsters
