Surrey Badger Half Marathon Report

The beer review will be up tomorrow, wasn't able to taste the beer before now due to being sensible after my fall. I do sit here with the glow of achievement and the colour of my various bruises however.

This Half Marathon is one of the best regarded according to the Runners World reports and it is a lovely route of the scenic countryside that is in the Mole valley in Surrey. Dorking main station is only ten minutes by foot but I was lucky enough to get a lift from a friend so could save my legs for the race.

Once I had booked in and got my chip and number (with the usual attempt to pin the number onto skin rather than clothing) I was ready for the off albeit at the back of the track I hate starting near the front as I get overtaken by most folks! There was a really great atmosphere and I could also see the crates of beer being readied for our return!

The route out of Denbies Estate leads onto the A24 which provides a fast track and I did the three miles to Sawmill Hill in 10.30 minute miles which I thought was rather good and so was feeling great until I looked to my left and saw the mountain..er..hill that the faster runners were heading up. Seriously the information when I joined did say hilly, so I did practise hills such as they are around my neck of the woods but nothing prepared me for the Hill of Doom.

I managed to run halfway before realising my walking pace was faster so I ascended the dizzy heights (without oxygen I may add) by walking and then there was a brief dip so I cheerfully headed on my way, not quite as fast as this was now trail with tree roots and leaves. Now into the Surrey countryside I could see why people call it a scenic route, the smell of leaves on the ground and the sounds of woodland life around me made the next 3 mile stretch of the route a pleasure despite the sharp upwards bits. The course photographer managed to snap some shots of me running, in which I look...mmmm...least said.

Now I have to admit I am not built for hills nor speed but I hit mile 6 at 1 hour and 9 miles so I was still feeling good and I saw two buzzards starting a slow climb in the air which was magical to see. I knew I wasn’t going to hit the magical 2hours 15 for the whole thing but I knew that when I saw the Hill of Doom but I was still on for a good time. The next mile and a bit was fine but before mile 8 there was what I can only describe as a tree root ladder, I scrambled up this with about as much dignity as a womble chasing a crisp packet in the wind but I did make it and started my way back on the return journey.

At mile 9, saw the cheering party with the tiny spaniel puppy and entered the trail to the Hill of Doom but luckily I would be going down rather than up this time. This Half Marathon has the best support around the route I have ever had, friendly folk who do make you feel like you are flying along rather than plodding despite what the course photographs try and tell you.

However, disaster! A discarded gel packet in amongst the leafy trail sent me flying, after breaking my fall with my hands I rolled to one side. Luckily my head hit last so was more a knock than a full bang. After checking I was ok, I tried on unfortunately in tears but I still carried on. Warned the marshall at the top of the hill about the gel packets being discarded but as I was in the last lot of runners no-one else took the same trip thankfully.

The last three and bit miles were done in a combo of run and walking, due to pain and I suspect a little bit of ‘I want to go home wahh’ however as I entered the Denbies Estate the runners who finished way before me and were heading to their cars were really encouraging with cheers of you are nearly there and clapping I made it to the end in a time of 2hours 46 minutes, 31 minutes slower than I wanted but I did do it even with falls and mountains involved. And I got my lovely t-shirt and a bottle of Badger Beer!

But I will be back next year though, I will get that time I wanted… You hear me Hill I will beat you!

Any Ideas?

Ok, twitter had no suggestions on what beer to have after my first half marathon to celebrate so I'm throwing it open to you good folks. Review will be posted up with a long winded prose on my running. :)

Of course I do have a wish for Goose Island's Night Stalker or Bourbon County but since I can't find any where that seems to stock them to buy I'm on the market for a tasty (preferably dark) beer.

What beer would you pick for me to celebrate a great achievement?

Happy 3rd Birthday Sambrooks!

Yesterday was the birthday bash for one of London's newer breweries. It was a great day for it, sun was shining and all was right with the world. We got there early for the 12pm opening thanks to a winning combination of the cream of London bus rally drivers association otherwise known as Nigel the number 44 driver and a lack of traffic.

As one of the first 20 though the door we got a free t-shirt which even better included a woman's fit option. Rather nice touch, I have numberous t-shirts in trible xl that I can't wear other than as a dress, this one I can wear! :) The whole organisation of the day was smooth, tables with water jugs, friendly staff and live music. It was one of the best laid back events I have gone too.

It was on this day that Sambrooks introduced their membership scheme as seen by the photo of the extra special Pink Floyd edition postcard on this post. There are details on their website and it is a nice way of supporting a local brewery. The husband excitedly went and got his Silver membership, Gold was considered but we just can't guarentee being able to make two events in one year to go for it with our busy diary.

A new beer from Sambrooks was on offer, the Pale Ale (4.2% abv) is a cracking beer, one that went well with the hot temperatures and was indeed very thirst quenching. Another nice touch was the beer playing card size tasting notes that were on each table with the usual food suggestions and cyclops notes. My favourite beer is still the Powerhouse Porter (4.9% abv) and whilst I did try the others it was this one I returned to regularly.

Fantastic day, just hope they hold another event that we can get to again.

For more details on the beers, brewery or the membership scheme: http://www.sambrooksbrewery.co.uk/

Do You Know What Your 'Child' Is Up To?

Those who read this and are parents... well do you?

This is meant in an aggressive manner. I run and having a half marathon next week means I needed to get in a 10 mile run last night. What is a hard run for me was made harder by the feral brats that live on my estate in Essex.

Name calling I can ignore, you think I haven't hear taunts about my glasses or size before? Maybe I would prefer the comments to be more witty but as their favourite pastimes seem to be abusing others I guess education is at the bottom of their list.

However shoving and attempting to trip a runner... seriously where do they get off? I note their bravery in doing this to a SINGLE FEMALE runner was not so tough when it came to two men running. Combined with name calling this is called bullying, something that if it happened to them their parents who be first to yell and scream about.

The fact is my run ended at 9pm last night and children as young as 4 years old were still out and being encouraged by the morons from earlier to yell out abuse including c***, and yet no parent came out to get their children in or to challenge this behaviour just tells me that if they can't hear their child over the TV then it doesn't matter what the heck they are up to in my town in Essex.

Thanks to these little bullies I had to run a weird route in an dim lit industrial estate instead, not something any woman would do especially after dark but somehow that was safer than running in a well-lit housing estate.

Windsor 8K & The Bricklayers Arms Beer Festival

Firstly I achieved a fairly respectable 54 minute time for my 8K (or 5 miles), despite the blistering heat of the midday sun on the day. My shoulders were pink come the afternoon which didn't go well with the blue ESB running vest but you can't have anything. Nor was I put off by the hilly course which included a few very nasty inclines to go up and now I am a proud owner of my first 8K medal. :)

The course was hilly as said but well organised race apart from the starting time and water stations, only one on this race at 3K when another at 6K would have been good due to the temperature. Personally I do prefer races that start earlier in the day so you can have lunch and still have your afternoon to yourself and more important miss the hottest part of the day if it is sunny.

After the race we all hotfooted it back so we could shower and change (it's not nice sitting on a train realising the rank smell is you) and head back out to Putney and the Derbyshire Beer fesitval. After the race you need carbs and beer contains them plus we felt the beer had been earnt. We arrived missing the morris men dancing although we still got to hear the 'merry' singing from them inside the pub.

If you fancy is good well run beer festival that is busy but not stupidly so then I really recommend you head to the Bricklayers when they do these. Food on the evening was hot pasties and they were superb to match the beer too. Sadly a few of the more interesting titled beers had already gone but with both morris men and Camra members around this was not a surprise.

Falstaff brewery was the winner for us with all of their beers being judged fantastic by our group. Lockwood and Assassin being personal favourites of mine. It was a nice end to a good day sitting munching pasties and drinking good beer after a long race.

Running On Empty

Not a lot of beer at the moment sadly.......

Time it grows short to my first (maybe only) ever half marathon. Due to injury, holiday and general fannying about on my part I am running up to the wire on my training this week is my first long run of 9-10 miles then I have only one more long run of 12 before I start tapering for the big day.

It's not all doom and gloom though whilst my run will be days away I get to experience 'carb loading' which is pretty much the runners excuse for nomming on jaffa cakes all day. However I have been informed that beer doesn't count despite the carbs it contains, shame really the idea of sitting watching a film whilst partaking of jaffas and beer was a rather nice one.

The only bad news is I don't get a medal for my half marathon but I do get a t-shirt and a bottle of beer so it's not all bad. :)

Great Northern Beer Festival

Every year I have been a blogger, I see posts about this beer festival and how great it is. One day I will head further north than York* and go to this festival, probably next year as this year's meagre holiday allowance has been booked up with trips with the other half.

This makes two beer festivals up the other end of the country I want to get to, this means I must steel my girders to face the most trying of experience known to bloggers....... The national rail system..... Oh gods.



Note: I was emailed to ask if I wouldn't mind posting the poster on my blog, I have no problems with this, as said I have never seen a bad review of this festival so it must be good. Just jealous that it's up north and I can't make it this year. :(

* Just been told York is further north than Manchester, I have no directional sense apart from being able to find a open pub anywhere.