The Runners Need G3 race gallery is now live and ready for you to collect your
free downloads:
Click here for the gallery:
http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=2khzget
The first race of a Five race series (three in winter and two in June) - the G3 courses have been established for five years providing a testing off road hilly course - covering sand, pathways, fields, mud and gravel. These are not for the fainthearted - a good 40minute 10k runner can expect to add 25% to their normal race time - and that's on a good day.
More information on the G3 events can be found here:
http://www.allabouttriathlons.co.uk/events_g3-run.html
Saturday morning 8.30am. Race starts. Technically - its' very dark - ISO 1250 f3.2 1/320th, physically, it's cold - about -1degC. The race route, round and then a gradual down the hill and up another one, then along a path towards St.Martha's Mount.(here's a course map:
http://connect.garmin.com/player/22589911 ) 1.5 miles in and this is what it looks like:
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| Solid pathways at 1.5miles |
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| Newlands Corner and the start in the distance behind you |
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| A string of runners following behind into the distance |
The next stage of the course is - up St.Martha's - Zola Budd used to train up this hill track - it's that hard.
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| You can see the course winding away down the sandy slope behind |
The wide angle shot doesn't do the slope
justice.It's hard.
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| Having too much fun |
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| Eventual winner of the Female Race, hot-toeing it up the hills |
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| off the ground and flying up the hill |
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| Looking good in aat fashion technical tops |
This is the highest point in the course at 2miles. Then follows another 1.6miles of gradual downhill, in pretty woodland paths and then another 1.6miles of gradual uphill to be up at the church once again. At this point you're probably wide-eyed with oxygen deprivation.Or you're taking in the lovely view, if you can take your eyes off the tree roots.
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| Steely eyed determination helps with these hills |
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| There's St.Martha's Church in the background |
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| Race numbers help us to catalogue the images so you can find them easily |
Once you have run down from this - you think it's all over. It's not. Whilst it's half a mile downhill - which is rugged and hard and tough on the quads, and then it's another half mile uphill - just as steep. By which point you should be near dead.
Finally you get a 200m run in on the flat back to the finish at the end of the car park - where you can look good and all together much more with it. And warm up a bit.
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| Flying along on the flat at last |
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| This chap won, see - nobody in sight behind him. Awesome. I think the magicians' gloves help. |
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| More flying in to the finish - with a runners need tshirt too. |
Just remember - there are only two faces you should have when you have your running photo taken - happy elation and smiling (ref 177 above) or grim hard work and concentrated pain (ref all the others).
I often get comments from people saying "but I don't look my best." of course you don't if it's a beauty contest. You didn't spend an hour in makeup in front of a mirror and you didn't shave and you're running your heart out in a race. If you looked your most beautiful - then you're a freak of nature, or you have different tastes, or you just aren't trying.
You did however look your best (i.e. not necessarily beautiful) - you looked exactly how someone striving to be all that they can be should look like - and someone striving for that is - looking their best.
So when you look at your pictures of the G3, remember this. You are there doing your thing. This is great. Download them for free, and share them with the world. You looked your best !
Click here for the gallery:
http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=2khzget
and collect your free downloads now.
Until next time - train safe, and keep warm.
Anthony
