Setting out for the Chiltern village of Frieth a bit before 8am I was wondering whether I was overdressed for the ride what with winter boots, waterproof, leggings, gloves and hat. Soon enough I was glad of them though as I left Oxford and found myself surrounded by cold fog. I stopped and turned my rear flasher on. Winching the fixie up Watlington Hill was hard work and maybe not the best preparation for a hilly 10k run but at least it warmed me up. Red Kites were just about everywhere.

I met up with fellow VC&ACs Mary and Ade at the start, Simon turned up later but we caught up with him at the finish. By 9:30 the sun had broken through and it was turning into a fine autumn morning, warm enough for shorts and vest and perfect for a run in the woods. The vicar said his bit then we all gathered on the road for the start. Dead on 10am we were off!

A flattish start along the road then soon we were on a path through woods then a field with great views of rolling mist in the valleys far below (in fact a lot of this turned out to be smoke from a bonfire but it looks much nicer when you think it’s mist). Then down a twisting path through more woods and continuing down over fields, the sort of descent it’s best just to let go and pray for the best on. I passed a few on that downhill but seeing Ade, who had passed me earlier, way ahead down at the bottom suggested he’d gained many places. We joined the road and got a chance to settle into a steady pace for a bit through the villages of Fingest and Skirmett where the landlord of The Frog offers support in the form of a free pint ‘2nd time round’ (this is a single lap course).

At the end of Skirmett we turn left and start climbing, then soon right onto a track where we continue climbing. My earlier 8 minute miling is reduced to 10 at best and this continues for a good while as we gain height through the woods. A few are walking and passing isn’t always easy. I try and push harder as I hope to get under 53:40 which would be a course best but my breakfast is threatening a reappearance so not too hard.

Eventually, after a zigzag through the woods that stumped any sense of direction I might have retained, the course flattens out and that feeling of being on top reappears. We join a bit of road, this is Parmoor I think, there is a sign warning drivers that the Marlow Half will use these roads in a couple of weeks, a reminder to those of us entered that we will be climbing back up here first weekend of November.

A track round big fields with views and I’m still in with a chance of a course best so try and keep the pace up. Then we turn left onto road and it’s not far to go but still a last hill to climb – Frieth is probably the highest point of the race and that last 0.2 of a mile is where we regain the remaining height.

The photographer missed me this year (2011) but here I am in 2009 being beaten up the last hill by a gorrilla.

Then we turn back into the school and the announcer encourages us each by name. I cross the line in 53:29 142/286 so get my course best and just scrape into the first half of the field. The Frieth Hilly is a great race in lovely countryside and always well organised and fun.

Back on the bike with my tired legs the climb back up to Christmas Common goes on for ever, I keep pedaling though I suspect it would be quicker to walk it. The stretch from Watlington back to Oxford seems to take ages but I actually get home just a bit after 1pm and despite 42 miles round trip on the fixie and 10 hilly kilometres run I’m already looking forward to Marlow.