It was a sign of my diminishing fitness that I wasn’t much looking forward to cycling all the way out to Woodstock and back – a round trip of 24 miles – to run the OX5 Run at Blenhiem Palace. A few years ago I would happily cycle there just to the start of a 200k Audax, 12 years ago my 4 times a week commute was longer than that. Oh well!

Anyway the forecast said it would be cold and what with an increasing 15 mph north-easterly wind gusting to 30+ it would feel even colder. I wrapped up well for the ride out, getting quite toasty with the effort and all my layers and overshoes and winter hat and gloves on. The traffic was backed up to the Bladon roundabout and struggling to park in muddy fields so I congratulated myself for bothering to cycle. I’d allowed 30 minutes to orientate myself, peel off my layers and have a warm-up jog. I watched the official Zumba warm-up again but wasn’t tempted though a bit of music was nice.

It was so cold in that wind though. Soon enough I was back at my bike putting everything back on again I was that cold. My frozen shoulder throbbed through the layers of painkillers as it doesn’t like being double frozen. I wandered further into the Blenhiem estate to shelter behind a hedge and found Stuart, Phil and a couple of other IWCA members also tucking themselves away out of the wind. I chatted with other familiar local faces then wandered back towards my bike in time to hear the start had been delayed 30 minutes to allow the cars to park. The forecast had said it would feel even colder as the wind increased and it was dead right. I considered just getting on my bike and riding home, why I didn’t go in the cafe and have a cuppa I don’t know.

11am and at last we were off at last to the sound of an air-horn wielded by Raymond Blanc. My VRUK vest invisible beneath a fleece I decided to keep wearing though I did strip down to shorts. It was great to get going but the start was total chaos as many first timers were understandably confused which direction we were to start in and their efforts to get near the back put them right near the front. I started halfway down the field and spent much of the first, and consequently slowest, mile passing walkers and runners while faster runners passed me in turn.

There was some great fancy dress and teams of charity runners and the course is through some pretty parkland so soon enough I was warming up and glad to be there. I felt slow though and didn’t plan to push myself so just enjoyed the run, I was far enough back not to be passed by all and sundry. We went north round the lake then turned south for a bit of tailwind back towards the palace. Then continued round the lake past a gate with a ‘Please Close Gate’ notice we had laughed at when walking here at Xmas, the message made more sense now as it was attached to fencing.

‘Please Close Gate’ sometime around Xmas

Then up a short hill which felt like a big hill followed by a good descent through woodland, all on smooth paths, and a last down then up to cross the Glyme – this last bit straight into that wind. I was glad to finish and my 44:43 was as good as expected despite being almost 7 minutes slower than last time I ran the OX5 in 2011. I was 309th of 958 runners – the great thing about these fun runs is you can be slow and still finish in the first half. The ride back was exhausting and I foolishly failed to refuel properly so bonked pretty thoroughly. Glad I did it though and have just entered yet another March charity run – The Resolution Run 10k trail race up Shotover where I’d no doubt have been running anyway on the 24th 🙂

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