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Monday 9 April 2012

Skiving

Today I’m in the glamorous surroundings of a field in Solihull and its raining. In fact it drizzles for most of the day and for the rest of the time we get proper, full on, rain. Consequently it’s a very muddy field. I could have returned to help the club out in Shrewsbury today but it’s about half the distance to here. It’s amazing how many others from the club have pulled the same trick, basically skiving.

Our first run is Doggo in the Vets. He goes clear and gets a rosette for third. MD meanwhile demolishes the first jump of his first course but then does a perfect run for the rest of it. His time would have put him third and considering he hit that jump rather hard, disrupting his stride, he may well have made up the second or so he was behind and won it. Ho hum.

After that poles go down everywhere, MD doesn’t run well in the wet. Just like one of my old cars. So no clears. We stay for our last run, even though with it being for Grades 1-5, we stand little chance of success. By this point most sensible folk have gone home, having had enough of the mud. As we watch the competition I realise that we haven’t seen anybody go clear on it yet, with the difficult first section catching everybody out. So I try a different tactic that works a dream on the difficult start. Then it all goes pear-shaped as I traumatise MD by trying to change sides in front of him. We head home in disgrace.

L’s had a better day than us, 58.03 for her 10k on what is a far from fast course around the undulating grounds of Wayne Manor (formerly known as Wollaton Hall). The girl done well and is edging ever closer to the magic 500 miles.

She heads over to her parents’ from where I collect her later, after a stop off at my parents’ so that the dogs can spread their mud over their kitchen. My folks don't seem to mind and the boys even pick up some roast beef for their tea. I get a biscuit.

(Monday 9th April)

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