Hey Sweeties,
I completed the 10k XRunner Water Wipeout Challenge! Yippee!
On Friday afternoon three of us drove up to Nottingham to stay overnight at a nearby hotel before early Saturday morning heading to the National Water Sports Centre to do the XRunner Water Wipeout! We were all really nervous and slept very lightly the night before and I was feeling almost sick as we parked the car.
But…
I had so much fun! I ache like crazy and have one gigantic purple coloured bruise on my thigh and several other little ones on my arms, hands and legs but it was well worth it and I would totally do it again!
Here’s what happened:
On arrival to the event, you sign in, drop your bags off and get given a wrist band before making your way to the start line/enclosure (assuming you haven’t arrived more than an hour before your ‘wave’). I think there were about 200-300 people per wave and ours was at 10:30am. Everyone participates in a quick warm up before the countdown begins and a couple of large bangs mark the start of the race. Then you’re off!
In total, there are 30 obstacles within a 5k lap. You begin with some hay bale hurdles before having to swim 100 metres in open water –fortunately it was a warm day so the water was more refreshing than cold! This ‘obstacle’ was actually quite scary for me, trying to swim in your clothes and with trainers on is quite challenging especially with reeds and people getting all tangled and in your way didn’t make for a great experience. But hey ho! The rest of the course is a mixture of commando crawls under nets, climbing nets, walls –I identified I have little upper body strength so needed a leg up on a few, I also remembered once I had reached the tops of these walls that I am actually quite scared of heights! There were a good 4 or more water based obstacles, 3 with slides that plunged you into the pools/rivers and required you to swim across to the other side… even though the water wasn’t freezing, upon entering the body still shocks slightly with the change of temperature. You also have to be careful you don’t swallow any of the water otherwise you stand a chance of getting (as they so politely put it) “a runny bum!” There were also some balance beams, some under-over obstacles etc. My favourite was the commando crawl through mud underneath barbed wire. It sounds quite brutal but getting muddy was all part of the fun!
Just out of the lake
Lovely & muddy!
2nd lap: Just out of another of the water obstacles…
My two Water Wipeout buddies stopped at 5k/1 lap of the course but I carried on for a second lap to complete the 10k which I was so chuffed I did. On the way round the first time, although some of the obstacles I wasn’t keen to repeat, I felt it wouldn’t have been a challenge if I hadn’t pushed myself to overcome those fears and anxieties therefore I felt I just had to go round again. I had also psyched myself up all week to complete the 10k and much of my sponsorship was on the assumption that was what I was going to do so there were many additional contributing factors to my decision.
On doing the second lap alone, I feel I gained so much from it. I am used to training by myself so in some ways it was nice to complete a lap alone too and when I saw the finish line I got a bit teary at my achievement. Fortunately the girls didn’t mind waiting for me to complete the course so I really am grateful to them for that!
Only 2 mins 57 seconds slower on my 2nd lap! Good effort I think!
So far I have raised £85 for Yateley Hockey Club to fund a new pitch, if you wanted to donate please do as there is still time! (Apologies, I hated adding that bit but do you blame me?).
Anywho, it’s now all systems go for training for the Yorkshire 3 Peaks next month!
Until next time x
