Grim 2011 - Race Report

My final event of the year has now gone and as usual, it was a lot of fun. This is my 3rd proper Grim and I come back every year as I enjoy it so much. Strangely though, it wasn't as grim as normal as 11 degrees and sunny makes it much more pleasant although in a strange way, not as much fun. I only say that because when it's close to zero, the impending fear you get from every single puddle gets your adrenaline flowing but when it's slightly warmer, the puddles don't have that hold over you. In fact, I made a point of aiming for pretty much every single one of them.

This is the thing I don't get. Why would someone pay £25 to enter and then try and go round the edge of the puddles! I just don't get it!! It seems completely alien to me. If I didn't want to get wet and muddy, I wouldn't enter this event. Where's the logic?? Don't get me wrong, I'm don't swan dive into them but running, splashing and squelching through mud and puddles gives me more child like joy than any other event I do!

To the event itself, impeccably organised as ever and no hassle at all. They have amended the course this year though. They've taken out the part known as 'the boring bit'. Previously, this was about 3 miles of gravel road through the forest with absolutely no obstacles at all. DULL! This is now only about 1km long and the rest has been replaced by logs, train tracks, big mogul hills (hill, puddle, hill, puddle, hill, puddle etc) which was my favourite bit and then some steep, muddy and narrow tracks through the forest. So much better. I can honestly say it makes the whole route interesting now if not a little tougher on the legs.

Soaked from the waist down and mud up to and in my beard! Welcome to Grim!

It's restored my faith in Grim events after May's quite frankly, crap, Beast in the East and also makes me look forward to Grim 'Night Terror' which is coming up in Feb which should make the whole concept even better by making it colder and also only having the light of a head torch to guide you round. Hahahahahahaha! This is gonna be so much fun!!