Inca Trail

Richard wrote:

Continuing our theme of trying races we haven’t done before, Sunday saw the Westgates at the 7.6 mile multi-terrain Inca Trail race at Ilchester. For the second week running Lesley got the start time wrong. There was I striding across the playing field trying to work up a sweat when Dan came over looking at me in a puzzled fashion and asked if it wasn’t a bit early for a warm up! I had wondered why there were only half a dozen cars in the park.

After resting up in the club house I took a second warm up and headed for the start. It was cold and bleak at 3 degrees C. The ground was frozen with a slime of gooey mud on top. They say conditions here have been different every year – in the club house there was an excellent picture of someone sprinting through the floods in a previous year.

Memories of the race are a bit blurred as I spent a lot of time concentrating on keeping up a good pace without slipping. There were lanes, muddy droves, stiles, gates, a short steep grassy hill, fields, and a long grassy run alongside the River Yeo – very reminiscent of leg 3 of the Parrett trail.

I did enjoy this race and had a few personal battles with other rivals. A great bonus was the steaming hot shower afterwards. Talking of which – another early attempt was made at the coveted disrepute award. In the showers a Yeovil runner asked “Guys have you any ideas how we could improve this race?” I immediately replied “well you could get rid of the naff mementoes”, not realising that they were lovingly hand-crafted by someone toiling late into the night trying to raise money for a needy Peruvian charity!

Once again Lesley triumphed in her age category beating off exceptionally stiff opposition which included a trio of Ethiopian athletes who had come halfway across the globe in search of gold. ( LW: In reality the only rival in my age group also won an award for coming last.)

Now read on for Dan’s memories.................................