The Skeleton Run - Massive Cow Fear & Night Hill Running

Running through the darkness, my breath was ragged in my throat and it seemed like the hill would never end. I was running hard, but in the small white circle from my headtorch, all I could see was the trail stretching upwards, steeper and steeper. Then all of a sudden a huge, shaggy monster rose in front of me. In the light of my headtorch, a rolling eye and huge, wide horns tipped with a devilishly sharp point were suddenly visible. 

“Bugger me” said the skeleton who was running next to me. 

I didn’t have the breath to respond but I understood the sentiment. When I signed up for The Skeleton Run, I was expecting darkness, massive hills and awesome fancy dress, but hadn’t expected Highland Cattle to be among the scary beasts on the trails. I had expected zombies, corpse brides, skeletons, superheroes and Grim Reapers but hadn’t thought I’d need to worry about becoming kebabed on the horns of a huge cow. Or burying my feet up to the knees in a (monster) cow pat.

Edging around the cows who were standing in the middle of the trail, it gave us an extra incentive to find some more speed up the first hill. I’d started off far too fast and as the hill became steeper and steeper I was beginning to regret some of my earlier enthusiasm. I knew that the first mile was all uphill, becoming more sheer towards the top ... but surely I must have run at least 2 miles by now? I was panting like a dirty caller and even with the Massive Cow Fear I knew I was slowing down.

I could see orange lights sparkling on my right, far below and knew them to be Loughborough and realised that coming up on my left would be the Old Man, the rock formation shaped like the profile of an old man. It was far too dark to see anything, but I was sure that a patch of black was slightly less black than the darkness around it. Around me skeletons, corpse brides and ghosts were grinding to a halt and starting to walk. I knew there couldn’t be much further to go of this hill ... pride and Cow Fear kept me running. 

Suddenly there was a feeling of space then the path cut through a narrow gate and then – gloriously – a steep hill below. The next mile was all downhill and it was a chance to try and regain some of the time lost on the first steep uphill. The path was corroded and bumpy but my feet flew over it. I tried consciously to relax my shoulders and to persuade my body that this was it’s recovery. Despite doing a sub-7 minute mile.

I flew down the hill, stones rolling under my feet, chasing the small white circle of light my headtorch cast on the ground. Occasionally there was a glow stick hanging from a tree to mark the route and sometimes you could see the headlights of other runners through the trees, glowing like werlights. It was too dark to judge the how far away they were, you could just see the circles of light like an eerie procession through the gloom. 

There was a drinks station at the bottom of the hill at mile 2 but I didn’t stop and swerved sharply to the right following the path down a gentle hill ... then up. And up. And up. I’d started too fast on the first hill from enthusiasm and from not wanting to be trampled in the stampede of witches and skeletons and I could feel my legs wanting to slow now. The hill felt never ending, I’d raise my head and spot a landmark on the path ahead – a pale nettle, a stick on the path, a dark tree trunk and focus on that, then look for the next. I had company, someone running with me at my shoulder but neither of us had energy or breath to spare to speak, we just ran together on and on ... and on. If there was a runner’s limbo, this was it.

The hill just wound up and up and it felt like a horrible déjà vu. Every section looked the same, the hill reaching up as far as the headtorch could reach. My companion slowed and said “I can’t run any more”. I told him “It opens up ahead, we’re nearly there.” He started running again, my invisible companion at my shoulder. I had been persuading myself as much as I was persuading him, but I knew the hill had to be nearly finished. Please. No more ... We turned another corner and there was more uphill and the path just looked the same. Dark, treelined and stretching upwards. The path was blocked by a fallen tree. We jumped it and suddenly - like a spell had been lifted - the trees disappeared and we crossed an area of darkness which had no trees that despite the pressing dark, felt like a wide open space. We passed through a gate and finally, finally the path sloped ... downwards. 

I tried to consciously ease my breath and relaxed my shoulders and took advantage of the downhill to push the speed and try and regain some of the time spent plodding up the hill. The next mile was undulating - which as any runner knows means it’s hilly, horribly hilly but it was a change from the never ending uphill and I tried to keep pushing the speed and take advantage of the downhills. I knew I wasn’t going to be breaking any PBs on this course, but I wanted to push myself. And I was damned if I was going to be beaten by some bloke dressed as a pumpkin. 

The path curved round a corner and into a sharp uphill. My quads groaned, but I remembered this hill! This was the last uphill! The LAST one!! I coerced my legs into as much of a fast run as they’d allow and pushed on. I spotted a marshall lurking suspiciously behind a tree and remembered that last year one had leapt out at me with a bloodcurdling howl. At the time I’d been extremely impressed with not wetting myself at the apparition. That was the REAL win of 2012. I kept my headtorch focused on the lurker, determined not to be caught by surprise this year. I was wearing a cop outfit and felt that the effect may be ruined by a pervasive smell of urine. 

I rounded the corner, through the gate and onto the final mile. From here on it was ALL downhill to the finish line! I tugged my police officers hat straight, straightened my handcuffs and kept a firm grip on the truncheon ... right. Time to test the legs. I flew down the hill, following the winding path in between the trees, trying to keep going, to eep the speed up. As I ran I was conscious of a light behind me, another runner closing the gap. I pushed harder, increased the speed, tried to widen the gap. I didn’t know whether it was a man or a woman, but I didn’t want to be overtaken by anyone this late in the race if I could help it. I hadn’t checked my pace at  any point in the run but I’d kept pushing and had hoped it would be enough to stop anyone catching me up. It wasn’t. The light behind me came closer. I dug deeper and pushed harder. The light receded slightly. I saw lights in the trees and knew the finish line must be close. A sharp corner and deep mud took me by surprise and I nearly lost my footing. I regained and saw the bright lights of the finish and a row of people watching. Not now! I can’t lose my place now. I sprinted for the line. Push! The final stretch should be the easiest bit but it felt hard and I was conscious that I could be overtaken by the other runner at any moment. And THROUGH. Across the line. 

Me and Superwoman ... also known as @Vickyemmamurphy

I collapsed on the cold grass with my arms full of goodies: a lovely medal shaped like a skull, a tshirt and a toffee apple. I heard a “Hello” and the runner who had chased me down the last hill introduced himself (Waves at Andy). I was thankful to meet the person who had kept me pushing the speed although not as relieved as having the opportunity to finally stop running up hills. Mustering the energy, I dragged myself up off the grass and went to cheer on the other runners. There’s nothing quite like watching Dracula and the Grim Reaper battle it out in a sprint finish. Except possibly trying not to look to closely as a group of blokes in ‘Sexy Santa’ dresses try to reach the finish line without flashing their Halloween Horrors at the crowd. 

Buff, water bottle, t shirt, skull medal, helmet/hand/ bike torch - my awesome haul for being 2nd lady!

RESULTS

Hope Skeleton run

2nd woman/121
23rd / 245
38:23

Full Garmin info here

You can get further information on the Skeleton Run or view further pictures by James Kirby on their Facebook page here here

Skeleton Run. Zombie Brides and the Lingering Smell of Coffee ...

Wolf Runner turned up at my house for preparation for the Skeleton Run and we transformed ourselves. She into Dead Red Riding Hood – post-wolf attack - complete with blood and appropriately ripped clothes. I into a zombie bride with tattered wedding dress, black rimmed eyes and greenish skin. Needless to say, I didn’t have to change my hair that much. Toddler was transfixed by this transformation, “But WHY are you pretending it’s blood?”

I butchered an old net curtain for my veil... but unfortunately running it through the wash beforehand had meant that it was beautifully sparkly and white. Not appropriate for the veil of someone who has just risen from the dead. Or supposed to look as though she has. I decided I didn’t have enough tea bags to soak it in tea (thank you Blue Peter for all those ‘map ageing’ techniques) but as a last ditch attempt coffee might do it. Soaked it in coffee and achieved a lovely dirty brownish colour. And a very strong smell of Nescafe.

After applying a lot of facepaint and fake blood, we finally left the house about 10 minutes late although with luck and clear roads we should still have been able to make it.

I was being driven in style tonight by Wolf Runner in her swanky new car ... when all of a sudden there is a squeaking. There is a whining. There is a strong smell of burning. And a battery light. Bugger. Quick turn the car around and hope the headlights don’t fail before we make it back!

Relieved that we didn’t have to call the RAC man while dressed like dead people, we did a quick change and started up the trusty Focus. And foot down. Finally made it with about 10 minutes to go before the registration closed. Phew. Managed to round up all the team members – we are Red Dead Riding Hood, Zombie Bride, Mr Skeleton, Evil Caped Guy from Scream and Tall Werewolf. We all looked AWESOME!

Just as we were getting ready to set off ...

I was glad for the layers of makeup and the costume as the night was freezing. The race briefing started off pretty much on time and we all trooped up to the top of the car park and huddled together for warmth under the trees. I started near the front as I’d remembered there was a bit of a bottle neck on the narrow paths last year and was soon joined by hordes of the undead and slightly maimed including bloodstained doctors, dead male cheerleaders complete with skirts and pompoms, the Incredibles, Catwoman, Dracula and a murdered man with a stiletto stuck in his head.

The headtorches were all turned on ready for the race start as under the trees and away from the lights of the carpark and the briefing tent it dawned on us all how dark it really was. Previously bright headtorches didn’t seem to shine as far as they had previously and the path looked a lot more treacherous than it had during the August daylight run.

The route was marked by glowsticks but no other artificial lights and the real trick is to run slow enough so you don’t run into a tree but fast enough that you make it to the finish line before the headtorch batteries fail ...

We counted down to the start and then the big rush of ghouliess and ghosties and witches set off in a big rush. It was quite surreal to see scythes and witches hats bobbing along in front of you up the hillside. The first mile is all uphill and it’s a big push all the way to the summit of Beacon Hill. It gets sheerer and more steep as you get higher but just when you think your legs are going to give up and you’re going to breathe up a lung, the trees give way to an open hilltop with a silhouetted Old Man in rock on the left and the lights of Loughborough spread out far below you on the right.

The path bottlenecks again as we all hared through a gate and I made up some time here as I knew that the second mile is all downhill and could use it as a recovery from the first mile. I overtook the pirate girl who had passed me on the uphill and I sprinted down the hill with my ragged wedding dress and coffee-smelling veil streaming out behind me... If I’d had breath for mad witchy cackles I would have done some. But I didn’t.

The road was quite damp and broken on the edges so the headtorch was very useful for this part ... however I hadn’t taken other runner’s costumes into consideration. Overtaking a chap in a puffy pumpkin costume he suddenly lurched to the right and pushed me into a bush! I don’t think he quite realised how much bigger he was with the costume on. Either that or he was REALLY competitive. Or allergic to zombies. Or the smell of coffee.

Managed to make it down to the bottom of the 2^nd hill unscathed and with no further pumpkin attacks. Came round a sharp right hand corner past a drinks station on the right and onto a more open path with gorse and brambles to the right and left. A brief mirage as I went past – a bush almost leafless suddenly showed a skull shape in its leaves which morphed back into just leaves again as I went past. Obviously I’d eaten too many Halloween sweeties. Or maybe it was the power of suggestion!

The next hill drags on again for almost a mile and is soul destroying. It drags and winds and on your right you can occasionally see headtorches coming down but you don’t know whether it is people ahead of you on the next downhill section or people behind you still coming down the first hill. This path drags ... and drags ... and drags and just keeps on winding upwards. I had two runners a little way in front of me and I just couldn’t catch them up. The trees press in on either side and the starless night made the darkness dense and thick. My headtorch showed me where the path was - just - but no further than about 10 metres. I could only see the runners in front because of the reflective strips on their shoes.

Finally, the path opened up and I crossed a wide open area before a dash through a gateway and onto a narrow path again. The marshal shouted encouragingly “That was the last hill” ... however I remembered a long drag up a wide avenue of trees from last time but the thought that there might not be many hills left lifted my Spirits. And my zombies.

I was running with a wraith, a skeleton and a gent in hi-viz at this point and we’d all been keeping pace fairly evenly apart from the odd cat-and-mouse game up and down the hills. However as we passed in between an avenue of large old trees and a short sharp hill, I put on a burst of speed as I remembered that this really WAS the last hill before the final mile which was almost entirely downhill. This hill always really hurts. It’s at mile 4 and my legs have just about had enough of hills by this point but knowing that it’s the last one really helps. I overtook them all leaving only a lingering smell of coffee as my veil trailed out behind me.

Passed through the gate at the top and took a sharp turn to the left and onto the start of the downhill. I finally lost the gent in the hi-viz as I put everything I could into the last mile downhill although slightly hampered by the fact that the headtorch was getting dimmer and dimmer by the minute. It made it all slightly more spooky as I was now running on my own and following as best I could the shadowy path as it looped in and out of the trees as it wound its way downhill. I was putting everything into a final dash but the darkness and failing headtorch meant I kept stumbling on drifts of leaves and mud patches making it all a little bit more treacherous.

Came round a corner – could I see lights? Is that the finish? Round the corner, stumbling through the mud and into bright lights and a finish line ahead. A final push to the line and over. The announcer said my name as I finished, then ... “2^nd woman.” Did I hear that right? Double checked, then did a zombie appreciation dance! Woo! Collected my medal, an energy drink, a peanut bar – yummy! – and a toffee apple and went to clap and cheer everyone else in.

Everyone made it in, in decent times and with costumes intact! Even Werewolf and Evil Caped Guy from Scream made it over the finish lines with masks still on – although both vowed never to run wearing a mask again. Think there may have been breathing issues involved! Mr Skeleton came in shortly afterwards.

Wolf Runner finished strong and in a good time, however when we were discussing the route afterwards she mentioned how hard she found passing the pub without going in for a nice drink. Pub, Wolfrunner? We were running on narrow footpaths up a hill! There’s definitely no pub on the route! Think it must have been a hallucination brought on by too much white facepaint!

Zombie Bride (me) and Dead Red Riding Hood (Wolf Runner)

Result:

39:20

2^nd woman /114

23^rd / 232

The Skeleton Run

The Beacon Hill Trail Run - Woodhouse Eaves near Loughborough

This is a gorgeous hilly run set in a country park and winding around the hills. I’m sure there must be a flat part to the run somewhere, but try as I might I can’t remember any flat sections at all! It’s all steep uphills and windy paths and glorious fast downhills!

The run is set mainly in woods although you come out of these on the top of the hill by the trig point and get an amazing view across Leicestershire. Although after the first mile being entirely uphill, I wasn’t really in that much of an appreciative state of mind at the time. The trails are lovely sandy paths with some uneven patches but this adds to the fun and it’s the whole point of running trails. If you want flat and boring and predictable stick to roads!

The carpark was busy but there were loads of spaces although the amount of club vests and club stickers on cars was a bit daunting. I had visions of trailing in at the back end of the race to find out that the coffee van (yes there was one but £2.50 a cup!) had run out, but it was pretty friendly and I had a few minutes to chill out with my sleeping toddler and Simon before the run and enjoy the gorgeous evening.

This run is open to canicrossers too and all the dogs started at the front of the pack and were raring to go! The dogs were howling and barking and it sounded like werewolves were being fed! I decided that they should have started the dogs at the back of the runners as the thought of that lot behind me would definitely make me run faster!

The first mile was ALL uphill. It was a gorgeous trail under tall trees and through patches of dappled evening sunlight but the trail was quite damaged and you needed to watch your step. It got progressively steeper and steeper and at one point even before the one mile mark, I was tempted to walk ... although not THAT tempted. I reminded myself that if I were feeling like this then the other people would be too and bizarrely the thought of shared misery helped me push through. I know. What happened to runner’s cameraderie?

There were people watching and cheering us on just before the final push to the top and then out of the trees and the first site of the Old Man of The Hill – the unusual rock formation on the top of Beacon Hill which looks like an old man and then the views opened up and you could see for miles!

The 2nd mile was ALL downhill which was a lovely respite from the uphill push although my legs weren’t terribly impressed with the idea of a fast run to try and make up the time from the slow up hill climb. I tried to relax myself and my arms and shoulder on my outward breaths as suggested by one of the chaps at my running club and it helped. Flew down the 2nd mile but was overtaken by a few tall runners with longer legs than me, I’d overtaken on the uphill.  One day I will  grow an extra half an inch reach the heady heights of 5“4 ...

Didn’t stop for a drink at the water station, but there were quite a few spectators cheering us on there which was lovely.  The third mile flew past in gentle up and downhills, but I was counting down towards the end of the 4th mile as I knew the last mile was all downhill! The last uphill between an avenue of trees was steep and hard but I could see runners going downhill past the wall on the other side and knew that that was the start of the last long downhill and fast stretch to the end.

Flew down the last hill but my legs were not impressed witha  mile of sprinting ... my short legs just aren’t made to go that fast! Finished with a final sprint with a burst of energy from somewhere and overtook 2 chaps in front of me and then slowed down at the finish flags ... which were 15 metres in front of the finish! Whoops!

As I came past the finish line, I was told I was the 2nd woman home too! What a lovely finish to a lovely run! And totally unexpected.  And best of all, a great big cup of coffee top finish off a really good run.

Beacon Hill Trail Run
The awesome pics by Runner Photos