I headed out to Thrussington to repeat the Round run last year after a full day's work. My goal was to run it in under 12 hours as I had to be at Parkrun in the morning. The crescent moon was falling in the night sky and with clear skies came visibility of the stars for navigational assistance and crisp temperatures around the freezing mark which helped firm up the otherwise soft earth.
As expected there were plenty of cultivated fields and despite the light frost, inevitably I found myself mounding up mud on the stiles as I exited fields. As it was run in darkness, I struggled running in straight lines across several fields so added distance looking for the exit waymarkers. Apologies go out to the owners for the few gardens I travelled through as the way was not always clear and my GPS file lacked some accuracy.
The cooler temperatures helped as I carried less water than previously. I consumed all my food except 2 packs of dextrose tabs.
The last 10 mile required me to push just a bit harder to maintain pace, especially as there were many rolling hills.
I was very pleased to complete in under 12 hours, beating my previous unsupported time by 70 minutes.