Kay is Knot Amused!!!!!!!

Kay Shotton writes:-

When Marion and Jacky insisted we sign up for the “Staffs Knot” in Cannock, I thought Yay! Here we go again.

However, of late, races seem to bring me out in – not a rash or heavy sweat – but INJURY! So after entering I had to take a step back and be the journalistic element of the team – thus giving Jacky’s fingers a rest - so she could work on her legs.

Tom Tom guided us effortlessly through ,and into, the middle of nowhere to our destination where there were lots of greenery and trees, together with lots of safe 40mph signs – meaning straight away the girls’ chances of a PB was hampered by such a restriction.

Cannock is renowned for its “chavs” so we were delighted to see not a shell suit in sight.  This meant that Jacky and Marion were indeed at the right place – a bonafide race for the pro’s!

So the girls set off and fought their way round what they had hoped would be– it being Cannock Chase – a lil’ scenic trot, with views that would make the course a hot contender for something on “Countryfile”. However the course was apparently not so easy on the eye (or surprisingly, the legs).

The lack of Watership Down and Bambi qualities en-route didn’t stop Marion and Jacky enjoying themselves, the dynamic duo sweated their way across the finish line as I stood proud with my cries (similar to that of a banshee) by way of encouragement, as they ran on past me.

You would think injured and confined to the sidelines I could stay out of trouble – apparently not – I still managed to get hit on the noggin by a ball from some La-cross game. That combined with my failure to take photos of anything other than the grass means that if I can’t run the next race I’m actually banned from any sideline activity!

Jacky commented that she would have enjoyed the race even more had there been some mud for her to play in on the way round, and Marion (confirmed my suspicions on the sidelines) that there were too many old folk en-route – bit like a scene from Cocoon, meaning that her usual Vet prize of first old bird back was just out of her reach on this occasion.

But alas the pair did really well, Jacky in her usual gazelle like style and Marion (aka Flash) leaving youngsters half her age eating dust!

We bumped into Jane Lower, Sally Doran and a couple of other Dudley Ladies at the end of the race, glowing and beaming with smiles who had also done the Club proud. Had I known,  I would have banshee’d them across the line too.