{"id":161,"date":"2025-10-22T15:09:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T15:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ridesstridesandvibes.co.uk\/?page_id=161"},"modified":"2025-11-09T15:20:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T15:20:13","slug":"%f0%9f%90%8e-warhorse-10k-cowpats-comebacks-chinese-breakfasts","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ridesstridesandvibes.co.uk\/?page_id=161","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udc0e Warhorse 10K: Cowpats, Comebacks & Chinese Breakfasts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s Sunday, and at 11am Paula and I were stood on the start line for the Warhorse 10K<\/strong> in Iddesleigh, Devon. A limited run of just 250 places that sells out faster than a Glastonbury ticket drop. The medals? Always brilliant. The optional T-shirts? Exceptionally wearable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf5c Race Day Rituals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First things first: leftover Chinese<\/strong> for breakfast. It\u2019s tradition. It works. And it gives us the perfect excuse to order extra the night before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wilko stayed home this time. Iddesleigh\u2019s a friendly little village, but parking options were slim and the farmer\u2019s field set aside for race parking was sodden. An email two days before asking runners to car share sealed the deal\u2014we took the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83c\udfc3\u200d\u2642\ufe0f The Run: Potholes, Cowpats & Gravel Glory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The route is mostly road, with a long downhill start along country lanes that have more potholes than Swiss cheese. Proper ankle-snappers. Best strategy? Leave space between runners so you can see what\u2019s coming before it hits you. Or run between two runners and use their reactions as early warning systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early on, a cowpat made a guest appearance\u2014clearly dragged onto the road by a tractor tyre. Several runners had already smeared it into the tarmac, but the poor soul in front of me hit the jackpot. Her foot slid sideways in slow motion, and somehow she stayed upright. Deserved a pat on the shoulder (pun fully intended) and a \u201cwell done\u201d with a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then the route turned skyward. Slight incline, off-road, through estate gates and onto gravel. If you\u2019re not used to loose gravel, it\u2019s a game changer. The house we passed looked amazing\u2014like something out of a period drama. Then it was into a tree-lined track, across a field, and back onto road for the rest of the run.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83e\ude73 Shorts, Splits & Sprinting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I was feeling good. Breathing right. Enjoying the run. Paula had vanished on the first downhill, which was odd\u2014I\u2019m usually faster downhill. But I was holding back, knowing the hills would hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 4K, the only water station appeared. I grabbed a bottle and lobbed it into the bin mid-stride like I was hitting 180 in a darts match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was trialling new shorts from 262<\/strong>\u2014designed to hold water, gels, keys, and dignity. They worked. No bounce. No chafe. No back pain. Felt like my old self again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One gripe: Paula bought the women\u2019s version and got a phone-sized thigh pocket. Why don\u2019t the men\u2019s have that? Also, they\u2019re short. Proper racing short. And if they\u2019re loose, there\u2019s a risk your purple pointer<\/em> might pop out. Didn\u2019t happen today, but it\u2019s a real concern\u2014especially when tying laces. No one wants to flash a fellow runner mid-stretch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfd4\ufe0f Hills, Hurt & Heroics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At 6K, the real hill began. Long, winding, relentless. It levelled out briefly, then climbed again until 8K. Finally, the summit. Then downhill like a cheetah chasing dinner\u2014until the secret hill you forgot about hit you in the shins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lanes were classic Devon: grass mound in the middle, puddles on either side. I skipped past runners, opened up my stride, and zipped past one, two, three. Two more down the hill\u2014I could catch them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head down. Arms pumping. I sprinted past both and finished ahead with a strong finish. One of them gave me a pat on the shoulder and a \u201cwell done, strong finish.\u201d I\u2019ll take that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd52 Results & Recovery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Third year running. Under one hour. 58:38.<\/strong> Not as fast as last year\u2014off by a minute\u2014but after a rough few months, I\u2019m back. And that feels good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paula? 52 minutes. PB. 3rd female in her age group.<\/strong> She shouted me in, complimented my finish, and welcomed me back to running. She knows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf73 Food of Champions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We planned a celebratory lunch, but our chosen spot was only serving carvery. We wanted simple. So we ended up at Morrisons<\/strong>\u2014scrambled egg on toast. The food of champions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While reviewing our splits, I won the fastest split for a change. One out of four. A win\u2019s a win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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