On Sunday, I took part in what was potentially the best event of the year for me: the Grim 8. Consisting of an 8 mile (ish) run around the countryside, featuring bogs, puddles and ducking under camoflage netting. The previous best event so far this year has been, by far, the Commando Challenge, so the Grim 8 had a lot to live up to.

When it came to getting up and going on the day, however, I was less keen. I’d been out with friends the night before and had had a few, so was nursing a soft hangover and was still quite tired. And is was absolutely frozen outside.

On arriving at the event start, located between Aldershot and Fleet, it hadn’t warmed up much. The ground was still frozen and children were throwing rocks on the water, which just bounced on the ice. Due to an accident near the race, it ended up starting late, but it didn’t matter too much: a ‘band’ of bin-drummers kept the crowd warm and we waited till the last possible moment before we dumped our bags and jumpers.

The race itself was fantastic fun. J and I avoided the water until mile 4 - like most runners, apart from the hardened nutters, we skirted around the edge at first - when we had to wade thigh high through icy ‘puddles’ and sticky, smelly bogs. Even the bottles of water we were given half way in had ice in them. But it didn’t dampen the atmosphere. Although it was cold, it was, at least, sunny and I have to say it was the friendliest event I’ve competed in in some time.

The event finished with a way through a 20 metre long pond, but it only turned out to by knee high and with the end (and a hot dog) in sight, it didn’t seem to matter. I’ve no idea what time we completed the race in - roughly an hour and a half - but I didn’t care.

As to whether it was the best event of the year? I think, on balance, the Commando Challenge nicked it. It was better organised and had the added bonus of crawling through tunnels. But I’ll definitely be putting the Grim 8 on my Septathlon to-do list for 2009.