If you had told me three years ago that I would run a marathon, enjoy it, plan to run another even quicker, join a running club and run at least four times a week I’d think you were the worst fortune teller ever and demand my money back. Strange as it may have sounded to me back then but all this did come true.

On Saturday morning I did something that would have been more shocking to my past self than all of the above combined – even my present self was partly convinced that I would wake up from a peculiar dream any moment. But it wasn’t a dream, I was, in fact, taking part in the Surrey Ladies Cross Country League representing my club.

The last time I ran cross country was under similar circumstances. I was about 13 and was drafted in by a friend to ‘make up the numbers’ for the school side. I came last. I remember the friend and I walking along at the back and agreeing that we would cross the finish line together. However, 100m from the finish she decided to sprint off and leave me to plod across the line by myself. This was the start of a 15-year hiatus from running.

So it was with some trepidation that I turned up for the race on Saturday. Not just because of my past experience but also because I don’t identify myself as a ‘lady’ I’m a woman – and I’m definitely not a ‘Surrey lady’. Yes, people were wearing pearls.

The 8k course was two laps of the muddiest, hilliest parts of Wimbledon Common. I lost a sock when my shoe got stuck in the mud but my legs kept going regardless resulting in one very muddy sock. But I’m rather proud of the quick thinking (if not quick running) that followed where I whipped off my sock and shoved my naked foot back into the shoe and carried on.

I finished the course in 46:50. That’s about 6 minutes slower than I’d expect on the road which I’m blaming on the terrain, my inexperience at cross country and the fact that my sockless foot was rattling around in my trainer and distracting me. But I didn’t come last this time – I was about half way down the field. It was a fun way to shake up my routine and I’d consider doing it again – but I’d tighten my shoes next time.