Romsey Beer Race

Yesterday I ran the Romsey Beer Race.  It's a 5-mile course around the lanes of Braishfield, and at the end they give you a pint of beer and a slice of cake.  How cool is that?

The weather is doing that rare and wonderful British thing - settled summer weather with warmth and sunshine all round.  The whole event had a lovely atmosphere and was wreathed in gorgeous early-summer colours.

I made an effort to set off at a sensible pace.  A slight drag uphill for the first mile, where I glanced at my watch - 6:05.  Hmmm... that made sub-30 minutes seem a bit challenging.  The next mile was quicker with a gentle downhill component and I hit 2 miles at 11:40, making it a brisk 5:35 for the second mile.  I was paying less attention to the clock than to two familiar faces around me; Dan and Jim, who have been my main competitors in the RR10s this year.  I left Dan behind (turns out he had a cold) but at halfway I was tucked  behind three runners including Jim.

This little group pulled away in the second lap, especially when we caught up with the tail end of lap 1 runners and it became harder to concentrate on the competition.  The last km or so was hard work with no one close in front or behind.  I was thrilled to finish in 29:46, nicely under the 30 barrier.

A super morning out.  The beer and cake were both delicious!