Summer is here and the RR10 season is underway! A record 442 runners took part in the first race on a damp, damp day. I arrived in a right fluster having left work later than planned and getting stuck in traffic. My warm-up was a sprint from the car park, cursing the fact that I had brought road shoes. I got to the start just in time.
This was my first race alongside my Romsey team mates. It was great to be out with the friends I've made over training through the winter evenings. I took care to start modestly back in the pack so I'd have people to chase, but rather regretted it when we got into technical narrow sections where it was a question of go slow or risk your neck overtaking through scrub and brambles. I got some souvenir thorns!
I was pleased with my overall pace and enjoyed moving up the field. Sadly, the beach section was closed this year after damage to the slipway during the winter storms. To make up for it, there were some very sloppy sections where I floundered and cursed my poor choice of shoes.
The last km was hard work and I was done for at the finish line. I was 26th, compared to 24th last year. I was 4th in the Romsey team behind Matt, Jimmy and Toby. Gratifyingly, Romsey is currently in 4th place, ahead of Lordshill, Totton and Eastleigh; all of them much larger clubs. Last year Romsey was 7th... can we hold on?
Friday, 25 April 2014
Sunday, 20 April 2014
Spring forward
This is my first post for nearly two months. I'm now back on my bike and running properly again, with left wrist and right knee well recovered. My speed took a knock during March with a cold which went to my chest... it's hard work getting any kind of tempo with a litre of slime in each lung.
I've done a couple of Eastleigh parkruns recently. On 22 March I managed 18:48, and yesterday 18:44. The latter was a PB at the current Eastleigh venue and I'm really pleased with this. In both cases the winner was Andy Morgan-Lee, who is the same age as me but is in a completely different league. It's a real privilege to run with stars like Andy, who recently won the UK cross-country masters championships. On 22 March he just strolled around the first two laps chatting to his mate, and then whizzed past me in the final lap.
Yesterday was Eastleigh's 200th parkrun, and attendance was higher than normal. Some of the Lordshill runners came over for the occasion. I was well behind Andy Griggs and Ashley Forbes, but ahead of Ben Pitman. The stage is nicely set for the RR10 season, which begins at Netley on Wednesday.
I've done a couple of Eastleigh parkruns recently. On 22 March I managed 18:48, and yesterday 18:44. The latter was a PB at the current Eastleigh venue and I'm really pleased with this. In both cases the winner was Andy Morgan-Lee, who is the same age as me but is in a completely different league. It's a real privilege to run with stars like Andy, who recently won the UK cross-country masters championships. On 22 March he just strolled around the first two laps chatting to his mate, and then whizzed past me in the final lap.
Yesterday was Eastleigh's 200th parkrun, and attendance was higher than normal. Some of the Lordshill runners came over for the occasion. I was well behind Andy Griggs and Ashley Forbes, but ahead of Ben Pitman. The stage is nicely set for the RR10 season, which begins at Netley on Wednesday.
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