Southampton 10k, 2015

On Sunday I ran the inaugural Southampton 10k.  I registered for this a few months ago, choosing the 10k rather than the more prestigious half marathon option because at the time I was still suffering from Achilles heel problems and I didn't know what state I'd be in by now.

It started at the unholy time of 08:30, with stern recommendations to arrive 90 minutes beforehand.  This is not family-friendly - especially when you have teenage sons who really don't do early starts.  So I drove the car to Peat and Lynne's place and cycled to the start from there with Lynne and two of her friends.  I'd decided to abandon the idea of leaving a bag, so I gradually got chilly in the damp 9-degree air.  There were a few friendly OS faces there.  I looked around at the start and reckoned that there wasn't a lot of stuff competition here, and moved forward close to the start line.

Off we went.  Great support on the streets, even at this hour, and a few more familiar faces to wave at.  I really enjoyed the route through bits of Southampton that I didn't know or hadn't connected together, and the kilometres seem to fly past.  In the middle was the Itchen bridge, out and back.  I'd heard people talking abut the bridge as a stupendous hill.  Come off it, I thought, it's only a bridge.  It's actually quite a bridge - a long drag up and down, and then back again, all in a steady crosswind.  It was a good chance to check out the competition.  4 ahead of me, the first 3 looking strong and well ahead, #4 distinctly vulnerable. I took him soon after the bridge, and I was amazed that we were so close to the finish already.

Fresh as a daisy

It all threatened to go jelly-shaped in the dying minutes.  Something went wrong with the marshalling and I found myself lost in a park with a sea of people walking around me.  '10k over there!' a lady in hi-vis shouted and I tore off to the right in a state of anguish.  How much time had I lost? How many places?  Adrenaline-fuelled, I tore around the final km.  The finish was quite something - a real wall of noise.  A lady I recognised came up to me, told me she was the referee and that I was 1st M40 and had won fifty quid! What's more, I'd kept my 4th place.

Lonely as a cloud

What a tremendous April! The Bournemouth quarter marathon just before Easter (OS the first team), the civil service 10k last Wednesday in Battersea Park - finished in 37:53; S third team) and today first M40.  My time today wasn't that impressive at 38:53, but it had all gone well and points had made prizes.  Add in a remarkable 5k time, and it's been a most satisfactory month.

Here are the results and here is a video.. check out the stumbling carthorse at 2:30.