Chichester Priory 10k, 2018

A raw, cold morning.  The Lovely Mrs S and I had to get up an hour before dawn and we set off to Goodwood motor circuit, picking up Brenda en route.  Marshals ushered us to park in a way that blocked in two other cars; we queried this and were told that no one would be allowed to leave before 12.  It was 8:30, it was 2 degrees outside and a harsh north wind.  In fact, we got away with no bother as soon as we'd finished, but at the time we fwlt a bit bemused at having to hang around for 90 minutes after we'd all finished.

The time came when we had to reluctantly remove as many layers as we dared.  Once upon a time I would only ever wear a singlet at a race, but I seem to be getting softer in my old age and I had a long-sleeve helly, a hat, a mini-scarf thing (buff? snood? one of those) as well as a singlet.  We were marched to the start and off we went.

This was a fast course and a really fast field of 1500 runners.  I tried to judge a pace that I could sustain.   I seemed to be positioned about right in the starting pack, as I wasn't caught up in a mad sprint.  The first 6k was on roads through villages, with the sun shining brightly.  Then we were back into the Goodwood grounds and on to the motor circuit.

I can't say I enjoyed those final 4k very much.  It was a wide open space.  My progress felt minuscule and feeble, and I was unable to make headway among the runners around me.  There was a phalanx of ladies just ahead absolutely stonking along, among them Valeria Sesto from New Forest who held me off and had a super finish.

I came home in 38:54, about a minute off a good 10k time.  Here are my stats.  No hills to speak of, no muddy paths, no bogs, so this was never going to play to my strengths.  But, it's part of a return to form from being in a rather wretched state 10 days ago, with the start of long-distance training just around the corner.