STOCKLEY PARK 10K EASTER RUN

Snug as a bug before the race, pretty cold out, so I got two tops and two jackets on to keep warm.Starting to wonder weather it is a smart idea to do a 10k run so soon after my 20 miler, oh well too late to pull out now.

There go the gazelles at the front leading the way, there were a lot of serious club runners, so I start at the back as not to get in anyones way. 

Here I am as said at the back you can see that there are really only a hand ful of people  behind me, I was hoping that I would not be the last one back around,the course was around a business park, which also had a golf course, I took part last year as well.

Yep that is me, not too far in, no I am not at the back back there are others around, but I am starting to wonder what the hell I am doing, running in a race when my legs are not recovered from the 20 mile training run only two days ago! My legs are feeling heavy, the wind is strong and the weather bleak, whats new? This is England after all.

See I told you there were other people around, oh there marshalls not other runners! 

Just about to whip off my jacket from around my waist and hand it to the other half, starting to warm up now, chest is fine, it's the thighs which are protesting"Why are you treating us like this, what have we done to deserve such abuse." I tell them to "Shut the hell up, and keep moving." They do as I ask.

There I am still going, I think this is where I am starting to feel the burn, I am wondering wether I can hold on or if this will be the first time I fail to finish a race or if I will have to take a minute drop in my pace, which is hitting an average of 10:01 and go to 11:30 or whatever it will take to allow me to finsih, am I going to embarass myself by being passed by those who I passed a little while back. It's my legs my legs do not like this.

Trying to smile for the camera nothing I can do about the shot from the back, but from the front I will try my best to look decent, new pair of running pants I'm wearing, thought I would treat myself. The path is okay a bit undualating and the sandy ground is not great for tired legs, it was challenging, but the old bones were managing.

Keep on running Kat, see that man with his dog in the pic above,he has no care for us runners, just walked right through, maybe we were the ones who were getting in his way rather than the other way around.

 

Not far to go now.

I can see the finish.

Yaaaah,all done, thank f**k for that!

This is me and the winner he done it in 33 minutes I took 1 hour 2 minutes 30 seconds a minute or so
faster than last year but not a pb, but I was happy  happy to finish without blowing up and having to walk or crawl my way to the finish line.

Your name was called out as you ran up and everyone cheered which was great considering many of them had been done and dusted for a while before I turned up huffing and puffing like an old steam train, huff,puff, huff, puff, huff, puff. The winner was from St Vincent in the Caribbean and was over visiting his brother,I am sure he won some prize money, I didn't pay mind to that part of the race info, well why would I, there was no way I would be taking it home.

Here I am with my nice shiny medal,I love shiny medals, it's the same one as last year,but I ain't complaining, it was a last minute decision to run the race, and a decision that worked out well, even though it was hard and my body was not impressed with my usual madness I was glad I done it. Start to taper now, just less than two weeks until THE LONDON VIRGIN MARATHON, Saturday if I am recovered I would like to do a Parkrun 5k, just to keep the legs ticking over and work on some speed,
but thats if for now, I think I've earned the right to rest.