So the latest club champs race was yesterday's Scores 4.75m 409 steps race in town....SWMBO didn't race deciding to marshal instead.
It was a warm blustery day. I had two concerns really...my niggly left hammy and the wind. The last thing I wanted was head wind along the sea wall....as it happened the wind was blowing across the sea and not into our faces so although not as good as it could have been....ie wind behind...it was not as bad as it may have been.
Before the race I had to pick up my number...my hammy was sore and tight causing me to limp slightly. This was noticed by a runner I know from the organizing club who, as luck would have it, was stood talking to a physio who said he'd see if he could sort out/ease the problem for me in the 40 mins I had before the race started...at no cost. Bingo! So off I went for a 20 mins free fizz session and my hammy felt a whole lot better afterwards. Better to be lucky than rich they say!
So after this session I had 10 mins to get myself ready for the race....and now I had no concerns about how my leg would hold up I felt a whole lot more confident.....even though I still had concerns about the club runner(MW)I've spoken of elsewhere who'd trained to give me a beating in this race.
For some reason some chap dressed as a bunny started the race....keeping all thoughts of rabbits out of my mind (
) I went off like a bat out of hell, as plannned, down the High St and then along the sea wall...the easy part of the course. I was going a bit too fast to be honest but I felt okish and didn't quite know where my target man (MW) was...apart from he was behind me somehwere!
So the the hard work began...up Links Hill and then up and down the Scores themselves....I began to slow...not great on hills and even worse at running fast down steps...and as a result I was unable to keep up with a different club runner (SB) who always easily beats me anyway. I struggled up Arnold's Bequest and then made my way to the marshalling point where Leece stood....heard her shout encouragement put my head down, tried to look good and stepped up the pace again. I then got to SWMBO who shouted "He's looking tired and only 100metres ahead of you". I think she got MW and SB mixed up as we don't often see SB running.
Atthe bottom of the next Score anothe of our club runners who was marshalling gave me the news I wanted to hear....."I can't see him (MW)..you're well ahead". At that point I felt good as there were only two more climbs to do...just now a matter of how fast could I go.
My pb was 33mins exactly 2 years ago...when I crossed the line I was cream crackered but stopped my watch to see I'd got round in 31'27" ...I had to rub my eyes and check it!
I was 16th out of 136 and the 4th LRR runner home. I've still got to work out the age grading score but shall do so soon.
It was a great race for LRR......We won 1st and 3rd senior male, 1st senior lady, 1st senior male team, 2nd senior ladies team and another lady won her age category.
Oh what have I done FLM09 
