Run Run Rudolph

Yes, it’s that time of the year again. First weekend in May? Must be the local pub fun run.

I started training at the start of April and managed to do 7 runs before the big day, nudging the distance a bit further on every time until the last practice I did was a 4 miler. Amazingly, I managed to stay injury / tweak free this year… having said that, I felt a twinge in my groin (steady) the last two runs I went on. Fortunately I was able to run it off. Being a nerdy keeper of records, I could tell that pace wise I was running a mile 10 seconds quicker than in last year’s training, so I was confident of beating last year’s time.

Conditions for yesterday’s run were warm and sunny but with a fierce easterly wind blowing. This was bad news, as it meant you would have to run into it just as you came down the hill by the creek and turned into the last half mile of the race. I’ve probably mentioned before that the route takes you up and down a steep hill – and then back again. According to the elevation map, you pretty much start at sea level and have to climb up to 70ft before descending to zero again. It’s a steeper incline on the way back, but at least here the wind was at my back.

GB Troy came up to do the run as well, for the first time since 2008. Ginger Rick was supposed to taking part too, but he nobbled his achilles a couple of weeks ago and this ruled him out. His missus was going to take part, but she too bowed out due a cold. Hmm. They still turned up to wave us on though.

Anyway, overall I found my personal run a bit disappointing, although I can’t complain at my finishing time. I felt my ruddy groin twinge as early as the first bend, but I carried on running and the sensation went away. It must have been the conditions, but for the last two miles I felt as if there was nothing in the tank to draw upon when I wanted to kick on. That ruddy hill did me in! I wasn’t particularly out of breath when I finished either, which shows that I’d run well within myself.

Times? I finished the 4.3 mile route in 36:38. That was 47 seconds faster than last year. Since I’ve been running a mile 10 seconds faster in training than I did last year, this is bang on. Best time since the year 2000, that. I’ve got my approximate mile splits too:

1st mile – 7:30 (!)
2nd – 8:15
3rd – 9:01
4th – 9:03

Grr! That bloomin’ hill!

Another annoyance yesterday were the (many) people who walked the route. They set off 30 minutes earlier than the runners, which meant that we hit the main body of them as we descended the steep side of the hill. It was fecking annoying having to weave through a mass of dozy young women with pushchairs, idling along often 3 or 4 abreast, completely blocking the bloody road. It’s not as if they didn’t know there were runners coming. I swore quietly and often under my breath. Oh well, it’s all for charity. Probably.

GB Troy finished in just under 33 mins.

We had a pint to celebrate after the run. This turned into an all-afternoon session in the beer garden while we “enjoyed” the live music the pub had organised.* Oops. I called time on myself around 7 pm when I was starting to fall asleep. My face was a bit red due to too much sun exposure too. I should have put some sun block on… Gah. I collapsed into bed at 7:30, then woke up at midnight still drunk but unable to sleep. Urgh. So I got up for a few hours before going back to bed around 3:30. Not good. I was bloody rough this morning when I eventually got up. My right thigh is sore, but that will be ok tomorrow. Apart from that – fine.

Next weekend it’s the local 10 km. I’ve not done that since 2003. GB Troy has entered so I’m going to do it too. Yik!

* First musical performer on was an utterly woeful girl, singing pop hits to backing tapes. She was like one of the early contestants on the heats of one of Simon Cowell’s shows, where he has to cut them short to tell them “look, just stop. You can’t sing. Off you go.” while she wails, “no! Please! You can’t. This is my life. Etc.” She sang painfully flat and only had a range of about 3 notes anyway. Awful. When she’d finished, the compere cheese said that this was the first time she’d sung in public! Jeez. First and last time I hope. Sorry love, back to working at the care home for you today.