Sunday, December 30, 2007

 

Millenium 10k Run

This time of year is so hectic... I haven't had much time to log on lately. It's also the time for eating far too much rubbish, and I have certainly done that! It doesn't help when my sis and her family visit from Blackpool and mum throws a large buffet!

Christmas Day was good, although I ate far too much chocolate. I got some running tops, plus, erm, chocolate, clothes stores vouchers plus lots of other goodies including Shrek 3 from my mate! I couldn't face any exercise but did drag myself out for a cross country run Boxing Day. It was quite nice- the sun came out. I tried a route I hadn't done for years, across fields to Rearsby, Brooksby, Gaddesby and back to Rearsby. I had hoped it would be nice and quite, but got to Rearsby, rounded the corner and found the entire village had turned out to watch a tug o' war across the brook!

I thought it would be muddy but it wasn't too bad... the last footpath was much as I remembered it, apart from the fact that the by-pass had been built through it! There is a derelict farmhouse, with fireplaces to still be seen in the rooms. I (carefully) went inside; places like this always give me an eerie feeling, I start to wonder who lived there, how long ago it wa inhabited and the kind of lifestyle they may have lived...

I've no idea how long the run was, I'd guess around 8-9 miles but I am crap at guessing distances... I have decided I need a Garmin.

I was one of the few folks working Thursday and Friday so went to the gym Thursday. I put in a bit of 'fartlek' and inclination work on the treadmill; it was so quiet I was the only person there for a time. You can bet that after the 1st it will be heaving!!

Friday was takeaway night, then I couldn't do much Saturday cos of the 10k race I had today. I went out early for a slow 3 1/2 mile run but felt really sluggish- whether it was the result of eating less than healthily I'm not sure! Not sure if you can count the later walking round Nottingham in the sales as training too!

Today's run was the Millenium 10k run hosted every year by Southwell Running Club. The start is at the tiny village of Caythorpe in Nottinghamshire, and I was directed to park about half a mile away from the start, which was a good warm up I guess!

Two colleagues were also doing it, plus a friend of a colleague- the same two as I ran the Holme Pierrepont series with in what we laughingly refer to as 'Summer'. There were quite a few folks doing it, and I queued for the porta loos, found my colleagues and lined up at the start. The route was fairly flat and billed as good PB potential. I felt I went off fairly fast, and past my colleagues fairly early on; the route was marked in miles rather than kilometres which was slightly unusual.

We ran by the river before reaching another village just before half way; after a slight incline there was a water station before we were turned round to return by the same route. I was breathing quite hard by now and my legs felt quite sluggish- when I turned and started on the return route I saw one colleague then the other, who were both looking as knackered as I felt and later also confessed to feeling that everything they'd eaten was coming back to haunt them!

After 4 miles I caught up with a colleague's friend who said she's got stitch... I felt ok ish so passed her, but by 5 miles I felt pretty well knackered. A few folk rushed passed for a sprint finish and I tried to pick up the pace. The last stretch seemed endless but we finally turned down the drive back to the pavilion, cheered on by marshalls and spectators. As we neared the line I was quite surprised to see the clock at 55 minutes, so with a final push I finished in 55 minutes 48 seconds- a PB!!

There was a t- shirt for all finishers, and I was glad that small sizes were on offer as I end up with something I can wear!

Everyone else finished and we walked back to the cars discussing our favourite chocolate- one of my colleagues divulged that if her mum didn't get her a Terry's chocolate orange every Christmas then Christmas would be over before it starts! We also voted Toblerone as the most painful chocolate to eat.

I will be quite glad when New Year is over and some kind of normality resumes... I am going to have a think about my 2008 goals and hopefully post them in the next few days. I am going to have to up my weekly mileage, if only to compensate for all the chocolate I still have left!

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Comments:
Cant believe the mileage you are doing when compared to just a few months ago - shows how far you have come. What was your previous PB, and what sort of times were you doing at the start of the year?
 
Well done on the PB Steph! I will be running off more than my fair share of chocolate and mince pies as well. You are not alone!
 
Cheers Lloyd and Rich- I have eaten far too much rubbish!

I had a PB in Feb- at 59 mins 54 seconds, so have shaved 4 minutes off! Last PB was 58 mins 56 Seconds in the Crossdale race. Looking back I was only running about 10 miles a week!

I am going to try to work out some goals etc for 2008 very soon.
 
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