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| 200 metres done [photo: Richard Carter] |
So, eager to log my only 5km of the week, I headed in the direction of the (riddles)downs. Mrs7t and Limette were, of course, there to cheer me on.
The weather forecast was for a cloudy/overcast morning with temperatures hovering around the 10 degree mark. As I got out of the car and prepared myself to run, it didn't feel like 10 degrees but something more like 5. I had packed my short-shorts in case I was feeling brave, but in the end I wasn't, so I stuck with the long-shorts (or are they short trousers?).
Despite arriving at the school car park at 8.35am, I still only just made it to the start-line by the skin of my teeth (yet again). I lined up in my usual spot (the back) and faffed around with my GPS, I then thought it would be a good idea to undo and re-tie my shoe laces, hmmm... not really a great idea - I was still in the middle of doing up my second shoe lace when Nicki shouted 'ready, go!'.
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| At the end of the trail (lap 1) [photo: Richard Carter] |
As I ran down the starting straight there seemed to be more people than usual. I weaved around people all the way through the first kilometre, finally finding some clear air somewhere during the trail section - which was surprisingly muddy in places. I manged to get stuck in a slippery, muddy gully, made by the tyres of a vehicle, as I was passing someone and I flew all over the place before steadying myself and jumping back onto the dryer section of the path.
I carried on pushing, not quite at race pace as my breathing was not good - The congestion was still there and as I pushed, it became harder to breath. I wanted to go faster, I knew my legs had it in them, my lungs just weren't up to it!
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| the final corner [photo: Nicki Clark] |
The last kilometre was particularly bad, with my chest really screaming at me to stop, so I turned it down another notch and eased myself along to the end. It seems that it wasn't just me that found the run hard going. I'm not sure if it is that a few of us were under the weather or if something else was going on.
I had to pop the car down the garage in Redhill to have a new oxygen sensor fitted. Mrs7t and Limette stayed at Riddlesdown and went down to the pub with everybody else, I say everybody else but in a first for Riddlesdown, none of the runners were able to go to the pub. so it was just volunteers. By 11am I had returned from my trip to Redhill and became the sole running participant of today's event in the pub, alas I had missed the 'RESULTS' call so had to make do with the text message.
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| In the good companions [photos: Nicki Clark] |
My time today was 22:19. Nothing groundbreaking, but HS1 and HS2 did not hurt and that's the main thing. Hopefully the congestion will have disappeared in time for next week's (special?) parkrun.
7t.
