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| Me! with my Santa hat |
It's that time of year again, when we think of Christmas shopping, choosing the fattest turkey on the range, untangling the Christmas lights and Turkey runs! Today (7th December) it was the Maidstone Harriers annual festive run. It is also one of my clubs Grand Prix events! And I had entered it! It's become one of my favourite of the Grand Prix events through out the year, and one of the longest (I think, unless there is a half marathon thrown in somewhere!)
SingstarJo very kindly picked me up today, (you probably know by now that I just shouldn't be navigating and driving anywhere!) A 9:30 pick up, so quite a civilised time and I was out of the house with five minutes to spare! SingstarJo was out there already, waiting for me, but I mistook her car for my sons and just chatted to the neighbour, Naggy Neighbour Karin, for a few minutes. I ran over the grass and over the fence. Well, when I say over the fence, I fell over the fence! It's about two feet high, with me being short with little short legs I misjudged the height and just clipped the top of the fence! One bruised hand and leg to start off the run with!
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| Some of the gang! |
The journey there was great, we were chatting, found out way there with no problem, satnavs do occasional steer you right! We went straight to the hall to collect our numbers. We found some more of our fellow PWR's and chatted before we made out way to the start. There were quite a few runners braving the ever so slightly wet conditions. I could imagine the muddy bits as I looked out towards where we will be running!
We were soon off. The weather wasn't really that bad at all. It has been a lot colder on this run, but standing around for those few short minutes does make you feel a tad cold. I shall have to make sure I thank every marshal I pass for standing around in the wet and the cold! I was also thinking about my church today, and about what was happening back there. One of our congregation was being baptised! I said prayers just then as I crossed over the start line. There was no timing chips this year, the start was just marked with flags.
Every run I start, I have the same thoughts, and this run is no exception. "Why Old Girl, it's a long way?" This was the first time in ages I smiled to myself at that thought! "Yeah, right, try 26.2 miles Old Girl"
The Marshals had stopped the traffic so that we could cross the road and then we had the pathway and trails and mud to look forward to! I was feeling pretty good, I had toast and tea at 8:30 this morning, did all the usual things that runners do, (plenty of 'potty stops!) and the nerves (where do they spring from?) were all but gone. I took a quick gander at my Garmin just to see what pace I was doing and instead noticed that I had already nearly reached a mile! It all felt pretty easy so far. I hardly felt as I if I had been running! But I didn't get complacent! The other PWR's were all well ahead of me now, my race is with who ever is in front of me. I passed a couple of people and fixed my gaze on my next couple of 'races'
The trails wasn't too bad at this point, but there were still some very slippery bits. I could see the turn just up ahead of me. I knew I wouldn't be able to catch anyone by then. So I just settled down into my own little 'zone' and just enjoy being able to to run! Mile 2 was a little bit more muddy! A slower pace but I tried to keep on running as best as I could and also to pass yet another person!
Going through the gate and we were back on tarmac! Now I can try and pick up a bit of pace again. My shoes felt as if they had ton of mud on them, but when I looked it wasn't as bad as I thought. I managed to just run off the bits hanging on to the sides of my shoes and I was away!
Now is the little hill! I say 'little hill' because that's how it looks on the geeky stats! But when I was running up it, it felt like Mount Everest! PhysioMike was there at the top, "Gotta love those hills Donna" he said to me! I was just pleased that I was running up it, instead of walking up it. I must be all of those track sessions making me fitter and stronger! It's also more muddy bits. I decided that it would be easy to just go through it, if it didn't look too thick, I didn't want to loose my shoes!
Mile three really did have a 'proper hill' and it was very sticky and muddy! I managed to pass a couple of people here, but then they passed me, I think there were a bit more confident running in the sticky bits. I say this every time, I must get some trail shoes!
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| This is going through the 'Tree Catherdral' Looks brilliant when you are running towards it. |
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| The 'roof' of the Catherdral |
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| These were my 'races' I should have taken over here but I was just enjoying being in the Catherdral! |
And my time came indeed! Not only was it a tad less sticky it was also down hill! Perfect. I seemed to just run along and I felt as if I could do this for ever! I knew I was running a bit quicker that I do in group 1 in mile 5, but I had some catching up to do. I passed the lady in the elf top, and fixed my sight on her other half. He was running with her until the really sticky bit, and then he must have thought 'every man for himself!" as he made his way through the mud.
He was running quite well, I really didn't think I would be able to catch up with him, so all thoughts of 'beating him' went out of my head. But then I saw him at the water station! He was having a drop of water, with just the last half a mile to go! I thought this could be my chance, I am sure he will wait for his wife now! Runners are extremely kind and courteous people, wonderful gentlemen and ladies! (except when in a race!) He started running again but I caught up with him. We ran along side by side for a while, chatting a bit, but with this last little bit to go he said that he was going to wait for his wife! Of course in my mind I was thinking that I was just running too fast for him and he couldn't keep up!
I kept looking at my watch, I am sure it was a 10k race, which I thought was about 6.1 miles, but my Garmin had gone way past that and the end was still yet to be seen! To keep my speed going I decided to make sure that I am running all the while a marshal was in my sight! By now there were quite a few of them, so I just kept going! The end was in sight! I looked at my Garmin and I am sure it said I was running at 10:.....something pace! It kind of threw me, I don't run that fast after doing 6 miles!
It was a good race, and I went to find the rest of the PWR's after picking up my goodie bag with my Large T-shirt, it was either that or the extra small! Yeah, not since I was a toddler!
Geeky stats
Here's PhysioMikes brill film. I should know that when he points a camera at you he is normally filming, but it seems we were all waiting for that 'click-click' shutter sound! Next time I shall do some 'actions!'
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