Alton 10.

I entered this race by mistake!  A few months ago a friend said that the race was full already.  This sounded odd as historically it has been possible to enter on the morning of the race.  So, just to check I clicked through the site and found myself entered in to the race.  Not a problem, I thought, I like this race, it is on my doorstep, why wouldn't I want to enter it?  Well, there was the matter of that little race I ran last week, and the fact that I had a ball, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of my children's school, the night before.

I dithered for a while.  I've run this race every year bar one since 2010.  I missed one year because I had a hurty hip, that year I went along with my camera and took photos - I reckon I must have got a picture of every single runner, it was a lot of fun supporting so many people I know.  This was an option for today.  It was an attractive option, but.... well, I need to run today.  I may have just done a big race but I still have to train for a marathon.  If  was going to have to run I might as well run with lots of other people.

I woke up at about 7am, my calves were tight from dancing in stupidly high heeled (but very lovely) shoes the night before.  I moved my head from side to side - I didn't seem to have a hangover - which was a bonus, so I flexed my calves a bit and went back to sleep, setting the alarm for 9am.  An utter luxury on a race day.  I bravely dressed in shorts and a vest top, deciding that it couldn't really be as cold and windy as the forecast predicted.

I arrived at Eggar's with loads of time to spare, collected my number, checked my bag in, realised that I had forgotten my sweat band, queued for the loo, chatted with friends and made my way to the start line.  This race isn't chip timed, and as the numbers taking part in the race seem to have grown over the years, it was going to take me a while to get over the start line (30 seconds).  I wasn't too worried.  I was aiming for around 1hr 35 to 1hr 45mins so a few seconds lost at the start wasn't a concern.  

For once in my life I started at the pace I intended to start at, and stuck with it.  I'd like to say that this was through choice, but in reality my legs were tired and the thought of running any faster was enough to make me feel a bit sick!  The route was well marshalled, but there were very few supporters out there - more thoughts about this later!  I still have to learn how to drink water from an open cup while running though.  The weather was relatively kind to us.  Drizzle, sunshine and wind.  Lots of wind.  At one point the wind blew my sunglasses off the top of my head.  If I'd been going for a PB I'd have noted where in the field they'd landed and come back later in the day but, as I was just getting round, I thought that losing a pair of Oakley sunglasses was not an option!

I overtook loads of people in the last 2 miles, I hadn't picked up my pace very much at all, just kept going steadily.  I run this route so often, but I always run facing oncoming traffic rather than on the left hand side as mandated by race regulations.  Coming down the last hill I drifted across to the 'normal' side of the road as I came around the bend at the bottom and managed to get myself boxed in by cars that were waiting for runners to pass!   It is always hard to run past the end of my road but there were a few people ahead of me that I thought I could overtake if I pushed a bit harder.  

I was so glad to see the finish line.  It seems to have moved further back as the years have gone on.  I couldn't see the timing clock as I approached the finish so can only go from my Garmin time of 1hr 32 - eight minutes slower than my time last year.   I collected my medal - quite a change from previous years when the medals have all been similar to the one shown here, i.e specific to Alton 10 and with the Alton Runners' club colours on the ribbon.

This is a great little race, although the organisation felt a bit more haphazard than normal this year.  I didn't hear any pre race announcements at all.  It always surprises me that it isn't better supported.  I live in the village the race passes through, but if I wasn't a runner I wouldn't know about the race at all.  And as a village that likes a bit of a fete, has a very active cricket club and so on I am sure that we could get a few more people out to make some noise to support the runners.   We also have quite a few local and not so local businesses that I am sure could be persuaded to provide freebies for goody bags.  I think I've been spoilt by races that, while small in terms of numbers taking part, are big on support and big on medals.

Today is officially the start of my taper for the Kent Roadrunner Marathon - perfect timing for me to get tooth ache!  It wasn't too bad this morning, but has got steadily worse as the day has gone on.  I have to get an emergency dentist appointment in the morning - seems I could be staring in my own remake of the Marathon Man!

Alton 10, undulating, but a PB course!

I really didn't want to run a race today.  I wanted to plod along, in my own sweet time, probably giving myself lots of negative self talk about how useless and slow I was.  But I did need to run today, and it is the day of the Alton10.  If I 'just went out for a run' there would be hundreds of other runners on my route anyway.  It is a cheap race to enter, just £10 if you book in advance and have a UK athletics club registration, and ridiculously easy for me to get to.  I always get to races with loads of time to spare.  I hate being late, and worry about missed connections, bad traffic, getting lost etc.  This race, however, was less than a mile from my front door.  I could have a lie in, do some chores, check my emails, sort out snacks for the children to eat in my absence and still have loads of time to arrive and collect my race number couldn't I?  Well, yes, if I'd bothered to put a watch on and check the time!  We'd been advised to collect our race numbers by 9.45am, at 9.35am I was halfway through pegging out my washing on the line!

I quickly grabbed 'everything' I needed, realising too late that I had left my heart rate monitor band 'thingy' at home, along with my lip balm and a sweat band for my wrist.  I had remembered my sunglasses though.  As I jogged through the village the sun was shining down and it was really quite warm.  I was glad to dump my bag and sweatshirt, collect my number and meet up with various running friends.  I thought back to the first time I'd run this race, back in 2010, how intimidated I'd felt by all the club vests and the sinewy legs of serious runners.  I hadn't known a soul there.  My running life has changed dramatically, mainly due to parkrun, now I think I'd be hard pushed to turn up at a race without knowing someone there.  I don't name names on here - but it was great to see everyone.

I had no expectations for this run.  I set off too fast - running the first mile at a 5k pace, a bit silly, but at least I knew that the first hill would slow me down!  As we approached the first water station, while I was chatting with an ex policeman, a parkrun friend sped past me.  Our speed equalised a bit after that, thanks to me throwing caution to the wind on the down hill, and we ran together off and on until about 6 miles where she very graciously said she was going to let me go on.  She called out 'You're running really strongly - keep it up!' as I pulled ahead.  I can't tell you what a boost that was.  I kept that in mind as I slogged up a hill at 7 miles.  I think I chatted all the way around!  I certainly didn't feel as though I was going hell for leather, but I kept worrying that if I kept up the pace I was going at then I was going to blow up at some point.  I didn't.  I carried on overtaking people right up to the last few feet of the race.  My children came out to the end of my road to cheer me on just after the 9 mile marker - lovely to see them.  They took some properly awful photos of me too!

As I crossed the line I think the finishing clock said 1:24:57, the official results are yet to be posted, but even if it is more than that it is a PB (over a minute faster than Paris-Versailles, and two minutes faster than my last Alton10).  I punched the air as I crossed the line and shouted 'P-f*cking-B' and then clamped my hand over my mouth and apologised to the young Scouts who were handing out medals and cups of water (they did an excellent job both at the finish and at the water stations).  I was walking on air!  I bounced around looking for people to talk to.  If I'd been told I had to carry on for another 10 miles I am sure I was so high I could have done it!  As it was, after catching up with a few people, I ran home!

I've been on a bit of a post PB high ever since!  I could hardly wait for Husbando to come home so we could go out for another run.  4.5 miles over part of the same course, at a somewhat slower, but still respectable speed!  It was blooming hot out there this evening.  I have to say the local Scouts did an excellent job - not a sign of a plastic cup at the site of the water station we passed!

The race I didn't run

There's a saying that states you regret things you didn't do far more than things you did do.  This is very true.

This time last year I was on a high, even if I was slightly stiff, after running the Bramley 10.  I've just read back through my blog entry for the day and realised that despite not feeling 100% well, I went ahead and ran anyway.  This year, while enjoying running, I've rather lost my nerve when it comes to entering races.  I haven't felt as though I can run as fast as I want to and, as I know more and more runners at each of these events, I don't want everyone to see me clocking slower and slower times.  I don't think for one minute that anyone of them would judge me, but I don't want to be recording times that are miles slower than I ran in previous years or have to make excuses, either in my head or out loud, for my 'poor performance.'

So, I didn't sign up for this race this year.  Even as my pace has slightly picked up I didn't pluck up the courage to fill in the forms.  Then, when I finally decided that I may as well give it a go, it was too late. The deadline had passed.  I tried not to think about it too much, but it has been in the back of my mind. And there have been the constant drip, drip of Facebook status updates.

I went for a 10 mile run of my own this morning, around the route of the Alton 10 race, a challenging run at the best of times, made more so today due to a heavy early morning mist giving limited visibility. I tried not to think about all the other runners, many of whom I know, getting ready to run at Bramley.  I listened to my current audiobook, 'My animals and other family,' and settled down for my long, slow run.  I didn't clock watch at all, I just plodded along, up and down hills, meeting Husbando at his shop so that we could grab some brunch.  I'd run 10.6 miles in 1hr 35minutes.  Not fabulous, but not too bad for a long, slow run.  I was, however, very cross with myself.  If I could run that time on my own, when I wasn't pushing myself I knew I could have run a fairly respectable 10 miles in race conditions!  A crowd of other runners always urges one on and gives one something to pace oneself against.  I doubt I could have bettered my PB, set at Paris-Versailles in 2011, but I may have come close.

I came home to a Facebook page full of jubilant status updates from my fantastic, PB collecting, running buddies.  I am happy for them, yes, really I am!  But I do so wish I had been there too!

Given that I won't be doing Paris-Versailles this year (sob!) I have set myself a huge challenge now.  I need to get close to my 10 mile PB at the Alton 10!  A challenging route, it may not have the huge hill of Paris, but it does have hills aplenty!

Mind you, if it wasn't a challenge there wouldn't be any point in doing it would there?

Not all miles are the same...

One of my favourite running routes has the advantage of mile markers, from the annual Alton 10 race, painted on the road.  With the exception of the 4 mile marker (which appears twice, once a bit early and once in the right place) they are all where they should be.  I know, I've checked with my Garmin!  But they don't all seem the same.  I swear that the third mile is well over a mile, it starts halfway up a hill and finishes after you pass through a village.  The other long mile is between the 7 and 8  mile markers - which should be wonderful as this is the highest part of the race with stunning views across the countryside.  It also has some lovely downhill sections, and on a day when it isn't blowing a gale you can really pick up the pace and fly along.  But it seems so long.  Conversely, the next mile seems short. No idea why, it just does.  And always will every time I run this route now.

Today's 10.5 mile run was lovely.  I downloaded an audiobook to make a change from music ('The Hard Way' by Lee Childs if you are interested) and set out, no need for gloves today.  In fact I needed my sun glasses and got a wee bit warm wearing long running tights and a long sleeved top!  There were far more people out and about than I saw last week.  Cyclists, walkers, horse riders and runners all taking advantage of the ice free roads, mild weather and the sunshine!  The rain overnight and early this morning meant that all the show had gone, the river had burst its banks (see photo) and most of the roads were more like rivers than tarmac!

I run this route regularly, the biggest hazard is drivers.  Slow moving farm vehicles are one thing, you can hear them coming from a long way off.  What provides more of a challenge is drivers who don't seem to realise that country lanes are not the place to be driving at 60+ mph around blind bends.  I've become quite adept at throwing myself into the hedgerows - in fact one of the advantages of running in the winter is that long sleeves and trousers mean less chance of nettle rash!  Today's highpoint was when I jumped up onto the muddy verge to avoid a HUGE puddle and an oncoming car only for the car to SPEED UP as it went through the puddle and soaked me from head to toe.  Nice. I was 4.5 miles from home at that point so had no option but to carry on.  If I want to go running and get covered in mud and water I'll go trail running.

Today's run takes me to just over 115 miles this year, a wee bit up on last year's total for the whole of January and, at least at this early stage, on course to meet my mileage target of 1200 miles this year.

In other news... I mentioned in an earlier post that I had entered the first Yorkshire Marathon.  I've decided to run this in memory of my friend Ali (that's him in the photo).  Ali's unexpected death, at the age of 42, back in November has left a huge gap in the lives of all who knew him.  He was a thoroughly good bloke, a real gentleman and fellow grammar pedant.  I still can't quite get my head around the fact that I won't see him wandering around town with a take out cup of coffee in his hand and his beloved, mad, dog Percy at his heel.

After talking to Ali's family, I have decided to raise money for a local charity, Cardiac Rehab.  This charity was started by a local doctor (and runner) and the methods the charity developed have been adopted by health authorities across the country.  I've set up a fundraising page HERE and would be very grateful for any donations you feel able to make.