The Penultimate Race...

Apparently this time last year we were having a heat wave and runners doing the Wilmslow half marathon were being treated for dehydration...not this year!! Try minus 5 degree temperatures and hypothermia instead!

Of the 4800 entrants only 3700 showed up for race day but I think this was partly due to various towns and villages being snowed in as well as ‘fair weather runner’ syndrome.

Jumping around like a 'loony'!

For us hard core runners (and spectators…Matt, Meg and Harry ;o) ) it was a truly Baltic race, with a mega headwind and no chance of us throwing off our gloves and headbands due to overheating. I entered hoping to get a new PB of sub-1:30 which meant running an ave of 6:50ish minute mile, sounds painful right?…yeah it was! After the usual toilet queues (twice) and trying to stay inside for a long as possible, followed by jumping around like a loony to stay warm, much to my spectator’s amusement, we made our way to the start line and swapped headbands* (thanks Michelle!). The loud BANG startled both Meg and I – no idea why as I should have expected it – and so I started the ‘penultimate’ race!

As per usual, I got swept up in the crowds and I think my 1^st mile was done in 6:10, but I couldn’t seem to slow down and think this may be due to the fact that a) it was slightly down hill, b) I couldn’t actually feel my feet, c) I felt alright!

...and were off!

At about 6 miles I got a tap on the shoulder from a fellow female  Stockport Harrier, a very experience long distance runner with  a marathon PB of sub 3 hours.  She told me to hang on to her, I managed this for all of about 2 miles (if that), she was just too speedy and I was in need of fuel. So I ‘wrenched’ the gel from my belt, (need more practice with this) and spent the next mile and a half trying to open it and consume it…not best pleased as it slowed me right down. Anyway, I eventually got the stuff down and made the executive decision to give my other 2 gels a miss as it would slow me down too much – lesson learnt, I NEED to practice with these gels before the big day!

Michelle and I, happy its all over!

The last 2 miles nearly killed me due to the headwind, I think the only thing that kept me going was Matt, Meg and Harry screaming at me and the sense that there was another female Harrier on my shoulder who I was determined to beat (for once), and I did – YAY J

I finished in 1:29:19, and we won the team prize, that’ll do!

*my head is too small for my headband and Michelle said my purple one matched her top so we swapped (hers was Velcro and adjustable).

Snow, wind, rain, hills…and an ice bath!

Pre-race, trying to stay warm
(note the snow in the background!)

Stafford 20 was on the cards this morning and I’m gonna be honest-I wasn’t looking forward to it! Having returned from warm Madeira (20 degrees) last Monday to the UK’s positively Baltic climate the last thing I wanted to do was get up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday morning, drive an hour down the M6 and race! But hey ho, that’s what I did, with my dedicated hubby in tow J

On our way down the snow seemed to get heavier and heavier the closer we got, our car temperature gauge assured us that it was indeed, Balitc. In hindsight it’s a good thing this was a race, had it been just a training run, I really don’t think I’d have got out of bed for it.

The race started and finished at Stafford University (who even knew, I just thought it was an M6 service stop!!).  Anyway great facilities, loads of parking and it seemed to be well organised bar the fact that we had to pick up our ‘finishers’ mug BEFORE we had even started….hmmm!

 We lined up at 10:30 ready for the off and were warned of the ‘bollards’ and ‘speed bumps’ (remember the ankle incident?) around the Uni grounds before exiting to the road. Within half a mile I passed a 14 mile marker, either I time travelled or….oh yes it was laps, oh so taunting. One large lap (8miles) and 2 small laps (6).  They were all ‘undulating’ although I’d rather call them ‘hilly’ (see Garmin link below). On top of that add a mega headwind and snow =  watering eyes and a wish that I’d stayed in bed, I really was doubting myself. Two girls and plenty of guys passed me and third girl tried but I managed to shake her off and never saw her again J

Matt must have been keeping toasty in the car when I finished the first lap as there was no sign of him, don’t blame him! But sure enough he was there egging me on for the 2^nd and 3^rd lap- he actually ran along side me for the last 500m or so, guiding me to the finish (the description said the start and finish are ‘tricky’, I was paranoid I’d run straight past it!!!).

Anyway all the effort, pain, cold etc. paid off as I finished in 2 hours 25 mins and 34 seconds, ave pace 7:17 minute mile, 5^th lady and won a prize - pleased with that!

Stafford 20 mile race by samjones13 at Garmin Connect - Details

(if you're at all interested in the stats, here's the link!)

I came home and yes got in an ice cold bath for five minutes (it’s ok my legs were numb, I literally couldn’t feel them, so pretty bearable!)

Next challenge, to beat 1:30 in a half marathon in two weeks, followed by LONDON MARATHON!!!