The third race of the series was the one I originally thought would be my best and the opportunity to get a 10k pb this is the only road race of the series. Droitwich the place I got my half marathon pb I had been looking forward to this one. However having to pull out of Wyre forest half a few days earlier I already knew this was not going to be easy and decided to basically just turn up!!
At the school were race hq was I was informed by a runner who was less than impressed the start was a mile away. I decided to just go straight away too the start walk and use this as some form of a warm up. On this day I had doubled my dose of hay fever tablets and had to use a nasal spray as nothing was working, this combined with antibiotics was not a great start. One mile walk I was tired, hot and not really prepared to run 10k.
The start was in a housing estate the crowd of runners grew as some residents asked what was going on. I was joined by the rest of team teal Sarah Rock and Stuart Pearson who had both run all the other races, Linda Howell who ran the last race and Fiona Heath Brown and James Collin. I overheard a group of very enthusiastic young male runners saying 32mins and shaking hands, this race was part of the worcs championships so that explained the large turnout of very talented runners. I wanted to keep hold of my age cat position of 2nd knowing i may not as the field was bigger and I was not at my best. With this in mind we were off I started slowly thinking too myself I just need to get round, the start had a few downhill parts and we soon wound our way out of the houses into the country side this seemed a very nice view of the country. At 1k thinking I was taking it easy i realised I was running faster than I thought I just carried on winding through the country lanes and not really paying attention to the other runners I didn’t want to get into a race. At 3k the heat started to get to me there was a water station and after 2 years of running I still have not mastered drinking from a plastic cup on the run, I nearly chocked myself and ended up throwing it over myself. We carried on through the lanes past a field and a farm with the field having some friendly on lookers shouting well done, unfortunately for me it also had a tractor full of hay!!Not really helping the hay fever. Soon I had arrived at 5k my time was my normal 5k time I had been running to fast wandering if I was going to pay for this mistake at the same time quite pleased I had made it half way. I ran past a Halesowen runner like the last race she was the same lady who shouted for me to catch the group up ahead this time she shouted a similar instruction. This course was now becoming undulating and I started to feel a bit sick not sure if it was the heat or the amount of drugs i had dosed myself up on I slowed down determined I was going to get to the end even if I lose my position. The race went over a river with a little bridge it was scenic and I started to wonder if I was running on the half marathon course I ran earlier in the year? We followed the river around and came back out onto more of a main road at this point a horse box came round the corner we were slowed down and marshal’s made sure runners stayed to one side, handily this was combined with were the drink station was enabling me to actually drink some water. We were now very definitely running up!!I had become aware the runners around me were the same as the last two races. Running back towards the houses at 9k I was kept amused by two brats one said he would see the other at the end they shook hands and he sprinted off closely followed by second BRAT who must have had a change of heart and sprinted after him. I started to hear my name shouted by the rest of bvh who had all finished one final push to the end. Not my best time 46.47
Amazingly the results show I managed to still finish in 2nd place v35,with Sarah Rock still in first place. Stuart was first in his ac too.
Congratulations Suz `on holding your place in the series.` A very respectable time for 10k, considering that you were so unwell. Do please seek best medical advice and act on it. Maybe you need to take a few weeks off to get yourself well again. Remember that Recovery Enables Successful Training.
Well done, Suz. I know that you were worried about doing this one and you were wise to take it steady. It isn’t a bad course and you did well in the circumstances. You have held your position in the series, now try and get yourself well!