With my brother over from Melbourne for 10 days we needed a race in Yorkshire today, and I discovered this 10k near Selby. It proved to be a well-organised, reasonably priced, pancake flat race (despite rubbishy weather, the race was won in under 31 minutes!). The only concern for me was the shortage of recreational runners at the back - this was a race for club runners and many local clubs were out in force. It was great to see Di and Helen there too, and my sister-in-law Fiona defied her jet lag to come along and support us all.
There was a misty and very wet drizzle falling as we walked the short distance to the start line, and quite a wind too. Once the race started, I trotted along watching most of the runners disappear into the distance, and soon became aware of the tail ambulance pootling along behind me. Fortunately after the first k I realised I couldn't hear it any more, and presumed this meant that (a) I wasn't last and (b) I was going faster than whoever was. In fact in the first 3k I managed to catch and overtake a few runners, and then remained in the same position in the race all the way to the end.
The course follows a figure of eight, and could hardly be flatter. All single track roads, all tarmacked (if there is such a word!). Wistow is north of Selby, and just west of the River Ouse. The roads took us through the exposed fields of this part of the East Riding, at the mercy of the wind, and the lack of hedgerows meant I could see a train of runners stretching out ahead of me for several kilometres.
For a couple of k we shared the road with hundreds of cyclists. Not sure what their event was but many of them encouraged me as they whizzed by. Apart from them, the marshals and (highlight of the morning!) a passing tractor, there was only us, the runners, out there on the old Selby Coalfield.
I had set off running 6 minute ks, and as for the first 7k the wind was either behind us or blowing across, I managed to sustain that pace all the way. I was beginning to think that I might even scrape home just inside the hour, when we turned a corner and it was pay back time. The wind was in my face, the road was straight and long. I pushed as best I could, but didn't quite have the oomph to keep that pace going. But I didn't just give in to it and jog, as I have been doing for ages now, I fought, and I recalled what Keith tells us on Monday nights about staying upright and keeping form, and if there had been a prize for the finisher with the biggest smile (and why wasn't there?) I reckon I'd have been a contender!
It was great to see Phil and Fiona, Di and Helen waiting on the corner to cheer me home - thank you! I've no idea how I ran in under 62 minutes but I did, and it was such a good feeling. Very proud of my brother running 44 minutes less than 24 hours after stepping off the plane, and Di and Helen recorded great times too. Selby Striders should be proud of their event, it was great fun and well run. And the red woolly hat we all found in our goody bags was very welcome afterwards, even if all of us wearing them did look like a Swan Vesta!
216 days to Copenhagen!
winning time . . 30.46
76 Phil . . 44.22
114 Helen . . 50.04
126 Diane . . 51.47
174 me . . 61.57
182 took part
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