Author Archives: Lolly

parkrun tourism: Seaton

by Lolly

We’ve done a fair bit of parkrun tourism this year and, as our tourism page is starting to show, have been a little neglectful when it comes to writing them up. So I’m turning over a new leaf and writing about Seaton parkrun within a few hours of its first event.

Inaugural parkrun tourism is a bit of a controversial topic, as in places like London it can completely overwhelm a new event. This is only the second time we’ve attended a first event (the other being Burnham and Highbridge), and in both cases it’s just happened to be a weekend that worked out well. Having said that, even with all the inaugural tourists today there were 188 finishers, so definitely a different scale to London!

Seaton parkrun is a two lap out-and-back course along the promenade. I realise that makes it sound boring, but stick with me! Having parked up in our ‘usual’ Seaton car park, we walked down to the prom and I was relieved to see toilets by the start/finish area. When you’re nearly halfway through pregnancy these things are crucial.

While we waited for the start, Ben had a trial of taking the buggy on the pebble beach, and determined it just wouldn’t work. One of the Event Directors spoke to us and confirmed our suspicions – that the course page shouldn’t have said buggies are welcome. She was very lovely about it, and Ben worked out a way to complete the course without having to take the buggy on the beach.

We crowded round for the run briefing, which I thought was very well done to balance the needs of both tourists and local first timers. I particularly liked that we were told to keep people around us quiet, as chatting during briefings gets annoying. Having bunched up into the crowd, we then had to fight our way to the back for the start. Ben because he had a buggy and me because… I wanted to give the others a chance?

As invariably happens starting at the back, I didn’t notice the start, so started my watch a little late. But we were off. First up is a short trip to the end of the prom, filled with shouts of “Keep left!” as runners started heading back the other way. The cones to turn around were nicely spaced, so that the turn wasn’t too sharp and it also naturally separated the two directions of runners.

Next task: run to the other end of the prom. The path is tarmac all the way, making it really easy to run on. Unsurprisingly, quite a way before I reached the other end there were runners heading back, but the path was wide enough (for the majority that were considerate) and it added to the atmosphere. Before long we’d reached the end of the prom path… only that’s not where the course turns round.

The final bit of the out-and-back is, in fact, on the pebble beach. Perfect time to take a little walk break. Although, even walking was hard work. Ben later confirmed that he had left the buggy with the last marshal on the path, taking the pebble section unaccompanied. Still, after the pebbles I felt a spring in my step returning to tarmac, and had no problem returning to a run (at my typical speedy pace).

The promenade path at Seaton is on the beach side of the sea wall. While on the way out we’d been running next to the wall, on the way back we were running next to a drop, beyond which was pebble beach and then glorious wavy sea. Faster runners started to overtake, and we were encouraged to keep as close to the left of the path as possible, which was a little tricky given the drop and my misplaced centre of gravity.

The backdrop

Going past the split for the finish, there was the nice feeling of (mostly) just having to do the same again… and knowing that no one else would lap me. As I trundled along to the first end I suddenly looked up at the beautiful cliffs, and realised quite how beautiful a location I was running in. I then encountered an incredibly rare hiccup in a well organised event, in that runners who had already finished were stood across the course. Sadly this is a common sight for slower parkrunners.

My trip back down the prom was spent admiring the views, thanking marshals, appreciating cheers from faster runners, and listening to the gushing waves. Gosh I was glad those toilets had been there. After successfully navigating the pebbles a second time, it was onto the home stretch to head back. I was joined for a short while by a very happy 3 year old, who I had to hand back to Ben before taking the split to the finish. Which is on the beach.

It didn’t seem right to walk so close to the end, so instead I just considerably slowed down. Then I heard people coming up behind me, and much as I take parkrun at my own pace I still hate being beaten to the line. So the last few metres may have been taken a little harder than planned. Ben’s tactic for this section had been to leave the buggy at the start of the beach, and then walk to the end with our long-suffering daughter.

Say “parkrun tourism”

Finish tokens and barcode scanning went very smoothly, and we had the chance to thank some more of the volunteers before heading to the nearby Pebbles cafe for post-run tea and milkshake.

The event was incredibly well organised, better than a fair few longer-running events we’ve been too. The atmosphere was brilliant. Every single marshal was smiling, clapping and cheering (sadly that’s not always the case). The runners were also great at cheering each other on – Ben in particular found he got a lot of encouragement (for being the nutter with the buggy).

So this brand new parkrun is very definitely on our recommend list, as long as you don’t run with either a dog or a buggy. Now, where to next?

Lack-of-Training Update

by Lolly

I haven’t been posting enough recently. I’ve been trying to persuade myself that it’s ok, because Ben has had a lot more running to write about than normal. But then looking at the last 10 blog posts only 1 has been from me. Oops.

In part, this has been because there’s been little to write about. My running lately has consisted of parkrun. Even then, other commitments have meant I haven’t managed every week. My times have been less than stellar: 36:29, 37:15, 37:07, 35:46 and (today) 38:52. It hasn’t bothered me too much though.

My packed-out training schedule

So to re-cap: I’ve got no races planned for the rest of the year, my training is virtually non-existent, and I’ve been taking the few runs I have been doing as easy as possible.

Kind of screams “surviving first trimester of pregnancy” right?

Actually, I’m pretty proud of myself for the little running I’ve managed. Last time round I ran precisely zero miles during the whole 9 months, so every time I set off it sort of feels like a new PB. And now that I’m through with the “feeling crappy” months I can get moving a little bit more for a while. You know, until the “exhausted” months arrive.

parkrun tourism: Exeter Riverside

by Lolly

We’ve visited several parkruns since Kingsway, but somehow have yet to write about any of them. So I’m making a start on the backlog with one of our more recent trips.

For quite some time, Exeter Riverside parkrun has been the closest event to us that we hadn’t visited – with only Burnham and Highbridge, Yeovil Montacute and Killerton being closer (other than Longrun Meadow, of course!). We kept being put off by the boring sounding course – out and back along the river path. But a desire to meet up with friends in the area meant we finally took the plunge.

Step 1: Locate a car park. Pretty easy actually, as there are several in the area and it’s early enough that there are plenty of spaces.
Step 2: Locate toilets. After completing the intermediate step of flagging down a hi-viz, these were easily located at the climbing centre.
Step 3: Locate the start. This was accomplished through the traditional method of following people in running kit.

Everything located, the new runners’ briefing got underway – late. A delay in accessing the store cupboard that morning had put everything behind, and the run itself was being delayed by 10 minutes to allow a runner-turned-volunteer to get back from setting up flags. The megaphone wasn’t working, and so the briefing at the start was repeated several times. I thought this was very considerate, as the number of parkruns that don’t have a megaphone is a frustration.

The start of the route heads out along the river path. This was a bit of a nostalgia trip for me, as I have fond memories of the few riverside walks I took whilst at university in Exeter. I’d been expecting to pretty much stay on that path for the duration, but we took a turn and crossed over the river. The paths changed to tree surroundings, with a more off-road feel.

We then entered the university playing fields. I spotted Ben across the other side and exchanged a wave, before starting the trek around the edge of the field (marked out by aforementioned flags). It was windy and bumpy, but pretty nice to be able to see runners at different stages. Exiting the field I couldn’t quite see where to go, and had to ask the marshal. Turns out there was an arrow hidden out of sight. Marshals – check your arrows can be seen!

Not sure who looks least interested

The route re-joined the main path just in time to cross back over the same bridge. Despite everyone describing it as out-and-back, it was more like a lollipop. Towards the end of the river path I was joined by Ben and Lani for the final stretch, before putting in just enough effort to not be overtaken on the line.

As Ben headed out for some extra miles, I faced the task of locating the barcode scanners. The instructions at the briefing had been to “follow the other runners”, which is probably easier if you finish faster and haven’t spent time playing on stompy bridges with a toddler.

We headed in the direction of the climbing centre, and sure enough once inside I found a sign saying scanning was upstairs. So it’s worth noting that while the course is (off-road) buggy friendly, you will have to abandon said buggy to scan in at the end. Or access toilets. Personally I found it a bit strange having the barcode scanning so far from the finish (they must lose a lot of tokens), but with the cafe and other facilities in the centre I can see why it’s done that way.

Overall, we all very much enjoyed our Exeter Riverside parkrun experience. The course was much more interesting than expected, and it was a nice bonus to do some tourism closer to home.

My life revolves around running

by Lolly

For the past couple of months it feels like everything I do is about running. Timetable. Meal planning. Laundry schedule. Everything. But here’s the kicker – I’m not running.

My latest run on Strava was optimistically called “Trying to start a habit”. Given that was a month ago, it clearly wasn’t much of a success. Truth is, there’s been a lot of other stuff going on. I’m at the end of a college course, and so assignments have had to take priority in the evenings and at weekends. Add the normal tiring elements of work and a toddler, and there wasn’t a lot left.

Does he even own any normal clothes?

But still, the alarm is set early enough for long runs – inevitably causing aforementioned toddler to decide it’s time to get up. The requirement for me to be on toddler duty is based on a running plan. Meals are meticulously selected so that spice does not precede a long run. Each day the laundry basket must be checked for favoured running kit, and the dirty dishes pile checked for recovery shake bottles. And weekends? They’re for researching race routes to decide if there are toddler-friendly cheering points.

In short, I am currently a running widow.

It will change. My college course is almost done. Home life is adjusting to the idea of Ben running so much during the week. And everyone knows that attack is the best form of defence. Time to dust off the trainers then…

Running on empty

by Lolly

Picture the scene. After a week of feeling tired and generally not 100%, it’s finally Friday evening. A text arrives checking if you’ll be at parkrun the next morning, and you send an affirmative reply (it’s pretty much the only running you do lately). You then get very little sleep and are woken up by your sleep-deprived toddler at 5:45. Your husband has been feeling ill in the night, so you’re on your own.

Do you:
a) hide under a blanket and concede to watching Peppa Pig all morning
b) get dressed and head out for a buggy parkrun

I’ve been trying to work out why it is that I chose option b. Possibly because I’d told my friend I’d be there. Possibly because parkrun has genuinely been my only exercise lately. Probably because small children are much easier to look after in big outdoor spaces.

Longrun Meadow is one of the few parkruns we’ve been to that don’t tell buggies to start at the back, but we do anyway. There’s a narrow bridge right near the start which is a big enough crush at the best of times. So there’s lots of overtaking to be done.

It started pretty badly as I struggled to get past a few of the groups near the back, meaning my speed fluctuated greatly. Efficient buggy-running is all about momentum, as the hardest thing is getting any kind of speed up. When you’re overtired it’s even more important.

At least after all that effort someone took our picture! (Credit: Graham Foster)

By the end of the first lap I’d overtaken quite a few people, but was also really starting to struggle. Running with a buggy requires running fitness, strength and energy. I had approximately zero of those. And shortly after the 2 mile beep I did something I don’t ever remember doing at Longrun before. I slowed to a walk.

Of course, this then made things harder when I started running again, as it took more effort to get speed up. By the time I got round to the formerly-muddy bit I’d conceded that I would need to walk the entire bark section, saving what little energy I had for the better path that lay ahead.

As we left the muddy bit, I told my daughter that I was sorry for walking so much, and that I’d get her back as fast as I could. This little voice replied “Doesn’t matter”.

Better ground and friendly faces got me round to the end. Glances at my watch as I’d been going along had prepared me for what I’d see just after the finish. I had completely smashed my worst Longrun Meadow time.

At the time of writing this, I don’t know my official time (my barcode didn’t scan correctly so I’m waiting to be added to the results), but I think it will be merely seconds quicker than my slowest ever parkrun (which was my first post-natal 5k). So just a course PW then.

But you know what, it doesn’t matter.

parkrun tourism: Kingsway

by Lolly

A whole 3 weeks after our last parkrun tourism, we were on the road again – this time heading up to Kingsway in Gloucestershire. This was a pretty logical choice for our next trip – just off the M5 and (from reports we’d received) buggy friendly.

The first thing we noticed was that the course information page for Kingsway was really helpful. Plenty of information on parking and the facilities available. We also copied down the directions – just as well as the sat nav tried to send us to a different part of the postcode.

Kingsway parkrun is based in a park right next to a sports pavilion. When we arrived it was raining, but happily everyone congregated inside the pavilion so we were relatively warm and dry. It did, however, mean relatively noisy conditions for the new runners/tourists briefing. But the key information was confirmed: 3 laps, starting on the path near the pavilion, about half the course on grass or trail path. Erm, what? When I agreed to buggy run this one I’d been told it was mostly path. In fairness, Ben did give me the option of swapping, but it seemed silly to do so at such late notice.

After a late decision on outfit choice (hoodie and short-sleeve t-shirt) I headed out to join everyone else. With the number of people already lined up, I had to take quite a wide route on the grass to get to the back of the pack. My buggy running confidence isn’t that great, and there was no space on the path further forward, so I was kind of glad to have to start at the back.

With a rare spot of non-buggy tourism, Ben decides to attempt a sprint start

Of course, once we started I was a little less happy to be at the back. The path wasn’t all that wide, and so there weren’t many early opportunities to overtake. We’ll blame the path, not my lack of experience. We quickly moved onto tarmac cycle path and I managed to get into a bit of a rhythm. Then a couple of turns later I could hear a marshal saying “Watch out for the step”.

Great. A step. Actually, it wasn’t too bad. It was just the move from the path onto the trail section, and by taking the corner a lot wider than everyone else the step could be easily avoided. The ground was bumpy but pretty solid. At around this point there were a couple of dogs jumping at each other, and so while trying to keep the buggy on course I was also trying to avoid a dog that kept jumping in front of us.

We soon got a view of some of the faster runners, giving me my first chance to wave at Ben. The course turned onto a cycle path section, although I opted for the grass in places to overtake people. After another turn we moved onto a field, which was much smoother than the trail section and so a little easier technically, just tiring.

After some more cycle path we reached a similar gravel surface to the start. This section would have been easier if I hadn’t been trying to take my hoodie off without stopping. At Longrun Meadow, when you go past the finish there are swarms of people ready to take excess clothing from you. Here I had to keep an eye out for an appropriate location, which turned out to be a bench. Right in front of a photographer.

Don’t even know where to start with this one…

And so lap 2 commenced. With the field having thinned out a little, the going was a little easier. That is, until the faster runners started coming through. Being lapped was inevitable, but I was very conscious of not wanting to get in the way. In a few places I deliberately slowed down to let runners pass me in a wider spot – and then regretted losing momentum when trying to speed back up.

Navigating the turns and wishing I’d done more upper-body work

As I reached the path after the field, runners were lapping me thick and fast. Including Ben. This gave me the small relief that once I got back to the start I could drop off the buggy. Also a relief for our daughter, who hadn’t enjoyed my awful steering on the bumpy ground.

So I started my third and final lap feeling strangely light, and trying to remember how to use my arms. It was like running a completely different route. The (many) turns were wider, the ground was firmer, and overtaking was a breeze. Strava tells me the third lap was 2 minutes faster than the second.

I’d made a conscious decision before the run not to push myself too hard, so I had a little left in the tank at the end. Which I obviously wasn’t going to use to finish hard. Until there were a couple of people right in front of me.

I honestly don’t heel-strike…

After the run there were drinks and cake available for purchase in the pavilion, and quite a few people stayed around. We stopped to chat for a bit, and made use of the changing facilities before we headed home.

Kingsway parkrun was a more interesting course than I’d expected, with the many twists and turns giving it more character than 3 laps might suggest. There were quite a lot of marshals on course, including a fair few juniors, and all of them were amazing in the support they offered. The only question now is where to try next…

Getting into cross training

by Lolly

Look at any running information for long enough and you’re bound to read about the importance of cross training. Essentially, this is just other exercise that helps with your running, or helps to even up body areas that running doesn’t target. This has always been a bit of a sticking point for me – I can never seem to get momentum for running and other exercise at the same time.

When we did our Leadership in Running Fitness course at the end of last year, the trainers talked about the need for regular stretching workouts as part of any running training plan. Secretly, I felt a little bit smug at this, as just a couple of weeks earlier I’d started a new stretching and flexibility class, and this time I was determined to make it stick.

Studio 22 is a dance fitness studio, and was the place I decided to try when looking for a new start. I was attracted by the range of classes, and the decent class prices. My desire to stretch out my muscles combined with a wish to stretch out my comfort zone, and so I found myself at X-TND & Flex. Stretching my comfort zone was putting it mildly.

Rolling out the tight spots

I was asked about my flexibility goals. An obvious question, you’d think. But as someone who has never been associated with the word ‘flexible’, it was difficult to answer. And with that I entered the world of biomechanical releases, muscle rolling, belly breathing, and the splits. Yep, the splits. It is fair to say that I had never been close to doing the splits, and this did not change that evening.

For some reason I persevered, and slowly but surely I started to have a bit more of a clue what I was doing. You could even start to tell that I was attempting to do the splits. With the extra confidence it was time to add something else in, this time Ballet Fit.

Ballet is not something I did as a child, but it’s hard to deny the obvious fitness benefits. For me the biggest challenge was (is) balance. Oh and grace. And maybe a bit of flexibility. Ok, so essentially it’s a class that targets a lot of weak spots for me. As you’d therefore expect, I was rubbish at it.

Of the many things I’ve learned at Studio 22, a key one is that it’s ok not to be good at something, as long as you try to get better. There’s no way that you can expect flexibility and balance to magically improve, they are areas that need work just like running.

The burning question is, of course, what impact has all of this had on my running? Well, I’ve still not cracked the art of balancing exercise effectively. I’ve certainly been doing a lot less running than I was before, even with my short runs to and from the Studio each week. But it’s actually good news.

All the leg stretching and strengthening means that I no longer ache after a flat-out parkrun. And they feel pretty good during the run as well. I find myself checking my posture against any reflective surface I pass, which has helped my running form and day-to-day aches. As for my pace, it’s fair to say that there’s no indication I’ve been running less. In fact, my pace is up there with the best it’s ever been.

For me, the secret to cross training now seems clear. Find something that you actually enjoy, and stick with it. Studio 22 is the place that this has worked out for me, and I can feel the difference on the odd occasion I can’t make a class. Now I just need to get out running more, to really reap the benefits.

Release!

In case it wasn’t obvious, I’ve never taken a camera to a class, so Ben took these at home…

I have not been asked, or paid, to write this post, and I pay full-price for all classes at Studio 22.

The other side of the race

by Lolly

Our running club, Running Forever RC, organise two races every year (well, technically three), and last weekend it was the Humdinger (and Hurtle). The Humdinger is a half marathon around hilly country lanes, and the Hurtle is a shorter version at between 4 and 5 miles.

The club have a policy that means every member should volunteer, or name someone to volunteer in their place, and only enter the race if all the volunteer slots are filled. Personally I think this is a great policy. What better way to support the running community than volunteering at a race? Runners always make the best marshals.

This year we went for a slightly different role. The day before the race, Ben drove round with the race director to put out all the signs (mile markers, ‘caution runners’, ‘drinks ahead’ etc). On the morning of the race we drove round the course together to check that all the signs were still there, and to make sure there were no surprises on the route.

The runners are coming!

As we had no specific role at the start of the race, we stood near the first signs to be collected with our cameras. And then the fun began. Driving round the course again to pick up all the signs. My career as a sign-retriever did not start well – I tugged so hard to get it out the ground that it hit me on the nose. Lesson duly learnt.

In a way we were completely separate to the race; no concept of the number of runners or how the leaders were doing. But we saw everything from a completely different point of view. Walking up and down hills to pick up signs gave me so much respect for the people running up those hills. We stopped off at marshal points to talk to club friends who were packing up to go home. And we saw how strong the guy running at the back of the pack looked, accompanied by the two tail runners holding to the sacred club rule: Nobody gets left behind.

I’d really recommend getting involved in a local race the next time you get the chance. If you’re not sure what it involves, or would like to start with something a little shorter, then head down to your local parkrun and volunteer there.

A Streak and a Stampede

by Lolly

After a 6 week absence, with very few runs in between, I returned to running Longrun Meadow parkrun with a time that showed my drop in fitness. The thought of running the Stoke Stampede 10k two weeks later was not a pretty one. When I’d signed up for the race, it had been as a target race. I wanted one more shot this year at improving my PB. With two weeks to go, I’d struggled with 5k and was completely out of the training habit.

Back home I checked my Garmin stats and discovered I still had 48 miles left to run to hit my goal for 2015, with a mere 19 days left to do it in. Not going to happen. Ben commented that if I ran 5k a day for the rest of the year then I’d manage it easily. It was a good laugh, but somehow I couldn’t shake the idea.

The next day I got ready to go for a run. Ben asked how far I planned to go, and the answer was simple. 5k. It felt rubbish, but I went. The next day I had an exercise class in the evening. The route I took to get there was slightly longer than usual, and I checked my watch carefully on arrival to check the distance. Heading back I took a slightly longer route. As I took an extra loop around my estate it became clear I was already addicted. I HAD to run 5k every day.

The breakthrough in my streak came at the end of the week on parkrunday. I was volunteering, and wore my kit under my coat and hi-viz. After parkrun I swapped into my trainers (wellies are essential at this time of year) and tried to work out a good route. I clocked in 4 more miles and, importantly for my self-belief, did so at 9:31 min/miles. Pretty much a minute a mile faster than my mid-week efforts.

My mindset had changed from “can face going for a run today?” to “when will I go for my run today?” The only difficulty was working out the route. Oh and December weather. One day it rained straight in my face to the extent that my contact lenses got knocked out of line.

The test was Christmas Day. Day 14 of my run streak, and a return to parkrun. The puddles covered most of the course, and were up to my ankle in places. It was brilliant. I finished in 29:11, almost 2 minutes faster than on Day 1 despite the worse conditions. Day 15 was a recovery run, in preparation for the race.

The Stoke Stampede is a popular 10k race in Stoke St Gregory. Popular to the extent that it sold out of places this year, as everyone always raves about it. Ben ran it back in 2013. I knew very little about the course, other than that it was on country roads. Then Ben mentioned there were hills, which I’d suspected, and that there was a small loop and a big loop, which was useful to know. The thing I really didn’t know was how the race would go.

I started way too fast. It was really hard to wait far enough back, and with the downhill start and excitement of the race it was really easy to get carried away. Slowing down was a difficult but necessary task. The nature of the course means you pass the cheering crowd three times: near the start, after the small loop, and just before the end. This was gratefully received support, even if my daughter didn’t spot me first time.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, at about the 4 mile mark I got really tired. It became much more of a struggle and so I just settled in to a pace that felt comfortable. Some of the country lanes felt very quiet, with little noise other than feet and jingles. Yes, I’d worn a jingle bell hairband. That might be why there was rarely a runner close by.

The few spectators that were dotted around the course were great. I’m pretty sure I’d have stopped to walk on the hill up to the 8k mark if it wasn’t for the support from the top of it.

When I returned to the village for the final push I was tired but pleased. I felt better than I’d felt on a tough run for months. I finished in 56:34, so sub 9 min/miles. Faster than I’d run for over 2 months, while going further than I’d run for a month. Whatever my original plans had been when I’d entered the race, I’d done myself proud.

Even better, just over a mile into the race I’d hit the milestone that I’d thought there was no chance I could achieve.

goal complete

Yesterday was day 17. We went for a walk up Brean Down in the morning, and I ended up carrying our daughter back down the steps. Annoyingly, not in a carrier. My afternoon run was hard work.

Today I woke up with sore legs, and my left quad has yet to improve. Tight, sore, painful on movement, they would all describe it. The moral of the story is that running is good for you, taking a toddler on a day out without a back carrier is not.

run streak.PNG

My run streak has given me everything I needed it to. Fitness, confidence, and a renewed love for running. It’s the love for running that means I’m breaking my streak and not heading out today. Not today. But in a couple of days’s time I’ll be back out again. And again. And again.

Taunton 10k: Race Report

by Lolly

For the third time in four years, I planned to run the Taunton 10k. The difference this year? I didn’t have a chest infection and so, despite having tired legs from my first half marathon the week before, I was actually going to run it.

The Taunton 10k is by far the most local race I’ve ever run, which made it a little strange. I even knew the guy directing us into the car park. Collecting my race number involved bumping into several familiar faces. Oh and there was the big club photo as well.

A few more RFRC runners than I’ve raced with before

For the size of race, the start seemed pretty disorganised. I had absolutely no idea where to line up, and so just waited with some other people from the club. As the race started it quickly became apparent that we were way too far back, even before we crossed the start chip mat. So I spent the first section in full-on weaving mode, spotting gaps and darting through.

As the runners started to thin out a little I settled into a steadier pace, and was immediately passed by fellow club member Claire. She’d followed my weaving pattern through and, having actually trained properly, was ready to speed off. But there were plenty of other familiar runners to greet on the way.

The first section of the Taunton 10k is what can only be described as a distance loop. The route leaves Chestnut Drive, goes round a few other roads, and then re-appears to cross Chestnut Drive further along. Along the way is a reasonably busy road with a narrow pavement. Running in the road didn’t feel particularly safe, and overtaking was pretty difficult either way. The curse of starting too far back!

As we approached Chestnut Drive, I could hear more and more people cheering – the pavements were lined with supporters. The loudest group of cheers was coming from a group of our club supporters, and that was before they spotted my top. There’s nothing like an insane volume of “Come on, Running Forever” to get your spirits up. A little further up the road (yes, actually up) Ben, Leila and Ben’s brother were watching and cheering.

Up + Hot + Grin = Not the best look.

So I was feeling pretty good as I started the ‘main’ part of the 10k route, climbing up towards the motorway and over the other side. The road towards Stoke St Mary was hot. It was an art-form balancing the need to stay visible to cars (on a country road) and the need to run in the shade. Still, I was happy with how nicely the kilometres were ticking over – a nice side effect of having recently run a longer race.

Just before Stoke St Mary there was a water station handing out bottles. Before this year I’d have said bottles were essential, but it felt pretty big and awkward compared to cups. Maybe small bottles are the way to go?

The support in Stoke St Mary itself was really good – I suppose if your village is being clogged up with runners then you may as well embrace it. Unfortunately I started to feel a little rough, so I just settled in to a pace and tried to focus. The undulating road back out of Stoke St Mary is exactly the sort of road I love to run on, although it felt quiet after the support.

As we turned onto the road back into Taunton the traffic level increased, meaning that everyone tried to stay a bit closer in to the hedge. Throughout the route there had been little signs from one of the local clubs giving advice on the route ahead, and the sign here said to push. Given we were still a fair way off seeing the 8k marker this seemed a little early.

People were out supporting in the few places where the road widened, including Sandra from our club who was handing out jelly babies (not my thing but nice idea). I was passed by a few people who were kicking on earlier that me. Even so, I felt much stronger on the climb back up to the motorway and very much enjoyed speeding up a little down the other side.

The support heading back onto Chestnut Drive was amazing, almost enough to make me give it my all. Not quite though, as I was acutely aware that the finish line was further than the start line. When I did kick for the final stretch, I found myself running alongside someone else from my club. Rounding the corner into the finish there was a mass of people on either side and then, much to my surprise, a couple of kids appeared in front of us. Having kids run with their parents over the line is sweet, but not ideal for anyone else running nearby.

This space would contain an official photo of me at the finish,
if it wasn't far too bad to pay for.
(The photo quality was good, my expression not so much)

I crossed the line, stopped my watch, and entered the chaos around me. So many people with not many places to go. I saw some more friends from club and we chatted about how we’d done. My watch showed 55:26, and I was telling the truth when I said I was pleased to have got within about 20 seconds of my PB.

Collecting my t-shirt from the hall was easy enough, although the t-shirt itself is nothing to run home about. I suspect it will be reserved for DIY days (which is what Ben uses his 2014 version for). Given the scale of event it seems a bit of a shame that they don’t do medals, but I knew that when I signed up so can’t complain too much.

Given this is a local event I’m sure I’ll end up running it again at some point. I’ll certainly be using some of the roads in my training runs, and with the added bonus of atmosphere it would seem silly not to enter again. If only that first loop didn’t have to exist.

Back at home we got talking about what my actual 10k PB was, as I wasn’t exactly sure. It turned out to be 55:23, so not that far off what I’d just run. Particularly as I always make sure my watch time is a little long. Then we found the chip results on the website, putting my official Taunton 10k time at… 55:22. And this was how I came to award myself the prize for most embarrassing PB ever.