There's Always Something

It’s the delayed Edwinstowe Christmas 10k this morning with no doubt the expected red t-shirt to be presented at the finish. My preparation hasn’t been great and that’s the understatement of the year, even if 2011 is only nine days old. I’ve not done enough training due to the weather, the fact I’ve developed a sore throat and because my bike has been in for a service. My diet has been crap, causing a mouth full of ulcers, ulcers which have made fuelling up for this race difficult. Then to cap it all a restless night due to the dogs having a restless night. The fault, I think, of a couple of foxes screeching loudly intermittently through the earlier part of the night. I don’t wish to begrudge Mr Fox bringing home a young vixen after a night out on Wollaton Park but could he at least keep it to himself.

But anyway, back to the race. As I was, sort of, ill, I took it steady with full body cover so as to not get cold. Embarrassingly steady as it turned out, doing a 4:45 for the first km was positively upsetting. Things improved slightly from there onwards but not by much and to be honest I couldn’t have gone much faster even if I’d wanted to.

So basically I power walk (without the power) around the course, which is still a little icy. There were still a few piles of snow around. So I can see why it was cancelled back in December and even today they had to reroute it away from the Major Oak where it was sheet ice in places. The fact it’s still quite cold is good as it made the course firm underfoot, otherwise it could have been really muddy.

So a time of 47 something, which I would have assumed would have put me near the back but oddly doesn’t. L rubs it in by bragging about her time, which was eight minutes quicker than last time she ran this race two years ago. I blame her personal trainer, although she’s still behind me.

Home for the hot bath that I’m more than ready for, so too the wine we hit later.

On the positive side, the exercise seems to have blown the worst of the illness out of my body. So that’s good. Instead I now have a really painful knee. There’s always something.

(Sunday 9th January)