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Sunday 13 March 2022

How To Destroy Your Confidence

On Monday L goes to the pool for a swim for the first time in ages and sends through the feedback ‘I managed not to drown’ which is exactly the sort of thing I’d say had I been near a pool, which I haven’t for some time.

Despite sore legs from doing Retford I take the Lad out for a run and we do 9k. MD gets shoved in the car, which makes him think he’s going somewhere even though he isn’t and the car stays on the drive throughout but he’d probably howl if I left him home alone.

Tuesday is International Women's Day whatever that means these days. I tell L she can choose what we have for tea but then I usually ask her anyway.

On Wednesday I cycle into work as part of my marathon training.

On Friday we go with some friends to the Shalimar in Derby which is somewhere we went with them about 20 years ago but not since. Although I’ve been on my own a few times. The place gets progressively more expensive every time we go and their sales pitch, for their Gold cards, get progressively more creepy. I’m not sure we’ll be rushing back.

On Saturday we Parkrun at Wollaton. Just two more now to go for the Lad before his enforced retirement.     

Then on Sunday I race a 20 miler. What better way to destroy your confidence for a marathon than to attempt to run two 20 miler back to back. My ‘long awaited’ Ashby 20 debut is next week but first the Oundle 20 miler down in Northamptonshire.

This a newish event by Nice Work that started in 2018 and rather sweetly has most of the same snacks etc that you get on their 5ks.

The next thing I notice is that almost everyone from the Stamford race last month is here. Anyone would think there are some marathons coming up.

The race HQ is at Oundle Primary School but parking is all in the little estate roads around the start. I’m not sure what the residents thought of this... the ones in Retford last week would have gone ape and have done so in the past.

The route takes us out from Oundle around the local country lanes taking in the villages of Fotheringay, Nassington, Yarwell and King’s Cliffe.

They describe it as undulating with PB potential which is of course both contradictory and a lie. It was indeed hilly although not quite as bad as Stamford and quite windy too but thankfully not cold like it was for Stamford.

Like Stamford I started off with 9 minute miles and this time avoided dropping into 10s until about mile 13, two miles later than at Stamford. Then into 11s at mile 18, one mile later than at Stamford. All of which meant nothing as my overall pace was about the same. I’ll blame the obligatory last bit around the playing field. I came in with 3:17:36 which is about 4:25 marathon pace. 

Overall it wasn’t too bad an event and I’d probably do it again, if I had too...

(Sunday 13th March)

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