So, how are all my injuries? I’m about to find out by
running the Uttoxeter Half Marathon.
Most of my original ills have gone away, so naturally I have
a new one which I think is a thigh strain. This gets even more strained when
they send us up a hill immediately after the start.
In fact, this is a course with very little flat in it. Although,
had I not been pre-injured I wouldn’t have worried unduly about the terrain, it
was nothing too nasty. Everyone said to fear the big one between miles six and
seven which also implied it was a mile long but it wasn’t. It was challenging although
not horrendous.
My biggest problems were the downhills. I’m not good a downhills
generally and some of the ones here were evil. Whilst everyone else was rejoicing
at the last mile being ‘all downhill’ I was cursing it.
I maintain a decent eight minute mile pace for the first half of the
race before it deteriorates sharply thereafter. I finish feeling shattered. How
I’ll feel when that is the dessert course after a swim and a bike I’m not sure.
My finish time of 1:51 is well outside my 1:45 target.
The race started and finished at Uttoxeter Racecourse, which
meant the facilities were pretty good as apparently was the cake stall. T-shirts
were picked up, unconventionally, before the start and drinks were in cups.
This I would normally have objected to but it gave me chance to have a breather
as I stopped at each one.
My parents have come to support, brought out possibly by the warm
weather which isn’t ideal for running. We adjourn for a pint in a pub called
the Dapple Grey afterwards. A rarity for a pub these days, and especially for a
Marstons, was that they had no beers below 4.5%. They were serving Pedigree
4.5%, Old Empire 5.7%, and Snecklifter 5.1%. They must have known I was coming.
L and I are both celebrating two birthdays these days, just
like the Queen. Tonight’s its L’s unofficial birthday ahead of her real one
on Thursday. We have a few beers in the Falcon. Tuck mainly but we also try their
6% Big Ben mild. Then we go to the new Caribbean restaurant
Turtle Bay in the Cornerhouse
complex.
They are a growing chain and it is madly busy for a Sunday night. Well
for any night actually. We have to go on a waiting list for a table and we are
amazed when we get one, as it’s possibly the most disorganised place we’ve
ever seen. I was convinced we’d be under or overcharged but amazingly they kept
track of things. Somehow.
The food was excellent and I had my first ever pint of Red
Stripe, which was really disgusting. They did have a bottle beer that was much
more palatable and some nice rum too...
(Sunday 4th May)
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