My first run over ten miles, I had been worried that my legs wouldn't have the strength to go further than the six miles I'd pushed them to previously. I could tell my will power was strong though when I bumped into my old friend Patrick Colby at the start line and "allowed" him to speed off into the distance - ignoring the childhood competitiveness that had fuelled our adolescent friendship and would no doubt have lead to me not being able to get further than half way round. Instead I coasted around the undulating course at my own pace along wet muddy country roads, avoiding suicidal earth worms and the solid wafts of manure that slapped me in the back of my nostrils.
Main highlights of the race were :
Shouting to Pippa (and Daisy) to remind them to cheer for me when they hadn't noticed me.
ME : Oi!
PIPPA : Woo! Yay! Go Patrick!
ME : Thank you!
A woman watching from a window wrapped up in her duvet. I saw her watching and waved, she waved and her duvet fell down. She had clothes on underneath but it was still quite Carry on / dodgy 70s comedy porn
A strained conversation with a depressive runner at about four miles, he had a hilariously depressive tone of voice. He moaned about the fact that we could see the leaders coming back the other way, showing how far behind we were. I kept him company for a while but when I said I was going to press on, he sighed "oh, okay then" as if he was Droopy dog.
Around seven miles getting "stuck" behind a leggy lady or more precisely her hypnotic lycra painted buttocks.
Avoiding eye contact with my old athletics coach who was working as a marshal, embarassed at how relatively un-athletic I am compared to my sporty seventeen year old self.
The final corner and especially hearing Pippa's brilliant cheers before I saw her.
The final sprint for the line to pip an old (all be it very healthy looking) codger to 222nd place.
Conversation with the man who finished behind me, he thanked me for speeding up in the last mile and, he said, "dragging" him to a new PB.
Sweaty hug and snog with Pippa at the end.
The tastiest bar of snickers I have ever eaten.
Time : 1:22:48:37
Position : 222nd / 402
