We got to Clayton at 6.20pm just in time to park the car and do a quick warm up.
The night was a bit chilly so I dug out another top for under my vest, then lined up in the street with the other runners. Last year we had someone fall at the start of the race which made it difficult as everyone kind of piled on top of the poor guy, thankfully, this did not happen this year. The start is always a bit of a nightmare as you start on the street turn left into a single lane funnel past the pub which gets congested. As soon as you pass this section you are on a downhill section for about ¼ mile then climb to a roundabout turn left and straight until you get to the first kilometre sign. My aim was to try and beat last year’s time of 54.26, however I had just run Market Drayton on the Sunday.
The course is undulating but there is a bit of a hill at the 3.5k mark and then again you have to repeat it on the second lap of the course. I was feeling pretty strong as I did my mantra of “hot chocolate drinking chocolate going up the hills” and on the downhill I managed to pass a few folk. I saw Di from the harriers walking, she had pulled a muscle, then I saw Anifey from the Harriers walking, blooming heck these two normally fly past me. I had past my mate “G” Man about a mile or so back so I dug in when I saw the 9K marker, it was then I remembered that there was a hill climb and soon I was on the downward leg to the finish line. I didn’t quite break 54 minutes (54.43) so I guess I’ll have to try harder next year!!!
The
Clayton 10K is part of the NSRRA league and is always well attended and
marshalled. If you fancy a quick 10K (those that really are fast on
hills) then this is one for you. Me well I’ll
be back but I do need to do some serious hill training.
More details are on the website.
Liz
Next
one is Worden 10K in Preston that Denis had talked me into doing with
him. He said its flat but the graft looks hill. I’ll get him to do the
write up for that one!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment