This Wednesday saw me driving over to Golden Acre Park after work in torrential rain. No issues getting there this time, in fact, I was early for once and the rain stopped as I parked up. A good sign for the race ahead I thought.
Went over to register for the relay race bumping into other ERR members who were getting a bit tense because quite a few people didn't appear to have made it. Some swift changes were made to the teams by Julie and we were good to go.
I'd diligently warmed up (well, I'd ran all the way over to the loos..) but was allocated the C number, which meant I would be running last in our team. My team included Julie as first leg and Linda as second. I had lots of fun cheering on other team members whilst waiting for my leg but became increasingly disturbed at the state of other ERR members arriving back looking like they'd run up a mountain and back. Even Julie who usually never fails to enjoy races announced 'that was awful' on her return!
I watched as more and more runners arrived back, realising that I was probably going to be the last runner in the whole relay. I waited patiently in the start area with Liz from Hyde Park Harriers. As she set off, I realised that I definitely was the last runner in the race...undeterred I thought back to something I'd heard on marathon talk about the last runner getting the bigger cheer. Fingers crossed everyone wouldn't have gone home. Finally set off and found I had company in the shape of a speedy marshal who announced he was going to run the course with me to let other marshals know I was last.
Well, I felt like I was having one-to-one training from him as he encouraged me to catch up Liz who must have started a minute before me?. About a mile in I was huffing and puffing so hard that I knew i had to ditch him to save myself from complete humiliation. Mustering all my will, I got a sprint on and finally overtook the other runner...within minutes the enthusiastic marshal was just a yellow blur in the distance.
I can only liken this run to the short tempo I'd done when training for the marathon. Once again, all I could mutter was 'horrific'. This is horrific. The course was really unexpectedly hard. Undulating it the correct term I think...
I persevered up and down hills and through woodland but finally lost my will about half a mile before the end when I realised some marshals had failed to direct me correctly because they didn't realise the race was still going on!
In what seemed like eternity I rounded the corner back onto the field where I started and the end was in sight. The ever loyal ERR team were waiting for me with a big cheer which made it all worth it (see definite spring in my step above!)...
I refuse to believe this race was only 2.75 miles and am now panicking about the 'undulating' Pudsey 10k on Sunday. Remind me why I do this to myself??
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