26th December Chasing the Two Turtle Doves


So this morning under a cloudless blue sky I took part in the annual Totley Two Turtle Doves race, a Boxing Day bash to blow away those Christmas cobwebs. It's a race that I have done on a couple of previous occasions managing to get progressively slower with each attempt. Would it be third time lucky was the question racing through my mind? 

The answer, which rang loudly in my head after an initial jolly around the cricket field and a short but very sharp climb at the start of the race was a very definite NO.

I was not sure whether all the extra running I have been doing recently would he a help or a hinderance, in the end it was neither. I still plodded and powerwalked far more than I would have liked to have done but que sera sera and because we had been told there were changes to the route towards the end of the course due to 'issues' with the National Trust, I wasn't sure how comparable timings would be with previous years.

In the end it transpires that although we ran more feet in elevation and more distance in milage my time was a couple of minutes quicker than last year. Still nowhere near the time I ran on my first attempt, when I am increasingly convinced I must have caught a taxi for part of the route. And it appears still not quick enough to be captured on the finish line video. (or was I too quick?) A pleasant surprise none the less. 

Onwards and upwards although hopefuly with less upwards in 2023 starting with the Gerald Storey Memorial run on 2nd Jan.

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