13th July From first to last (R30)


Just a few days ago I found myself in the unusual postion of finishing a race first from the group of runners assembled from my local running club. It was a moment in the spotlight I knew wouldn't last long. But how the mighty fall. Not literally but in the finishing order of my very next race where I assumed my usual postion towards the back of the pack.

Today was the Crich Monument race, a mere stones throw down the road from TOM's. And as he was otherwise engaged in Sheffield, I had a free pass to go and run. Literally a free pass as my entry was defered from last year when the run and associated fete had to be cancelled due to Storm Ethel or whatever it was called. 

So a year later than expected I stood on the start line with three other Ravenshead runners, which was almost the last time I saw them. I ran the race back in 2019 so the question was how close would I get to the time I ran back then. Spoiler alert: Not very. 

I started off okay and managed to keep in touch with one of the fellow RRs for the first 20 mins or so until we reached what should have been the easiest part of the race, the flat section alongside the canal. Unfortunatly this is where my legs started to feel as if they were running through quicksand wearing diving boots.

As for the uphill section from the canal all the way upto the monument itself well the less said about that the better. At least it was downhill all the way to the finish from there where I crossed the finishing line the last of the RR's and five minutes slower than my time back in 2019. Which I suppose isn't all that bad given what has happened in the last five years. 

And thankfully last in my little group did not equate to last in the whole run!

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