23rd The race that might never have happened (pt1)

 
For a couple of reasons. Firstly, with less that 2 hours to go before the start of the 10km run at 5pm, I have not seen a single billboard, poster or banner actually advertising that there is an event taking place in the city. There are no mile markers up, no barriers to block roads off, no direction signs to tell runners when to turn and no sign of ant water stations being set up. Maybe the town council have the last min preparation down to a fine art but I was expecting something to have been sorted overnight. So far nothing.

The second reason is a right hamstring niggle that just appeared overnight for no rhyme or reason. A dull ache out of the blue, neccessitating a mix of anti inflammatory tablets, a soak in a hot bath, a hastily purchased thigh support and the hope that it is something and nothing. Bet Sara Cox didn't have these issues to contend with. Or if she did she had a team of fully trained medics abd physios at her beck and call. I have a less than interested TOM.

Mind you to be fair he did come along to the start of the race where I  found myself in the starting pen with the 1hr 30min runners..lol. After some thumping  tunes we were off on the B of the bang, with the 2hr pacemaker setting off at what many around me thought was a very rapid pace, so much so that he was out of sight within the first km. 

An undulating initial 5km was accompanied by several drumming bands and two 'dinosaurs' that left me in their wake as we ran through the old town and onto the Levante prom. A further 3km later and TOM was waiting at the 10km mark to catch the moment on film and tell me that the first runner came through after 28mins compared to my 60min performance. Not much chance of me winning then, but who knows.


 



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