Thame 10k - Race Report

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!! I got to go for a run yesterday. The Thame 10k. I have a smile on my face again.

Lets put this in writing first of all... This is an absolutely superb event! The race was brilliantly and frequently marshalled throughout the course with some great little pockets of support who really gave myself and LG some encouragement. There was plenty of parking and it was pretty much on the start/finish line and again, well organised. The course itself is a beautiful and picturesque little route that takes on a few bigger roads, a little quaint High Street and an approx 3/4km section on a little path away from any roads called the Phoenix Trail. If you needed more positive reviews, it has a 9.30am start which is great. It's like the organisers have used their brains and actually thought 'maybe people still want to have some of the day left after the run' which I can't praise them enough for. The feel of the event was great too. A friendly, local feeling even though we out out-of-towners with the announcer calling mine an LG's names out as we were putting in our sprint finish.

This was Lovely Girlfriend's first ever 10k. In fact, the longest she had ever run was 6km last Dec so this was a big step up and was blighted by some training injuries that pretty much stopped any proper training until 2 weeks before the race. We ran the entire thing together and after some good parts and a few short walking stops, we crossed the line together in 1:06:54. It wasn't quick but it was certainly respectable considering the lack of training and the first event at that distance and when I asked her whether she enjoyed it, her words were 'more than I thought I would' which is a massive improvement on the words after my first ever event, which were something along the lines of 'that was effing awful and you're never going to see me near a pair of trainers again'. Last night she even agreed that for the one in November, she'll be aiming to go under an hour. I'm very proud of her effort. She did fantastically well!

The one bad thing I can say about the event is the lack of toilets as there were only a few in the leisure centre but to be fair, it only cost £11 to take part which I feel is a bargain and I've paid a lot more for a lot worse in the past. It just means a little bit of queueing!

I think I heard the tannoy say there were around 950 people taking part and the results list said 920 finishers which is probably about right in that heat. There were a couple of pavement eaters but they were quickly helped by the marshalls and St John's ambulance cyclists. We (nos. 56 and 57) came in 800th & 801st so LG can be very pleased. Will I be taking part next year? WITHOUT A DOUBT!! Sign me up! Event wise, this was my favourite 10k so far!

My injury seemed all good. No problems during the race and obviously aches a little now but I think that if I just keep stretching and exercising then it will be fine in the long run.

The day was complete by driving straight to a friends house near High Wycombe (where we had kind of invited ourselves) who let us use the shower and then cooked us the most amazingly gorgeous 3 course lunch. We didn't move from the table from about 1pm until around 5.30/6pm. Well and truly stuffed!!! It was a great day.

One final point, the weather man hasn't been more wrong about a day's weather since a certain October 1987 event. Overcast? Grey? Rain? WHERE??? Another race, another sun burnt head. Thank fudge for Banana Boat!

3 days and counting

I get to run on Sunday and I honestly can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it! I haven't put on my trainers for a full 3 weeks in an effort to sort the ongoing saga of the left hand side of my body and now I think it's as good as it's going to get and I need to do some proper exercise. I'm always amazed with how much I miss it when I can't run for a little while.

Sunday at the Thame 10k will be LG's longest ever run which I've kind of pushed her into so I'm hoping she enjoys at least some of it although I assume it will only be the finish that makes her smile. Our training hasn't exactly been fantastic with niggling injuries for both but it's just about getting round. I'll be running with her all the way to encourage/abuse/bribe her to the finish and then we have a friend cooking us lunch as she lives near by and for me, that's a pretty good incentive to get to the end.

I'm hoping she enjoys it anyway as after checking my bank statement, I can see we've both been entered into the Willow 10k on the 22nd Nov. I'm looking forward to this as it's just 2 days after my 30th birthday and also the morning after the celebrations of my 30th. It's strange that the thing I wanted to do most was run a 10k with LG and eatingtrees but I reckon it'll help with the hangover and after begging them both to get up and run with me, they both (reluctantly in the case of LG) agreed.

Sunday's weather looks like a little bit of rain which is good and will make it easier but roll on Sunday. I've got some miles to make up and I can't wait!!!