walked to the start line with a load of other people, and then began running at a very steady (i.e. slow) pace. got passed by loads of peeps and managed to pass a few...about three! tried to chat to people but no they had mp3 players on - grrr!!!

by about half way up the up bit the leaders went past, very quickly!!! the lead male won in sub-30!!! i eventually get running next to somebody going a similar pace, and who is sans headphones, so we chat for a good while. just before that i realised my legs were really hot, but no way was i going to stop to take my tights off - and yes i did have shorts underneath;) and by that point my water bottle had stopped jigging about and my long sleeve top was round my waist - didn't want to upset the equilibrium!

the turnaround was through a park and past an abbey (hence the name of the race...yes it took me till then also) and then back. the back was slightly more downhill but on the uphill bit i dropped the girl i'd been chatting to; not on purpose, she just kinda vanished! then just carried on and when i thought i was getting near the end i asked a few people how far to the finish and just picked the pace up a bit. then when the finish line was in sight i 'sprinted' in (and passed a granny - sorry!)!

on the last bit i passed quite a lot of people including two girls who had gallow walked and kept getting in my way! the clock was about 75 mins so i knew i'd beaten my conservative time of 75 minutes, as i started a way back. i'd also managed to run the whole way which i was chuffed with.

the race results weren't out till today and i only got back to where i'm staying at about half ten (at night)as i've been on placement and then had a disaster at the lbs (see my blog for details) and been at the gay youth club. lets just say when i saw my time i honestly couldn't believe it! like not at all, and kept adding 9 minutes to 60 to double/triple/quadruple check!!!

going in to the race i was hoping that i'd beat 75 minutes, and secretly wished for a 72 minute-ish race as i'd been at about 11.30 min/miles in training. beating 70 minutes i hadn't even contemplated! :)

YIPEE! SLOW BUGGERS OF THE WORLD UNITE AND TAKE OVER!

maybe not wear my running tights, and not forget my gels, though the banana did great - thanks eric (note to americans reading this...you won't get that joke!)

stopped, felt like dying, then queued up for my t-shirt and a bottle of water and feel stupid for not cooling down! saw a few of the peeople i met on the course and before, then ambled back to the station, had my recovery drink, a tuna baguette and did psychological warfare with the attendant in the toilet - stupid, fucking jobsworth bitch is a polite description!*

* imagine the scene, i'm tired, hungry, sweaty, sore and have three huge, heavy bags literally falling apart on me and i need to change. so i go the public bathrooms and offer to pay my 20 pence to go in but can i have the gate open (yes they are pathetic enough to have turnstiles you have to pay in at) so i can bring my luggage trolley through. oh no you're not allowed to do that, argh!!! fortunately fsjb's colleague say i can use the disabled bathroom instead - ok; still have to pay 20 pence and change. head off for a bite then realise that i actually need to pee this time, so go back to said bathroom.

sfjb has to be rung as no-one was there and she immediately said i'm not giving you any change.i say no need, but can i use the disabled bathroom again please. ohhhhhh.....well i got told off last time and i shouldn't let you because what if a disabled person needs to use it? so i said well actually my mother is disabled (well was before she got new hips)so i do understand. and the sfjb said but i can't keep doing this, and you've already been in once! no shit sherlock! but this time i actually need to use the toilet, last time i was just changing, and i have just run 10k and i've drunk a lot and i need to pee.

ffs!!!!!!!!!


nada. best i could've done.


crazy at the finish with queues to get t-shirts and water and quite crowded. didn't see any km markers except the 5k turnaround, which was a bit obvious anyhow! no water stations but plenty of volunteers dealing wih traffic and such along the route.

will definitely come back next year, but with more sleep and i will NOT pee in the station! friendly people, easy route, though a bit dull and a nice t-shirt (cotton but black so not too hideous!)