Dunham Massey 5k
Friday 22 May
Not the Summer Series – Race 1
As the Wilmslow vests swelled, each new arrival moaned about lack of Summer Series points, each with a sob story of their personal deprivation. Tony told us to stop whinging and pointed to his personal sacrifice, 49 points as it turned out.
Penny reckoned she was targeting 22 minutes, which I thought fanciful as, at 5k, I was going to beat her (having chickened-out of Shady Oak, where she would beat me) and I was not going to achieve 22 minutes. She said we only needed to take 10/20 seconds off our Bramhall times and this was a faster course. She was, as usual, proven right but I think at 22:02 she ran above herself and following a strong performance at Shady Oak signalled a return to form.
Cat is normally the threat at 5k, but, as the rest of us shuffled to the start still oozing ill-grace, she hadn’t made it. Nowadays, Angela is a threat at any distance but, having decided she wasn’t going to run she’d done the full Thursday session, she then changed her mind and turned-up, but her heart wasn’t in it.
I started too fast but Gareth, Kate and Geoff smoothed past me in the first k and Matt and Sally in the second. The others gently eased away but I tracked Matt for the rest of the race.
Rob was up front, finished 4th. and was first vet but a time slower than Bramhall suggested he might have done more. Tony was 3rd M60, the Wilmslow numbers were too small to be confident in the stats, but they suggested he too was not at his best. On the other hand there is no doubt about Gareth, who gets better and better and edged out Tony, he’s making the fat boy jokes look a bit thin.
Vicky was disappointed in her time but Sarah has yet to learn about disappointment, another PB.
Kate and Geoff ran to form and it is always at pleasure to see Sally racing. Two years ago I tracked Owen from 1k to 4k and caught him with 20m to go. I don’t think that I’d ever before run against Matt but I had visions of a final burst down the long finishing straight and a repeat performance. The burst didn’t materialise and I never threatened. Nevertheless after three years of times, month by month, in steady decline my performance rated a little glow of hope.
I caught a glimpse of Clare as a rounded the sharp turn into the straight, beating a fully fit Clare would be a major triumph but she’s some way short of that. I thought Neil must have done a good time as he cheered us up the straight but it looks like he didn’t finish.
John produced an on-par time, the longer races and off-road suit him better. This is really
Roy
’s event but he spluttered to a halt when he swallowed a large fly which stuck in his throat. I think here’s a ditty about this, anyway Ang apparently went past whilst he was recovering – best excuse of the year so far for a less than sparkling performance.
Kate was 2nd. and Sally 3rd. L45
Penny was 2nd. L50
Vicky was 4th. and Sarah 5th.Lady
Geoff was 5th. M55
Enthusiastic support from Nina and Clare
Ian Ashcroft