Chester Spring 5

3RD
APRIL 2013

1          Richard
Burney (Liverpool Harriers)           25.45
2          Damian
Nicholls                                        26.00                     1st senior male  
18        Graham
Macneil                                        28.23                     1st vet 50
93        Tony
Hulme                                              33.36                     1st vet 65
199      Dave
Wheable                                           39.05                    
227      Julie Lucas                                                41.41                     3rd vet 45
257      Gail
Hill                                                    44.52

 A few of us quietly snuck off to Chester on Wednesday
night for the 1st midweek race of the season. It was chilly to
start, a bit like last year, not as cold as Wilmslow half, but once you set off
running it was ok.

 The same route as last year, when you think you
are doing really well for the first couple of miles, then realise that miles 3
and 4 are a bit more uphill than downhill, and that really good time you were
thinking you were on for at mile 2, was not going to happen.

 A nice surprise was waiting for us at the
halfway point, where Martin was
cheering us on, no-one knew he was going to be there.

 A great run by Damian, not quite at his PB
level, but getting back to that level and as Gail pointed out, she was at mile
3 as he was finishing! Graham must be happy with a category win, beating his
nearest by over a minute. Tony was delighted with his 2nd Wilmslow
club record in a week, breaking Ron Reeds 5 mile record that has stood since
1995. Nice to see Dave making a rare appearance in a Wilmslow vest. Despite
being nearly 4 minutes slower than last year, I was quite happy with my run. I
made a bit more of an effort on this one and it showed how unfit I am after
weeks of coughing and spluttering, but no real after effects so time to start
training properly again. Gail had her 2nd sprint finish in 4 days,
as with 200m to go and with me shouting encouragement, she realised she could
get under the 45 minute mark she had set herself. She overtook at least 10
people on the way to the finish line, all looking a bit surprised and wondering
where she got her energy from.

 I enjoy this race, it’s a bit chaotic at the
start, but great marshalling and a good finish, and I do like racing in the
early evening these midweek races.

 Julie

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