January 13th 2019 9.00am Start.
1st Tom Garrett 35.16. Total Tri Training.
9th 1st Female Caroline Brock 39.01 Steel City Striders.
207th Chris Cannon 52.38 Wilmslow RC
Still trying to kick start my running, I entered this race at the last minute, part of a 9 x 10k race series, all on a Sunday apart from February which is on a Saturday. Expensive at £18.50 per race but the series can be entered at £95.00.
I left home at 7.45 still pitch black, very wet morning with a very strong wind. Parked up in a field, registration was straight forward providing you had bothered to look at the starters list and remembered your allocated number, which for once I had.
I then sat in my car for 45 minutes listening to the howling wind and the rain bouncing down, I thought of going home, after all, no other WRC about, but hey it’s only 10k, be over in less than an hour.
At 8.50 I took up position in the starting huddle, warmer in the middle, it reminded me of the Penguins in a Richard Attenborough documentary, the rain had stopped but the wind was going to be an issue. The guy next to me warned the last 2k was up hill into a headwind, what a little fibber. Make that 3k uphill with a headwind for most of the race.
At about 9.02 I realised the race had started, no siren or gun was heard, it soon dawned on me I had started too far back, I know from my finishing time it’s hard to believe but for the first 4k I moved progressively through the field, passed Colin, the Wilmslow parkrun pacer who asked me if I was carrying an injury. I agreed with him and he made a generous offer to pace me round in 55 mins, I declined.
The route detoured to the left for a couple of small loops and re-joined the main path at 5k mark, then U turns at about 6K so it does give the opportunity to see the leaders coming the other way. It was at the U turn it became obvious why some of the leaders didn’t look quite as elegant, the wind was full on, a couple of times I tried to shelter in a group of runners but soon found myself leading it and having lean into the head on gale.
The conditions did make it tough but on a good day this would be an excellent race, very well organised, flapjack, banana, bottle of water and a good quality medal at the finish and back in Wilmslow by 10.30.
Chris