Wow. A really hot day. Well I thought that. A few struggled with the heat and – I assume – no fast times!
Twentry-Three Club Members finished.
JohnP listened to his calf and took an early Stroll. Tracy’s temperature began to rise and she had a longer walk. But at least her and John could sunbathe and chat a while.
The first Wilmslow man home was Rob. First Lady home Frances.
Age Cat firsts for Mark, Louisa and Kate. AC Second places: Rebecca and the Grahams. Thirds: Andrew and Nicky.
But what a day I had.
It was a strange day for me. Almost like starting running again. Getting the shirt out. WILMSLOW. Not since 2018 has it been aired for a Series Race! Finding safety pins. I used to have hundreds. Mow it took me twenty minutes to find 4!! I thought I’d arrived earlyish. But there were quite a number of cars in the field alread. Registration was fairly quick. I did a warmup 1k!!! After those parkruns. This would be a test for me. Haven’t run more than a Parkrun for years. I’d done this race 3 or 4 times before. But lucklily checked with a marshall on my way to the Hall for the start.. Completely opposite direction. Made my way back and up the farm road. The challenge was sub-60. I could see the 50 minute pacer. Looking for a 60 flag.Kate told me there wasone but it had a 1Hr on it. Couldn’t see one but Matt spotted the tip of pacers flag. I chose half way in between. Hoping that he’d not pass me. Didn’t hear the start. Surprised to meet Jarrod after 400m running towards me! Nothing like giving your team mates a false sense of security and then sneaking up on them. Quite a few people breathing heavily around me! ! felt fine. Pushed on a little for the second K – trying to get past pairs and groups of runners infront of me. Settled down. Awaiting half way drinks. Before starting I’d wet my head and the inside of my cap. Seems to work.
See John returning after 2k – calf tightening problem. Then Tracy after 3k– having cooked her goose – overly hot returning for drink and natter. Halfway and the drink station greets me. It’s been a quick half 28:04. A few gulps. I start choking. Lost the knack in sip[ping and running! Wet cap and hair and deposited bottle in last bin.. Lost pace a bit in the 6th K. Then found it hard and instead tried to countdown the percentage tyo finish. Slowly people are passing me. A number of runners slowing, stopping, walking and then starting again as I ran around the course.
Around 8k there seems to be a problem. Wilmslow Ladies are in attendance. They seem to know what they are doing so I Pass them – trying not to think – for the first time – additional points! Try to focus now as my mental track of my time-contingency seems to be about 50 seconds. And that assumes its 10k. I have a feeling that tracking the shade around has added on more distance. 9k Gone. It’s hard. Try to visualise the finish. Increase pace a little. Then see if there’s anything in the tank in the shady Hall lane finish. The lady paramedics pass me. Nil Points for that! Others pass me/ I hear noises but can’t work out what is happening in front. Look up. Looks like we wont have that shady finish I was hoping for. The Finish line is on the main road just ahead. I push. I finish. Sub-60. Knackered and a little out of breath. Strava tells me my Relative Effort was 246! Not sure I have seen that high a number before.
Knackered. Out of breath. Sit on a wall in the shade. Better get back. But the coffee man is waiting. Get breath back spot Wilmslow shirts. A little chat.
Car opened – heat escapes like a furnace! Put key and bottles etc. on top of car. Open othe doors and boot. Take off vest and put a dry t-shirt on and pack bag. . Time for one last chat. Close up everything. Get in Car. Start engine. Make my way home feeling reat. Arrive home. Turn engine off. Warning sounds. Message is displayed. No key close to car. Drop off bag having emptied everything. But know keys must have been on top off car. Get spare set go back. Just two cars and a van. Spoke to man in yellow vest – turns out its Mike the organiser. Nothing handed in. I try and do a slow walk through the area I think I parked. To be sure I do a 50m strip for 80m. An hour and 10 minutes. Nothing. Well apart from a banana skin, squashed flapjack and an apple core! If only I had one of those metal Detector thingybobs! Home. Not popular is an understatement. Could be my last series race!!
It turns out with Late starters, early Finishers and First Responders at the event. Results below are based on Chip Timings!! I did appear to do better than I ran.
It was 27 deg C when I finished, in a PW by 5 minutes. We just cannot perform in the heat (over 20 deg C for me) and get slower and slower as lactic acid builds up. The problem is proportionately much worse for slower runners, because they are out in the heat for longer.
BTW, I proposed the First Rule of Caving, about 60 years ago: never ever put anything on the roof of a car, not even for a nanosecond! Bitter experience shows that you will forget all about it. I lost a caving helmet that way in Greece, and in Spain a washing-up bowl was deposited at the feet of a traffic policeman when turning a corner. Trevor
Well done, Patrick. Hope to see you at more races in your Wilmslow Shirt over the coming months.
Well done today Patrick what a race to make your comeback! 🥵 huge well done to Frankie for becoming big the first responder twice!! And great support from Sue and Rachel 💛💙
*Being first responder 🙄