South Cheshire 20

 – Shavington, Crewe, 1^st May 2011

I was told this would be good for me as final preparation for Edinburgh. So if I look at the results I could think myself to be in fine form. Especially as I’ve never raced 20 miles before I was assured of a PB!

I thought I’d see the Edinburgh contingent here but they must have gone for the stroll in the Yorkshire countryside.

 I heard it was an undulating course, but failed to note the irony in that statement. That means hilly in south Cheshire and Staffordshire. This dawned on me about mile 6 after a flattish start. I moaned at mile 7 and was told it was hilly up to mile 12.

Not true! The hills went past that.  Frequently hilly between miles 5 and 14 actually. Miles 9-10 were the killer miles. Take Stainland 7and merge it with Macclesfield half marathon and it is just slightly better as it finishes with 4 flattish miles at the end. The last 200 yards were across playing fields otherwise it was all roads and paths. I have to say it was well marshalled and the massage before and after helped. Though it was not the race to forget sun cream and my gels.

It comes out as a race I don’t want to do again – even if though they gave me an envelope with money in afterwards. The only plus was I never stopped to walk up hills, I made everyone, but the bad bits were many: I couldn’t get going those last 4 miles and was overtaken a  few times, they were actually just slower than my pace up the hills, my feet felt very hot at mile 18 which I’ve never had before; and I couldn’t drink the water or eat the cake at the end!! Then I began to get cramp in my toes as I watched other people finish. And queued to get onto the M6 going home!!