Preston 10
So training for me has been well spaced to say the least.
Tanya put a post on asking if anyone was looking at doing the Preston 10 a few months back as an alternative to Boulsworth race. Yep, I thought, I can do that even at a slower pace, after a few attempts at this course and having the option in November of a burger bar, I had £1.85 so the option was impossible!
After crawling out of the pit with no breakfast and just a nice pint of water, I collected Bambi (Wriggers) and as we drove down to Burley fire station I had a complete mental block of where the fire station actually was!
Google maps on an iPhone is grand, the navigator on the other hand needs a few lessons though! All he had to do was hold the phone! It was like driving with the Queen left had waving away, mouth chattering away!
We arrived at the fire station at 8.42am! Early, well for me it was, Tanya was due to collect us at 8.50am. By 8.52am, two minutes late, I was hoping Tanya might have forgotten so I could just go back to bed! Wriggers preferred Tanya to turn up so he could just beat me again – so kind!
Tanya picked us up and away we went. We collected our numbers using a strange keypad system, there was a few confused people in the hall, and to make sure I didn’t look an idiot I just looked over someone’s shoulder on how to use this alien device, enter details. Tanya and moi collected numbers, Wriggers had wandered off to find the rest of the TicTacs.
After collecting numbers I was still fully dressed, I put my number on my vest whilst inside the hall and put my T-shirt back on, as I didn’t want to get too cold, even though it was 20 plus! I was now fully awake with 10 minutes before race start...and feeling rather mischievous (nothing new there then). I went to say hello and good morning to everyone else, Tanya went to get changed.
Maxine said where’s your number Daz? “What number?” I replied, “I haven't entered it!” Everyone looked a little perplexed, “WHAT, YOU HAVEN'T ENTERED IT!” said Wriggers. “NO!” I replied, “I'm only here for the ice cream van.”
I left Wriggers bouncing up and down whilst everyone else was quizzing me if I was telling the truth, “Me? Nope, not entered.” I could see Tanya walking across in the corner of my eye, so started making a bee line to the cars where she would appear from, plus I only had 6 minutes till the race started.
Tanya turned up all ready to go “What’s up?” “Daz said he hasn’t entered,” asked Maxine. “Oh he has, he collected his number same time as me!” replied Tanya. I was having so much fun. But the game’s up, I better go and get changed.
The warm up consisted of a jog with my shoe laces undone to the start line, giving Tanya her car key back whilst keeping well out of the way of Wriggers.
No time to think laces tied and tucked in bit of banter with Adam at the start off we went, the temperature was rather muggy and the rain hadn’t cooled it down, which from my point of view was a shame!
The first three miles passed fairly quickly, well if 24 mins can pass quickly then that was as quick as it could have gone! Plus I felt comfortable after all 6.45 slowing to 7 min per mile off virtually no training isn’t to be sniffed at!
Miles 4-5, I deliberately slowed it down a bit, okay, I did have a good look at the pond in the nature reserve, as it seemed a good place to go fishing – lots of weeds, plenty of lilies, nice place, couldn’t see any signs to say NO FISHING – so carried on to the half way point for 37 minutes! So 50% of the way there reasonably happy.
At this point Graham Rose, Wriggers, Adam and David were ahead of me with Tanya highly likely closing in reasonably quickly. I kind of expected Tanya around the 8 mile mark, as I knew I wasn’t able to do a 37 min again for the second part of this race! Tanya came steaming past me around 8.2 miles, I was happy though as that meant I could actually find out if I could fish that small pond on the nature reserve at 9 miles while having a cheeky slow walk up that tiny hill. Typical, a no fishing sign just off the top of the hill…ah well.
After getting going down the hill this bloke passed me at 9.15 miles, he reminded me of Dennis the Menace, the colours were right, the hair was somewhere near and he made me chuckle! After a quick chat I told him to crack on, off he went, I finished the race in 1h 20minutes with the return 5 miles in 43 minutes. Overall I'm happy that I did the race, thanks to Tanya for driving there and back.
