To run or not to run? That was the question!
The race began for me on the Saturday before at Pendle parkrun, when chatting about up coming events, somehow I'd missed that there was a 10K which started and finished five minutes' from my house.
On the way home after parkrun Jamie and I were discussing the race and he kindly offered to drive the route. I still wasn't sure, there were some long uphills (I prefer the short steep ones of cross country).
Later that day I popped into the Dressing Room for a brew and a chat with Ruth my Saturday morning running partner. After talking about it for a while, I was still undecided whether to run or not. The next few days were exactly the same, talking to friends at work about it trying to make a decision. I checked the times from last year and the last person was faster then my 10K time of 1:07:33. This didn't give me much confidence.
I cannot deal with coming last. Having represented my county and being Lancashire cross country champion in my teens, failing at running is something that, for me, is unacceptable.
The question I then began to ask myself was, will I be more annoyed for coming last or not trying? Thursday evening came and I made the decision to run, as long as I finished work on time.
When I woke Friday morning I had changed my mind, and my working day did not go well at all! We ran behind all day, working into my lunch break, and at 5.20pm we were still there. Clinic is supposed to finish at 5pm on a Friday, but it was Bank Holiday weekend and everybody and his wife had toothache. When we did finally finish I noticed I'd received a text off our Chell letting me know she wasn't feeling to great so wasn't going to run, but told me I was, and for some crazy reason I don't seem to be able to tell Chell no (which sometimes gets me in trouble).
As instructed I arrived at the Cricket Club and registered, this is the point I began to panic. I'm going to be last, I'm not going to finish, I'm not going to improve my time! Luckily the lovely Nicola Nutall arrived and helped me chill out a little, which meant I didn't just run up the road home.
Then we were off, out the CC and up Lidgett. I got to the top of the first incline and was greeted by the sounds and cheers of Ruth, Karen and Steph, later named Team Anne by a runner from Blackburn who thought they were awesome screaming my name! Hearing them supporting and cheering me on really did help, and off I went past the Alma and round back to the top of Castle Road and the ladies were there again giving all the runners a good ol' cheer.
Off I continued towards the school for the second lap, which was when I was greeted with a sight I hadn't seen for 14 years. My mum cheering and whistling just like she used to, the last time she saw me run was when I won my last track medal for 1500m. I ran down Venables Avenue in tears.
Off I went round again, I was hurting by this point and certainly not enjoying myself. The ladies were still there giving me a much needed lift. I hit Castle Road for the last time and knew I'd be home soon, and it turned out I wasn't going to be running it alone. The lovely Nicola not only calmed me down before the race, she had now come to run me in.
I pushed on down towards the final turn to the school with Nicola encouraging me all the way. I could see the finish but didn't have it in me to push on anymore, which was hard.
I was always told when I was younger 'you don't run over a finish line, you sprint!' I told Nic I couldn't and she was having none of it. She pushed me on and with the huge sound wall from Team TAC on the sideline off I went, over the line with a sprint finish, and according to my watch, I was under 1:07.
I was greeted with a huge hug from my little cousin who came up to see me finish. The support and encouragement I received from my fellow Humbugs was unbelievable. My time was posted at 1:04:39.
Big thanks to Ruth, Karen and Steph and all those who came out to support and special thanks to Gel, Chell and Nicola for often giving me a much need kick up the butt!
I may not be anywhere near the level I once was, but being part of Team TAC is teaching me that it doesn't matter. And, if I do come last in a race, so what, someone has to!