I woke up the day after my million mile bike ride with a whole new set of aches and pains to content with. Normally I would find my lower legs and hips were giving me bother. Today it was my upper legs, my knees and my upper back. I had lost all bendiness and was forced into a rather ungainly Nazi walk. This was particularly problematic as I had foolishly signed up for a 10k that morning in Regents Park.
You may recall that I didn’t have a great experience last time I took part in a Race Organiser event, as I got lost in Greenwich Park due to a lack of signage/marshals and a non-snail friendly assumption that everyone would just be able to follow the runner in front. I am pleased to report that the situation at Regents Park was a lot better, with a lot of signs and friendly marshals at key points. They must have been learning from RunThrough! I chose this event because I really like Regents Park for a place to run and haven’t done an organised event there in years. With smooth tarmac, a neither-flat-nor-hilly landscape and lots of interesting features (you can even get a glimpse of the zoo) it’s ideal PB territory, but obviously not when you are absolutely shattered, your legs have turned to stone and the summer you thought was over has decided to make a random reappearance. I tackled the run with my 90:30 run/walk timer and this seemed to get me through it in one piece. At the finish I was greeted by a group of enthusiastic cheering people. “How nice to cheer a total stranger!” I thought. Then I realised they were actually cheering their friend, who was behind me. Still, at least there was actually someone behind me…
I seem to be missing from the official results, and so is everyone who finished after me (there really were people finishing after me…) which makes me think they turned the timing mat off before everyone was done which is also not very snail friendly, but as my time was an uninspiring 1:25:29 I decided against bothering to ask them to add me in – I think it’s probably better left unrecorded.
I was really pleased with the glittery London Underground themed medal and the free t-shirt (which shouldn’t have been free but as it was the last race in the series and they weren’t going to sell any more they dished them out to anyone who was hanging around at the end… a kind of consolation prize for being so slow I guess.)
I have made a mental note not to cycle to the moon the day before my next race.
7:07 