Wombwell 5

This morning we head up to somewhere near Barnsley for a five mile race. We were going to do the Warp Up & Run 10k on Graves Park in Sheffield next week but as that is £16 for a chocolate bar and a medal, whereas this is £8 for a t-shirt, we opted for this instead, it was no contest really.

The race, at Wombwell, isn’t actually anywhere near Barnsley but Wombwell itself is a fairly big place. It isn’t though, and I hope it doesn’t mind me saying this, very scenic. Although if you look beyond the town/village itself, there is some pretty pleasant countryside.

Parking was at the recreation ground next to a go-kart track. We looked around for ages for the start line but couldn’t find it before joining everyone else who was warming up on the rack track. Then we saw it, a little start sign at the edge of the track. So... how many loops of the track are we in for?

Just the one and a bit as it turns out, to start with, before we head out onto the road, all nicely strung out. After that, route wise, there is one moderately steep hill called Snape Hill but it’s quite a short one, then the course is pretty flat. A lot of it is around housing estates until its back onto the track for another lap to the finish. 

I’m on the results as recording a 32 minute run. I wish. Dear organisers that was not me. I have run a 32 once, maybe twice, but that was a while ago. I ran a 38 today and was quite pleased with that, considering the state of my legs. Although I’m not even sure that time was accurate, I couldn’t see a 4 mile marker and my time for the last two miles was rather impressive. Indicating perhaps that they were short? or that perhaps the earlier markers were wrong.

Alsager 5

Finally it seems that the good old British weather is going to allow us to get some outdoor racing. It’s just a shame my body isn’t keen on the idea.

We drive over to Alsager near Crewe. The race is busy, although not full. I think it was last year but I guess this year everyone’s been holding onto their pennies in case it was another victim of the weather.  

L tells me to take it easy, so I do. With a dodgy left knee and a dodgy right calf, I don’t have a lot of choice. I probably shouldn’t be running at all but I need to do something.

It’s a bit of a surprise to overtake L about half a mile in, who has clearly started way down the front. This may have been partly my fault, by mistake I told her I thought we were heading off in the opposite direction. So what she thought was the probably the back was actually the front.

My race went ok, for a while. Up to about three miles, when I lost concentration a bit, probably pushed things a bit too hard and tweaked the dodgy calf. I walked a bit and considered quitting but couldn’t see a route back to the start/finish. By the time I passed the lane end where the finish was there was just one mile to go and I was running again, so I carried on. I got through it.

The time is awful though. In the last year I have done a PW in half marathon, 10k and now 5 miles.