Notts 5

Having not injured myself in Friday’s 10k, I opt to have another go in tonight’s Notts 5 which starts and finishes on the Embankment.

I still opt to cycle to and from work though, which gets the legs going.

L won’t be wearing the new running shoes I got her for her birthday. They are too squeaky but having spoken to the brilliant Wiggle they have confirmed that they have a manufacturing defect and a replacement pair are already on their way to us.

I run a decent 36.10 five miler. Which is faster than both 2013 and 2014 but some way short of 2011. Like two and a half minutes short. Then there was 2007 but that was a different life.

This year’s time was helped by racing against a girlie who clearly had no intention of letting me beat her and obviously I had no intention of not beating her. We ran the second of the two laps side by side and both sprinted for the line before collapsing in separate heaps after a brief friendly handshake of course. I won by the way, just. When I come round, I am yet again handed a bottle of beer, I could get to like this new trend.

I crawl to the car, get the boys and then we all cheer L across the line before going for a recovery drink in the Navigation.

Tara Kinder 10k

I go for another lunchtime brick session so I will be crawling tonight, when I should actually be running as I have booked into the Tara Kinder 10k at Elvaston Castle.

 

Just to make matters even more crawling, I part jog part bus my way over.

The course is a potentially soul destroying three laps but it’s still not too bad an event. I go for it from the off and go through 5k in 22:06. Now that’s not too shifty. I blow up somewhat after that and finish the 10k in 45:53. I even win a spot prize of a bottle of beer, so it was worth coming after all. Then there are some decent bacon butties too.

Great Manchester Swim

Not quite such an early start today as we head over for the Great Manchester Swim which is actually held in Salford. Although the start would have been even earlier had my partner managed to negotiate a Parkrun into the schedule.

I am due to be tipped into Salford Quays at 11am, my partner starts at 1pm, with a dog shaped baton change in between.

I’m hoping that the super clean dock water won't irritate my assorted abrasions from this week's cycling mishap too badly. I hate to think what’s in the water.

It is actually the best Great Swim I’ve done because the course isn’t just a great big loop. The route takes you around one part of the Quays then through a linking channel known as the Mariner’s Canal before emerging into a separate part of the Quays where the finish is.

Some will disagree but it’s not terribly scenic as the view is mostly of the brick sides of the Quay and the feet of the person in front of you. It’s also the warmest swim I’ve done with the water temperature over 18 degrees. I was sweating into my neoprene by the time I’d finished.