Let me explain – today was my latest race – another 10k and it didn’t start well. LATE up which meant scrambling round to get everything I needed and before you say anything no I am not so organised that I get all the stuff together the night before.
So I was looking in drawers for safety pins and making sure that I had change for any parking plus the usual gear – left me only 5 minutes to wolf down some porridge before setting off for the Jane Tomlinson Run for All Leeds 10k which had its 10 year anniversary. Got 5 minutes down the road and had to turn round as I had left my trainers at home….the day had begun!
I knew how to get part of the way there but parking was going to be an issue as it was the city centre and first come first served – so the Sat Nav was coming with me. Well just let me tell you it was bloody useless and sent me into Leeds and out of Leeds in the direction of York. Turned around and came back and finally managed to find somewhere to park BUT the parking meter said Sundays started at 10am – pity the race started at 9.40am and I wouldn’t be there!! Another runner was having the same problem so we took photos with the aim to appeal if we got a ticket.
Walked up to the charity village and saw my RFF friends Sarah and Pam – you are never alone at a race and it was great to take in the atmosphere. Dropped our bags off, got a yoghurt freebie from Arla and saw other people that we or rather Sarah knew!
Soon we were off – Green start and I was aptly dressed in my Bowel Cancer UK top (needed a photo) I was opting for 30/30 walk run and it started great – feet and breathing were doing really well for the first mile and then the running started to become harder even 30 seconds – it seemed that I could walk quicker than running and I started to talk to people.
Some lovely ladies all dressed in pink with feather bowers raising money fro Haven, one who had had breast cancer so we talked treatment and drugs! I also walked with a lady who had only done it because a friend had asked her to – never worn trainers and was doing on her own as her friend was nowhere to be seen!
The roads seemed endless and FLAT – great for a PB and because its a city centre there were not masses of support but what was there was good. This is where I would have loved the mobility scooter zipping around, at times I thought this might be my last race BUT I always think that at the time. Arm/Shoulder proved to be a problem towards the end when I had to take my Garmin off as it was cutting off the circulation – not a good look!
I did manage a sprint finish BUT collapsed over a railing to gather my breath – well there were photographers there and I WANTED a good photo. Finished got my goody bag and medal and now the problems started – WHERE WAS THE CAR????????
I have no sense of direction – rang Sarah who could tell me what road I came up on but not the side street I parked. I walked up and down, down and up until I sat on a wall and cried with frustration. I was never going to get home – then I spotted her – a traffic warden – except it wasn’t – it was a Leeds Guide to the City and Patricia was my Angel.
She got her other colleagues to go up and down the streets searching for my car – when they couldn’t find it – they looked at my photo of the parking meter, phoned the company and they told her the street – and it was just behind us! An HOUR it had taken me. All I wanted was home – and a cup of tea!
So that’s it this month until the Cakeathon on Bank Holiday Monday so have to up training. This week I went to the gym and out twice running as well as todays race so if I can keep this up then maybe I can knock some more minutes off my 10k time.
For those interested in the Charity Ball in November we have had more raffle prizes –
http://www.thecourtyarddairy.co.uk/ To be confirmed
https://keelhamfarmshop.co.uk/pages/skipton £20 voucher
Tickets still available to the ball 19th November £35pp 3 course meal, wine – act and disco come celebrate all my runs of the year and raise money for Bowel Cancer UK and Airedale Oncology Unit
http://www.phoenixfitness.org/
canmollyrun 