Bristol Running Resource

My first Bridge Inn for over a year without worrying about an injury or recurring cold. I was feeling up for it, and headed out of the city on the cycle path with two friends for an evening of fun an frolics near Emersons Green.

I’ve decided to dispense with big padded “control” shoes, so wore my lighter semi-trail shoes. It was great to see all the familiar faces and jostle for the 3rd row on the start line in the dark, traffic-noise ridden, cold and windy under-the-bridge area.

Then off. Neatly skipping round the pile of horse manure, we headed out. No wind - silence. It was behind us. My theory was that it would be so bad coming back, best to make the most of it on the way out. So without increasing my cadence, I thought I’d try a relaxed longer stride.

Most of the race I was in amongst some younger people - a couple of women and one man. I don’t have the results to hand, so I can’t tell you who they were. But we were swapping places throught the whole race, which was fun - in a kind of stressful, painful, panicky kind of way, with me normally gaining on the uphill (I like uphill).

On the home straight, I was thinking “I’ve nothing left - it’s just me and the wind now”, and feeling generally miserable and pathetic; that final undulating stretch is a tough way to end. But then I heard some feet pounding up behind me and this was what I needed: I couldn’t let it go, so I lengthened my stride and went for it, held the pounding feet at bay, and overtook the youngster, who I thought I’d lost.

I finished 21st out of 130 runners (a good turnout) in 18:34. Everyone was saying the wind could account for up to 40 seconds of time, so that would put me within reach of my 17:46 pb. Having only just started to get running again, that is pretty exciting.

I came away with 4 cans of lager for 3rd V45, and both my friends won more in the raffle. All in all, it’s been a productive few days, what with the £10 reward in the Mike Sully Mob match on Sunday!