One packed weekend

A good weekend away.

Managed to successful switch off the auto-drive on Saturday morning and so instead of turning off at Basingstoke on the M3 I ended up on the M27 and arrived early at the Eastleigh parkrun. It was good to go back. For some reason the course seemed longer and it was good to see just under a 100 runners there now. Anyway the race plan was to run 8:00`s. I finished in a (non-train delayed) time of 24:48, which was no where near my course PB of 22:49 but pleased with general time as it was my 1st real race since Devon. Good coffee & cake in the cafe afterwards too.

Split Summary
====
1) - 1m - 7:55(7:55/m) - 130cal
2) - 1m - 7:58(7:58/m) - 133cal
3) - 1m - 8:14(8:14/m) - 132cal
4) - 0.1m - 41(6:50/m) - 12cal

The reason to run Eastleigh was that I was running in the New Forest 10 the next day so it made perfect sense to camp over - last minute test out for all the gear for the Thunder Run too. Camp site was OK - def set up for the younger camper. Pitched tent in record time & like the true pro I plonked a hankie on my head & fell asleep in the sun. In the evening I took the `bike from the boot` (SF-FDB-2000 Bugatti Royale - LOL) & set off for the Chequers Inn. Very nice Pub - watched the semi-finals and a good fish n chips. Cycled back. The plan was to get an early night....there was a slight flaw in this plan. As then the fireworks started !!! after they had stopped it was the music, shouting etc - I guess I woke up 8 or 9 times. At roughly 5.00am the people in a nearby tent went to sleep !!!! Then the rain started !!! Thankfully it stop after a hour or so.

Finally decided to get up, have breakfast. Luckily for me the clouds cleared & the sun came out & dried off the tent. So I packed up my gear & drove the few miles to the start line & I was coming in from the other thus avoiding the delays at Lyndhurst.

I found out late on Thursday that a friend of mine was also camping in the New Forest...they were staying less than half a mile from the start line AND on a very much quieter campsite. They had deer & singing birds on their site - I had rottweilers & pit balls...!!! (Their campsite for future reference it was the Long Meadow Campsite)

Anyway ran to their site as a warm up. Met up with them and show them where we would be running & which side I would be running. Their daughter had been practising shouting "Come on Kelvin". Finished off the warm up & got ready. Met up with Ruth, JohnJ, Monty, Sue, Richard & Lynn and got into the starting area. With the start time of 11.15 am - It was getting hot already.

I had ran this event before in 2008 - it was my first 10 miler. I almost cried when I had to hand back my race number in 2009 due to injury so I knew the course - a bit of a slow start through the gate, then a smallish track then onto Forrest, with a small road section where we had to make way for the four legged wildlife then back into the Forrest.

We set off & I made sure I didn`t go off too quickly - out of the field and saw my friend with his daughter on his shoulder - as I approached the corner to the track all I could hear was her voice shouting out "Come on Kelvin" even when I had past that`s all I could hear - I think she was shouting that at everyone but it was great to hear. Briefly met up with helly d - we compared future battle plans - she won with her trump card - Ridgeway 85 - blooming looney !

Made our way unto a track - 1st down @ 8.33 - mmm a little slow. I wanted about 8.00`s (1:20:00) so increased it a little. Marshals seemed to be everywhere. Just settled into a good pace - saw Ruth in front & going well - wasn`t tempted to chase her down just running at my own pace. I past her at the 2.5M water station and onto the road section. Great to run along - open woodland either side watching the horses graze. (Yeti - I spoke to a Bournville Harrier but forgot your surname - mind you she didn`t give me long as she sprinted up an incline just before 4M mark). Saw James - a Sandhurst Jogger and played cat and mouse for a while.

All going rather well till about 5.5M - Ruth passed me (no connection) and then I had to stop for `water out` - maybe a bottle of Lucozade just before the start wasn`t the best idea ever. Found it tough to get going again but did overtake a few runners again. Really enjoyed the water spray around 6M. At the last water station (7.5M) I decided to stop & drink rather than drink on the move. I was looking forward to mile 8 - second to last mile. Soon I could think only a mile to go. Went around the corner and saw a short sharp incline - quick walk.

Then the final mile & unto the same track as going out. Past the final marshals & into the finishing straight - I did give it all in those last few metres - good for the folks watching (cheers for the shout out Monty) but it shows I had more to give during the run.

Through the finish in 1:24:28 & collected the horse brass (nice change to a medal) - afterwards we had a very nice picnic with fizzy wine & everything (said no to the bizarre beetroot thou) - thanks Sue, Lynn & Richard (parkrunners) for that.

Ok 11 minutes over my HM PB but with a bit more work I shall be there again...

Basically if you get a chance to enter this one then do so - it`s a great event with nice scenery, loads of cheerful marshals, fast enough at the sharp end of things, fun runs to keep you busy, plenty of parking, space & time to stay on afterwards, nice horse brass but it does get hot thou.

Split Summary
====
1) - 1m - 8:33(8:33/m) - 128cal
2) - 1m - 7:50(7:50/m) - 132cal
3) - 1m - 8:04(8:04/m) - 132cal
4) - 1m - 8:06(8:06/m) - 131cal
5) - 1m - 8:07(8:07/m) - 131cal
6) - 1m - 8:52(8:52/m) - 130cal - er `water out`
7) - 1m - 8:17(8:17/m) - 132cal
8) - 1m - 9:12(9:12/m) - 129cal - stopped for water in
9) - 1m - 9:07(9:07/m) - 127cal - quick walk
10) - 1m - 8:10(8:10/m) - 125cal
11) - 0.03m - 10(5:42/m) - 3cal

Next up - and it`s really not my fault - I might be doing the Swanage Half marathon this Saturday (I know a Saturday race). I`ve checked out the comments from last year and it`s billed as a `tough but rewarding` event. I would be doing it as a training run. I can enter on the day (too late for postal entries) but I need to be all parked up & signed in by 9.00am at the latest........but Swanage is 2 hours away !!!

I did also played with the idea of going over to Kent and watching the mad folks doing the Kent 50 - if I do, then I hope I (& the runners) don`t get dizzy as it`s on a 6.5M lap (same course as the Moonlight Challenge in Feb)

Also what about the Wycombe half on Sunday too - again can enter on the day???

Decisions, decisions, decisions....will come down to weather I think.

Looking forward to the Thunder Run at the end of the month - One BIG race or loads of smaller races???.

(PS I didn`t run Yateley 10Km in the end - so that`s two races I`ve DNS this year :-O must be getting sensible in my old age)