I started off on the hour journey wondering the whole time whether having a spray tan the night before was a good idea or if I would end up with sports bra sweat marks but the run was the more important thing. After parking up on a glorious sunny day (looking quite good with my tan I might add) I made my way to the registration desk to collect my t-shirt and info pack with my wave coloured wristband and running number. Number pinned on ready to go I stood near the warm up dance stage and met a man stood on his own called Robert he had travelled alone from Cheltenham and we got chatting about how he ran this event two years prior. He usually runs 10k in just under an hour but had done a half marathon the week before so wasn't sure what time he would get.
We decided to do the warm up together and to be honest we were both pooped after dancing around for 5 minutes I thought the 10k would be the easy part! The short walk to the start line followed where we were told the race was now an obstacle course as in the night a large tree had fallen down across the path of the runners between 2-3k and we would have to climb or jump over it. When the gun went off Rob ran off as he was quicker than me but I soon caught him up as was running under 10 minute miles which surprised me but it just seemed so very easy running fast on that day. The fallen tree came into view and it was massive I had no choice but to practically straddle it and climb over which added to the fun!
My fast running soon came to an end when I approached the first hill, I don't remember all these hills from last year and certainly not one that went on with a gradual climb for over 1 mile but the course was no different to last year. Still I was walking up them pretty fast and enjoying the sun. Rob at this point was now infront as he was talking on the hills running. I was soon nearing the end of the course and spotted the dreaded photographer at the ready to get the awful running pictures we all love to hate but I made sure I looked tantastic and with a big smile and a thumbs up I ran past him.Reaching the final straight on the field to the big inflatable finish line I looked at my watch and realised I was on for a pb! My current pb for a 10k was 1 hour 3 minutes I crossed the finish line in 1 hour 1 minute and was elated! Only to look at my watch again and realised the course had only measured at 5.99 miles rather than 6.2miles. Gutted and slightly confused as the course and route were no different, I don't even think taking the narrow line around corners ( which there weren't may of) I wouldn't have come up that short. Still I collected my medal and goody bag which is the most amazing goody bag ever and who was waiting at the finish for me but Rob, he had waited to see how I did, I told him my time which meant he came in well under an hour as he was waiting a good five minutes for me. All in all an excellent day an excellent race, excellent medal, tshirt and goody bag and I have been informally advised I can class my 1 hour 1 minute as a pb as sometimes gpd can be out by around 5%.
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