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Tarpley 10m nr Bury St Edmunds
Hi peeps
Thought I'd do a little posting about my latest race. After the mixed feelings I had re GNR last week, I thought I'd go for a blast at a 10 miler to put my mind at rest. This race, named in honour of St Edmund Pacers late chairman, Bert Tarpley, was the nearest to home.
Luckily the rain held off and a field of around 140 set off for a gallop through the Suffolk countryside. All the roads were quiet country lanes, very well marshalled. I decided I'd go off reasonably strongly with the first 30 or so.
After a couple of miles I'd caught a few people and dropped them, but was already outside my PB pace (66.00 dead), so I concentrated on going as hard as I could. The course was described as undulating, which was the perfect description for the rolling countryside. However, the sheer number of undulations was incredible! It was one continuous up, then down, then up... By the time we passed Bill Wyman's house, I was starting to tire a little from the constant up and down.
However, the downhill parts did refresh me each time and at about 7m I had 2 guys in view about 100m ahead. I asked a marshall whereabouts in the field I was. He said "about 10 or 12". I thought, that can't be right? So, the next marshall came and I asked my position, and he too said "about 12th". Well, in a state of shock and jubilation I tried as hard as I could to pull in the 2 St Edmund Paers ahead, but they weren't having it and I finished in the same position. A further surprise was my time of 66.52, less than a minute outside my PB from 2 years ago, but this time on a much more challenging course.
So, goody bag plus long sleeved T shirt in tow, I went home smiling. Now all I need is the results to be put up on the website to confirm my happiness and all will be right with the world. Well, all will be right in my running world. The rest will come sometime I'm sure!
Keep on running guys...
JP
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