I missed the second race in the SY road league as I was on holiday. The third race took place at Brodsworth.
I landed from America the day before the race and was incredibly jet lagged. In fact all I can remember about the race is how tired I felt. I cannot remember the route, I have no idea how my legs got me round and I can remember several of the volunteers asking me if I was ok and needed to stop. I was driven to the race by one of my friends and team mates, and taken back home again. I think I fell asleep in the car? I am actually surprised I did not fall asleep part way round.
Race 4 however is a different story. I wanted a PB on this race. I hadn't recce the route before hand, but I had checked it out on strava and on google maps. I planned and knew what pace I needed and where to get a PB but I knew I was going to have to run faster than I had before [slightly funny as that generally what you have to do for a PB].
The race started in Penistone and after a short run around the houses, with some slight up and down hills it was off into the fields. I had divided the route up into sections. The first was to the house on the corner and was a slight to moderate uphill. I got the pace I had planned and it was going to plan. Next was the turn into the long steep uphill.
It was here that disaster struck, first I got cramp. I got cramp because I was trying to keep my shoe on my foot as it had come loose. I started to walk to see if I could walk it off, before running again. I then lost my shoe. I stopped at the next marshall point to put my shoe back on and continue up the hill. The problem I have with hills is that I get bored. Looking at the same stretch of tarmac just continually going up a hill I got fed up and ran/walked a bit. Eventually the top of the hill came.
I knew now the rest of the race was downhill and so I ran. I love downhills. I started passing runners, those who had run up the hill so quickly and those who had passed me whilst I tied up my shoe. I then spotted my team mate in the distance and my focus became to catch her up.
I ran down the hill past the fields and back into Penistone. The gap was closing and I could see her getting closer and closer. Just before the finish is a steep hill back up to the finish line, and I lost a bit of time here but I pushed on into the finish line. I finished with a PB and needed another 10seconds and I would have caught up with my team mate!
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