Slough New Year 10K: upset, panic, a PB, minor blisters and camaraderie

[linda9389]

AKA: a great morning that set me up for the rest of the day

Warning: bit of a self-indulgent ramble as I hit the Prosecco ... 🍾

Most of you know I’m anal about checking out a race ahead of time 🙄. We weren’t sent details of the route in advance but I did manage to find one on the organiser’s Facebook page (this was the second year of running). I duly plotted it in Strava and knew what to expect. On arrival, when the start line was clearly on the wrong side of the park, I knew my research was misguided and I was entering the unknown … crikey! Hey ho. Breathe. I can cope. I know this park well and the new route followed much of Parkrun (though not necessarily in the same direction as it turned out).

It was a beautiful morning. -2C when I set off, a tiny bit warmer by the start but still very cold. I had my gloves on over my long-sleeved, thumb-holed top. Got to the start line. Then major panic. My watch was trapped 😨 I remember now: toasty or switch your watch on Linda, which is it to be? Only seconds to the start. What to do? Ripped gloves off and stuffed them in a pocket. Wrestled thumb out, wrestled watch out and crossed the mat all discombobulated - but with watch safely started! Bloomin' cold weather! My fingers were jolly cold for the first few km, but it was the right decision.

The race was all in the trees, on pretty good gravel paths with a few puddles and muddy patches – low sun, tree lined avenues, just beautiful. Absolutely my sort of course. I ran most of the race tucked in beside or behind another lady – it did occur to me I was running ‘her race’ not ‘my race’, but I managed to break away from her on the hill 1km before the end, so it all worked out OK.

I’ll be honest, I wanted a PB. That pressure kept pushing me, and I got it. Shaving 1min 40sec off my December PB (which was a good deal faster than my only other 10k race). Oh, and first in my age category too! I have to say I’m absolutely chuffed to bits.

I wore the Hokas (which I am currently in love with) and despite the remnants of blisters, carefully applied Compeed. Fixomull and Leukotape meant I was barely aware of my feet during this 10k. Huge progress!

Lots of good things, but for me one of the best things about this race was sharing it with JaoJao . I love running alone – it’s one of the great attractions of running for me. But when it comes to an event I like someone to share it with – there’s such a rush of emotions before and after the race, and I need someone to bounce all that off and JaoJao is a very positive race buddy.

I’ve been running for over two years now and I’m still learning, but I know myself far better than when I started. And I think I like myself far more than when I started too!

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

Oh Linda, all that hassle at the beginning would throw me big time so good for you for overcoming and having such a great run. No wonder you're on the Prosecco!

Well done on the PB and for coming first in your age group! Whoop whoop, that’s brilliant 🎉🎈🍾🥂 and what great photos too.

And great news about the blisters (or lack of). All in all, it sounds a very lovely day x

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

It was a fab day IP. Makes me all the more optimistic/excited for Bath 😍

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

You are amazing linda9389 ! What a perfect race, notwithstanding the discombobulation at the beginning. You guys certainly had the best weather for it. Your times showed it. Very very well done! 🏅 🏅

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

It was indeed a beautiful day for a race wasn't it!

[Mummycav]

Lovely post linda9389 ...a bit of faffage at the start but it didn’t put you off...if I had a bottle of prossecco i’d be popping the cork to toast you on a brilliant run!!! How lovely to share the experience with JaoJao ...looks like you get on fantastically and are great friends...what a wonderful day you’ve had and a wonderful

post you’ve shared with us all xxx

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Mummycav]

I only met JaoJao last summer - via HU, and her parkrun being my NENDY! As we're so close geographically there are likely to be lots of races we both fancy, not to mention lots of nearby parkruns to explore 😍

[Mummycav in reply to linda9389]

brilliant xx

[Bluebirdrunner]

Love this report Linda!

❤that you got a PB.❤ that you had a personal pacer,but overtook her for a flying finish. ❤ the weather, cold but dry and sunny. ❤ that you enjoyed yourself on your favourite type of course. ❤that you had Jao Jao to share the excitement with.❤love the photos, you look very fit and healthy.❤ that you got a 1st place in your age category, and actually pretty high up in the female finish times. But most of all I ❤ that your comeback is complete...all the time on the IC, the boot, then the cycling and exercises, starting the c25k over.... have paid back today!

So so pleased for you, enjoy the lovely feeling of satisfaction that we all know so well, and that prossecco of course!😊xxx

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Bluebirdrunner]

Ooh I like that idea - my personal pacer! Whereas I was beating myself up for not sticking to the tried and tested advice 'make sure you run your own race'.

Soon it will be your turn to travel the comeback road - it really is great fun 😍

[Joster Half Marathon]

What a wonderful story - ups and downs and all turned out beautifully!!! Congratulations to you. xx

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Joster]

Thanks Joster. On balance the ups far outweighed the downs today 😍

[Joster Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Good on you !!!

[SlowLoris]

1’40” dropped over 10K. Cracking. Well done. You are the Comeback Kid.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to SlowLoris]

Yeah, it was a nice drop for sure! But I knew I was working for it every step of the way 🤣

[Run46 Half Marathon]

Great job Linda and very well done on your PB 🏃‍♀️🎉

Funny enough I've just bought a Garmin Forerunner 235 and wore it for the 1st time today...I waited until it was above freezing and then got ready, was just about to pull my left sleeve over my hand to poke my thumb through and said to my son, "hang on a minute!..I'm gonna have to leave my sleeve up a bit, surprised no-ones ever mentioned this before on the forum", lol, and now you have! 😆

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Run46]

Quite the coincidence! You clearly cottoned on much quicker than I did ... and I really should've known better 🙄🤣

[Run46 Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Pre-race nerves probably addled your brain 😉...I'm generally quite bright but if you're anything like me, I go to pot when under pressure 😏

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Run46]

I'd like to say I'm generally quite bright too ... but actually I'm often surprised by how dopey I can be 🤣🤣🤣

[Run46 Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

😆😂😆

[tiggs1 Marathon]

Fantastic race report and a great run on a very cold day.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to tiggs1]

Thanks. I soon got very cold again once we stopped. I'm sure it was even worse for you at night!

[Hidden]

Smashing report and great happy pictures! Well done to both of you👏👏🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🤗🤗

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. I've had a very happy day today 🙂

[Kevtrev Marathon]

Great post Linda and first in your age category is fantastic. And running with my lovely friend JaoJao I’m so proud of you JaoJao you have smashed it I knew you would do more than a 5K 😂 now your running 10K I do prefer running longer as 5K are hard because when you run long distance your pace starts slower and the whole race until the last 1-2K. And I thought I wouldn’t go further than a 10K now I have 2 half marathons booked what have I done 😂take care JaoJao XX❤️

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Kevtrev]

I agree Kevtrev - the greater the distance, the more time you have to settle in to your stride and enjoy the race. Look forward to reading how you smash your HMs in your race reports 🙂

[JaoJao in reply to linda9389]

Another way of embracing long runs you are absolutely right both of you @linda9389 @kevtrev

[Kevtrev Marathon in reply to JaoJao]

It’s the best way JaoJao XX

[Kevtrev Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Yes Linda I will post when I’ve done my first HM which is on the 15th March it’s the Wilmslow running festival HM wish me luck I’m going to need it 😂

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Kevtrev]

Ah, yes. Sorry, you're already on the list for spring HM. Good luck!

[Kevtrev Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Thank you Linda I will need all the luck I can get 😂

[JaoJao in reply to Kevtrev]

Thank you my dear friend, I don’t know who I am anymore, I don’t know this person I have turned into. You’ve been a great support on the journey too @kevtrev and I am so lucky to have you with me every step of the way.

I know you’ll be committed to your HM training and there will be some things to sort out along the way but we are here for each other and we will sort them out, I promise you that buddy.

I have a HM in my sights now... at some point, I think I want to make that leap within the year ❤️

[Kevtrev Marathon in reply to JaoJao]

You are so welcome my lovely friend the person you have become you have come a long way from the beginning of CT5K and you should be very proud of yourself of what you have accomplished and look at you now entering races and park run volunteering and getting your mum involved look what it’s done to you and your life it’s made you who you were destined to be and I am so proud of you what you have accomplished and it’s been an absolute pleasure being their every step of the way and because of it we have become very good friends.

Yes I will be committed to my training and I have a few obstacles to get around but I know you are always their for me which means a lot thanks JaoJao you are a great friend.

Yes if I’m going to do it you definitely can do it a lot of work but you will get their you need to keep adding the miles on your runs but I will be their for you when you need it but you know that.

So if your max miles are 7 I would be aiming for 9 miles which I think you are more than capable of doing we will get you their you just need to go at a slower pace to start and slowly increase it but when you are ready I’m here for you take care JaoJao and I loved your post XX❤️

[JaoJao in reply to Kevtrev]

I need some guidance on the HM plan, I will reach out to you separately

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to JaoJao]

There's lots of guidance in the Spring HM Group posts. The latest one is always in the pinned posts and includes a link to all the previous posts for this group - one of the first being all about training plans! There's lots and lots of info to digest, but it's a great place to start. Follow myself and roseabi to receive an email notification each time there is a new post for the group. The latest post is here healthunlocked.com/marathon...

[JaoJao in reply to linda9389]

Aha! Linda to the rescue I will need to check this out at some point xx Thank you for sending this through

[Kevtrev Marathon in reply to JaoJao]

Ok JaoJao no problem at all I’m glad to help 😉👍XX

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon]

So great to read this lovely report Linda. As Bluebirdrunner said - such a great comeback for you after all that time on the couch. You are clearly doing something very right at the moment as your running is going from strength to strength. First in your age group is just fantastic!💪👏👏🙂. Great to hear you are in love with your Hokas. I am in love with mine too!😍

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Sandraj39]

Thanks Sandraj39 . Being no stranger to comebacks yourself, you'll know how good it feels ... and I'm sure you also know about taking each win as it comes, but never taking the next one for granted 🙂

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Indeed I do!🙂

[aliboo70 Half Marathon]

What a great post Linda! Congratulations on your new pb xxx fabulous running !

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to aliboo70]

Thanks Aliboo. There was some mud - but not enough for you I don't think 😍😍😍

[Cantstopmenow Half Marathon]

Congratulations on all you have achieved today, it's a great read and a wonderful success story. The happy photos say it all! You're a fantastic role model (I especially like the celebratory prosecco) ! Xx ⭐😁🎉🥂

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Cantstopmenow]

Thank you. I really liked the prosecco too ... it's all gone now (I'm no role model for Dry January this year 🙄)

[JaoJao]

I had no idea you were having a wobble at the start line! Ahhh bless you, you were struggling with your watch just like I was with my phone, all this wearable Tech takes over on race day, you hear it all the time. I’m glad you got it sorted and you enjoyed a terrific performance so you quickly made up the fraction of a second you lost in that moment.

When you explained it to me in the cafe that it seems like a lot longer when you panic but actually it’s such a short time, you’re right it is.

Despite not wanting to change anything from my normal runs, yesterday’s conditions needed extra thought that was for sure.

Wearing gloves yesterday was completely new for me and I couldn’t decide if I should wear them over the thumb holes or underneath. I’ve figured that you should wear them over the thumb holes that way they are easy to rip off if you need to. I took them off after 5K and just held them in my hands like Pom Poms!

It’s great to be able to share a race event... I get that too! you’ve been fantastic getting me ready for it and sharing your experiences and advice, I appreciate it a lot. I’m definitely sneaking my way forward at LWR... and might get a Garmin ahead of then too to avoid any messing around with the mobile phone.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to JaoJao]

Just be sure to get the Garmin in time to figure it out in advance 😍

[Oldfloss Administrator]

Terrific report.... and all that faffage at the start...( I forgot to start my watch on my first HM), but, it did not upend you though, you really did it!

A brilliant run and a brilliant report... and you really did smash that time... a heck of a run!!!

You and JaoJao, had a wonderful time, that photograph shows that... simply perfect!x

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Oldfloss]

There's always some little thing 😍. The more I practice the easier it is to carry on. That's just another excuse for entering more races 😀

[Oldfloss Administrator in reply to linda9389]

You did amazingly... !!!x

[SaskAlliecat Half Marathon]

What great pictures and a PB despite some hiccups at the start line. Whoohoo 👏👏👏

I'll often wear my watch over top of my shirt so I can see it on cool days. The only down fall of that is you can't push your arm sleeve up if you get hot.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to SaskAlliecat]

Aha! Good thinking. Does the heart rate minitor still work over a shirt sleeve?

[SaskAlliecat Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Mine doesn't have a HR monitor (it is a basic FR 10) so I'm not sure. I'm guessing probably not. Sorry. I didn't think of that.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to SaskAlliecat]

Even so, it may be worth a spurious heart rate recording to be able to keep warm - still a very good thought methinks 😍

[Granspeed]

🎉👏🏼🎉Lovely report. And well done on the PB. What a star. ⭐️👍

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Granspeed]

Thank you 🙂

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

"And I think I like myself far more than when I started too!"

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to roseabi]

Hmmm. It's true ... but that was definitely the prosecco talking, I'd have kept quiet about it 🙄🙄🙄

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to linda9389]

I thought it might have been, but nonetheless it's an amazing thing to say!!!! I think a lot of us can relate xxx

[Coddfish 10 Miles]

Sounds a lovely route and well done.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Coddfish]

Thank you. It's gorgeous - especially on a bright sunny day like yesterday 🙂. I'm so lucky that that's the venue for my local parkrun too

[Macmac Marathon]

Fantastic! Well done Linda - sounds like it all worked out well, great result - first in category!! Wow! 👏👏😊

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Macmac]

Thanks. It was a good day all round - one to remember 😍

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Macmac]

I should also point out it was a small local event - no elite runners giving me any competition 😂. I think I quite like these smaller local races - so long as I get a medal I'm happy - and there's a lot less stress involved in training for a 10k and in fuelling for a 10k too 😀

[Macmac Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Got to be in it to win it as they say! 🤣 Still great I say! I like local club run events. Most of mine are run by local clubs but I do a few of the bigger events too, but nothing over 5000 so far. I don’t like it too busy.. Yes, my 10k (i’ve only done one 😁) I did not fuel at all..