Just before Covid, I had entered a 5k Easter run at Chasewater, a venue just around the corner from my in-laws. All plans of a weekend running with a family Sunday lunch to follow, were lost to Covid restrictions and I ran the 5k as a virtual run at home. This Easter Sunday I woke up in my SIL’s house, had a pleasant breakfast before putting on my old Chasewater event TShirt and wandering over to the start of the Chasewater Easter 10k, just a few minutes walk away. My first attempt at more than 5k since being ill last month.
It was a bright morning but with a chilly wind. After a tiny delay (while we waited for a gate on course to be opened) we were away. I was sporting bunny ears and keeping towards the back. I ran for 10 minutes and did not feel too bad. I then decided to be sensible and adopted my usual 5min run/2min walk jeffing. The scenery was beautiful and the deer encounters delightful. The marshals were decked out in Easter hats and bunny ears and were encouraging and cheerful. The surface was a mixture of tarmac, muddy grass, cinder tracks and rough stone paths. About halfway round it stopped being flat. We were in the wooded area and it was undulating. It was here that there was the most mud and the horrible rough stones, I slowed down a bit. Back out of the woods we were on the dam, lovely tarmac and flat but an evil headwind was adding a new challenge. I was approaching the end of the first lap, there was an option to stop and just do 5k, but I was starting to feel better and when I saw my BIL cheering me on, I knew I could not stop. My bunny ears had been dislodged by the overhanging branches when I had tried to keep out of the way of the fast runners who were coming into the finish of their second lap, and the headwind had made it difficult to put them back in position so I threw them at BIL’s feet. I was already carrying water (this lingering cough means I dare not leave it behind) and I did not want to carry anything more. The second lap was much less crowded and I was starting to feel tired, I took a few seconds break to take more deer photos and capture a picture of the lovely marshal ladies at the railway line. Back through the undulating wood and then I was on the dam again, only half a km to go! There were several ladies running near me now, and we had shared encouragement as we had passed each other at various points on the course. They were starting to drift away from me as they found a final spurt of energy to get home. I just kept going at my steady pace. Pleased to finish and find more in-laws at the line to cheer me on, along with a pretty medal and a cream egg. A lovely run, well organised and beautiful scenery…. And I didn’t die so all is well to carry on towards the HM!
Gatton Park 10k Trail💦🏃♀️🌳
Hillsborough Castle 10k Done
Wesham 10k