East Neuk 10k 24/09/06
I decided I would do a 10K the week before the Loch Ness Marathon as I thought a short distance would be of more benefit than any of the several half-marathons that were on the same day. I was too late to enter Linlithgow so I headed off to Anstruther on a terribly wet day.
First of all let me get the important things out of the way – I was sick in the Meadows at training on Wednesday and didn’t feel right for the rest of the week. I also had a bad pre-race nights sleep so I had my excuses ready before I left the house.
The weather on the way to Anstruther was awful and a lot of roads were flooded with no sign of it clearing up – I was worried I might get a chill for next week (do you see what I did there?).
Most of the runners stayed in the School Hall out of the rain so there wasn’t much of a warm-up. The rain stopped about 10.50 am and thankfully stayed off during the race.
The course was a straightforward out and back with the turning point at 5K. Most of the first 2K was on a dirt track which was more or less flooded but thankfully some bits were only as deep as my ankles!! There were a few climbs but I knew as I approached the turning point the time I was looking for was not going to happen. Just before the turning point another runner shouted ‘come on Alan’ but I didn’t get a decent look at who it was as I had my eye on a man with a dog, making sure it didn’t lick my hand!!
The wind was in my face in the last 4K but I tried to keep at the pace I had been going. Back through the puddles then 2K in the mud which by this time was very slippery.
My finishing time was 45:03, not what I was hoping for but I didn’t throw my rattle out!!
Willie Murray was also running – this was a bit different to the Spanish Sunshine for him.
The race was well organised with enough marshals where needed, it couldn’t have been nice for them on such a bad day. At the end there were showers, tea, coffee, cakes and sandwiches which was pretty good for a £5 entry fee (the same price as a Portobello T-Shirt, but you all knew that anyway!!)
The rain came back on for the drive home and my spirits have not been dampened for next week but hopefully the weather will be better as I don’t want to have to run wearing my £15 Porty Fleece or £13 Porty Gillet.
The last thing I want is to write a report full of excuses!!!
Report Alan Aitchison (marketing)
Results here
