The non-competitiveness of the ‘long-distance’ runner.

As someone who ran many 10k’s & half marathons from my early 20’s to late 40’s, these days for me ‘long-distance’ is anything over 5k. I have done over 50 Park Run’s at Delamere Forest between Northwich & Chester – about 40 minutes drive from our house.

Not a natural runner, I have never really been motivated by time or position (see note 1). Competitiveness is not my usual state. It has been nearly 12 years since I entered an organised race – the 2006 Great North Run.

Building on my ‘success’ at Park Run I decided to enter a 10k and found the monthly ‘Run Through Series’ at Tatton Park. After the hot days of the summer of 2018 I watched the forecast with interest this last couple of weeks. It seemed that we might get more comfortable temperatures but also a possible downpour with strong winds.

My goals for the day show my lack of ambition, but I am pleased that in the end most were achieved.

• To get up at 5.30am and get to my son Michael’s house in time to get to Tatton by 8am – Tick!
• Pick up my number & timing chip in time to start the race – Tick!
• Hope that the weather stayed reasonably dry for Michael in the time it took me to run – Tick!
• Not to fall over – Tick!
• To run at a pace that allowed me not to want to walk – Tick!
• For my finishing time to be about twice that of the winner or at least the top 10 – Tick!
• Not to be the last man home – Tick! I wasn’t even on the last page of the results!
• Hoping the organisers didn’t take the course down before I finished – Tick! (see note 2).
• Not to throw-up at the finish – Tick!
• Not to get overtaken by anyone in an animal costume – FAILED – I was overtaken at the 9km flag by a 6ft gorilla! (see note 3)

You can see the time in the photo at the start of this piece that I finished in about 1hr 16mins, but my actual time according to the chip was 1:14:41.  Given that my predicted finishing time was 1:15 it was quite a good guess, The winner’s time was 34:14 & the person in 10th was 37:35.

Overall a good day and maybe I’ll do The Kielder 10k with my brother Andrew in October!

Notes.

1. In my earlier ‘running career’ I kept a log of times and events. I admit to being disappointed that my PB for a half-marathon never got below two hours. In October 1991 I did the Madeley Half Marathon in a time of 2hrs & 5seconds! The same year I did the Rainford 10k in 53:47.
2. One year I entered the Scarborough half marathon when I visited friends in the early part of the year without much training. By the time I got to the 9 mile mark on the way back from Filey I was so far behind, the organisers were actually taking the mile signs down! I flagged down a St John’s ambulance and surprised my family at the finish by getting out at the end of the race.
3. Although I am not competitive I do find it particularly hard being overtaken by a variety of people in costumes. There can’t be many things in life as disheartening after a couple of hours of hard slog, and getting ever slower, to see a 6ft chicken come past you!