Today wasn’t about breaking PB’s or dashing around it was all about supporting a fellow running member finish her first race and enjoying a fun day for a fab cause with great friends. This should have been my first official race when first booked but with the earlier races creeping in first this was now my third race.Still my first %k though!
Supported by Stu and Suzie and with a picnic planned after today was going to be a good day.
It was a warm one but luckily not as warm as the day before. So all sun creamed up and ready to go off to Clumber Park we headed. Having just returned from 2 weeks in France I wasn’t the most prepared attire wise so off to the merchandise tent I strutted for a vest to wear with my little miss princess Tikkis. If you ever feel like investing in a pair feel free to use my recommendation link https://prz.io/RrnalaTj getting you 10% off! I could not resist in the pink tutu and also picking up a t-shirt for Suzie ( Maybe next year she can participate).
We lined up at the start for the obligatory warm up dance before getting into sections based on running, jogging or walking. Hundreds of runners some in some amazing fancy dress costumes, all stood raring to go. I always find this an emotional race (walked in past years not run) with all the remembrance notices pinned to runners and listening to stories before the start. We stopped to take the pre run photo of course!
We were off onto the trails of Clumber Park. with the amount of runners it would have been hard to go at a speedy pace even if we had wanted to with quiet a few narrow walkways it wasn’t easy to overtake other runners and it was soon easy to spot the mistake at this year event, as both the 5K and 10K had started together and soon the 10K runners were overlapping and struggling to get through the hustle and bustle of the 5K lot. This must have been frustrating for them especially the faster runners.
As we came up and over the brow of the hill turning on to the last stretch you could hear the music and commentary at the finish line. So we prepared to finish running in together holding hands just as the ladies had done with me last year, all together leaving no one behind and we did just that with a cracking comment from the gent on the mike over my leggings deserving a ring of the bell!
Yay Jackie had run her first 5K! and it was a privilege to run at her side and she was so deserving of that medal.
This is my favorite picture as I don’t do pictures very well
Then they made me do a more serious one!
