Rushcliffe Parkrun

Today is my 40th Birthday and I decided to spend it doing the things that I love....

- Shopping at Decathlon
- Eating Meatballs @ IKEA
- Running races !!!!!!!!

So it was an excited Andy that made my way early to Rushcliffe Country Park to take part in my 4th ever Parkrun event, my first run race since March, and my first comeback race following the calf injury.

Normally I would have dropped in on Colwick and done their event but instead had heard about a new Parkrun being set up in the Nottingham area and decided to give it a go.

I didn't know how it was going to go as I lined up because I've not done any speed work for a good few months and decided that this would just be a tester race to see how I went. When we got sent on our way I soon settled into my usual uncomfortable 5k pace and fell into about 20th place or so. There looked to be a few hares tear-arsing into the distance, but I kept at my own level and hoped that by the time the first mile flashed up on my Garmin that it wouldn't be embarrassingly slow !

6.50 is what the watch read which is there or thereabouts for me at this distance so I was happy. I was not happy about how knackered I already felt and at the end of the first loop my brain was telling me to stop. I didn't though (not for the want of trying) and soon found myself clocking a 2nd mile at 7.05 pace. With just one mile left to do I was hanging on for dear life but within my PB if only I could keep going.

It was a tough ask, but the reward was evident as I crossed the finishing line with a shiny new PB of 22.24 on my 40th birthday........ not bad for an old boy eh >

Evans Ride-It Nottingham

Seems like an eternity since I last sat down and blogged a race/event report - but following holidays and the injury, this morning I finally got my ass into gear and took part in my first event since August - the Evans Ride-It Nottingham 70 mile Sportive.....

Boy, I've missed those mega early alarm calls on an eventing Sunday morning, so it was with great joy that I was rudely awaken by a 5am alarm this morning !! One bowl of race day porridge later and I was ready to make the one hour trip over to Church Warsop nr Mansfield for the event. I arrived far too early, but not too early as to bag a lot of free High 5 zero, which cancelled out my £12.50 entry fee - bargain !!

When the time came for the event to start, I somehow found myself right toward the very front and was one of the first away. Immediately, I felt the cold air temperature, and suffered from face freeze for the first couple of miles before acclimatising. something very strange happened at mile 3 - I found myself right at the very front of the field and leader of the Sportive on the road ! This, however didn't seem to last for long as there was a rider who blew straight through the field and out of the front. from that point on I settled into a group of four riders riding in second place on the road - quicker than my usual riding pace and hard work but manageable just !  Up and down we went through the rolling countryside, and whilst there were no long climbs as such, there were frequent inclines which started to take its toll on my legs.

After about 55 miles of this, I was really on the edge of being frazzled, and was pleased to see a feed station so I stopped for some cake and to have the pee that I had needed since about mile 10 !

The last 14 miles or so were really hard work and I dropped off the group that I had been riding with and rode most of the last part through Clumber Park on my own. I had a target of beating four hours in mind and that kept me motivated even though I was completely knackered !
I missed that four hour target by about a minute or two, but was just happy to be finished and back at the HQ for a bowl of warm chilli and a coffee.

Whilst finishing my meal, I was joined by the lads that I had been riding with and they told me that the earlier chap had in fact ridden the medium route, so therefore our group had been leading the Sportive ! (Not that it is a race of course - even though you are timed and there is a winner),

Would I do another Ride It event ? You betcha - 100 miler in Milton Keynes next year !