DEJA VU AT GIBSIDE

Race Number 27 and 28.

Happy to finish at Gibside, again.

One of the definitions of 'Deja Vu' is the feeling of something unpleasantly familiar, well that was certainly the case yesterday, when I ran the Great Run Local at Gibside, for I had done the very same thing the previous day, only that was the Park Run Gibside.

After 8 weeks absence from my 65 race challenge with an achilles injury, last week's Prudhoe Miners' 10K had given me the confidence that I could at least race, albeit slowy and with a bit of discomfort. So on Saturday I ran the 5K Park Run at Gibside, a course I was assured was not as steep as the route of the Gibside Great Run Local. I then had another early morning start on Sunday to decide for myself.

Well, Saturday's run did feel slightly less hilly than my memory of the GRL and I finished in 24.36 for 14th position out of a field of 60. Come Sunday and I set off near the front of the field. As we started the long(ish) climb to the turn for home I felt stronger than I had since my injury and pushed on passing a couple of runners. Then it was all downhill to the finish and I was able to put a gap between myself and the pair of runners who had been closing on me.

Through the line and a reassuring beep from the marshall's thingy as she passed it over my wristband - see image above - 25.54 said my watch, "OK" thought I, " a decent time for a hilly course".


Comparing the results of the two runs this morning I was in for a surprise, the difference in elevation was no more than 35', 342' compared to 305'. There was also a difference in the length of the two courses, the GRL being 130 metres longer - that must be a very steep 130 metres to account for over a minute on the time!

After these two races I would declare myself to be relatively happy with my return to racing. I am not completely recovered from the injury, but I am racing again. I am eleven races behind schedule, but there is a choice of races next weekend, a cross country at Temple Park, South Shields on Saturday and the Matfen 10 K on Sunday. I could do both, only joking, or am I?