And The Winner Is (Unofficially) - ME!

Race No 54 North Tyneside 10K

Here I come

Chis & Alfie - The Best, the very best!

It's an age thing, or that's my excuse, for this image of my lad, Chris, and Grandson, Alfie, brings a tear, of joy, to my eye. Yes, as I approach, yet, another birthday, my 66th, I feel truly blessed.

So, feeling a little emotional, I am blogging the 54th race in my 65 race challenge.  It should have been the sixty fifth race but for my over competitive nature which has cost me ten weeks of absence due to injury.

Two silly moments in the last twelve months has meant that I have failed in my challenge, but failure is not a word I understand , or accept and my challenge continues until I have recorded my 65th race. More on this later.

Those two silly moments?

The first was on 29th July 2015 at the start of the Wallington 10K. I had felt a little soreness in my left Achilles earlier in the day, but after a couple of painkillers and a bit of massage declared myself fit to race. Now, here is the real silliness. The start of the race was a mile uphill from Wallington Hall, "Oh" thought I, "This is going to be a fast downhill start". Away I went with my lad Chris at my side. "This is great" I thought as I hit the front. A glance at my Forerunner told me I was running at 4.31 minute pace and lying in 5th position, "This is wonderful", I thought.  Another glance at the watch - 4.22 minute pace, " Wow!".By the bottom of the hill and heading for the mile marker I was well under six minutes, but my achilles was sore.

At this point I should have stopped , but didn't and boy did I suffer as Chris, who was too intelligent to pace me, and most of the field passed me. That silly moment cost me all of August, the World Masters Mountain Race and six weeks of running.

The second silly moment? This was the Monthly Mile at South Shields for the Santa Run at the beginning of December. Looking at the field , most of whom were in Santa costume , I got it into my head that I could win the race. Away I sprinted at the start and got clear of the field. Half way round the mile circuit my dodgy right calf gave up the ghost and I had to slow. Two youngsters passed me on the way to the finish to leave me in third place and out for another month, damn!

Back to something like fitness , I was too late to get an entry into the North Tyneside 10k, but at the last moment, through the kindness of Mike McNally and David Aneurin Shearan of Jarrow & Hebburn, got a number, unofficially. Chris had his own entry and on a fine , but windy morning we arrived at North Shields to compete in a field of two thousand runners.

I would recommend this race to anyone. The course takes you from North Shields , down onto the historic Fish Quay, and along the sea wall to Tynemouth. At this point you face a climb up to Tynemouth Priory, before a nice flat race along the seafront to St Mary's Lighthouse. A wonderful route.

Being sensible, for a change, I started at a reasonable 7 minute mile pace. We, quickly, were down onto the Fish Quay and maintained this pace, running together for the first couple of miles. Climbing up from the sea, Chris got ahead and stayed there until the three mile marker. At this point, going through Cullercoats, I saw that he was dropping back to me. Upping my pace, I caught him up and we ran together for a short time before he surged ahead.

Was my fast Parkrun yesterday, starting to cost me? "No", I decided and picked up the pace to keep Chris in sight to the finish. At the end, Chris finished in 44.28 (270th), I recorded 45.46 (331st).

Looking at the results today, my category was won by Stewart Boocock in 46.33. If a win (unofficial) isn't a good way to finish my 65th, or actually, 66th year I do not know what is !

I feel good, oh so good!!! Now watch my further progess towards my official birthday, if the Queen can have one, then so can I! When will this be? I am working on that.

St Mary's Island

Tynemouth Sands