Cambridge Wildlife Trust 10k Run - 5th October 2003[2]
By Carl Myhill (photos by Paula's Paul)
Awoke early to a fresh cold morning and headed for the Park and Ride (no parking at the track). Bus promptly turned up and charged us £1.50 EACH for transport to the track (why is that a good deal? If 4 people park at the park and ride is that a £6 bus fair they need to stump up? - how silly, avoiding a £6 spend is a good reason to drive right past the Park and Ride and try and park in town!!!).
Anyhow, we spent the journery gibbering about the forthcoming race. Ivan unsure his knees would hold out for the race and me unsure as to whether the 10ks I sometimes run lunchtime are indeed 10k and not a bit short!
Georgia signed up for the race on the day and got one of the 300 places reserved for on-the-day sign-ups. This seemed to make the number of runners around 1300. Very impressive indeed, and the organisation was excellent given quite so many people. Many volunteers from Smallworld or ex-Smallworlders helped things run smoothly, Duncan Lauder on bag check, Betty Barber generally organising things and Phil Rodgers on the keyboards. Neil Barber, Betty's husband, organised the whole event - thanks Neil!
A couple of laps around the University running track gathered together the Impington swimmers - Paula, Georgia, Ivan and me. Among the other runners were also a handful of Cambridge Triathletes, such as Jan and Helen (who also swims with Impington), both of whom put in pretty impressive times, particularly since Jan told us his 41 minutes was "just a training run"! Also there were a good handful of Histon Hobblers, this time in their usual pink making them almost as easy to spot as when they dress as Wonder Woman.
The start of the race was incredibly crowded with 1300 runners trying to get going. We reckon it took us 20 seconds to get to the start line! Originally intending to run with Lee (expert pacer from work) and Robert (dark horse fit cyclist from work (& Fiona's husband!)) and Ivan, things didnt quite go to plan. Lee was nowhere in sight. For the first 1k it was a struggle to get through the crowds with runners completely filling the road and even overspilling onto the pavement - runners filled any space in the approximate direction of the track. Whilst it was tough to get through the crowds it was also amazing to be amongst so many runners.
Early on, Ivan looked light footed in his dodging through crowds and as the people thined out, I'm sure he grew orange fur and a tail with a white tip and became quite impossible to catch. In my trying to keep up with Ivan I think I'd inadvertantly lost Robert among the crowds.
The race consisted of several loops, repeating a number of stages of the track as many as 3 times. This was particularly demoralising after 3k or so as we passed the 8k mile marker for the first time! It wasn't much fun seeing it a secord time either but seeing it for the final time was something of a relief.
The water stop was passed on 2 loops of the track and each time it seemed like a good idea to try to take on water. Some coordination was needed to pick up a cup on the run but even more was required to drink from it. On both attempts I ended up coughing badly and Ivan reckons he poured his water straight into his lungs. Perhaps wait til the end of a 10k before trying to drink next time!
At about 6k I was pleased to catch up with colleague Lee, an excellent pace setter. When it got to around 7.5k he picked up the pace a bit to trot past a few runners who were by now slowing down. This new pace was the limit of what I had left so I struggled to keep up and fought hard to get back as Lee got a few meters ahead. Then his stitch got the better of him and he slowed a little. With the finish now in sight I pushed on.
Coming into the finish I remembered the commentators warning at the start of the race, "when you first see the running track, you still have a mile to go". I tried to pick it up for the mile but I failed to see the 9k mile marker and found it tough to turn up the pace even though there was a tempting bunch of 10-20 people only a little in front who I was gaining on. As I hit the track for the last 300m I tried again to up the pace but then so did everyone else. I finally managed a gangly legged sprint finish over the last 75m or so, overtaking about 10 people down the final straight.
In the end I crossed the line with the clock on 45:07 (official time 45.10 and 276th overall (of 882) and 157th man under 40 (of 308)) and my own watch telling me 44:50 - it took a while to get to the start, such were the crowds! I was thrilled to get a time like this because the last 10k I did was around 5 years ago and took 52 minutes and hurt. This was much easier by comparison! Ivan put in a blistering time of 41:15 (official time 41:31 and 140th overall, and 92nd man under 40). Paula knocked 6 minutes of her PB too with 57.08 (officially), placing her 721st overall and 114 of 166 women under 35. Georgia made it in 1:00:55 (officially 1:01:24 and 803rd overall and 95th of 119 women 35-44. Helen Eggar turned in an official time of 44.07, 233rd overall and 7th of 119 women 35-44. A great effort all around and a thoroughly enjoyable day!
You can get the full results from the Cambridge Wildlife Trust 10k race from the wildlife trust website.
Carl.
PS. Anyone else notice that both Ivan and Paula have a running style which involves their feet not actually touching the ground (see photos)!