Time: 3:52
GUTTED!
Having written and chatted for nearly three months on the sub 3:45
thread a number of us managed to meet up pre-race (Ping Pong Boy,
Save Ferris, Scotty, Sarah Gregory, Peter Bedwell & Ashley Smith
among others) and because I wore a obvious T-shirt with my nickname
on the back, carried a Scottish flag and planned it I managed to meet
Donna W and Woony at the red/blue joining point.
I was well on course for my target time until a knee injury that had
plagued me in training came back with a vengeance around 16 miles. I
kept running to 19.5, missed the URWFRC supporters at 18 despite
searching for them, and ended up walking/limping and hobbling my way
home in 3:52:52. Not far off my target but it may as well have been an
hour.
Thanks to all forumites that I met on the day. Overall I'm gutted as I
know I was fit enough to make my target time but in the end I just
couldn't handle running in the pain any longer. I must have looked a
terrible sight for the supporters on route over the last 5 miles.
Thanks to the RW 8:30 pacers that I stayed with for 2 miles at the start
then 300 yards at 21 miles as they came surging by me! Most thanks
go to the FLM 3:45 thread regulars. Your friendly posts warm and
encouragement made training through the winter months easier. I hope
to see you all again sometime.
Finally, on the up side, the funniest moment for me:
I was running with a Scottish flag up until the red/blue join point so that
fellow forum runners could spot me. After meeting them I decided it
was time to throw away the flag at around 5 miles. I timed my throw
just as we reached a drinks station. As I threw my flag one of the water
station attendants must have thought I was aiming at them and
screamed as my flag went flying over their head. I missed them by
several feet but I suppose it would still have been a bit of a shock.
Sorry to the water station person!
Ping Pong Boy
Race number 25022
Still Gutted!
