Birmingham Hydro Active Women's Challenge 5K

I got really near the front and then stood there in that freezing draught for 15 minutes panicking that I'd gone too near the front and was going to be trampled to death by REAL runners! Everyone around me looked so fit! Once I got going I did find I was in about the right place though.

The wind was cold but the run itself felt so much better for me than previous years when it has been sooooo hot! Although the standing around before and after was definitely nowhere near as pleaasnt.

The warm up and down were hilarious. The little old lady next to me was constantly going the wrong way which made me keep treading on my friend's toes. Then, when we did the balancing on one foot thing at the end, I just saw her just disappear backwards out of my line of vision - just like Delboy in only fools and horses! I was in stitches!

Glad you both enjoyed it too. So glad to have it back on Broad Street - so much better!

Evil Pixie, Boglarka (our Hungarian au pair, who got the running bug after toddling eL Bee!'s five-year-old daughter round RfL a month ago) and I started very near the front.

Pix's grandma passed away yesterday, and she held it all together and ran a splendid PB of 34.08 "in memory". Boglarka did 26omething, which is phenomenal for a novice runner doing her first proper race, and went from "never again" to "next time next time next time" within minutes of finishing.

I did 21:58, which was 14 seconds slower than my PB. I was 19th No congestion where I was - quite the opposite. Within a kilometre we were so strung out that I had nobody left either to chase or to run away from.

eL Bee! and my two youngest daughters were fabulous sherpas

A well-organised, easy-to-get-to, friendly event in my favourite city. Not sure whether I'll race it again, but I've promised the kids that they can take part next year.

I've just arrived home after my weekend. I caught a fleeting glimpse of Kate at the beginning - she was just in front of me. I didn't see anyone else. I did my slowest time ever, walking all the way round but I did it under the hour which really pleased me considering I'd spent Wednesday in bed and half of Thursday debating whether to give the whole weekend a miss or not.

 I shall probably do it again as it's an event I really enjoy and there is always the potential for spending vast sums of money in the quilt shop in Hall Green. Getting my new 24 inch borders ruler home was harder than doing the race - it was too long for my suitcase!!