Serpentine New Year's Day 10K

MP - It was perfect weather conditions yesterday for our race.

Hamilton - I was the white guy between the two Africans, and to be honest none of our times were that special. Sam who won it had a good run. He's not an elite professional athlete by any stretch, just a club runner like me who just happens to be of African descent. Kassa in third was exceptional in the past - his PB is nearly 6 minutes quicker at 28:38 for 10k, but he's just starting to get back into training after a bit of a lay off. We all live in London and are regular racers for our clubs. For me the £75 for 2nd place was nice - but certainly not a motivating factor in doing the race. If I'd wanted the money I'd have done a shift of overtime at work, and sometimes it's nice for a runner of my standard to avoid the races with deep prize funds, since they DO tend to attract the non resident Africans who are milking the cash cow and I'm unlikely to leave with either a cheque or a good placing.

MikeB - Well done on your 2nd place.  You make it look so easy.

Morning forumites.

MikeB - Congrats for second place.  It is nice to put a face and name to all those who lapped me!  AND you look good in your photo, not all pink, puffing and shuffling like mine.  I think they superimposed my head onto someone else's body, I could have sworn I wasn't middle aged with the spread that goes with it when I woke up on New Year's morn...! 

Tracey G- yep , the weather was kind to us. 

All in all, a very good way to start the New Year.

well if you want to see the official race photos of MIkeB looking far too cool going far too fast for his own good - you can go to www.antbliss.com find the serpentine 10k folder and use his race number it's 505...
I personally like the one of the winner (91) with his personal halo from the winter-wonderland wheel at the finish...

 Happy New Year !

MikeB

apologies if it appeared i was criticising - that wasn't the intention - it was more of an observation that the placers looked fairly fresh after the race, unlike me, who felt shattered.....

Ah no hamilton - no offence taken at all!

I thought you suggested that they looked easy because they had been running at 70% purely as an economic venture that morning, and I assure you that wasn't the case.

There is a stable of east africans who DO come over to the uk for a few months solely to race every week, win a few thousand and head home. I just wanted to assure people that Sam and Kassa are Londoners who happen to have been born in africa, rather than "smash and grab" raiders.

Thanks to everyone else who ran, and sorry if I shouted at any of you on the way past - the narrow paths aren't ideal for a lap course!

Ah, MikeB, so you are the one who hollered MIND YOUR BACKS and had me scuttling for the grass verge as you came steaming by at over 100 miles an hour!!!!!  Not that I am green with envy that I only plod or anything like that...

must say, I noticed all you fast runners had mud up your BACKS whereas mine was mid calf, that is where I am going wrong....