Hello blog readers.
So, well....um....! I've been running! Honest. It's my blogging that has been pushed to the kerb at the moment. Well, when I say I've been running, I have had a couple of usual run days pushed aside too! But I had reasons for that! Honest!
What I am writing about today is what I did yesterday! It was the Harvel Hash House Harriers 5 miler! Complete with 'Taylors Arms' half way around!
We had booked this race in 2019! But that blimmin COVID 19 got to us and it was cancelled, our places were deffered....until it could happen! Roll on a couple of years and here I was.....totally unready for 5 miles, again, just like I was totally unready for the PWR 10k last year! Just like I'm unready for the Paddock Hal marathons! (Well, that one I really did have to let slide last year! I would deffo have been a DNF)
The H5 is a very popular race, selling out in minutes when it opens! But it's not wonder really! For mee there are so many pluses! For instance, it's on a Saturday! There are very few races that are on a Saturday. I think race organisers forget about us sinners wanting to get together on a Sunday to spend time with Him upstairs! Or maybe is the British Constablery that refuse permission about the whole road closures thing! Another plus, its at a very reasonable hour of 2 o'clock start! Most civilised! Plenty of scope for a lay, or if you're not lazy, you could always squeeze in a parkrun! A huge plus, especially if you are a beer drinker, they have a 'bar' as the water/beer/wine stop half way round! The medal this year of course was all about the jubilee, we had a bottle opener in the shape of the queen! Fan-bloomin-tastic! The run it self is really quite pleasant! I think I felt relaxed and happy all the way around! It could have been the little can of gin I had to see me round, but hey! I felt great!
CaroleWithAnE and her hubby RefMichael and Naggy were all H5 virgins! I think CaroleWithAnE had to be persuaded to add just a drop of wine to her water at the half way stop! I remember my first time doing this race, I went for the water, but as I was slower that those that I came with, no one persuaded me to have a beer! I've been edge-a-macated since then, although, I have learned not to my first pint until after the race!
We met some other PWR's there as well, LouLou and Terry, (Terrey wasn't running so he was our unofficial bag drop) Nigel, Mike, Barbara, Steve, Chris, as well as other faces from ORR and other clubs too! Like I said, it's a popular race, the ques for the loo would vouch for that! After I had done my second lot of queueing for the loo I noticed that my mates were all ready for a photo, so I did a quick dive to get in!
It was also the first time I used the Aftershoks in an official race, the RD said that we could use them, the inear ones are not allowed as we are on roads for some of the race! I made sure though that I didn't have the turned up to max volume, 1, is that the 'buzz' on my ear and 2, I didn't want to miss any of the cheering. If the cheerers are there giving you support then it's totally rude not to acknowledge that! I really smiled when I was running through the woods and the kids were there holding out their hands for a high five, of course I obliged! But then one of them started running after me, over took me and said "Look at me, I can run really really fast!" I just laughed and said "Yes you can!"
That cheeky little hill is still there, of course it's still there! Why would that flatten that just for me? The ambulance guy on his bike, who I saw at the corner of a particularly evil little sharp left turn, it's on a hill going down and really gravely and broken brick type of path, well he had passed me just a short while ago. I had wondered if he had actually attempted to cycle up it! I know there are some people who would do it with no problem! But he did have have some rather heavy looking paniers on both sides of his bike! After I got to the top, (walking of course) I began running again. I saw the first aider and I asked him if he rode up.....What do you think his answer was?
Any way, the return back to the party on the green was back on the roads. I tried to run as much as I can while I was on the roads, hoping that some of the people I did pass wouldn't catch up to me again! I felt remarkably strong as I went for the finish! Could it have been the gin......maybe it was because I hadn't actually ran for well over a week and my legs were well rested.
Loved this race, I will deffo be ready, fingers poised, ready to gain my entry for next year!
ps, I went out this afternoon, just to stop my legs from seizing up. Right now, I am in smug mode!!!!
Some other photos curtesy of LouLou and CaroleWithAnE, and I think maybe one maybe mine!
