So - I was up at 8.30 - and we were out just after 9am - making our way to Totnes for a 10K run/race. I thought I had received an email saying - if you are not used to hills you might want to do some training - but when I went back to try and find this - all I could find about the course was a statement saying 'mostly flat'. So...I assumed the email about the hills must have been about another course.
It was difficult to tell when we got there as you could not see the course at all - where it was going to go or anything.
I was nervous - it was very hot - probably the hottest I've ever run in and no clouds. There were a lot of people - and most looked really fit and slim - like proper runners lol.
We were off....we went across a field and out...straight to a standstill as there was gridlock! I thought straight away - well this isn't going to be a personal best! Once through it was quite narrow so you could only go the pace of the people in front. It would widen out a bit and then go narrow again - and a few times we would be walking. There were also steps that I had to walk (probably would anyway!). It was gorgeous scenery! The trail would be rocky one minute, then huge tree roots - so not too easy to run - then there was a massive hill! Felt more like rock climbing rather than a run!! The down hill bit - where I would normally try and make up time - was single file so i couldn't really run full pelt like I usually do. It was fun! I say that now - I know at the time I didn't really think so hahah. Eventually I started to be able to hear the guy on the microphone in the field at the finish line - and it sounded far away lol. I was quite knackered and couldn't really manage much of a sprint on the way in - my time was 1hr 15m....quite bad! But not considering the queues and hills and terrain!
So - I was still a little disappointed with my time - but quite happy too - that I had done it!
We wasted no time - got back to the car and back home! I decided to have a lounge in the bath for a while - which was really nice.
We didn't really do much after that - watched a film in the evening....
