28th September 2014

I normally run the Henley Half Marathon run by the local Rotary Club but my buddy who shall remain nameless although his surname sounds like a wood boring tool suggested this would be a great little run and we should sign up for it. So obeying instructions I duly signed myself and Grit up and paid the entrance fees. Of course my buddy who’s surname sounds like a wood boring tool decided not to bother! We went ahead and arrived in plenty of time for the 09:30 start. I think there were about 400 competitors but that included a 10 k too. As we sat in the car park a car drew up alongside with a couple of hard-core runners – singlet top, slit shorts, dark glasses and I made a prediction that number 367 would win outright. It was a grand sunny morning but a little too hot for me. We started at 09:30 and I was determined to do a negative split. The course was flat mainly along the Thames and predominantly on gravel, hard mud or grass but with some tarmaced paths. In theory it should be fast. I felt I was going pretty well even though I had done hardly any training and been working late the evening before. Sadly I misjudged it and came in at my usual time of 1 hour 50 minutes and I think 08 seconds only to find Grit already there having finished in a record beating 1 hour 28 minutes! Sadly she was directed incorrectly by one of the marshals and missed a big loop off the course so she duly owned up and lost her place. Number 367 came in first!