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| Hexham Race Course looking over the Shire |
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| I can smile, after the race! |
Yes, I obviously hadn't recovered from my efforts in last week's Great North Run. My calves were tight and everything was just, sore. As I settled into an easy pace for the first couple of miles, I was running alongside my pal and V60 rival, Richard Sill of Morpeth Harriers, it must have been an easy pace, for we were chatting, or maybe Richard was. I had remarked on my soreness and he told me "I am a doctor and you need a day of recovery for every race mile". Actually, I made that up as he would not say the doctor bit, but he was right about recovery and it was only seven days since the GNR.
Well that is me getting in my excuses for a slower time than I would have liked, but the hills in this scenic race are tough. Over the ten mile route you actually climb 1,088 feet and it feels that and more. At least I ran them all, albeit at a slow pace for the really steep sections.
The first mile was nice and level, then the road drops down to the Devil Water, before starting the first climb. Having run with Richard to this point, I watched as he disappeared ahead of me and didn't see him again until the finish. It was now just about getting around and as I had put aside my usual competive nature I could enjoy the rolling countryside - on what other road race would the marshals (well done lads and lasses of Tynedale) have to warn you of the slippery surface as you run through a ford!
My GPS watch was telling me that my early pace of seven minute miling had dropped to over ten minutes for some of the hills, but was averaging at 8.30 and I was happy enough with that pace. Having upped my average run distances after a year of 5K and 10K races, it was almost pleasant to cruise along at a pace which wasn't eye popping. So it was that I put in a faster pace from seven to eight miles back down to the Dilston Burn (Devil Water) before hitting that final, tough climb up to the Race Course Road. Here I was caught by another of my local rivals, Lynn Valentine, Sunderland Strollers. Lynn has done this in every race we have shared, catching me in the last couple of miles - good luck to her. I also noticed that it took some time to catch runners who were actually walking the steep bits. What was particularly galling was having passed them, at least one of these runners/walkers actually overtook me again before the finish!
But, no recriminations from me as to my finishing position, the steep hills, hot weather, etc; it was a lovely day out in wonderful scenery - look at the view across the shire, above, at the finish, wow! We live in a wonderful area.
The resuts show that Richard Sill was first V60 in 1.20.32 for 24th place, I was second in 1.25.32. 102 lucky runners ran.
Post Script to the Great North Run
Having put aside my competive instincts during the race, I spotted a number of runners from a Tyneside club at the finish and could not stop myself from asking them if one of their V65 members had actually beaten me in the Great North Run. "No", they responded " 'X', had given his number to another (younger) member. That meant that I had actually being first in my age category in this international half marathon, no prize, but what a moral victory, morale booster.
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