Buxton, Summer Series, Thursday 20th June

My preparation for the race didn’t go as planned, I turned up with  a bad Achilles. I was unsure even if I was going to do the race a few hours before.  However my stubbornness over throw my consciousness, and I found myself once again on the starting line.  In a tide of blue and yellow, that represented Wilmslow and Staffs Moorlands Athletic Clubs retrospectively.  A quick speech from the captain and we were underway.

The first part of the race was a one mile uphill to Solomons Temple, a Victorian Tower that offers amazing viewpoints to the outskirts of Buxton.  I have been here several times before for educational purposes, and this was no exception.

As I reached the top, I felt a sense of relief for the downhill. My legs were tired. Things didn’t go so well as soon as I started the descent towards the underbelly of the canopy.  Before I knew it, I had been thrown overboard by the greasy grass and I was a the mercy of the banks. I scrambled for my water bottle and looked to face the sky.  This stumble cost me places but lucky it didn’t lead to an injury.  I quickly found my feet thanks to the encouragement to those around me.  The fact that I decided to run in road shoes didn’t help prevent this incident. This is indeed a learning curve and I had paid the price.  My choice for these shoes was because they offered good support for my ankle.

For the next five minutes I took it steady until I found my feet once I reached the harder paths made by the wooden legs. I quickened my pace; my fall had cost me three or four places and dented my confidence.  No time to relax and think about the past I had to concentrate and look out for the wooden arms and the lose stones, and the odd dog walker!

I made it to the bottom of the descent after about a mile. This gave me time to catch my breath but I could feel my legs burning with the pace. I decided to go a little faster on the uphill’s until I got to the last steep hill by the start line. I had a quick walk to catch my breath and I started it again, as did the route for another lap.

In the second lap I saw a talented runner had also fallen to the grease that day. His name was Tyler, a Congleton runner I had gotten to know during the series. A better runner than I and one to watch out for the future. We ran together on the up hill towards the Temple once more.

I managed to hold off those behind me and I tried to catch the ones in front that had over taken me on my fall and on the descent.

I managed to gain a through yards on a couple of runners but struggled to gain much advantage until it came to the end of the descent where I managed to over take a couple of runners on the small hills.

It was certainly an up and down race, both in terms of my gymnastics and the course.  I almost managed to claim another place at the end of the race, as I ran someone to the line.

I managed to finish 12^th again with a time of 31minutes and 47 seconds.

Well done to Jack Ross for winning the race for Staff Moorlands, last time I saw him it was back in October and he had a broken toe.

Well done to Dale Colclough and Clive Hevey also, and for all the support that you both have offered me before and after the race. Thanks again.  Tyler also completed the race in an impressive 22^nd place after an injury he sustained during the race. Well done for the determination.

Well done to Matt Statham for coming in 26^th with 33 minutes and 42 seconds.