Being my own clubs race as well as for its links to Geordie folklore, ‘The Blaydon’ holds a special place in my racing calendar. This year will be the 32ndrunning of the race and my 29th. I wasn’t running for the first race and missed on the other two occasions due to injury.
My build up to this year’s `Blaydon’ was a little different from previous years. With a few niggles following my sudden spate of racing over the last month, which didn’t seem to be improving and if anything , worsening, a family break to Belgium seemed the perfect excuse to have an easy few days.
So the only running I did in the week leading to the race was 4 miles on the treadmill in the hotel gym and an easy 3 miles around the streets of the northern suburbs of Brussels. However, when I got back home, with only two days until the Blaydon Race, and having liberally partaken in the Brussels speciality of Mussels and Chips and a variety of Belgian Beers, I was left wondering whether or not I have rested too well.
My build up to this year’s `Blaydon’ was a little different from previous years. With a few niggles following my sudden spate of racing over the last month, which didn’t seem to be improving and if anything , worsening, a family break to Belgium seemed the perfect excuse to have an easy few days.
So the only running I did in the week leading to the race was 4 miles on the treadmill in the hotel gym and an easy 3 miles around the streets of the northern suburbs of Brussels. However, when I got back home, with only two days until the Blaydon Race, and having liberally partaken in the Brussels speciality of Mussels and Chips and a variety of Belgian Beers, I was left wondering whether or not I have rested too well.
On the two occasions I missed due to injury I helped marshal on Scotswood Road and Scotswood Bridge and although it’s great to see both the front end runners vying for dominance, fellow club runners battling it out as well as the streams of runners who follow, I must admit it is no substitute for racing yourself.
Any thoughts that the early afternoon weather had provoked of good weather were soon dispelled as the rain clouds gathered and the rain returned as we warmed up. This however, was only the prelude to the monsoon conditions we encountered as we hit Scotswood Road. Leaving everyone to plodge through ankle deep water in places.
Going through the first mile in 5.33 I was feeling quite comfortable. As I tagged onto John Stephens of Low Fell and Kevin Lister a second mile of 5.52, despite the sudden heavy rain, also felt ok. Unfortunately, by the time Scotswood Bridge came into sight it was turning into a different story. It was now just a hard slog along Chainbridge Road and over the flyover.
My finishing time was 35.01 giving me 186th place, my lowest finishing position ever at Blaydon. But I was first M55 – So every cloud has its silver lining. Even the one that decided to burst over us on Saturday evening.
Any thoughts that the early afternoon weather had provoked of good weather were soon dispelled as the rain clouds gathered and the rain returned as we warmed up. This however, was only the prelude to the monsoon conditions we encountered as we hit Scotswood Road. Leaving everyone to plodge through ankle deep water in places.
Going through the first mile in 5.33 I was feeling quite comfortable. As I tagged onto John Stephens of Low Fell and Kevin Lister a second mile of 5.52, despite the sudden heavy rain, also felt ok. Unfortunately, by the time Scotswood Bridge came into sight it was turning into a different story. It was now just a hard slog along Chainbridge Road and over the flyover.
My finishing time was 35.01 giving me 186th place, my lowest finishing position ever at Blaydon. But I was first M55 – So every cloud has its silver lining. Even the one that decided to burst over us on Saturday evening.