Sleaford 10km

So we all love taking part in our local events no matter how big or small they are. It's the idea of winning your home race, which for me will never happen but I still like to go out and give it my all. There is bragging rights up for grabs and the possibility of getting a PB on your local course.

This year was a little different for me as I had competed and completed my first Outlaw Triathlon of 140.6 miles. So I knew my legs were still recovering and I was looking forward to this event for different reasons. It would be my first race after my main event of the year so it would be a good gauge of my fitness and it was also the first time I would be running for the running club I have just joined. Sleaford Striders is the running club I joined and they are also the organisers of the Sleaford 10km race. So this was a good opportunity to meet more of the Sleaford Striders team and enjoy the race.

The course is easy to navigate and is fairly flat, but there is a couple of small climbs that can take it out of you and can mess around with your pacing. The course is all on roads which are quiet. Unfortunately there had been a car accident on a near by road so the traffic was diverted on to the course. Which was no issue as the roads were well signposted saying there was a running event on.

 

So with every race I take part in I always seem to start off too fast and this race was no different, but I didn't take long to get in to my stride. I tried to keep up with someone I knew and I was doing alight he wasn't getting away but by Km3 I was feeling it. I had not done any speed work for a while as I was training for the Outlaw Triathlon. I had to slow down and get in to my own pace that I was comfortable with. This race for me wasn't about getting and PB or a really good time but it was about just getting out and running and enjoying it.

 

What the hell happened at the 4km mark?

No idea what was going on with my ankle it did not feel good at all. I didn't roll on it or do anything with it but just had a really bad pain. Thought I would see how it went for another km. If it got worse I said to myself I would pull out and rest up.

 

I get to the 5km mark and I just kept on running. I am really stubborn when running, which is probably not a good thing. If I feel pain I tend to just keep going and worry about it at the end, which is exactly what I did again.



 

 

At the end of the race I could feel my ankle hurting quite a bit and was limping a little bit. I was really pleased with my time of 41:00mins. Not a PB, but considering that my body was still recovering from Outlaw I was pleased with my result finishing 24 out of 184 runners.

As soon as I got my medal I went to the massage table to get my ankle quickly looked at. Ended up getting my ankle taped up and was told to rest up and see how it goes. The next day no pain in my ankle and walking fine and managed to go running again two days later.

Love the race as it's my local race and the fact that I know many of the marshal's so also nice hearing your name being cheered as you run past them. I look forward to representing the Sleaford Striders in other running events.