Wheathampstead 10km Dress Rehearsal

I admit it. For the first time in years I slept in and was a few minutes late to my own drive. Fortunately, Paul had heard the flush from the pre-run essential so hung on a minute more than he normally would have and Kenny was still hanging around at the crossing between the footpath and Crabtree lane trying his best not to look suspicious.

We decided to head over to Wheathampstead and check out the 10km route. It was a reminder that this race is over a challenging course. You feel like it is all uphill and this because you give the climbs back on steep steps over a tiny distance or on a sheer downhill, or on a very uneven surface. I think you just need to push it though the whole way and knowing the course definitely helps as some of the turns are unexpected and sharp. There are a couple of open stretches where you can make up time, most notably through the outbound leg of the Ayot Greenway, along the bottom at the river and and downhill back to Marford lane.

As Paul and I scouted the course Ken started to drop back a bit and so due to the lack of marshals etc we waited for him to come through and clapped and cheered and made helpful crowd like comments such as "nearly there" at he 4km point and "last hill" at every hill.

Pretty sure between us we got the course pretty much spot on. I think we were doing just over 4min kms but hard to say with all the stopping.

Our buddy Dave was in Edinburgh and it was a shame as we met loads of lovely dogs. Very friendly they all were too. I think they smell the fear from Dave and that sends even the cutest dog into a rabid man eating monster that heads straight from him.....

All stems from an incident with some prison dogs in India, but that's another story.

One kind dog owner surprised us by seeing us coming and running on to open the gate ahead and cheer us on. How friendly is that? He also saw Ken a bit behind us and asked "Are you meant to be with them?" Ken shamefully grunted "aye" between gasps for air to which the cheery retort was "You'd better get a move on!".

On the way down the last Marford Lane drag Paul and I were getting close to race pace and enjoying the downhill when a (and I think I am being kind here) portly gentleman and his missus were jogging up and we going to hit the gate at the same time as them. They were delighted to give way and let us through, again encouraging us on our way. Ken saw them too and gave them this pearl of wisdom "Turn back now, while you can!". I believe they kept going.....

Over the last mile we were not to sure when to cut off the Greenway, I reckoned it was level with the narrow bridge, but Ken had not followed the race directions, so as Paul and I waited there Ken had sneaked cross country and was suddenly going over the bridge 100m ahead of us - race on we think, but no. Ken turns right over the bridge presumably on some short cut hunt, as Paul and I are screaming at him to turn left. The woman with another dog shouts to Kenny "It was your other left sonny!". So now it is into pure race territory, Paul on my shoulder and as Dave says at that point when you come into the park you can smell the burgers. Round the football pitch, steady, steady not yet, then just before the end of the pitch kick for home 600m to go round and up and you can suddenly see the finish line the crowd roars and you let rip for home - maxed out now you drop the guy who had been on your shoulder for the last 3km and that's it. Just enough time to recover to cheer Ken home and force him to work that finish - "She's right behind you!" seemed to do the trick.

We crawled back to Harpenden at a snail's pace and when Ken ducked up Crabtree I could not prevent myself picking it up along the river and then one last sprint up the hill to the shop. In spite of Paul's whining he was right on my shoulder at the finish. Top morning's running.