And now here is THE video of the Great Manchester run 2010 – the one and only daffodil waving, saluting and bowing to the adoring crowds. Muchly amusing 
I wandered lonely as a daffodil – is that how the poem went?
I had been aware of the fact, ever since the Bolton 10k, that my season’s preparations were in tatters, and that the next race, the Great Manchester Run, being a bit of a ritual for me, and for charity, could be in some jeopardy 
So at some point my twisted mind gave birth to the idea of joining the fancy dress fun runners, and not long after, the concept of running it as a daffodil sprung up (pardon the pun!) – I was running to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care after all! So I started sourcing the goods to make it all happen! I got my race pack, and was in the white wave, but on the day just had to elect to run in the pink wave. Well, walk in the pink wave, with my right leg buggered to buggery, there was no way I would be running
And so it was not going to be a day for fast running, PB’s, or anything serious – but a day to savour the atmosphere of Britain’s premiere 10k, the Great Manchester Run, and just enjoy being out and running with 36,000 other runners. My eve of race ritual was a little different, concentrating not on eating well or resting, but making sure my daffodil head fit! And then the day itself came, up a little late – and then I braved my neighbourhood streets in my green tights, tutu, and yellow top – saving the daffodil head for the race itself. But I was not to get away with it! There were another bunch of pink wavers at the bus stop – girls – and they insisted I put on my daffodil head for a group photo, and then we piled on the bus and I got admiring comments about my legs. As we arrived in town, I jumped off at Piccadilly and went to get daffodilled up in the loos, and finally emerged resplendent as a bone fide daffodil.
I went to join the pink wave, and got someone to take a photo with my camera, so I could text various friends who had sponsored me. And then it was time for the off and I finally got to the start line mats! It was an odd experience having to walk, I couldn’t even have managed a jog with my knee – yet I knew on a good day uninjured I would have been flying past all these people… But this soon wore off and I just resigned myself to walking. The 1k marker came up pretty quickly, but without my Garmin I had no idea how long it really took – and it would turn out I was in for the long haul in this race! Along Chester road I was overtaken by a caterpillar and accosted by a mad woman shouting “Ray, Ray, Ray!!!” at me – it would later turn out this was someone off Runners’ Forum who had recognised the daffodil outfit but had forgotton I go by the name of Road Runner Rob and not Road Runner Ray It was amusing that I just didn’t click at the time!
Towards old Trafford I decided I needed to use the loo, so looked out for the portaloos – there were some of those weird public urinal things, but decorum insisted that I didn’t stand at one of those as I would have to pull down my tights, skirt, shorts and underpants in public, so I waited for a cubicle. I have never “been” in a race before, so it was another novel experience! So much so I would avail myself again later! This was becoming more like a leisurely sunday walk than anything else, particularly so as the runners thinned out and the roads were sparsely populated. At the 5k drinks station I asked if they had Baby Bio for me but am not sure if they got the joke – and then at the 5k timing mats my sister texted me to ask what time I had finished in
At about 7k Bats off RF started texting me encouragement and said he would wait at the end for me. Poor soul had a long wait but his e-cheerleading text service was appreciated! I gave the showers a miss! And then it was the final walk down towards the finish. I joked with a couple of people proferring vaseline coated rubber-gloved fingers, that although it may look like it, I wouldn’t be welcoming of such attentions – and then finally into the finishing straight, which although less populated than it would have been earlier in the race, still had a good crowd showing – the good thing was I had it more or less to myself, so raised my hands, waved to the crowd, and even managed a flowery little bow as the cameras clicked away, and even got my name announced by the commentator as I crossed the line waving my petals about.
Then I met Bats briefly, before going home to get changed, then going back to catch some of the Great City Games and hooking up with Bats again – both of us ending up on the telly as two shady looking characters standing in a doorway.
So no PB, not even a run – but in a way probably one of the best things I have ever done. You just have to take what you’ve got and do your best with it, is my philosophy. And so I had a ball and wandered lonely as a daffodil
Here are the pics – I will post the video of my Great Manchester Run finish in a subsequent post!
With thanks to Liz, Rachel(s), Janine, Neil, Dawn, Dave (bats), the mad woman, Ray (whoever he is) and the entire daffodil support team 
Oh and my time? 01:45:50 
Ran this on April 25th – has taken me until now to be able to even mention it, as in the last kilometre I got injured, something happened with my groin, and ever since it’s been my knee!
Did an OK time but was struggling as went off too fast, really don’t know what happened to the leg, as apart from my back problems, there was nothing wrong with the leg
Hey ho – was good to see Neil and Dawn though…
Felt strange not needing to walk the dog when I got up. Was a nice sunny day, albeit a bit cold so set off early, and this time managed to get to the park in plenty of time
Did some warm up laps of the track, few strides but nothing major, then lined up. Saw Mark the triathlete again, and we chatted, then we were off and I said I’d see him at the finish line. I was near the front and went off fast – I am used to seeing the leaders snake off around the track before heading into the park – but this time, I was with them, in the first 7 or 8 runners As we headed out into the park a few more overtook me as the faster runners zoomed off (either they quickened up or I went back to my normal pace!) – then it was the usual duel with the hills, trying to survive up them without them sapping the hell out of my legs too much, then the recovery, then the bloody hill again before the last k home.
A la the Salford 10k, I didn’t look at the Garmin, just ran how I felt, and I was starting to feel the pinch by the end. On the second lap Mark caught up with me and we took the hill together – he took a breather and I tried to launch myself off the top. The hills and the fast start were making me hurt. A gorgeous looking lady went past me and I must admit I tried to keep up with her as there is nothing like chasing after a lady to get one motivated, but she zoomed off and I didn’t have too much left. I got to the path leading into the stadium and Mark came past me yelling encouragement at me, I tried to put on a burst of speed for a duel all the way to the finish line but I was running on dead legs and my gasp rate was going off the scale – so he got revenge on my previous “victories” I think we both really helped each other along though so it was good teamwork in a way – and we both PB’d I got a sub 25 in 24:43 which is good going and who knows on the flat…
My splits were:
4:11
5:06
4:47
5:17
5:20
Easy to see where the hills took their toll – and no wonder I was up with the leaders with that first split! – if I’d kept up that pace I’d have been in the top 10 I think Still, it gives me confidence that I have that pace, I know I can run that fast – I just have to work on maintaining it, and also coming to terms with those hills – and they are getting “easier”
In all a good run and nice to have a chat with Mark afterwards. Well done Mark – good luck with your Triathlon training, and I look forward to a rematch in a few weeks
No pics as the Park Run site has been down since Saturday – evidently calculating my and Mark’s speed has broken it 
Nice 5k run which will plan in as regular run – down Stockport Road, nice trail section through the woods, then the massive incline up Stockport Road to build in a bit of a hilly section to practice both running up when tired, and also running the last k fast off it, finishing off at Town Lane. Good practice for the mixed nature of races
And imagined Becky with me in the woods, before she ran off to chase squirrels in the trees yonder
My preparations for the Salford 10k, at least in the run up to the race, had a bit of a setback with the onset of my back problem. At first it seemed to be a minor thing, but after my easy run in the week, another sleep seemed to do more damage and I was in real trouble, eating painkillers like candy, and barely able to move without wincing. There were times when I considered pulling out of the race, because the pain was THAT bad, and I didn’t want to make it worse. But then I thought, I wrecked it somehow sleeping in bed – maybe movement would actually do it some good, or at least do me some good, so I decided to turn up, and even if I just trotted round, I would finish the race.
Didn’t get much sleep the night before, every time I got comfortable for a few minutes in one position, the pain would flare up again. I got up, had some toast for breakfast, then walked the dog, and then the taxi came. I chatted with the driver but felt very uneasy about the whole race deal – wondering if I would have to pull out half way through, if I would be screaming in pain with the jolting – or what? I got dropped off and found the changing rooms, it was a struggle to even pull off my jogging pants. I pinned my number on my top, then stowed my stuff in a locker and decided to go outside for a little jog to see how I fared. It was freezing out there! I managed to do a bit of jogging then came back inside. The back had hurt, but I figured I might be able to sustain a decent run if I could run through the pain.
Eventually, we were all at the start line, dodging buses and cars. It seemed a little further back down the road then when I did it last year. Anyway, I set the Garmin to only display the distance and time of day, and resolved not to look at it, but just run to how I felt. I felt quite good setting off, and settled into a pace that seemed to not bother my back too much – the only problem was, with it being a pinched nerve, my left arm was twingeing a bit and my thumb was getting progressively number… I enjoyed the first lap, and felt pretty good, then had to deal with the psychology of doing it all over again and seeing the same scenery. I was breathing very hard at 5k, but felt if I could just stay at the pace I was and save a little for the last few k. As the 2nd half of the race got more intense, I started to find myself drawing level with people in front of me, then overtaking them, I put on extra little bursts of speed to overtake a few packs. By the last 2k, I was really gasping for air and hurting, but just kept my legs turning over, turning over. As the 9th K turned over I did risk a quick look at my Garmin and saw I’d done that one in 4:51. I got a bit frustrated as the 9K marker showed up when the Garmin was showing 9.3K and indeed the last k seemed short from where the marker was. In any case, I thought, only 800 to go, it’s just like an interval session now, just one burst and I can do this in less than 4 minutes. I couldn’t quite see where the finish line was, there were a few of us neck and neck, a bloke with a stopwatch shouted “48:06″ as we went past him. Then it registered – if I could reach the finish line in another 1 minute 53 seconds, I would have a sub 50. I pelted it, thinking I could do it, then thinking the finish was going to play tricks on me and be much further than I thought, I was gasping almost screaming by this point, totally at my limit, then suddenly I was over the line and stopping the Garmin. As I walked down the funnel, I flipped it over to display my time:
49:24
I gasped, and almost sobbed. I’d finally done it. I wandered round in a daze, tears brimming at my eyes, and had to find a quiet spot for minute. 2 years of trying and I’d finally run a sub 50 10k. It had been a challenge worthy of the name! It took a while to sink in as I went to get changed, and had a bit of a chat with a nice chap who said he was running a 5k later in the month and had done this one as a training run. I went off to get the bus, still feeling elated, as the rain started to come down…
My splits were interesting:
4:58
4:56
5:00
4:54
5:00
5:15
5:06
5:02
4:51
4:16
It shows that I can afford a bit of a lull in the mid stages to regroup for the end – if I had been pacing myself off the Garmin, I could easily have though “5:15 for that K, I am stuffed now…” So that’s 2 PB’s where I have just run to how I felt, it seems to work – won’t always of course, but it saves on the psychological games!!
Well, as it coincides with the anniversary of my mum’s death, I guess I will always run this one in her memory – and today have a PB/Sub 50 to dedicate to her
Not only did the clocks go forward on Saturday night/Sunday morning, I also seemed to sleep in a funny position and my back was killing me when I got up, very difficult to move head as if I had compressed a nerve or something. So good job I was having a couple of rest days! Today I wanted to do an easy run to stretch legs and see how back would affect running, it seemed really bad timing with a race coming up – fortunately it always seems to be the upper back so running didn’t seem to bother it, though doing to touches or turning head does, so better be careful about looking behind me in the race. Stopped at the pharmacy after 1k to grab some nurofen, and just took it easy, but ran at race pace for half a minute in the last k.
Felt a bit tired but easy runs always seem to do that to me.
Later on sorted out transport arrangements for Salford 10k. Might do another easy 3 miles tomorrow just to keep legs ticking over.
This was a weird, weird run…
I set off earlier than last week, but got there later, I didn’t get to bed too early and didn’t sleep and was feeling frankly rough when I got up, and felt a bit sick on the bus. Seemed to take longer than last time, and in fact when the bus dropped me off at the bottom of the hill near Vernon Park, I checked the time and it was 8:45 
– and the start line was a 15 mins walk away, so I figured I could have a nice warmup to get there, although I still had to get out of my joggers and use the loo. And I felt bloody awful and breathless jogging up the hill and had to stop – then jogged through a veritable swamp as I took the shortcut over the field to get to the track. So had soaking wet feet. I managed to get out of my sweats and put my trainers on, and really needed to use the loo, but all the cubicles were occupied, then a kid went in one cubicle and came out screaming his head off. I went in, and saw why – let’s just say, how does a person manage to miss like that? It was just there, perched, staring at me… Still, needs must… and I improvised. By this point had about 2 mins left, and Garmin couldn’t find the satellite as I stood there kicking my own arse with my heels and trying to convince myself I was ready to run a tough 5k 
I did meet Mark, the triathlete, who ran into my blog the other week, and we had a brief chat.
On your marks, get set go, they said, and I thought I started the Garmin, but half way round the track I glanced at it – 0:00:00. Ooops. 
So I started it and after about 2 more minutes I was feeling half dead, but I kept going. Whatever official distance I’d done, the Garmin ticked over one k in 5:30 and the next one in 6 mins, I started swearing, I have not run that slowly apart from a warmup or cool down jog recently. So I just kept going, feeling half dead and wondering what the hell was wrong with me today. There was a blonde lady in front of me and she was very supportive and told me to take it easy as there would be plenty more runs – true of course, but I couldn’t understand why I was going so slow…. 6 mins for one k? On the second lap went past Mark who had started walking and tried to encourage him, then just kept going through the pain.
Sort of came alive after the last hill (attacked the hill twice this time) and had a bit of a burst of speed in the last K, and sprinted for the finish, leaving the supportive lady behind, and almost reeling in another lady, who put on a burst of speed to avoid my overtaking her, well done that lady .
Garmin time was going to be useless so awaited results – and somehow ended up with an improvement on last week so a course PB by 13 seconds in 25:14. God knows how I did that, and God knows what was going on with the Garmin telling me I was running 6 minutes per k for a large chunk of the run, I certainly didn’t run a sub 4 one to make up the deficit… 
Well, am sure when feeling better and without Twilight Zone things happening, should be able to get that time down on future runs and need to work on those hills! 
I decided to rise at the crack of dawn and do the Woodbank Park Run again today – after a mile PB and a season’s best 5 mile time in the week, I’ve been feeling I’ve really got my running legs back of late
The logistics worked much better this time – buses went like clockwork and I got to the venue with 25 mins to spare, so I had time to use the loo and do a few laps of the track in the pouring rain, and get suitably warmed up without exhausting myself with a mad dash all the way from Denton to Stockport .
I set off at what felt and was a suicidal pace in the initial rush (sub 6 minute mile pace according to Garmin). I’m not used to starting so near the front of a field and chased the leaders before settling into my own rhythm, and didn’t try to go too fast, just went at my own pace. On the big downhill in Vernon Park, I conserved energy for the uphill, rather than trying to sprint down it and make up for the time I knew I’d lose going back up – then took the uphill slowly and steadily, and it sapped me a bit, and took a while to get back into my stride. Then another lap around Woodbank Park before the downhill and uphill for a second time.
I was kind of neck and neck with the older bloke who’d blown me away last week in the final k, this time, on the second uphill, I left him behind and although I slowed on the hill, I didn’t stop. I went past two blokes who were walking up the hill, they said well done to me – then in the last k I could hear them behind me, and one overtook me, and I thought, as I sometimes do, “Should I have walked up the bloody hill?” – then I overtook him, and in the last 200 we drew level and he encouraged me, so I then felt a bit bad for going into overdrive and finding a sprint finish and leaving him behind as I dashed over the line really gasping and gulping for air.
Official time was 25:27 which is a 52 second improvement on my Park Run of last week. I felt I held it together much better in the latter stages, so all the other running I have done has helped, and I’m just going to see how quick I can get on this course, and maybe try a 5k on the flat too at some point.
Been feeling a bit tired since the Park Run episode on Saturday (not least because I was up a lot earlier than usual for me!!)
So, went for a nice gentle paced recovery run, and it felt a bit tough after a few k – but that was to be expected as it was afterall the definition of a recovery run is to recover from something, I think – and it seemed to help.
