Sunday, May 20, 2007
Great Manchester Run - My Feet Hurt, But I'm Alive!!
This morning's Great Manchester Run saw me cross the finish line in 59.48, which beat my target time by twelve seconds. Although it wasn't a personal best, I was hampered by the fact that I'd done no training to speak of, and also because trying to get some pace going when surrounded by 30,000 people dressed as pantomime horses and Elvis isn't easy. My first kilometre took over seven minutes, but once the field spread out a bit I got into my rhythm and kept to my target pace more or less. I think the training I did last year for Birchwood and Accrington stood me in good stead. As you can see from the picture, I was still standing at the end, although now my right foot is hurting quite a lot! It's not used to this level of pounding, especially on a Sunday.
I'm not sure how Cllr O'Hanlon got on (worryingly, although we were texting freely before the race, I have heard nothing since!), but doing it in less than an hour felt good. I have raised well in excess of £300 for the George House Trust, so thanks to everyone who sponsored me (and there's still time to give to give to this worthy cause on my website here).
Many thanks to the organisers for their hard work - the warm-up people, the marshalls, the police, the helpers at water stations and at the start and finish. Thanks to all those who have sponsored me. And special thanks to the crowd - this was my third organised 10k race, but the first in a big city, and the crowd were a great help!
There are a few more photos on my photo site if you fancy seeing the before and after versions of me!
Rick
# posted by Richard Baum @ 14:10 
