On bank holiday Monday 26th August 2013 I ran the very first Rugeley Open Spaces Association 10K Race, which just so happened to be my very first track race. The race set off from Rugeley Leisure Centre along the heritage trail and makes its way onto Cannock chase. I set off at a comfortable pace and almost straight away found myself running on my own, with the back end of the leading pack about 200 meters in front and the trailing pack about the same distance behind me (a marshal even joked with me about it). The trail starts off on a tarmacked path which soon turns into a firm track which leads you alongside some fields and over a couple of small bridges, at one point I even noticed a small waterfall, things you just don't see on a road race. It was a nice flattish start and it soon became apparent that there were no distance markers, this threw me as I use them as psychological markers to help keep me going in the early stages.
The trail ends and you made your way across a road (which was marshalled very well) into Cannock chase, this is where my lack of off-road running kicked in. As I made my way through the forest, the path ways started to get more difficult to negotiate. They started to vary from firm trail to soft ground to pebbly paths, but I persevered and started to get to grips with it. I soon found myself running alongside the fishing lakes and I knew from looking at the race layout beforehand that I was almost half way around the course. This part of the race became very challenging, as I had lost site of the group in front and I became nervous about taking the wrong path (you sometimes hear stories of people doing this and running an extra 6 miles). As this part of the run is on one of the main routes around Cannock chase, it became difficult to see some if the route marks as they were placed on the trail route posts and there were families on bike rides and dog walkers standing around etc. I was happy to make my way around the lake to the left; I am familiar with this area so knew I was leaving the popular areas. This feeling was short lived as the marshal’s directed me up a hill. It was steep but nothing out over the ordinary for us, living in stoke. What made it changeling was the surface as it was covered in loose pebbles. They made it hard work and I only managed to run half way up before having to change to a power walk to reach the top, I felt disappointed with myself for giving up. But you sometimes have to think about what you’re doing and put your safety first, which is what I did as I almost went over on my ankle a couple of times. I decided it was more important to finish the race rather than running it continually and potentially putting myself out of action for a couple of weeks. At the top I kicked back in with the running. The next half a mile or so is the most undulating part of the course, but the views make it all worthwhile. Then the part I was dreading came, the quick decent back down towards the fishing lakes and my fears came true. Another loose pebbled path, I lost some time on this section as I started to slip and didn't have the confidence to go fast. I made it to the bottom and took a hard right and started my way back around the opposite side of the lake. Before I knew it I had ran over/through a steam and found myself back on the same path way I had come into Cannock Chase on. I was psychologically on the home straight. I found I spurt of energy from somewhere and started to overtake the people that had come past me on the uphill and downhill parts of the race. I felt great for a change, and could believe how quick I had made it back the road crossing that leads the heritage trail. After crossing the road you take a hard left to get back on to the trail, as I did, I almost had a collision with a man and his son on their bikes (this is definitely a place to slow down and pay attention). I was seeing red at this point, as I was hunting down a woman in front that I really wanted to catch up and beat! I got myself back into my stride and started the hunt down again. I managed to catch the woman around a km before the finish, but decided to stay just behind her and catch my breath in case she was saving anything for a sprint finish. I saw the finish line and went for it I, expecting the women to fight back but she had nothing left. I was over the moon even though I got more than a couple of dirty looks from the woman, I had also managed to get a PB. I really enjoyed the race and will definitely do it again next year if I'm free too. The course was missing a water station, but marshals did have emergency bottles of water on the route. We spoke to the organisers after the race and they are planning on adding a station around half way for next year. This was a very cheap run only costing £5 this year, and was definitely a fantastic way to spend a bank holiday morning. What do you do with your race medals? Do they wallow at the back of cupboards or in drawers – hidden from sight – or hang on walls alongside race photos, or get used as Christmas tree decorations. Mine used to linger in the fruit bowl for weeks and then get shoved in my desk drawer. So I decided to do something with them – I bought a mug holder and arranged them (as artistically as I could) into my very own medal tree. It now sits by my desk and provides inspiration when I need it… my Greater Manchester Marathon medal is proudly displayed front and centre and is wonderful reminder of achieving something I never thought possible when I began the Couch to 5k programme in 2011. Alongside it is the medal from my very first running event – the Race for Life at Trentham in 2011 – another sign of just how far I’ve come. Have a look at your medals – remember what you’ve achieved and think about what else you can do in the future! |
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