Worcester City 10KM (20th Sept '15)

Officially my second ever race. I signed up rather last minute to this 10km as I unexpectedly came into some money. I left myself just two weeks to train but thankfully the distance isn't foreign to me. I run weekly with the Malvern Joggers and we average between 7km-10km depending on the terrain and weather. This race was more a chance for me to beat my pb and use it as a way of training for an upcoming half-marathon.

The route.

My fiance (who also participated) and I arrived at Worcester Racecourse an hour before the race to check our bags, find the toilets, and warm up. We recognised a few faces as we wandered around, including local legend Jenny Nesbitt. At around 8.55 we made our way to the start line and I managed to bump into a friend from my running club. Some friends of ours also found us and wished us luck before we set off. Knowing they were there supporting us really helped fuel the adrenaline! The claxon sounded and as we crossed the line I set my watch (Garmin Forerunner 220) to track my time, distance, and pace.

Moving off from the start line was slow at first as obviously there were a ton of people, but after the first bend everybody seemed to fan out, some even taking to the pavement to get clear of the crowd. After the first km my body started to relax and I managed to maintain a steady pace dipping between 8.15 and 8.55 per mile. I didn't really pay much attention to my surroundings, and I only spotted two of the 10 kilometre marks as I was focusing much more heavily on the stats my watch provided. A water station was situated at the 6km mark so once I passed that I knew I was well over half way. It was at that point that I knew for sure I'd finish the race in under an hour. The 8km mark was where it started to become difficult. The sun had just started to break through the clouds and as my body got hotter it only felt heavier. I let the cheers from the supporters on the sidelines carry me through until I heard my own friends screaming my name. From there I found the finish line and let my limbs take over for a sprint that allowed me to cross the line with a time of 52:17, my new pb!

Every bit of the race was phenomenal, and really set the bar for me. I have no doubt I'll be signing up for this event again next year, hopefully smashing this year's time. Thank you to everyone involved in organising the Worcester City 10km, and congratulations to everyone who participated.