7th vets race and Reindeer Romp 3

Wednesday 29Th July 2009.
I trooped off to Knavesmire to do race7/10 of the Yorkshire vets monthly GP.
A half past seven start, the heavens opened, it was the most torrential down pour.
As this is an off road run from the race course, through fields, tracks and paths it was muddy to say the least.
Of course being around in York it is fairly flat. Even though the weather was horrid 186 runners turned up. The pressure was on..to gain points to take me further up the rankins. Weather it was up to the weather or to just having a good run I don't know!
But I just set of as fast as I could and just kept going. I finished 12Th lady over all in a time of 44:58. Which was faster than my previous time. I was the second vet over 45 which has brought me up to 4Th in the rankins.

Thursday 30th July 2009.
At least it wasn't raining.
Turned up for this race feeling tired, legs like led.
But the pressure was on yet again. Also, to make the pressure worse, my son Oliver was up for beating me after the Helen Windsor race. As Oliver has been training well I was in no doubt it was going to be tonight. The only advantage I had over him was knowing the course. But no good it brought me.
He passed me at the bottom of the hill, although I could still see him through the field my tired legs gave way and he gained around 40 seconds on the uphill back to the finish.
I'm pleased with my time concidering racing the previous day.Not happy with Oliver beating me, must try harder next time.

Jackie Carter