It's my favourite event of the year, the Wilmslow Half Marathon. No reason, other than it's local and it was the first 'event' I challenged myself to as a new runner way back when. No great plans this year, other than I am to be a pace-man. It's a challenge in its own right, to somehow balance encouragement with empathy and understanding. A fine line between hero and villain. My ambitions of a sub 1.30 evaporated with my ankle injury, so it's why I take this new role tomorrow. I have been instructed to pace for 1.50.
This morning I joined an enthusiastic throng of club mates to prepare for the big day. 5500 entries takes some serious organising and what I witnessed was a well oiled machine in action, helping to make this one of the best half marathons in the UK...in my opinion. I was on goodie bag stuffing duty. 'Fulfilment' - yes and no! We had human chains of 20 people or more, snaking it's way from club room to truck, everything packed and ready for the morning. Everything else was talking shape outside, including what surely looks like enough toilets, but I suspect not. The choice for us is simple, either stay home literally at your own convenience until the last minute, then walk up to the start from the front, or go early, soak in the atmosphere and excitement, and hope you get your queue timing right for the loos and make it to the start line from the back.
Back at home, preparations of a different mode were taking place. Homemade pasta and rice pudding...carbo loading at it's best, if not a touch experimental! Clocks go forward tonight, so an hours less sleep and the promise of sunshine and 18 degrees. By treating this as a steady 13 miler, I'm hoping this will encourage me to chase my form from hereon-in. My own goals are to be pain free with my ankle and to add another medal to my collection for the WHM. Thereafter, I really do have to get methodical with my training. Seriously.
Yesterday I was with 100m runner Stef Reid and her new UKA coach Keith Antoine of Loughborough HiPAC. It's very stimulating listening to them discuss strategy and theory. I've said before on this blog, Stef has a beautiful running style. Inspiring. She was happy yesterday with some new developments, as was Keith. The day after the new Team GB kit was announced featuring Stef and others, it's evident the countdown the the big event is continuing with gusto and that Paralympic athletes are an integral component in all aspects of the Olympic Games build up.
