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GARSTANG
HALF Sunday 24th
September 2006 |
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Every runner I have ever met has run at Garstang. Throughout the year there are many different races, which
attract large fields. It’s a runner’s paradise; you can forget about 
your time, throw away the watch and enjoy the run. The scenery
is breath taking; long country roads and open fields with the occasional house
or pub dotted along the route. One thing for sure is that you will know, by the
end, that this half marathon is no easy ride.
It draws you into a false sense of security by giving you a comfortable
first few miles before it starts to slowly climb up to 5miles and than a fast
mile down hill to 6. Having run this race before I knew the secret was not to
set off too fast. I had spoken to Stephen
Hargreaves on Thursday at
the track where we had tried and paced each other at the mile time trail that
we would help each other on Sunday. Steve Myerscough would also be there
but I knew he sets off too fast for me, these days. Anyway that soon went out
of the window, as I knew Steve H was
running at too fast a pace for me to keep to my game plan. That left me to
run with my good friend Pete Butterworth
who I had just beaten by a nose at Kirkham
10k.
My plan worked well. I could see, for most of the way, the two Steve's ahead and I was running
side by side with Pete, taking it in
turns to shelter from the driving rain which luckily had started after the race
began. I like to run in the rain but
it's no fun to be standing in it at the start. I felt sorry for all the
marshalls and Wesham groupie’s, the
dedication of the Photographers Kirsty
and Big G.always bring out a smile,
‘if you can call it that'.
The main business was ahead of me - the climb up to 10miles. This is where I came into my own and left Pete B behind and grew in strength. I
was hoping the early, fast pace of the two Steve's
would be telling and one of them would be hurting and dropping back into sight;
however it was not to be. I ran on my
own for the last few miles, determined not to drop the pace and be
overtaken. The long road on the last mile seemed to be the final thing
that Garstang throws at you; it's
endless to the finish. I stopped the clock on 1hr.22mins 18secs - my best run for a long time and so
enjoyable too. I must thank Martin for
picking me up that morning and, in true Martin
style:
LEE’S
RACE RATINGS:
Value for money: 10 - (Even my wife put the glass momento in the
display cabinet and not in a drawer with all the other silly things you get).
Do it again: 10 - Yes every year.
Scenery: 8 - the rain blinded me too much to see everything or was it those
new bright shoes of Pisto Pete?
Safety: 2 - Some car driver kept trying to run all the competitors over - I’ve
got his picture/number!!
Cheers Lee
Submitted: 25th September 2006
Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR
Editor