Well, with the Telford 10K cancelled a week before, a hang over and a guy whose son is in my daughters class at school turning up to taunt me about his recent 40:11 (He so clearly wasnt, but then i get paranoid with a hang over) - this had to be it - this had to be the sub 40 10K for 2009 - As a minor recap, this is the race that last year I started off in the wrong direction, ie, ran away from the start, thinking I was at the front. So, a more respectable performance was required.

Last year I came in via the A5 route and it was pretty chaotic, so this year decided to take the scenic route from Penkridge through the lanes, I took the signs for the race car park and as I came into the field, started to slide all over the place, but was assured that the tractors had been quite good at getting the cars out ... (on the way in???) Anyway, arrived at Race HQ, picked up my number, thing I love about these 10K affairs is they are open to anyone to run (and should be) So as I walk around trying to keep warm in standard issue Chase harriers vest, in a sea of Stafford Harriers Yellow, D & K stripes and Silver Aldridge shirts - Royal blue starts to feel a bit unique - No sooner am i in the hall then we are all unceremoniously ejected to the adjacent playing field for a trot ... I spot another Harrier ... Like an eager Labrador, I bound up to a rather underwhelmed Julie (New person) she explained that she new Dave H, so that explained a lot... Next stop the start line...

The chap who is the Dad of of my daughters friend at school, collars me "Don't go to the back" he shakes his head ... "You will get stuck back there" ... He's a nice chap, but advice like that was just the tonic. After the race director apologises for forgetting where the ice on the route was that he had to warn us about "so just be careful everywhere", im off, no, im flying, way way way too fast, im with the front runners can see them trying to find places, I am struggling for consciousness, quick glance at the Garmin, im doing a 5:25 pace, ridiculous for any man with an inside leg of only 29 inches!!

Get to a Mile 5:58, the pace is crippling me, I can't see the front runners anymore, but im not losing places, I make a conscious effort to drop off - and whoosh!! its like the charge of the light brigade 1,2,10 ... god knows how many are past me like a flash, but I need to get my breathing right, need to fix my pace, but Uh oh, I ve hit a hill at 2 miles and my pace is down to 7:15.

The hil lasts about 1/2 a mile and realistically, its no worse than anything you would get on a club road run, at 3 miles. check pace, back up to 6:30 and feeling good, start to run a more familiar race, quick look over the shoulder, no sign of taunting man so try picking off runners 1 by 1, tweak my pace a bit and opening my stride, lungs feel ok, but then the lanes are becoming less well defined, after 100 yards there is an ice sheet - we all have to stop, 200 yards later ... ice again, this time, just a narrow path to weave through sheet ice in single file, I hit 4 miles and my Garmin training partner is flashing L-O-S-E-R Can't let this happen, I get of the road and on to the verges, wet heavy, but you can get traction ... I start picking up the pace, start passing the more wary runners, but its heavy on the legs. at 8K, the course turns back on to the road and its like losing a stone in weight, I have also lost a lot of time, mile 5 was nearly 8 minutes, I needed to be doing about 6:30's - so a real kick of pace needed.

Hit 9K and the one thing you have to love about a 10K as opposed to any other race, that last 1K is never, ever hard!! ... Until ... I kick every bit of pace i have now - stretching for pace, breathing fom the deepest part of my lungs, swinging my arms for maximum momentum (and effect of course) I swing on to the last straight,Garmin is now showing me respect and blow me down - looks like we could really do this ..

There's no other words for it, I'm sprinting now, big smile, suffering irreparable brain damage through oxygen starvation, but this is do-able, I pass a couple of club runners and then take the bend for the last 100 yards. A look over my shoulder and there's no one, a look ahead and the D & K runner has a good 70 yards on me ... I think I have done it, If i haven't - then these legs cant go faster, I cross the line ... No euphoria until, yes, get in, 39:49!!

Taunting guy comes over the line 30 seconds later, not a bead of sweat, a big smile and chatting to someone !!!

For those of you who haven't done Wheaton Aston, do it, its a well run, extremely friendly flat course, OK - we had a bit of ice (But then so did the Titanic) but there are fewer more friendly and accommodating 10K's. It's one of the few races that i know i will do again and again, purely because i always walk away feeling that it ticks all the boxes for the reasons i ever got into this daft hobby in the first place!

Enjoy!!!

Additional: Well done Rob on finally getting your 10k sub 40, I know how much you wanted it! Thank you for a fab report, see the Gallery for a limited number of additional photos.

David