Due injury in the early part of 2011 I have not done much racing this year and over the last the month or so I have been steadily increasing my miles to prepare myself to do the Glasgow Half Marathon. So as pre-cursor to this event I decided to do the Paisley 10K for the first time and test my half marathon readiness.
On Sunday, 28th August the race was due to start at 10am so I was up early making sure I was all organised making sure I got a good breakfast and plenty of fluids. The morning was cold & windy but dry in Paisley. Fortunately I was ok for car parking as I parked in my work’s car park which was only short distance to the race start at County Square so ideal for a warm up. As with all mass events it was mobbed with fun runners to serious runners all raring to go on the fast flat course. I made my way through the crowd looking for John McBride and Ian McKenzie as I knew they were doing the race and found them in the Last Outpost pub doing their warm up (bit early for pint!). No sooner had I found them the call out was for all runners to attend the start line as 10am was looming.
John made his way nearer the front with me and Ian slotting quietly near the back. The gun went and we were off doing a short loop around the centre of Paisley before heading out towards Greenhill Road where St Mirren’s football ground is then into the notorious Ferguslie Park area (this was the sprint part of the 10K). By this time I was going well with John ahead and Ian behind, and I felt quite comfortable at the pace I was doing. I was thinking I might achieve a high 47mins or low 48mins however that wasn’t to be!
As we were leaving Ferguslie Park running towards the Phoenix Retail Park we couldn’t run on the road and had to stay on the narrow pavements. Running on this pavement proved a challenge trying run around runners and not trip over anyone however the other challenges were bollards! Focusing on my running I ran around these as well to avoid injury. At this point in the race it was around 5K and I was tailing a small lady runner, desperate to pass her but was difficult in light of the pavement. So half way along this section of the run I was going well waiting to pass this runner when suddenly she swiftly moved and my next stride was straight into a bollard! At this point my bottom half stopped, rose in the air and down, and my top half made an attempt to keep running. Trying to understand what happened within a split second, feeling just like being hit by a train and trying to recover my glasses from the ground as a dozen runners ran on them. Ian McKenzie came to my rescue.
He got my glasses and walked with me for a bit as I tried to recover and feeling angry at the wee woman who ruined my potential good time and my crotch. At 6K I managed to start running again feeling more human again, laughing with Ian at what happen (a bit) and by the time I got to 7K I ran with blind fury (no glasses!) to make up time I had lost. Eventually I caught up with the woman who had caused my accident and I was tempted to push her into the bushes but refrained.
The final part of the route was down Paisley High Street and I managed to put on a sprint finish to the line to try and gain that elusive good time...but it wasn’t to be as my chip time recorded 50:42.
Well done to Richard for keeping going despite his collision and for showing restraint and not giving the wee wummin a doin!
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