Preston 10mile

This is a race that has been running for 30 years this year. So for me to have done every single
one of them I would need to have done them since the age of 3! I decided quite late in the day
yesterday to run this event as I wasn't really looking for a race this weekend. My session went well
yesterday so I decided to do this 10 miler to see what shape I really am in. I want to be in sub 30
minute 10k shape come the Ribble Valley 10k.

The race started at 10am so fitted in well with the day we had planned. Kadi was off to a birthday
party for the first time ever so there was no way we could be late and miss it. When I got to the race
I bumped in toe Stuart Robinson and we chatted about his marathon and what he was looking for
today. I was after trying to break the course record which was set by another Salford Harrier Billy
Burns. It was 50.03 so bearing in mind I have only ran 50.03 this year for a ten mile race I was going
to have motor if I stood a chance of breaking it.

The course is a two lap route all on quiet roads or paths at the side of very busy roads! I set off hard
and wanted to get out quick. I went through the first mile quickly and knew that if I could maintain
5 minute a mile from that stage I would just dip 50 minutes. The first five miles went quickly and I
went through 5 miles in 24.38 (I think that is what the time keeper called out anyway!) From that
point on I was aiming to break 50 minutes. I just had to repeat the first lap run. I was tiring towards
the end and the small incline along the dual carriage way was a testing stage of the course. The
course was excellently marked out and had massive marshal and police support.

I ended up finishing first in 49.43. This time I was very pleased with and if a good group of runners
got together for this event this course record would easily go quicker.

Thanks to everyone at Preston Harriers for a great race and sorry I wasn't able to hang around after
the race for long, but I would be a dead runner now if I didn't get Kadi back home for the party!