The day of the Dursleys

and unlike a triffid this bad boy stings real nasty...

Conditions were good. The sun shone and it wasn't too chilly - it felt chilly mind, and I took the wrong decision to wear a long sleeved under my running vest. That was my second mistake. What happened to the first? Well that would be down to the bean stew we ate for dinner last night. Although delicious at the time, it left me feeling a bit windy this morning - if you get my drift. My stomach did not feel at all settled.

To the race. Things started OK. I'd made a note of certain timing points from my race a few years ago, when I ran just under 90 minutes. I was hoping to get near that.

At the first timing point, the emergence onto the golf course, I was in good shape. Then we ran around the edge, back into the woods and then out across the golf course again. On exiting that section I was a minute down on the plan and struggling a little - the bean stew was fighting back.

I made slow progress along the major road section, getting overtaken by a myriad of hardy souls - or is that soles? But by the time we turned off and headed into the woods I was feeling a lot more stable in the stomach department.

The run through that second section of woodland was good to me and I traded a few places to my advantage. The steep down played into my hands - while the steep climb did not but I held the ship steady.

There wasn't much to note across the barren, lunar landscapesque tracks over British Nuclear's land and back onto the road but it was through the next section of woodland that I gained another couple of places while continuing to feel renewed - and not too knackered.

The hill at mile 10 wasn't that much bother this year as I gained another couple of places and the run around the golf course, along the road and down through the final section of woodland to the finish was comfortable, although I didn't have much in reserve.

I finished 43rd and 1:31:21 so, although outside the magic 90 minute barrier, I'm still pleased. It was a good run and I held the distance well. Helen, not having the greatest of runs - not those type of runs, although she too, ate of the bean stew - was pipped into second place.