By Andy Inchley

So I did see a few Bookface posts yesterday relating to freezing and wet conditions on various cycle rides. I was quite impressed that a few got out in the downpour that was falling over us all on Sunday morning.

Certainly, as Amy and I emerged from our flat at 8.15 to head over to Stevenage for the half marathon there was a large part of me urging my body back inside. A mile later and we stopped to get some Lucozade at the garage. As I got back into the car following my purchase, I saw the look on Amy's face and made the offer………. "Do you want me to take you home?". I was answered in the affirmative and five minutes later was heading off on my own to darkest Hertfordshire.

The drive to MK's rival new town was slow, wet and depressing as the knowledge that I didn't know anyone else running, have any support and really only entered because Amy wanted to do a fast half, all crept over me. However I'd paid my £15 (or whatever it was) and was determined to get at least a training run out of it!

At the track where the race starts there is a whole stand where you can keep under cover but it was bloody cold before the race so I headed for the changing room where I found about thirty other blokes sat in silence and their own misery as the rain poured onto the roof. As I entered I made some comment about what a cheery place it was to be, which broke the silence a touch as another lost soul commented how it felt like sitting on death row!

Eventually a few people started to actually prepare and suddenly vaseline and nipple pads (who knew?) became the order of the day, before we started to wander onto the track in our own time to deposit our bags.

Finally at 10.30, 460 brave / stupid fools lined up and set off on the two lap course. There were 200 more in 2011! I immediately settled into a group of four which then became two after a couple of miles and myself and Mark (I discovered later) from St Albans pushed each other around the first half at 6mpm pace which surprised and pleased me as this was inside my PB if I could keep it going. The weather had changed much for the better as it was barely raining at all now and I could nearly feel my hands again.

Unfortunately that postive spirit soon became very negative as a few slow miles around 6 and 8 left me hoping just to finish without walking and I was now on my own with Mark had abandoned me in my hour of need! However as I ploughed through a large puddle in Fairlands Valley Park for the second time I got something of a second wind and got going again with the last four miles down near 6 minutes each.

I eventually staggered onto the track for the final 350m and crossed the line in 9^th place and 1:19:33 which was a pleasing(ish) time but frustratingly just outside my PB for the second time this year. The changing rooms second time around were a much more cheery place to be and I even had the luxury of being able to see the road on the drive home as my hands and feet defrosted.