I don’t really know why I entered, I am not a runner, I don’t particularly like running but it is getting harder to just sit back and do nothing when the rest of the Killick household are so active! The parkruns give me a bit of a focus but I can’t make them every week so entering an event gave me something to aim for.

I think if memory serves me right I ran the Balmoral 10K in the 90’s – I haven’t been able to track down my time but I know it was bad as I hadn’t trained due to a knee injury and I was second or third last (a sprint at the end ensured I wasn’t last!). I then ran the Whipsnade Zoo 10K in 2010 in 76:49. That’s my long and varied running history (there have been the odd 5K). For Run Bedford I was aiming for 1:05 and having done a 1:05 in a training run I hoped it would be better of course.

There were less than 500 runners so it didn’t feel too overwhelming. Warren and James got in place at the front while I sidled into the crowd near the back and off we went. The first stretch is along the river which was quite nice but to be honest I tend to just look at the tarmac – never want to see how far I still have to go! I went off too fast as I thought I might – it was a flat route but as the kilometres passed I slowed a little each time, only by 9K did I speed up a bit.

The main issue for the day was the heat and the total lack of shade on the entire course. The water station at halfway was a godsend but then I forgot that I had a bad shoulder and lifted the water bottle up to pour over my head and the pain literally took my breath away. Shortly after I had to stop briefly to let an ambulance past – I did consider hopping on the back!

As I got to perhaps about 8K I ran past a lady who was walking, shortly after she ran past me, then I ran past her walking again. This happened several times then we were both running together and had a brief conversation about how hot it was, how she had slightly underestimated the length of her training runs and my not really having done 10Ks. On the last stretch which returns back along the river I went ahead of her and set my sights on the finish – without looking up too much. Once I could hear my name and number being announced I knew it was almost over. I sprinted (well ran a bit faster) over the line and it was done. My chip time was 1:02:59 so I am kind of pleased with that. I must add that David and the girls made a great effort supporting me by moving from the start to 2 points on the course and then back to the finish just to cheer me on!

Ed. – Excellent work Alex. Perhaps we’ll see you in a club vest at some point in the future? Just for the record James finished 24th in 38:30 and Warren achieved a new PB of 40:43, although came home as 3rd lady called Rose Warren!