By Stuart Blofeld 

The last day of 2011 saw me and two fellow LBACers, Simon and Pete tow the start line of the Pednor 10 with 115 other eager New Years Eve PB chasers! This was my first 10 mile race and so a certain PB on the cards. The Pednor 10 is organised by the Chiltern Harriers and starts in Chesham. The course 2 x 5 mile laps on rural country roads. The loop was a very simple out and back with the first 2 miles going straight out along a flat winding road which was followed by a big sharp climb. The final 2.5 miles of the loop descends gently back to the start where we did it all again!
 
For the 31^st December it was a ridiculously balmy 12 degrees! Vest weather for sure. Simon, Pete and I took our positions at the front of the pack! Why not, Simon and Pete certainly had reason to be there with their speed. I on the other hand was expecting to be a little way behind them both. As expected Simon led out hard at 6 mpm pace with 5 or 6 other runners, followed by Pete with 2 other runners chasing not far behind. I started at Pete's pace but soon dropped off realising I wasn't going to be able to keep it going. I shuffled along at a more sustainable 6:30 pace with a handful of other runners around me.
 
Simon soon disappeared into the distance and was sure to have an awesome race. Pete continued to pull away and by the big hill at mile 2 he was gone. At this point I was caught by another runner who was looking strong. He passed me before the hill but I pushed hard up the hill to try and put some distance between us. That was to no avail as he stretched out a gap on the flat at mile 3. Two weeks of no running was starting to show. I held the gap for the remainder of the first lap.

Mile 3 to 5 was almost all gradually downhill with 2 sharper descents where you could really let rip. I heard some heavy footsteps from behind as another runner pushed hard past me on this section. I wasn't going to let this runner go so easily though so hung in and stuck to him like glue. The remainder of the first lap and the entire second lap saw him and me jostle for position all the way. He would push and then I would return the favour. This certainly helped both of us post a faster time than would otherwise have been the case and kept other runners behind us at bay.
 
I pushed hard up the hill on lap 2 and put quite a bit of distance between us. However somewhat inevitably he again made it up on the flat with is loud stomping gait. This was helped by me stopping at the water station to drink from the cup without pouring it down me. I still haven't mastered the ability to drink whilst on the run! I latched back onto him as he passed and we continued to stay close. By mile 9 he had pulled a gap which physically and perhaps mentally I wasn't prepared to try and close again. I was already pushing hard to stay with him throughout lap 2 and I was spent.

However the race wasn't over. A chap in a green Chiltern Harriers vest was keen to make his mark at 'their' race. I was quite content with my race and seemingly let him past without too much of a fight. It's one of those race moments that you look back on after and think that surely I could have stuck with him and pushed on. We were after all less than ½ mile from the finish. However I didn't have anything left as the photo proves. He looks nice and comfortable whilst I'm a mess! You gotta love it.

I finished in 1:08.36 in 15^th place out of 115 finishers. Not quite the sub 1:05 I hoped for but a good result nevertheless. Pete and Simon were as predicted very much on form! Simon stormed to 2^nd place in an unbelievable 57:32!!!  And Pete finished in 7^th in 1:03.42. I clearly have to up my training in 2012 to catch these speedsters!!