I had planned to complete the Yorkshire Marathon this year but unfortunately sustained an injury in July which meant that I was not able to get the training that I needed and as all runners know training is essential for a marathon, especially if it’s your first. As a result I was allowed to transfer to the 10 mile instead.

 

The race route is around York so I anticipated that it would be fairly flat which was fortunate because I was still having some niggles from my injury.   As the day dawned I was having serious doubts about whether I was fit enough to complete the 10 miles. I checked last year’s times and took some comfort from the fact that the last finisher was over 3 hours. My last 10 mile time was just over 2 so I had an extra hour and a half to play with.

 

I stayed in York the night before the race to avoid the early morning stress of public transport, it was a good move from the stories I heard about the train journey. Also the walk to the University from my digs was a good warm up.

 

When I arrived there were a lot of people around but South Leeds Lakers had arranged a meeting place so I headed there to compare nerves with other members of the club. We waved off the marathon runners then hung about for a while until it was time to make our way to the 10 mile start line.

 

The start was a lovely downhill but I knew that what goes down must come up so I was not looking forward to the last half mile.  I soon forgot about that though. The support along the way was fantastic and seeing friendly faces at multiple points along the way really kept me going.

 

The route itself was flat and scenic and very well supported. There were actual crowds at some parts and nobody at others. By the time I arrived in the less populated areas I had found a pace with a few other ladies who had a run/walk plan. I was a little jealous of spectators with beers in their gardens or stood outside pubs.

 

It was fun pretending that I was an elite runner when the marathon runners joined our route at around 21.5 miles into the marathon. I’ve since trawled the photos but not one single one of me alongside them.

 

All too soon the crowd size began to increase, I knew that I was approaching the hill that I had so successfully forgotten about. I wanted to walk, I wanted to walk so much that it hurt. Really, really hurt. I couldn’t walk though; every time I was about to take a little walk I saw a familiar face so I just had to keep running. I even tried to stop to say hello to the new Laker baby but his Auntie was guarding the empty pram while he was enjoying his lunch.

 

As well as the cheers spurring me on the thought that the finish line was at the top of the hill kept me going. Wrong! The start was at the top of the hill, the finish line was not the start line. The finish stretch was a slight downhill, I saw a roundabout and sped up thinking that the finish line must be just on the other side. Wrong again! The road was then separated marathon left and 10 mile right. Finally, the finish line was in sight. My (very) little legs did their usual take over and worked up to a sprint finish (sort of) and I crossed the line a mere 2 hours 23 minutes and 56 seconds after I started.

 

The medal and t-shirt were great quality and the contents of the goody bag were well received, especially the Strawberry Laces. There was also alcohol-free beer at the end, not really my thing but I was thirsty.

 

Just like every other race I have ever done, I hated it. Every single, painful second of it. I hated it so much that I have already booked my marathon place next year. Here’s hoping that I can managed to stay upright for the next year.

 

This is just a snippet of Amanda’s jaunt around York! Don’t forget to read the full story at http://www.seebinnsyrun.com/2017/10/a-little-jaunt-around-york !