Tiring Test Way

434It’s that time of year again for the Test Way Relay. In the past we’ve always run legs towards the end of the Way but, for a change, Christine was running the first leg from Inkpen Hill to Linkenholt and I was taking the second leg from Linkenholt to Stoke.

The start of the women’s race was a little eery with Coombe Gibbet shrouded in low cloud. A nappy change meant that I didn’t make it to Linkenholt in time to see Christine and her minder, Craig, finish. There was plenty of time though before the men (whose race starts an hour later) would come through.

I had been bumped down to the Itchen College (effectively Southampton’s B) team with Andy Morgan-Lee taking my place. Steve Axon was handing over to Andy and came in with a good lead. Ian Richardson was handing over to me and wasn’t far behind in third place. As I set off up the first slope to catch the Stubbington Green runner it was unfortunate that the sun appeared through the clouds.

I managed to stay in front until Ibthorpe and hauled the Stubbington runner back once when he tried to take a short cut across a field. Unfortunately when it came to the steep climb up in to the woods I just didn’t have anything left and he got away from me again. Needless to say, Andy had justified his inclusion in the A team having taken over five minutes less than me! More worrying though is that my back went whilst putting something in Emma’s stroller before I started and is now causing me a bit of grief. It doesn’t bode well for the 20 mile training run I’m supposed to be doing tomorrow…

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