It was my 3rd time at the Andy Reading 10k and cold as usual though I suspect a
couple of degrees warmer than Bedford or Tatton. I put on loads of clothes and
cycled out the 14 miles to the start. Having collected my chip, eaten a gel,
warmed up and striped down to shorts and t-shirt I discovered the start had been
postponed for 30 mins to allow some ice to melt so had to balance keeping warm
with saving energy. Eventually we lined up, me near the 50 min marker as I had a
bit of a feverish cold and didn’t plan to go for a PB, and were marched out to
the start.

One of those talkative chaps who tells you they are taking it easy as they ran a marathon the day before then proceeds to leave you for dust told me he’d run a marathon on Saturday then left me for dust. A muscular bloke in a Union Jack vest introduced himself as VCAC David Palmer’s brother Richard, he also vanished up the road. I was going fine considering and plodded along fast enough to feel
warm but slow enough to keep my breakfast in place.

Round Chesterton village, over the motorway bridge, along Akeman Street and onto the endless, windy airfield. Cheery marshals braving the chill at every turn. I grabbed a cup of water at the 5k mark and walked a couple of steps to chug it down, I really didn’t fancy a wetting. A few metres ahead I spotted a VCAC vest and catching up established this was member Scott Baillie, I let myself fall back as the catch up effort combined with my cold had made me feel a little wobbly.

Scott turned out to be the perfect pace man so I kept him a few metres ahead for the remaining 4km. Recrossing the motorway bridge I spotted the race
photographer, hidden behind lens and Santa cap, lying down on what looked like a very cold and wet grass verge. I comfortably crossed the finish line just a few places behind Scott but had the race been any longer I would have had to ease up considerably.

47:17 196/443 for me, course best so I’m happy with that. The ride home was slow and achy but all in all a satisfying morning particularly having missed racing both both Eynsham and Luton in the previous weeks.