Howdy! My last post covered Saturday of the long weekend – catch it HERE if you missed it 
I’m going to miss WIAW as I wanted to carry on with the rest of the long weekend recap. Hope you don’t mind!
So carrying on with Sunday and the 10k race…
Ben and me woke up early again, had breakfast and prepared for the race ahead. It looked warmed and sunny which is great if you’re not running 10km…I started to feel really nervous as my legs felt tired from the Parkrun the day before and I didn’t know what the course would be like or anything. It was in the New Forest in an area that it being improved (planting trees etc.) and isn’t usually open to the public. The 10k was an event to raise money for the improvements.
Ben’s mum (Di), my parents and me all piled into Di’s lovely shiny BMW and headed off. When we arrived we realised that it was going to a be a bit of a bumpy parking situation…
The ground was basically just peat and random chippings and branches with lots of mounds. I felt very bad as Di had offered to drive and had only washed her car the day before…it got very dusty 
The course was stony underfoot and basically all out in the open. In the sun.
I always have about three pees before a race. I’m sorry if this is too much information but it’s true. I get nervous that I’ll need to pee during the race. So I used the porter-loo (my worst nightmare) three times before we began.
There were about 100 people and we all crowded up to the start just before beginning. And then we were off! There was a guy right at the front with his dog attached to him by a lead and as soon as we all started running the dog just went mental. He wouldn’t stop barking. It was quite off-putting to be honest and I think a lot of people were annoyed.
I think the first mile was downhill because we were all zooming along. It felt great! I saw the girl in green ahead of me and decided to try and overtake her at some point. I kept her in my sights and it motivated me to keep my pace up.
Then on mile two I was still feeling strong and managed to just gradually overtake her. I think she slowed down though so that helped!
Look how happy we look there…we didn’t know what was coming
The parents got a good spot to spectate as there were several loops that came back to where they were so they got lots of times to cheer us on and take photos. We would definitely need that cheering later on!
As we got to mile 3 I had slowed down form my first zippy mile and was really feeling the heat, the undulating course and the pain. It was the first time in a race I genuinely considered stopping. Or at least stopping to walk. It was so tough.
No more smiles now!
The photo above of me is on the last mile. When my parents and Di cheered me on I just shook my head and gasped “it’s so hard”. There was only one water station half way through and I can never run and drink very well so in the end I just threw it on myself.
I kept looking at my watch. I elatedly thought as I got to around 5.6miles I’m almost there. Ha. My watch beeped 6 miles and I saw what was ahead of me. A MAMMOTH hill.
The photo doesn’t quite do it justice, but I assure you that hill felt like a mountain after 6 miles of hot running. I finished and as I crossed the line and stopped I felt a little bit dizzy with heat. I quickly headed to the drinks stand and only then realised to turn off my Garmin. That’s how shattered I was!
My official time was 45:47 and I was the first female, 14th overall (out of 90). Quite pleased considering how painful I found the race. Mentally and physically tough to keep going and not give up on that last hill as well.
When I saw Ben in the distance about to start the uphill I headed down with some water for him as I could tell he was finding it just as hard as I had. He pushed through it and finished in 58.32min. Not a PB for either of us but I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment.
The race organisers had a good spread of post-race snacks as well.
I had one of the orange slices and honestly it made me feel terrible. Note to self: don’t eat fruit post-run. I got really bad cramps.
Being first female I got a prize: £30 off of a running website!!
Of which I have already put towards a new sports bra and a pair of running gloves (with a cool thumb but that allows me to work my Iphone screen).
After dying for a little bit we decided to head off and find a nice coffee shop to have a bit of tea and refreshments.
We went to a little coffee shop/garden centre called Lavender Tea Rooms. And it was so pretty! There was a field growing lavender and all these beautiful plants. Inside the tea room they sold all these pretty little trinkets, lavender teabags and lavender-flavoured biscuits.
My dad had a bacon roll (which looked very posh!), my mum had cream tea, Ben and Di had toasted teacakes (no photo sorry) and I had mint and pea soup. I would have normally had a scone but my tummy still felt a bit dodge. I thought soup would be a better call! And I am so glad I had it – it was the best soup I have ever had. So good in fact that my mum tried a bit and ordered some for herself as well! And the baguette was lovely and warm.
Then we headed home. When I got home I quickly showered and then headed out (with a couple of apples for the journey) to a BBQ with my friends. I didn’t partake in any food (apart from a slice of cake) as I had just had lunch and was later having an Indian with Ben but it was lovely to hang out with my friends in the sun. Though I felt a bit like I had heat-stroke and I was burnt from the run on my chest and arms.
I met their little guinea pig as well, who was lovely. I used to have loads of guinea pigs so I was quite content to stroke it on my lap.
UNTIL IT PEED ON ME. There’s gratitude for you.
We played some games and chilled out and then I left early to get back to Ben to eat a very well deserved Indian.
Though we both noticed how thirsty we were after the Indian. I mean I know how salty Indian takeaways are but I think that combined with losing a lot of water during the race really hit us. We both went to bed with water by the sides of our bed.
Monday was a lovely relaxed day with the family enjoying a tasty BBQ.
And so a great Bank holiday weekend if I do say so myself! Family, running, tasty food and sunshine. Perfect!
What do you prefer: tearooms or coffee shops? I do love coffee but there’s something so terribly quaint about a tearoom. I’m just sad I missed out on the scone. Next time for definite. They even had lavender flavoured scones!
What childhood pet did you used to have? We had two dogs, hamsters, nine guinea pigs (at one time!), fish and rabbits.
What do you like to eat post-race? I think I just prefer to drink lots of water and then have a proper meal a little while after.
Hills at the beginning or a race or then end? I thought I’d prefer the end but now I’m not so certain!
**I’m sorry if you’re getting bit sick of me going on about being the first girl in races and things like that – I don’t mean to sound like I’m bragging at all. I’m just pleased with how my running is doing. The races I’ve been doing are by no means huge races. They’re smaller informal races, so there’s a better chance to do well!**
You should go on about being first female- that is a great achievement and you deserve all the congratulations! Well done! That run does sound tough- I think the hills thing is a tough call- I tend to prefer to get them out of the way near the start of a race when my legs are fresh, but sometimes having them at the start can tire you out for the rest of it. Post race I like a banana (if they are handed out on the finish line) or I will have a clif bar, or if it was hot then something salty like so crispy salt and vinegar bites.
And I prefer tearooms! 🙂
Yeah I was of the opinion that I’d rather have the hill at the end, but honestly it killed me. Salt and vinegar crisps sound like a good call – salty and carby, yum.
Hello! I just went to the national lottery run page (just adding links to my blog) and I noticed they now have a ballot for 2,500 extra places. I know you mentioned before you didn’t enter Ben in time- thought he might like a chance? I just entered Andy to the ballot to try and make up for the fact I left it too late last time!
Yes I saw that too!! Amazing!! I have applied for a ticket so fingers crossed for the both of us! 😀
Good! 🙂
Well done on coming first! That looks like a tough run, especially with that heat! I think I’d prefer the hills at the start. There’s a bit of a hill towards the end of the Great North, about mile 10 I think and that’s a killer!
Hills can really drain your motivation because even going down hill is tough as you don’t want to fly head over bum too fast!
Well done you, looks like you had a fab time! all your running is making me feel lazy, not been on a run in forever! I like both coffee shops and tea rooms as they both have cake 🙂
You’re hardly lazy with all your mega crossfit workouts! Whenever I read them on your blog I think how puny my muscles are and how there’s no way I could lift/squat/burpee/push up all those WODs!
Ha ha, thanks Anna!
I just love that picture where you can’t really tell it’s you, but you placed that big black arrow pointing you out 😀
That prize for getting first place sounds like the perfect thing for you, especially the special thumb-button gloves for running!
I have cats and dogs. That guinea pig is too cute! But maybe it’s good that it’s not yours– I’d hate to have it pee all over me at random times. Lol.
Haha my dad took that photo from a distance as he was heading back to the start.
I’m definitely a pet person, though to be honest more a dog person than anything. Not sure how I feel about having any more guinea pigs haha.
Wow, girl–what a weekend! And this was just half of it! First off, CONGRATS on finishing first female in the 10k! Not only do the bragging rights make the effort more than worth it, but that 30 pound gift certificate is pretty exciting as well. Yay for new sports bras! (Speaking of which, I need to pick up a few myself this weekend). 😉
Your comment about peeing made me laugh, because I’ve always been the same way. I ran cross country in high school and college, and I’d turn into a pee queen before every race. I think it was a combination of nerves and the fact that I couldn’t imagine being troubled with having to stop for the bathroom along the course. My friends would always laugh at me because I’d literally pee 3-5 times within a 45 minute window. No joke! :-p
Speaking of pee…that seems to have been the theme this weekend, especially considering the quinea pig did his business on you! I’m sure it wasn’t funny at the time, but I bet you’re laughing about it now…He’s a pretty cute guy (girl?) though, so how *couldn’t* you forgive him? Growing up, we always had dogs–only one at a time, though. When I was born we had a golden retriever, then a terrier, and now a yellow lab.
I adore tea rooms! They aren’t very common in the U.S., but whenever I’m in England, I always take advantage. Scones with clotted cream are one of my favorite British treats. 😀
Happy Wednesday, Anna! <3 xoxo
Haha yes I totally empathise with peeing three times in 45mins!
The guinea pig is male but called Petunia (no idea…) and I did forgive it – he’s too cute to be mad at haha.
Scones and clotted cream and jam…ahhh heavenly!!
You can never have too many weekend recaps 🙂 Sounds like so much fun!
Thanks, Sunnie 🙂