Up at 6:35, toilet back to bed, nodded off then alarm woke me at 7, quickly prepared coffee, two slices of toast with marmalade then settled down to watch Amir Khan-Malignaggi Fight I recorded.. Into the 6th round now, hoping it doesn't go on to long want to put it on DVD for Fran.. and Lynda's going to call anytime...and I'm getting rather nervous, toilet visits due. 9:20am Just about to set off looks ideal weather conditions at the moment, decided to put peddles back on my bike so I can ride in, nerves have really kicked in now but I'm really looking forward to it. 9:45am Locked bike up behind changing area Sport Hall up near the Munster, got ready went outside stretched for 20 minutes then started a warm-up. 10:40am Headed down towards the start area, coming down the hill from the Munster sure I saw Fran going by on his bike so jogged onto Mittlere Brucke caught Fran just as the 10k Race was coming over the bridge. Said I'd see him after and jogged back to Marketplatz, thoughtfully the organisers had positioned plenty of Portoloo's on the square so I did my last toilet trip, while waiting a girl noticing my Blackburn Harriers Vest said she was also from Blackburn. 10:55am In ideal conditions I joined 676 others in front of Basel Town Hall positioning myself 3 or 4 rows back from the front and waited for the gun to go off.
11:00am Got away without any drama and soon got into my stride before heading over the river and onto the eastern embankment of the Rhein once the 2nd km marker arrived I’d settled to run on the shoulder of a young French guy with a leading group well ahead and others spaced evenly between, 6k crossed the boarder into France passing a couple of runners, 7km still on the shoulder and a long a stretch ahead the us the nearest runners some 150 metres up the road and the leaders up to 550 metres further on. After 8k we climbed the steps to the worlds longest cantilever footbridge and crossed into Germany, between 9-10k up a drag the French lad pulled away and I couldn’t react, through10k in 38:07 and into a Park at 11k I had to really concentrate and try to keep my rhythm as I started to ache, not helped by being alone and unable to see the nearest runners ahead. I felt a was slowing as I reached 14k then started to hear the sound of someone catching me, this had a positive effect and I dug in and over the next couple a kilometres I used the clapping of people in the park as a guide a gap was growing behind me. I knew as I past the 16k I wasn’t going to improve on my 2008 time, at 17k on the long stretch of embankment a could see the French lad starting to come back and though tiring I had a target ahead. I eventually passed him climbing over the final bridge at 20k.. Past the Cathedral and a slight downhill main shopping Street. I crossed the line in front of the Town Hall in a disappointing 1:22:19 My mate said their was definitely a 50+ guy ahead of me, so I didn’t hang around, got my bike and cycled home to the pub.
I really hoped to do my best time since winning the M40 category at the Chester Half in 2001… but two weeks prior to my 53rd birthday do I just have to accept that what once came so easily will never be again.
I’m pretty shocked at the degeneration its only nine short years since after a lengthy period of not running 4/5 years I started running again due to a 9 month driving ban and managed a 1:13:06 Half and 33 minute 10k.
Finished 13th overall, 2nd from 112 in the M50 age category 2:35 minutes behind winner.
13.1 miles
Time 1:22:19
Week 53.6 miles
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