A good day on the roller coaster ride of running.

 The roller coaster ride of running ceases to amaze me and this time it was in a good way. This morning was the day of the Thirsk 10 mile race and seeing as I live locally I jogged or should I say trundled down to the start area. The ankle wasn't much better than it had been all week but just before race time it felt as if I could get a good race out of it without too much discomfort. From the gun I made sure I was not going too fast and the front runners seemed to be taking it easy as well, I became aware of fellow blogger Antony Bradford and decided to settle in behind him for a while before spotting a chance of latching onto a runner just ahead which I jumped across to without too much trouble. The pace seemed just about perfect and I was just settling into a nice rhythm when Bradford came past me and I couldn't resist the temptation to try and go with him, the pace now became much harder but it was the sort of effort I used to have to cope with. Thinking strength and honour onwards it was, the runner at the front of the group I was in was constantly changing with myself more interested in just trying to keep in contact. Coming upto 5 miles was a great feeling as the group I was with caught and passed Tim Midgely of Binlgley Harriers of whom had beaten me to the victory at the Otley 10 mile race last year. Getting towards 6 miles we started to catch Andrew Pearson of North Yorkshire Moors who said he was aiming for around 57 minutes before the race, my initial thought was to catch him and then run at his pace whilst leaving the group I was with to go on ahead but after only a few seconds of running with Pearson I changed my mind and jumped the gap back to the group I was with. By 8 miles my ankle had started to ache but it wasn't slowing me down, it was the lack of training responsible for that. Two runners from the group I was with managed to pull away which left me with a tall runner that had been with me for all the race with just one mile to go,  footsteps getting louder from behind was a good indicator of someone fast approaching, with around 80 metres the sprint for the line started, into the lead I went but was soon passed form the fast approaching runner from behind, he took the final bend too fast and went wide were as I went in slow and tight and accelerated quicker out of the corner but I just couldn't make it to the line before running out of steam. With a finishing time of 56 minutes 18 seconds I felt like I had just won the race, I was that overjoyed with my time I never give much thought to my finishing position which was around 13th my wife informed me.
  The big question now is where do I go now with the ankle, is it just scar tissue that needs running out as Tony Mawson says could be a possibility seeing as I managed the race without too much trouble, or is more rest and easy plodding that is required. I really like Tony's idea but as he says I had better see what the sports therapist says on Tuesday.
  I had managed to knotch up a massive grand total of 3 miles before todays race this week and seeing as I felt so good maybe I will rethink my ideas of tapering before a marathon. My idea of tapering was normally three or four days unlike a couple of weeks s most of the top coaches recommned, I think I will go with their advice for my next marathon.