Racing on my Training Ground.

The Kilburn 7 mile road race.
I now realise why i don't like this race that much. I am that used to training around this course and enjoying all the views that come race day i have to miss out on all the scenary. It's only taken four years to figure this out, now it's just a case of deciding which i want most, victory or a lovely summer jog, the summer jog will just have to wait another few years i think.
This course i find always turns into one hell of a battle to the finish. I have finished this race in the past in some right old states so you could say i wasn't overly keen. The race started and i ended up at the front which wasn't in my pre-race plan, but i managed to hold myself back slightly this time as i knew all the hard work in the middle section was still to be done. I seemed to be going quite well but Jim Bulman from N.Y.Moors AC wasn't to keen on letting me go anywhere, i put in a good hard effort up the first climb and Bulman was still sat on my shoulder, now i knew this was going to be a hard race, as we dropped down into Coxwold Bulman took the lead and then Mike Burrett from Leeds City crossed the gap to us seemingly quite effortlessly, bloody hell ! i thought. I sat behind the pair from Coxwold to Byland gauging how much effort we were all putting in, as we turned at Byland for the long mile climb to Oldstead i stepped up the pace to see how the other two would respond, luckily they let me pull away and then i got added strength from which in turn i seemed to be getting stronger and stronger. I finished in 1st place in 38 minutes and 14 seconds, Mike Burett was 2nd and Jim Bulman was third. 4th was Alasdair Tatham from Quakers who made it to the race on time this week after turning up 15 minutes late the week before at Burn Valley. Something i've managed before at the Teespride 10k, i was that gutted i went home but Alasdair was not dettered and did the race and beat his previous years time. Next time if i'm ever late i will be doing the same, bite the bullet and get on with it, the fighting spirit i like to see.
The dog enjoyed itself, it even had a go at the hook-a-duck stall trying to drink all the water out of the paddling pool. The birds of prey show was fantastic according to the dog and it seemed quite keen on getting a bird to take home with us.
It's back to the Blacksheep series again next week at the Burton Leonard 10k, hopefully if i can do well there i should regain my series overall Championship. I remember three years ago meeting Mr Brown at the Blacksheep presentation and he said he had won the series three times and to see if i could beat that, like waving a red rag at a bull saying something like that to me. So hopefully all will go well.