Ilminster Lions 10k

November 2nd 2003

After a night's strong wind and heavy rain, which was still coming down, the road to Ilminster is treacherous. Several times I almost plough into the hedge usually making left turns, I put it down to the carpet of leaves blown down during the storm. Luckily I don't need to hurry since I have uncharacteristically left myself more than sufficient time to get to the race and register before the start at 10:30. At the top of the long, steep hill down into Ilminster I notice the first "Caution Runners" signs, a foot-deep puddle at the bottom of the hill was another clue that this would be a tough course. I'm not too worried because I have planned to run this one just as a fast training run, with maybe a couple of miles tacked on to either end to make up the distance. I register, and meet up with my friend Lin and a couple of her friends from Yeovil Town RRC and Taunton Fitness Factory. I'm informing them of my plans for a relaxed training race when I hear the familiar voice of Phil England - "Hello Martin, didn't know you were doing this one". Now I remember Phil had said this was going to be his next race after the Weymouth 10. An immediate change of plans is required. Its got to be a flat out proper race now, damn!

In the car park, I meet another Yeovil Town RRC runner whose name will be familiar to any of the long-time Maiden Newton Runners, Brian Mountjoy-Row. His plan for dealing with the giant puddle is to run in the footprints of the runner ahead, thus keeping his own feet dry. This might just work, I'll have to make sure my previous runner is Phil, I need every edge I can get!

I meet up with another friend, Sophie, and have a quick warm up jog with her to the top of the town and back. Her running's been improving over the summer, but she's just recovering from an ankle injury and is not sure how the race will go.

As the race starts I sneakily try to get a jump on Phil by lining up at the front of the pack, but it doesn't work - in 2 or 3 seconds he's past me and quickly several steps ahead. Recalling the Greenford Gallop I put in a burst of speed and we run together up the initial hill to the top of the town, and then down the Crewkerne road to the corner of the large puddle. The runners ahead are splashing through the puddle Just as we reach it, with Phil slightly ahead, he nimbly jinks to the left and up off the road onto the steeply raised verge for 5 or 6 yards and thus misses the water completely. This is the kind of fancy footwork that brought Phil victory over me at the Hazelbury Multi-terrain run in September. With barely had enough time to react, I manage to emulate his leap and follow him along the narrow grassy ledge till we are past the puddle and hop down to the road with dry feet. I'm very relieved that my 227 gram Nike Ekidens haven't soaked up enough water to feel like hiking boots for the remaining 9 kilometres.

The hill now stretches before us, and Phil and I labour to the top side by side, I'm feeling pretty tired by the top and I realise that I have to make the best of the downhill stretches since Phil seems to have more strength on the hills. I take off down the hill as fast as I can go. By the time we reach the next hill, I've managed to keep Lin in sight, and opened up a gap, but don't dare to look back to see how much. This hill is longer than the first, and although I manage to overtake one runner in a red t-shirt, I'm being overtaken by several runners. As each of them in turn comes up behind I expect to see Phil, but I reach the top without that happening, and without losing any more ground to Lin.

 There's a flat section now and Lin takes off and opens up another 50 yards before the bend and then a steepish downhill section where I again let my legs go and start overtaking the guys who passed me going up that last hill. Now I'm back to about 200 yards behind Lin, and thinking if can only hang on I might be able to keep this sort of pace to the end and stay ahead of Phil. Just then I hear the dreaded footsteps approaching swiftly from the rear, and I'm convinced that Phil has caught me up and will soon pass because I don't have any more speed left as the hill flattens out. To my huge relief it turns out to be one of Lin's friends, Hugh Davis, in a very distinctive red shirt. As he passes, I accelerate and tuck in behind him to get some relief from the headwind. "Don't race me, I've had a rough night!" he says, beseechingly. "What were you doing just now then?" I reply. "I couldn't stop myself on that hill" he responds. I move out along side him and we chat for a while as we pass the 7 and 8 k markers. I ask him if he's passed any runners in a yellow shirt, and he says no, but that there's one coming up just behind us now! Curses! But again to my relief, it turns out to be a fairly large guy in a Weston Road Runners vest who overtakes us both and forges on ahead at a pace that we can't quite match.

On rounding a corner and into the outskirts of town Hugh starts to show his class and opens up a few yards on me and I'm rapidly approaching the point at which I really, really want to see that final 9k mark, but its still a few hundred yards away up a slight hill. I risk a quick glance back and confirm my fears that Phil is still there, not far back, and capable of quickly catching me up if I slow down at all. As the course for the 5k run merges at this point I'm able to pass a few runners at the tail-end of the 5k field, which helps distract me from the pain, and reaching the 9k marker gives me the confidence to keep up the pace. With less than 4 minutes to go I know that I can make it, just.

 The course winds its way through a housing estate, and into the street leading to the car park, just 2 more bends and into a field where to look good in front of the crowd at the finish line I attempt a final sprint, without much effect, although I just manage to dip under 42 minutes which was the time I was hoping for. Lin's has already finished well over a minute ahead, and is soon taken to one side by a reporter from the local paper for a photograph as leading lady. Meanwhile Phil soon arrives, only 30 seconds behind. We grab drinks and discuss the race for a while. Phil reckons that the honours are about even between us, but I think he's being generous, he beat me by a mile (literally) at the "Beast" and has beaten me at 6 out of the last 10 races. My analysis is that Phil excels on the hills and multi-terrain ( the more stiles, the better) and that I do best in races on the road ( if they have a 10 in their title - how else can I explain what happened at the Greenford Gallop?).

 Phil has to rush away, but I stay and watch Sophie finish in a time that is over 5 minutes faster than the year before, a tremendous improvement. Brian is about a minute slower than previously, but still good enough for a second place in his age-category. We all repair to the race HQ for a cuppa and a chat about the race and other matters such as exactly how many pints Hugh consumed last night(10). I pick Brian's brain about a course for the proposed 10k race next year to replace the Gallop. He's covered every inch of the roads and trails around  Maiden Newton and has some great suggestions.

Prize-giving time arrives and Lin and Brian receive their trophies, and a very surprised Sophie collects her first ever for 3rd Senior Lady (in this case senior meaning young, ie, under 35 ). The event winds up and we bid each other farewell.

I arrive home on a high as usual after another rewarding and exciting day at the races. To bring me down to earth, as I get out and walk around the car I discover that I've just driven 40 miles of windy country roads on a nearside front tyre with about 3 pounds of pressure in it!

Martin Lascelles.