Firstly, thank you so much to my sponsors. It looks like I'll raise around £1000 for the club. Not only will this be welcome funds which are always spent sensibly, but I feel that the men's cross-country section (who comprise a large majority of my sponsors) have shown excellent support for the club and for those who work voluntarily for the club. This will be noted in influential areas of our club, and won't do any harm at all.

Now, the race report. I began training in April from a low base with a sub3:15 in mind. Training consisted only of long runs, once every 5-7 days. One month before the race proved to be both the high and the low point, as I completed a decent 3 hour run but in the process felt an old achilles problem re-emerge (due to new shoes, I think). 1 week later I set out on another 3 hour run but was forced to abort it at 9 miles due to the achilles. For 16 days I did no running. Thursday and Friday prior to the race I went for a jog and basically did 200m, enough to verify that I was still in trouble.

I changed my race day objective to getting around at all cost, working on the assumption that sponsors would rather see a 5hrs30 finish than any kind of DNF. I positioned myself in the 3.50-4.00 start section. Just before the gun, I schlucked a couple of ibuprofen and 1 prescription pain killer kindly provided by Stef. Off we went and I settled into a pace that I thought wouldn't aggravate the injury too much - this turned out to be roughly 8.20 per mile. I felt I was running lopsided, albeit slightly. You're bound to if you're suffering heel soreness. At 3 miles, the pain killer didn't seem to be doing a lot so I had pain killer number 2.

At around 7, not far from his parents' home, the irreplaceable Matt Shone reared up, unmissable in his WGEL vest. He called out that he was heading into town, towards the halfway point. At 9-10 miles I think the pain killers were kicking in and I felt good enough to be toying with upping the later miles to 7.30s and attacking Stocko's "challenge" time of 3hrs30. But by halfway (around 1hr50), when Matt reappeared, I was back to thinking defensively. I was around 1hr15 ahead of the broomwagon – the back marker point of official racing, so I had a lot of time in hand. However, I popped a third and last pain killer (max: 3 per day, not 3 in 2 hours!) and 2 more ibuprofen.

Good old Shoney!! A total trooper! He ran with me for 12 miles – so illegal pacing to add to banned drugs! By 16, where my Alex (Wardle) was waiting with a bar of Kendal Mint Cake, I was definitely tired. I designated Matt to carry the Mint Cake, along with his mobile and his shirt and perhaps other stuff, and feed bits of the sugary concoction to me occasionally, like a horse. I drew the shameful and ruthless conclusion, "If this guy can run 2.29, he can carry my Kendal Mint Cake."

The miles passed relatively painlessly while engaged in happy chat with the sunny-temperamented Shonemachine, but somewhere between 12 and 20 miles the plan devolved seamlessly into "sub4". Somewhere around 20 the first suggestions of cramp appeared, and at the 21 marker I decided to revert to running reps. Little walk, then aim to push myself along at a decent effort till the next mile marker and maybe notch a 9-minute mile. Same again at 22, 23, etc. Shoney kept me informed of sub4-related progress – even looking at the watch and working out the maths is unwanted stress at that stage. Alex was stationed at 23 and I plumped for a can of Red Bull rather than a Mars bar before she cut across to the Finish.

That was the pattern to the end. Little rest, then push on with renewed spirit. The odd shooting cramp but nothing that warranted stopping or stretching - when you have a 70+ times Welsh international club legend alongside you, it's easier to man up and get on with the task. Matt left me at 25.5 to belatedly rush home to his mum's birthday dinner, and I crossed the line in 3:55.35 (chip time 3:53.58). I was happy enough in the end – it could have been a lot worse. The achilles is sore, but I'll live, unlike one poor fellow who died at the end of the half-marathon which was incorporated into the race.

Thanks again to you all. Special thanks to Matt and also to Alex. Now back to more important matters – managing the team!

Terry

Photos: me & Matt near the 20 mark and some evidence of achilles pain