Jet fuel

Tessa hitches a lift

I think my wee dog, Tessa, has finally recovered from her trip to the Lakes. Ever faithful, wherever I walked, she walked. But in doggie years she is about 80 and the effects showed this week. Tess was reluctant to leave her basket and on the short walks we did undertake she lagged behind. But thankfully a little time to rest and the odd extra portion of Caesar and she is fit and raring to go again.

I am wondering if it will be the same for me this week. When I ran the Leeds 10k 2 months ago it took about a week for me to feel comfortable running again. This morning I ran another Jane Tomlinson 10k, this time in York. I don't quite want to stay in my basket all day but I have had a lovely nap this afternoon to help recover.

I was up early for the race - too early to be legal on a Sunday morning I'm sure. After my secret recipe pre-race breakfast - porridge and banana washed town with tea and Lucozade Sport - I got my things together and made the 45 minute trip to York racecourse. If Pop Larkin had been running he would have only had one word to say about the race (altogether now) - Perfick!

The course was brilliant. It took us from the race course to the minster and back and involved a stretch along the river on the homeward leg. There were no big hills, the weather was nice, the temperature comfortable and the thousands that turned out to wave and clap us on were joyous.

There were 5,000 runners, which caused the odd frustrating bottleneck, but overall I got into a steady pace and kept to it. My finish time was 54 minutes and 47 seconds and I finished a creditable 1,644th. That is a minute and half faster than previous PB, so I am a very happy bunny.

As soon as I saw the York race on the internet it appealed to me, but initially it was pronounced full and I eventually made it when others pulled out to create space. I am pleased that I got to run but it may cause a small problem, especially if tired dog syndrome kicks in this week.

My next 10k is only 7 days away and it is the big show down with younger son.

At this point I could build the tension, but I won't. Youngest son running faster than me is a foregone conclusion. If he had retained his usual teenage lethargy and not trained I would have kicked his butt, but he has trained. He even runs with me now and when we get to within a mile of home his youthful afterburners kick in and I am left wallowing in the jet wash. All that remains to be found out is how big the gap between us is going to be. If I can get within 3 minutes of his time then that will be a result, especially as he is 33 years younger than me.

Let's face it, that's how it should be. I'm not competitive Dad, I don't want to cause my son any shame. I want him to know he has worked hard for something and achieved a result. That doesn't mean though that I won't be hiding the porridge and Lucozade from him next Sunday morning.

Live long and prosper.