Winter Handicap

Tonight is the Winter Handicap again. No rain this time. I got a shock when I got my bib as for the first time, I wasn't starting from scratch. I had been promoted and my place was to start off at 2 minutes. I started off with Kirsty and Jo. We soon set off and when we reached the Golden Valley we saw some runners who had started off from scratch and from 1 minute.  Going through the Golden Valley I had managed to work my way through the runners. By this point Kirsty was gone but I was still with Jo.  Going up Sandgate Hill, I was still able to get past people.  When I reached the top of the hill my calves were killing me.  On the start of the second loop, Jo had pulled out, so I was on my own but on the way round I was still catching people up and going past.  By this point, I had realised I had done my trainer up too tight and I had pins and needles.  On the hill going down I saw my friend Laura who was out running.  So all the way to the end now the pins and needles were not going away. Approaching the finishing line I could hear footsteps and thought I wasn't going to let that person past me.  I really did speed up and made that person behind me work for it.  As it turns out it was Catherine and she caught me up at the end.  The same thing happened a few handicaps back and managed to pip me to the post by just her foot over the finishing line.  I was quicker this time. Completed it in 38:48.