MoRun 10k!

13/11/2016

Movember normally means two things: around the nation, dodgy moustaches are carefully being cultivated, and people gear up for a 5 or 10k Morun.

 

I do quite like race days now. They have a bubbly atmosphere which is quite infectious. This one was no different.

The Morun was my fouth 10k race since I started up as Grumpyjogger. I’d managed to hit my sub 1-hour goal during my previous race, the Cardiff 10k, so I wasn’t super anxious about trying to hit a time or anything like that. Also, I hadn’t run any distance above 5k since the half marathon, another reason to not put too much pressure on myself. It was the most relaxed I’ve ever been before a race…

I felt the Morun had a more chilled vibe to it compared to some other races. It’s not an officially measured 10k route so a lot of runners wouldn’t use it as a PB course. I’m no super athlete though, and I haven’t quite got sick of running around Bute Park just yet, so I was happy to give it a go. As well as an unusual curved ‘Mo’ medal, the race fee also included a bright orange headband, which would come in handy for a fairly sweaty runner like me. (No one likes sweat in the eyes. Sting-y.)

A sneaky email said the registration tent would close an hour before the race, so I turned up for 9.30, which was faaaar too early. I arrived like, before the toilets were forming queues early. I ended up waiting around. The registration didn’t close at 10.15, and I glared at the people who got an extra hour in bed before swanning over. A lesson learned for next time, don’t believe what emails tell you…

As it was Remembrance Sunday there was a 2 minute silence just before the runners set off. It was humbling to hear the hush fall quickly over the crowd of excited people and to pay our respects, only marred by the barking of a dog who got a bit weirded out by the sudden change in the crowd volume.

Then, the usual excited queuing at the start, bumping into people from the CDF run club, taking quick pre-race photos, and then OFF!

The 10k route was all within Bute Park, two laps which started near the Welsh Royal College of Music and Drama, then towards the castle, across the river and then up towards Blackweir. It was a very similar route to the Women’s Running 10k I did a few months earlier. As I was feeling chill about this race I started off near the back, and it took a few miles before I’d settled in with people who were running at roughly my pace.

I didn’t really mind about stopping for little walk breaks this time around, so when the crowd got too congested and slowed at the narrower parts of the course I was happy for a little breather.

I made sure to high five the kids who were out offering their adorable support, and I loved the kid who was complaining that his arm hurt around mile 5. High fives are powerful magic, you know, hang in there kid!

Some CDF Runners were positioned as Cheer Squad near the finish line, shouting, waving, taking photos. Below, please see the BEST run photo of me ever taken. Look at the pain and resentment etched in stone on my sweaty face:

(I like that you can see my Nike + clocking in at 6.11 miles in that photo. No fakin’.)

Once it was over, I got a medal and a mo, and my time was 59’01” , which I was happy with. My first ever 10k was around 1hr 12 minutes I think, so feels great to be able to get under an hour now without too much training beforehand. Next year’s goal will be a sub 56 minute… heck.

GK.