A trip to Liverpool

Yesterday was my first running event of the year. We’d originally planned to journey to Liverpool by boat on the Leeds and Liverpool, arriving in the docks via the new Liverpool Link. This terminates in Salthouse Dock, only a stone’s throw from the start of the race. But, alas, it was not to be. BW don’t take bookings for the link till after Easter.

So we hired an Astra from Enterprise and made the trip by road instead. Certainly quicker, but not as interesting. We’ve booked passage for later in the year now, after a visit to Manchester.
The Liverpool half-marathon is a circular route, for the second year the start and finish lines are alongside the Mersey estuary. It was cold waiting for the gun, but with 5,500 entrants we could at least huddle together!

Half an hour before the gun, the wind swept start line was empty.

But the Porta-Loos were getting full!
I didn’t have a good run, but frankly didn’t expect to. Six weeks ago I tore a muscle in my thigh and it hasn’t mended completely. I was in two minds whether to run or not, the injury not yet fully healed and big gaps in my training programme. But I thought I’d have a go.
The Neurofen tablets lasted till mile 9, and from then on it was gritted teeth and a slower pace to the end. The last 3½ miles into the headwind coming down river didn’t help either.

Still, I finished, in a rather pedestrian time of 1:54. Hobbling around like an old man today, though.

I beat these guys!
I was placed in the first half of the field, so didn’t do so badly. It took us 40 minutes to get back out of the carpark, then another 45 to get back to the boat. After a shower I still managed to watch the last half of the Australian GP, pleased to see Button cruise home to an easy win. Shame about Hamilton, there would have been words in the pits, I’m sure, following an apparently unnecessary pit-stop.

We had intended to move on this afternoon, after taking the car back, but the weather was a bit grim and I am still a bit sore, so we’re leaving it till tomorrow. Not sure where we’ll finish up, though.

Locks 0, miles 0. (Although run 13.1)