Decided to try the final Sale Sizzler last night up in Wythenshawe Park. Same venue as the Sale 10, the time of other runners made it tempting to chance my hand at breaking 17.

It didn't exactly go to plan though as I made the schoolboy error of getting boxed in on the track and didn't really get free from the crowd until after 1 mile. It's my own fault, I'd ran the route with Ste Mc, Mal and Neil Kelly from PLS on a warm up so I knew how tight the first half mile would be. 374 runners took part and although I thought I was well positioned on the track, a few places from the front and on the inside. When the gun went, the front runners all moved to the inside I was about 100m behind the leaders after 30 seconds!

I tried to cut through and ended up sprinting/slowing trying to weave through. I eventually passed Nick who I train with in work after ¾ mile and by then it was spreading out but I couldn’t find any rhythm. Although the course is fast, it’s tight and in my bad position is was a to cluttered. Anyway, I eventually broke free, passing Captain Mal and Ste Mac. I could see Neil ahead and pushed on to try and reach him. I knew he must have been going well because when I passed him he came right back onto my shoulder. A group in front of us keep speeding up when I tried to pass, then they’d slow when I couldn’t!

I left them on the track but two of them came back to pass me but their times were the same as mine. 17:46 which isn’t the end of the world but nowhere near what I wanted. I ran 10 miles on Wednesday in 67:11, the last five were in 32:39 which is a waste of energy really! Not to worry, they’ll be plenty of 5k’s in the future and my main goal is the Vyrnwy half and Liverpool marathon. My other work training buddy ran 16:01 and was 1st V40 last night, must be the chocolate milk Stu ;o)