The race did not go well for me today, I finished in 73.43 8th in the race and 2nd M45.

It wasn't looking good yesteday as I was developing a cold and felt shivery. Then a fire alarm "was being invetigated" in the hotel last night, the hotel wasn't evacuated, but they made enough noise to combine with the worry of whether I would have to get up. I can't blame that though for the lack of sleep I managed last night, so all in all I prepared the best I could and started in hoping that things would work out.

Things didn't work out, I only managed to keep up with the leading group of four athletes for a couple of miles, soon after I couldn't keep up with another group of three, and by half way I was left in eigth place, hoping that nobody else would catch up, as I doubted whether I could keep pace with anybody today.

I was glad to complete the course, although 73 mins is just not me - I ran 71.30 at Bristol, which isn't at my favourite time of the year, and has some tricky bits to the course. Hindsight and 20/20 vision and all that - perhaps it was a bad idea to take on a race at the end of two weeks travel, I'm not sure but certainly being away from my training/eating/living regime for so long is not ideal but it's stretching things a little to suggest that's why I developed a cold at the wrong moment.

Despite my disappointment at a mediocre run, I'm glad to finally be on the way home. It will be Tuesday before I get back into the office again, ...and I suspect that will be a struggle for a few days as I de-jetlag.