Taking a Shower, before during and after the Race

Runners I have found traditionally lead a charmed life with the weather. Many many times I have left home to go for a run in the rain... only to get to the Redwoods or the Waipa forest and have no rain at all. I have driven to and from races in pouring rain and not had a drop during...

Well... Cambridge Half this year was not like that. From getting absolutely drenched walking from the car to Registration, the rain hardly stopped for more than 10 minutes all day.

Cambridge will however always hold a special place for me... last year I entered at the last minute when the Rotorua City Half was cancelled... and then proceeded to PB and at the same time break 100 minutes for the first time (and probably last).

One thing I love about races now, I am seeing more and more people that I know or have met on Facebook. 52 in 52 has been responsible for some of these and that has been a wonderful bonus.

Some I only get to see for a few minutes... like Kerry Suter and Lesley Turner Hall who I see briefly before they sprint off into the distance. But there was also Brian Prescott and Mgcini Masuku, as well as the lovely Carla Moriarty who zoomed by me at about 3km - all of who made it over for the Fat Man's Run. Owen Roberts the friendly Chemist from Rotorua was there ... and quite a few others



This was race number 17 and I was struggling a bit still with injuries. Felt pretty good at the start and headed off at a good pace, we were running down the right of the country roads and going ok. Brian Prescott was there and as he wasn't pushing his beautiful daughter in her buggy for this race, he soon left me behind.

About 3km we switched over to the left hand side of the road for a stretch and bang... the calf went again. OK, no PB this year...

From then on it was a case of surviving to the end. I had thoughts of pulling the plug... but decided just to push gently to the end . There wasn't really too much else to report.

The Cambridge race is quite pleasant for a road race in that it is through the countryside just out of town. You start at the High School on the northern side of town and complete a nice country loop. It is mainly flat bar a short hilly section from about 9km to 12km and another short uphill coming into town.

We got drizzled on frequently and there were a couple of really steady and heavy showers of rain to 'keep us cool'

The biggest kudos had to go to the many volunteers out on Aid Stations and the marshalling the course. We were running and so staying pretty warm... those guys were out in the rain doing their jobs with smiles on there faces... awesome!

As usual these days I had a few chats with runners on the way around about what 52 in 52 was and usually just after that about how I was nuts!

In the end I struggled in with a time of 1:54... 15 minutes slower than last year, but considering all things a time I can live with. I was 6th in the oldies and that was ok too.

Lainy was there to greet me at the finish and wet and tired and sore we trundled off pretty quickly back to Rotovegas for a rest... not before catching up with Brian Prescott and Mgcini Masuku... both of whom had big smiles and PB's in the bag! And of course Kerry had won.... again!