The Oakley 20 and I go way back. It’s a great event hosted by the Bedford Harriers and is often used as a handy training run for marathon runners. I first did this back in 2010 while training for my first marathon and have been coming back ever since.
This is one event I find myself booking early in the the year without hesitation for three main reasons: 1. It’s a beautiful course that isn’t too challenging and perfect for marathon training. 2. It couldn’t be easier for me to get to. The course goes right past my parents house so I can take a leisurely walk to the start line without worrying about parking. 3. The hoodies man! Gotta get those hoodies.
Ah yes, the hoodies. Instead of going home with another medal to keep in the kitchen drawer, this race rewards you with the ‘iconic’ Oakley 20 hoodie. It comes in a different colour and design each year ranging from ‘somewhat wearable’ to a bit garish. I’ll usually spot one or two people wearing these at every running event I go to in the year, and collecting them has become a bit of an obsession for me. This year I’ll get my 9th one and I have no idea where I’m supposed to store them.
Training has been a bit iffy this year with low motivation and lots of missed training runs. I have a good excuse though, our second daughter was born in December and spending time with the family has been a higher priority than disappearing for 3 hour runs the second I get home. Despite the reduced training I did manage to get some long runs in, including a 20 miler a couple of weeks before the event. I know I’ll be slow, but at least I know I can cover the distance.
Things also seemed to go sideways in a rather spectacular fashion during the weekend of the race. Somehow I managed to forget my running shoes in the rush of packing and getting kids ready and spent Saturday afternoon shopping for an emergency pair. My parents very kindly offered to babysit that night too so my wife and I jumped at the chance and we had a great time in the local village pubs. Admittedly not the best preparation before running a 20 mile race but you live and learn!
In the morning I jogged the short distance to the start line, arriving with a few minutes to spare before the start. I definitely cut it a bit fine, but I was able to get my number and timing chip sorted out very swiftly thanks to the excellent event organisation by the Harriers (Thank you!). My mouth was very dry so I grabbed a some water before making my way to the starting line on what was looking like a beautiful sunny day. I overheard some nervous chatter from the other runners and someone said they were planning on dropping out after 10 miles which sounded like a sensible option to me considering how I was feeling at the time.
The first few miles were a bit uncomfortable, partly down to my mild hangover and partly because I really needed to wee. It took a couple of miles to find somewhere suitable but afterwards I felt amazing and was able to relax into a comfortable, if conservative pace. I was a little concerned about dehydration with the warm sunny weather but there were plenty of water stations along the way and I made a point of stopping at each one.
After the fifth mile I had found my pace and was steadily overtaking runners while the miles ticked away. It was really nice to see my wife and daughter at the half-way point in Stevington to cheer me on and I was surprised at how comfortable I was finding it. The race leader sped past around the 12 mile mark, legging it like he was going for the course record. I’m sure he wasn’t at the pub last night.
The second loop seemed to go past very quickly and it felt as though I was actually getting faster, still steadily making up more places all the way to the finish. I finally came in at 3.05, well over half an hour slower than my usual efforts. I wasn’t that disappointed however as I knew I wasn’t on form this year. This was actually one of my stronger long runs of the year and I still got my hoodie (It’s blue this year) so I’d say it was a successful day. I have about 7 weeks until the MK Marathon and this has given a bit of focus to actually stick to my training plan and try to improve my fitness before May.
