Brampton to Carlisle 10 Mile Road Race - November 2015

On Sunday 15th November 2015 I ran in the 64th Brampton to Carlisle 10 Mile Road Race, and it was my fourth time running this race!

Due to bad weather and floods forecast I wasn't sure if I would actually get there in order to run it or whether it would be cancelled.

I set my alarm for 8.30am (which was still a nice lie in!) and the first thing I did was check the Border Harriers website for an update on whether it was going ahead or not.

I could hear the rain pelting down outside and part of me was hoping to see the words "cancelled" but instead I was greeted with:

Brampton to Carlisle Road Race 2015

After a course inspection earlier this morning the Brampton to Carlisle 10 Mile Road Race will be going ahead as normal and will be on the usual 10 mile route. Start will still be at 11:30am. Good Luck to all runners.

Last updated: 15-11-2015

I tried to muster some enthusiasm as I got dressed into my running gear and forced down a bowl of porridge!

We left the house in torrential rain at 8.30am to travel the 57 miles to the Race Head Quarters situated at William Howard School in Brampton.

As we headed out of Kendal the weather changed.  The rain became lighter but it was replaced by fog instead which made the journey a little tricky! Standing Water on the roads plus fog was not a good combination!

We arrived safely at around 10.45am and got parked with no problem. 

There was no queue to collect my race number or to visit the Ladies so I was ready by 11am.  The race didn't start until 11.30am so we went to sit in the car to keep dry and warm for 20 minutes! 

I was delighted that the rain had stopped completely by the time I was on the start line, and it was unseasonably warm for mid November at 14C!

The race started very quickly and promptly at 11.30am by the sounding of a starting pistol.

I had positioned myself in the middle of the pack and we moved fairly easily and at a decent pace from the off! 

I didn't even get stuck on the sharp right bend going out of Brampton, which is usually very congested and I have previously had to walk at this point!

After a brief run though Brampton we hit the A689 fairly quickly. 

Once out onto the main road the field started to spread out and I settled into my pace, however I was fighting the entire way with a strong headwind!

Despite the wind, not being race fit and not doing very much running recently (due to work) I still managed to do a 7.57 minute mile for the first mile, followed by a 8.11 minute mile for mile 2.  

This race is advertised as being flat and fast but there is definitely a few hills dotted around, the first being a long slow drag upwards at around the 2 and a half mile mark, which slowed me slightly but I still managed mile 3 at a 8.45 minute mile pace.

Just after this hill the race turns off the main road to go round via Ruleholme and Crosby on Eden where we came across the first water station serving both bottled water and cups. I thought this was an excellent idea as it gave the runner the option of grabbing a cup if they just wanted a quick slurp or a bottle if they needed more!  It saves having a lot of wasted water! I grabbed a bottle and carried it with me.  By now it had started to rain lightly again and we were still running head on into the wind! 

I pushed on but my pace was becoming progressively slower. 

Mile 4 was a 8.54 minute mile pace and mile 5 was at a 8.56 minute mile pace. 

Mile 6 was much slower at a 9.13 minute mile pace, however this was because the road was ankle deep in flood water in numerous places which made running extremely difficult ... and WET! After running through these flooded areas my trainers were full of water and squelched as I ran and my feet felt like they had weights on them! My ankles also felt exceptionally cold and went tight which was very worrying and my pace slowed significantly after this!  I wasn't very happy!

We headed back onto the A689 at around the 7 mile mark. Not long after this there was another water station, but I still had half a bottle of water from the previous stop so I didn't need to stop! 

I ran mile 7 in 9.23 minute mile and I was starting to really feel my lack of training.

 From here it was a straight run to Carlisle where there was a long drag upwards at around mile 8 where yet again I slowed further, this time to a 9.35 minute mile pace! 

I was very tempted to walk by now but wouldn't allow myself! I gritted my teeth and pushed on! I ran mile 9 at a 9.52 minute mile pace, followed by mile 10 at a 9.44 minute mile pace!

The race offered a good fast paced finish as on the approach to the finish line situated at The Sands Centre, there was a stretch of about 400m where it was all downhill. However, I didn't have the energy or inclination to take advantage of this!

I crossed the finish line and stopped by Garmin and was slightly disappointed that I hadn't managed a sub 1 hour 30 minute time. My Garmin said I had finished in 1 Hour 30 minutes 42 seconds.

Once over the finish line I was handed a goody bag which contained a bottle of water, a small bag of jelly beans and 3 pairs of socks!  I was very disappointed with the lack of bling!  I hadn't expected socks as we got socks last year and I was hoping for something a little more exciting this time!

I was so disappointed with the lack of bling I decided to make my own!

You can view my route here!

I was delighted the official results weren't much different to my Garmin!  In the official results I finished in 1:30:44, this is 8 minutes 19 seconds slower than I ran the same race last year! This year I was 21st in my category and 442nd/560 finishers!

It goes to show you get what you work for!