Day 271/365 Mells Scenic 7

Organised by Frome Running Club, Mells Scenic7 is an undulating 7.14 miles, roughly two thirds trail and a third paths and minor roads. Starting in Mells and going through the villages of Great Elm and Buckland Dinham before returning to Mells in the heart of Somerset.

Previous two years I have managed 1:03:00 last year and in 2012 a time of 1:00:03 so I was hoping to get home under the hour, before the church tower in Mells struck 12 o clock. My back was niggling this morning after racing around Baths Skyline yesterday so topped up with ibuprofen I was a bit apprehensive. A great turn out from Somer Ac and a massive amount of red shirts from Frome running club walked the 10 mins walk towards the start. I recognised faces of runners I knew and looked for ones who were about my pace whom I could use to run with. I saw my friend Martin who runs for Frome pushing his way to the front I followed. The starter horn blew and we were off, faster than I would normally start but I knew the course bottlenecks and so pushed on, I didn't want to get caught. My tracker had not started and I knew I had to make 8.5 min miles to be under the hour, I would have to rely on chasing Martin, I was overtaken by Tony a Somer runner whom I knew would be sub 1 hour if I could hang on to these two I should make it. The field had spread out and there was a few runners between me and Martin his pace slowed on the inclines and the declines but he pulled away on the flat, I started to push it on the inclines and declines and I was still within sight of him and tony at 4 miles the water station. I poured a cupful over my wrist band to cool my blood and took two more, one I poured over my head the other I sipped and tipped the remainder also over my head. We were running along a bridal way now flat and long, it was warm Martin and Tony were pulling away, I over took a couple of runners and was over taken myself. I recognised the route now and knew it wasn't much further along a lane a back into the fields. I could see Mells church steeple behind the hedge. As we skirted the field I was passed by a female runner, she was just in front of me as we  ran through an opening into the next field. A slight decline now I knew the end was near, across the field and up through Mells past the Talbot and into cricket field. I pushed the decline passing the girl, I hadn't heard the bell toll. Through the gateway and onto the road passing another runner an incline now past the Talbot Inn pumping I had to keep going I didn't want to be overtaken again. I still hadn't heard the bell, pumping into the cricket field it was hard now I'd started my finish to early could I hold on. I could see the electronic timer 1:00:08 my heart sank but I heard C'MON  Jim and shouts of support and clapping I pushed it up through the funnel. I hadn't beat the bell toll official finish time 1:00:11. 11 seconds I was disappointed, I'd just ran 7 miles and to have missed out by 11 seconds I couldn't believe it, never mind maybe next year.