It's make or (hopefully not!) break time: Amanda's first race since getting her knee properly investigated and diagnosed and prognosed and everything...


A local race for local people. However, the job of race director seems to have changed hands, and it's a lot less well organised than in previous years. We weren't even sure if the race was definitely going ahead as there'd been no email or even a mention on their Facebook page. We were chatting to a fellow in the bike shed (not behind it, now keep those thoughts to yourself!) who'd only even heard about it yesterday, and there did seem to be an awful lot of on-the-day entries. "I've entered online via the Runners' World website" wasn't quite met with blank looks, but it did cause some kerfuffle.


A minute or so before the scheduled start, they announce the race will start ten minutes late, which is not a good way to make runners who've taken off their warm clothes happy. But when they say "start" they actually mean that the woman who founded the beneficiary charity will make a speech. Sure, yes, it's a good cause and all that, and we do sympathise with her for the premature loss of her son, but she's not the most natural public speaker and apparently most of the runners can't actually hear her properly.


And not quite twenty minutes late, they're off! Note the young lad at the centre front, who's waving his hands and sticking out his tongue. I think he wants to be noticed.


Amanda is starting a lot closer to the back than she normally would, presumably to avoid being led astray by the faster runners and being tempted to overdo it.


It's tongue-sticking-out-kid again. He's definitely not the shy one in the group! Not quite sure if he is the new Usain Bolt, but he's still pretty nippy.


She's looking happy! This is a very good sign. And no, she's not last: there's a bit of a gap behind her to the next runners, but there are plenty still to come.


Still happy a bit further down the road.


There's a loop here, where the race leader crosses in front of a back marker. He looks to have had the race sewn up from near the start, despite young Master 66 taking the pole.


Some of the younger kids doing the Fun Run. They look pretty serious for fun-runners!


The race is a mix of trail and road. Here we are in the leafy streets of Claygate. And yes, she's still smiling :-)


The race doesn't have a 'no headphones' rule, which is fortunate because this would really be taking the piss otherwise!


Amanda and Headphone-Woman are neck-and-neck on the final straight...


...but right at the end, Amanda's being super-careful on the rough ground while HW is gung-ho and takes no prisoners!


So it's not a great time - but she did it, and enjoyed it, and is not in pain afterwards.


The gammy knee itself. You can't tell by looking unless you're an MRI machine. I ought to see if I can figure out how to convert DICOM images (that's what you get from MRI) to something I can put in emails...


Afterwards, we take the bikes the short extra distance to Claremont Landscape Gardens for a little wind-down, especially as the weather is showing signs of improvement. These are just the cutest baby ducklings coots [I have been corrected!] ever!


"Yes, Mum, I heard you already!"


And speaking of cute...

Love to all,

Steve.