I’ve spent the last few months working on www.therunningbug.co.uk, reviewing products and writing schedules. It’s a dream job, writing about the sport I love, and checking out all the latest products. The Running Bug is a fantastic place to visit – if you haven’t done so get over there and join us on the forums, in a group, or just browse the hundreds of articles – everything you need to know about running and it’s continuously updated by experts.

And there’s the team of bloggers. Many of whom are my friends and running colleagues. I’ve also been blogging on the bug… here’s this week’s update….

THE BRIGHTON 10k

Another week of running and another race done. I was fortunate enough to be a guest of Brooks Running, the organizers of the Brooks Brighton 10k. We stayed at the Thistle Hotel on the seafront and had a wonderful room looking out at Brighton’s seafront. On Sunday morning we watched the party-goers leave and the runners arrive: coaches carrying club members; elite athletes warming up; and lots of familiar faces from the running world (we live in nearby Eastbourne).

There were almost 2,700 runners taking part. The weather couldn’t have been better, more like a wonderful Autumn morning than early winter. With no time for a warm up I squeezed into the starting pen and tentatively pushed my way further forward, standing amongst the very fast and very skinny looking men.

I started fast: the speed-work of the previous weeks paying off. I ran a PB for 5k, running 19:17 – but unfortunately my fortunes changed on the homeward straight! I didn’t feel too bad as I had a genuine excuse to be slow, following very little sleep on Friday night and an up and down weekend.

A spurt at 9k got me under 40:30. A friend from another club shouted, ‘You’re gonna have to work for a sub 40 now… come one kill yourself’. She ran alongside me, giving me a lift and faster last k than the previous two! (thanks Cathy ; )

The Running Bug Dan who started a bit further back from me on the start pipped me at the post by two seconds (GRR…. I hadn’t seen that until the results came out). He ran a fantastic 40:07 on the chip (13 seconds ahead of my finishing chip time of 40:20).

Varying reports of the race followed, some ran PBs, but many said that the second half was harder this year because of wind. I hadn’t really noticed it, but it was reassuring to hear I might have an excuse!

Earlier in the week, the Brighton Uni team came back to me with my results of the VO2 max test and lactate threshold – it’s all good news and predicts faster times than I’m currently running (my V02 is 54). The motivation I need to see me through the winter, more training – and more racing!