Ten Miles Richmond Park

After a second recovery day yesterday it was time for a ten miler.
It was afternoon by the time I got out the door struggling against tight muscles. What an old fart.
A real Sunday in Richmond Park. Plenty of walkers and cyclists of all ages. Runners too, of course.
The really fit looking black guy with the blade-style prosthetic left foot was running towards me at one point. I love to see him run. There is something sure and relentless and unforgiving about his steady, fast pace.
Then I heard heavy breathing and scuffing feet behind me and although I had promised myself to take it easy I couldn't let a heavy breathing scuffer overtake me. I pulled forward. The heavy breathing got heavier but stayed with me. It sounded young and female.
The breathing behind me faded a little as I struggled up the first steep hill. But along the flat section beyond the top of the rise I heard it getting nearer again. Shit. She wants to make a fight of it. I put some more into it and edged ahead but she was still there. I held it for a bit, not wanting to provoke her too much. I wasn't sure how much of a battle I could take without losing my porridge and peanut butter.
Then came the downhill section and I could hear her hammering away behind me. I had to really open up then, knowing that, if she caught me, in the fight to stay ahead I could easily lose both breakfast and dignity.
I opened up some more and heard her slip farther behind. Then it sounded like she cut across to the car park there.
Anyway, I slowed down when I crossed the road at the next gate and looked behind me. There was nobody there. Jeez. That's it, no more racing. I did some recovery jogging for a bit and sped up for the last third of the run.
I lay down in a hot bath rather than have to stand up in the shower, made myself a smoked fish sandwich and crashed for two hours.
I've got a lot of miles to do before I'm fit for a run across Europe.
Wasn't able to time my run because the battery has gone in my watch, the old Timex Ironman Triathlon Speed and Distance System. Dunno whether to replace the battery or splash out on a new watch.