Like all races, there will be those those who aren't taking it too seriously - and there are those for whom running is a way of life.

But along with many of the entrants, I find myself somewhere in the middle of that scale.

Having already completed the Bristol half-marathon twice, I'm not a complete novice but it is fair to say that I don't lose too much sleep over how a few pints on Saturday night will affect my finishing time.

I have been running on and off (mostly off) for a few years now, with the longest chunk being since I started training for last years half-marathon, back in April 2003.

'Recreational runner'

I would class myself as a recreational runner.

I do it partly to help keep myself off the sofa and stay fit, but also because I like a challenge. The challenge this year being to finish the 13.1-mile course in under 1h 45mins.

It's not a time that would have had Steve Cram looking back over his shoulder worried I was catching him, but it is a good 21 minutes faster than my previous best.

So it is with such a large improvement to find that I found myself in a park in Ashton on a Friday evening with a couple of hundred other runners - most of whom seemed to look fitter and better-qualified to be there than me.

The race I had entered was the first in a series of five 10K races organised by the Great Western Runners club.

Ten kilometres is currently the nation's favourite racing distance - probably because it is far enough to test the skilled but still short enough to spare the slovenly.

Follow the crowd

After taking some obligatory stretches and a short jog around the park, I line up with the crowd not knowing exactly where the route would take me but with the determination that I would be back at the finish within 50 minutes.

Before I knew it the race was off and I found myself carried along with the crowd out of the park, up over the dual carriageway, and down onto the former towpath on the opposite side of the river to the Portway.

With the exception of remembering to keep my legs moving and stay breathing the only thought that entered my head was that I had never seen the Avon Gorge from the 'other' side before.

On such a lovely early summer night it provided me with a welcome distraction from the effort of keeping my race pace.

One at a time

Remembering a piece of advice I had been given earlier (run each km on its own) I checked my watch every time I came across a kilometre distance marker, ensuring I was on still track, congratulating myself as each time I fell within my 4:55 boundary.

Before I knew it I was passing back under Brunel's bridge, running back over the dual carriageway, and entering back into the park on my way onto the home straight.

Looking at my watch and I am more or less on track for my target.

I get my head down and force the last energy out of my legs to ensure all my hard work has not been in vain, finally crossing the line at 49:09.

Exhaustion is soon replaced by relief as I sit on the grass catching my breath. I did it - this time.

But to achieve my ultimate goal I have to keep plugging away at the training.

How that training is going will manifest itself in the coming races in this series.

In theory, my times should steadily drop as we move towards 12 September. It is up to me to put that theory into practice.

The GWR Towpath series continues on 18 June, 23 July, 6 August and 27 August.