Too hot to handle

Today was too hot to run, it was too hot for an easy run, it was too hot for a hard run and it was most certainly too hot for a grand prix event that started at 10.45am and was 10miles long.
I spent much of yesterday wondering what is wrong with me that I was preparing to take myself down along with about 15 other crazy PWR's to Sittingbourne to run in the 10mile road race. I had run the course before two years ago so knew what to expect... quiet country lanes, lots of hills, the last two miles were pretty much all downhill though - result.   

As the horn sounded, we were off on a circuit round the sports field, the first couple of miles felt pretty comfortable and I was going at a decent pace despite the 29 degree heat. Then as I was approaching 3 miles I started to feel light-headed and a little nauseous. I stepped into the shade my a farm house and dry heaved for a while, at which point Richard came trotting past (remarkably spritely for someone still holding the best part of 3 bottles of red in his system from last night!) asking if I needed help, martyr that I am and most other runners are I, waved him on. Shortly afterwards Emma G passed me by as well. 
A worried looking marshall approached me (Richard had given him the heads up) and let me have some water after which I was on my way again. I started now into a tough few miles of walk/run before I got to the water station, rehydrated and set off again at a decent pace. Before long my legs were ceasing up, probably from the many stop starts. After mile 5 I tried to convince myself it was a new race and that 5 is an easy distance. This didn't work, then I began hallucinating that Emma D was shouting at me to pump my arms and keep going... I could do this.
A bike marshall, my knight is shining hi-vis arrived alongside me and offered me water which I gladly accepted, this was not to be the last I saw of my water mule and saviour!Not long before mile 8 I spotted Mark walking with a struggling Sittingbourne Strider, I walked with them for a while before finding y pace again and setting off for the final stretch.
The bike marshal appeared again and checked that I was okay, I nodded that I was good. I saw several runners started to zig zag across the road and soon realised some kind local had put their sprinkler on for us... amazing and very refreshing!
Knowing that a pb was lost a long time ago I still wanted to get my average pace down just a little more and managed to keep going, as I rounded the last corner back into the sports field I was faced with many cheering PWRs and I spotted Emma G up ahead, I confirmed it was her and dug deep to try and catch her. As I caught her up I said hello and then the lady just ahead started pulling away from us, it was too much to resist, I sucked it up and put in all I had and pipped her to the line, proud of my strong finish!
We waited for the remaining runners and then shared some homemade coconut chews before heading back home. I was exhausted and pretty much fell straight asleep.