Race Report - Princes Parkrun

This was the race that wasn’t supposed to happen. I had a pretty tough week last week with double runs on both Tuesday and Thursday. I’drealised that I’d been doing the morning runs far too fast (grrr get out of therain quicker). Therefore, when it came to the progression session on Thursday evening I was blowing bubbles by the time I got to Threshold. With Friday as arest day I had opportunity to take stock and work out what I can do better infuture.

Still, I was pleased that I was coping with increase insessions. When we started I’d said to my coach about doing 5 sessions a weekand here I am doing 8! I’m not complaining about that though, when you’re doingsomething you love, its not a chore – I just get to do more of it (and gothrough trainers at a rate of knots eek).

The training session for Saturday was due to be three lotsof 10min continuous hill reps. When I woke of Saturday morning, my body stillfelt like it was recovering from the earlier sessions in the week. I don’tnormally do this, but I took the decision that the hills probably wouldn’t dome much good with such tired legs. I decided to take myself over to Princes Parkruninstead, the course being suitably hilly whilst being over relatively quickly. Evenon the start line, I wasn’t sure if I was going to have a steady jog round or raceit and see what happened. I’ve had a few bad experiences at Princes in the past,the course can be a bit of a mindfuck, with the uphills being REALLY UPhill.

We set off and I settled into Threshold pace finding myselffurther down the field than normal. The front runners don’t like getting boxedin on the narrow path at the start and so Princes generally is quite pacy upthe first slope. After a passing a few people I found I had some open space andcould relax into a race pace. My friend, and Training Partner, Ceredig was marshallingand stood at the Pinnacle, about 800m into the first lap. I ran past expectinga sarcastic comment, but strangely none came. “Thanks C” I thought to myself.As I’d had such a good start, I was keen to take maximum advantage of it, I wasconscious of my racing lines, not going too wide and was really enjoying it butthe time I came down the slope to complete the first mile. BEEP, my Garminregistered the first lap, I quickly looked down “6:07” “FUUUUCK” was my firstthought, but that soon vanished and I thought about how that was good as I hadseconds in the bank to call upon later if needed.

As I attacked the up section of the course, I could feel theeffort level increasing. The hill is split into two parts and a guy overtook mejust after the first section (the only person who did I think). Instead of it mentallydeflating me, I focused on his back and had a good look at what he was doing. Likemagic, he relaxed his shoulders to get ready for the next slope. “Of course,that what I should be doing” and on we went to race the next competitors infront.

It’s a great feeling to overtake someone. A little minibattle appears to play out until one of the people mentally goes ‘sod that’ andyou glide on. The grunt you hear as you pass a runner’s shoulder signals ‘gameon’, but as long as you’re still relaxed and in control that lovely glide pastwill take you forward.

We passed Ceredig for the second time, again he saidnothing. “Most unlike him” I thought :D but more importantly there was anothergroup of runners ahead, we were also starting to lap the backmarkers at thispoint. After the experience at Harrogate, Ijust treated them as racers to pass like any other.

The racing continued and with 800m to go, we passed Ceredigfor the last time. “Remember what your coach says, race the vest in front”. Justthe thing I needed to hear and I prepared myself of the final push to thefinish line.

As we came to the crest of the hill, I was behind a runnercalled Jonny (I’d heard Eamonn call it on the last lap). Now I realise this isincredibly geeky, but I imagined it was Johnny Mellor, and I challenged myselfto overtake him. Silly, but it worked and was a big confidence boost.

Turning into the final straight, I dithered slightly aboutwhen to push, but then realised I was already going like the clappers. I hungon for the end, willing the finish to come without being overtaken on a finalkick. I wasn’t going to stop until I was over the line and my body protestedappropriately as I was bent double at the side of the field.

Final Result – 12^th Place 19:28

Garmin Data 

I still can’t believe it, 48 second PB and a 58 second PB onthe Princes Course - a tough course. Of course, after basking in the warm glowof it, my thoughts of course turn to what would happen on a flat course?

A lot of the things that have caused me grief when racing inthe past all conspired to boost my confidence on the day, the hills didn’t seemas steep, the pace didn’t seem crazy and the racing was intense butpleasurable. My favourite quote of “If you do what you’ve always done, you’llget what you’ve always got” rang true. I changed the way I approached the raceand it paid dividends.

I think I’ve got a little bit more excited, if that’s at allpossible.