Chip Time 40:44, Position 101
I Came, I Ran, I Ran Some More.
This race report finds me in rather a contemplative mood
after the race yesterday.
Build up wasn’t the best. Legs were properly done in after
last weekend, so I trooped into Ian’s office and emerged not actually being
able to walk properly. It’s for my own good, that what I kept telling myself.
No running for a few days recovery.
Surprisingly, Steve came along for the day. It is useful to
have someone with you, even if you are aware their main highlight is the 15 or
so seconds they see you actually racing, and the rest of the time is spent
getting progressively colder standing about. When he found out I had a space in
the elite car-park, his first words were “How did you get in here?” Nice,
although I took it with the humour that was intended. Mad Dog very kindly
separated the sub-40 (yes I know the time above – more later) so they don’t get
too held up at the start. It is an impressively well organised race. There was
a 30 min delay for the start, but as there was a sports hall to stand in, not
really a problem.
After the debacle at Ribble Valley,
I made sure I toileted early and got a proper warm-up. Ran some of the course,
noting that the wind might be tough on the way back and got some strides in. It
actually felt good to be racing. My Achilles wasn’t hurting and I was well
rested during the week. In hindsight maybe too rested as I’d only managed to
get out on the Thursday after Ian’s Pain-fest Physio Session on Monday night. I
was as ready as I was going to be.
I knew that if I held
Threshold Pace I would be on about the 40 minute mark. The race started and off
we all went. As in Bristol,
I locked into myself, trying to ignore the people around me. We turned onto the
coast road and I knew it was a good 2 ½ miles to the turning point. There was
lots of too-ing and fro-ing about me. The pace had been quite quick off the
start but I wasn’t going to take notice until my Garmin clocked the first mile
split. *beep* “6:09 ” Hmm that’s a bit fast. I knew I would need to relax and
get into the flow so I gave myself a full body check (Achilles wasn’t hurting)
and relaxed into the race. There was a variety of music on the course which was
really good, the drummers especially. Mile 2 *beep* “6:26” Now that was spot on
and I felt a huge relief. I was feeling really good, working yet relaxed at the
same time. If someone overtook me, good luck to them, I wasn’t going to get in
the habit of running their race.
The turning point came and into the wind we went. It was a bit
of a shock, but I knew the effort level was going to increase. I was determined
not to look at the mile 3 split, as that would b e a rough 5k time. I
remembered last year, when I 5K PBd in the race and panic knocked me for 6.
(post race update -.hmm, was around current 5k PB pace)
What happened next can only be described as a minor in-race fuckup.
We approached the water station where they were holding out bottles of water. I
grabbed one to douse myself, only the particular one the marshal had given me
still had its top on. I’m not going to rant because these things happen, but it
then took a few seconds of fucking about to get the top off and get back on the
race. The advertised bottle collectors didn’t seem to be there either. I didn’t
want to just chuck a bottle all over the nice promenade and eventually found a
bin to sling it in (and missed, but I wasn’t going to go back for it)
For the next mile or so I was conscious that a runner next
to me was trying to race me, although you could tell from her breathing that
she was working very hard, also a pack of Runners from Royston came steaming
through. In hindsight, I should have got on their tail and went with them, but
my whole philosophy of the day was “Don’t do anything silly” so I stuck to what
I was doing.
I kept this control right to the end, although turning into
the final straight, the wind was brutal! A club mate Steve Mc had been sitting
behind me and used that moment to pounce and drive past me. I tried to respond,
but the wind was knocking stuffing out of me. I hung on for grim death to the
finish.
Initially gutted at the time, I was sure it was going to be
my sub-40 race, although that feeling past very quickly.
Actually, I did
everything I could that day and raced as well as I could. Without trying to
make up a list of excuses, its been a tough few weeks and I couldn’t have done
anything else. I actually really enjoyed it and learnt a hell of a lot. As I’ve
said my aim was to keep everything under control, not go mad like at Wesham and
not run someone else’s race as at Ribble Valley. In that respect, as I kept
everything under firm control, to get within 3 seconds of my PB is a bit of a
coup. Was also able to do a good hour’s steady run afterwards with a negative
split on the out-and-back.
Maybe in future, I need to let loose a little madness in the
shorter races and go for the kill in the second half. I now know I can run a
steady, controlled 40min 10K and I’ve sniffed blood.
You’re now looking at one Mad Dog.
Woof *snarl*
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