Dedham 10k run

Ello all, well I thought I'd better write something as the races are where we see the results of the training and whether its working, but I don't feel like I have an awful lot to say, as I was really working as hard as I could on this race.  So focused on running that I didn't really see anything apart from the road and other runners.

This was a nice late starting race, at 11am, so although I woke up at a usual early time of 7am, I rolled over and went back to sleep until 8:30.  I had been worried it would be a washout, but actually it was a bright sunny, though cool, morning.  I got up and yay, I could have warm porridge.  So much easier as a pre race fuel than trying to find something cold that's easily digestible yet provides enough energy.  I had that together with a cup of tea, a cup of oj, and sipped on 500ml water with an SiS hydro tablet in it.  I felt a bit dehydrated after the couple of gin and tonics the night before.

I had to pick up my race number from race hq, so was getting a bit irate when David wasn't ready to leave when I was, as it was cutting into my warm-up, and I knew a decent warm up could make all the difference in a race this short.

Still, I wasted more time trying to figure out which queue to get into.

Is it normal to label the alphabet backwards? Or to have to go to the left of a sign to be in the right queue?  Because of the backward alphabet, I just couldn't figure out which section I would be in.

When queuing for the toilet, I realised this was the field where I started my Essex way run out to Harwich a few weeks back ( I saw the way mark on a post).  At 10:45 they started calling runners to the start- damn! I was hoping to warm up.  I had a quick run around the field before going down to the start.  At least this would hopefully be enough that I would be working aerobically at the start of the race, rather than 5 minutes in.  I saw lots of the local club runners, though not many from Colchester.  I noted there was one girl from Colchester Harriers though, and I wondered how I would do compared to her.  I lost her in the start area though.

As usual, I started a bit too far back for my intended pace, and spent the first half mile dodging people trying to get up to pace of 7:50.  At times during the first mile, the garmin said my average was7:40, but there was a steep uphill toward the end of that first mile, which tempered it a bit to 7:55.  I had to go faster if I was going to get some time in hand, as I thought I would need if I wanted a pb.  I knew the last mile was downhill, so that would help. But I also knew the course was fairly hilly.  The 2nd mile was mainly downhill, and when garmin said 7:20ish, I was scared I was overcooking it.  Bt this was my last10k for a while, and my pb was only 2 months old.  If I had any chance of breaking it, I had to push really hard! The second mile came in at 7:23.

This is where the course started to get interesting.  The hills in this course were mainly steep and longish, rather than rolling.  To add to this, there was a long section alongside a field (one of our cycle routes too) that was incredibly windy.  I still felt like over taking people but then there was a strong gust, and I decided drafting 2 taller and wider men was a better idea.  They were going 7:46 pace, so I decided to stick with them for the rest of the race.  This plan was slightly scuppered when I attempted to drink water from a cup without stopping at the halfway point.  I tried to swallow, but ended up breathing it, coughed and choked and it was dribbling down my face.  This is where David shoved the camera in my face... Great!  Those 2 men had got about 5 metres ahead now, and There was a really really steep hill! I started to have doubts and thought about walking, but then remembered its only another 5k and a walking stop would probably negate pb potential.  I was running hard anyway, so I didn't want to waste the energy expended doing a hard 10k, if I wasn't going to fight for that time.  I still had a few seconds in hand from the 7:23 mile 2, so I gritted my teeth, started breathing deeper and pumped my arms.  I managed to pass a couple of people going up that hill, but the men I had been drafting before were still well ahead.

At the 7k mark, there was another drinks station.  I could feel my breathing was getting tough and my hr was. Really high, so I thought a little walk break and some water would be a good plan.  I walked a long time before actually drinking it, as I didn't want to risk it when my breathing was so heavy.  This did give me decent energy to start running again.  Now it was about catching people.  I'm sad to say in that last 3k, I only passed 6 people and 3 passed me- one in the finish funnel.  I think that gives an idea of the quality of runners in this race- they had clearly all paced it well, so I couldn't catch them.  Still they dragged me to the finish strong, and I crossed the line in 48:05, a 97 second pb for me!  On a hilly and windy course I'm most impressed with this, and also curious what I could have done on a flatter race, or if I had carried a water bottle with me and not lost time at those drinks stations choking or walking.

Afterward David met me, and first we stuck my legs in the air to drain them a bit- I really had pushed hard as they were showing the signs of cramping I get at the end of a marathon! Then we went for a tea and scone in one of the Dedham tea rooms, whilst we waited for our car to become free of the race.

So the paces:

Mile 1: 7:55

Mile 2: 7:23

Mile 3: 7:45

Mile 4: 8:05

Mile 5: 8:01

Mile 6: 7:15

Last 0.24 - 7:08

The uneven splits are completely acceptable once you see the elevation profile:

Chip time 48:05- really happy with this as race time prediction services now suggest a 3:42 marathon time.  So I should probably be looking at faster than 8:20 pace for my half marathon next weekend.