Langham 10k,
-only signed up for it about 10 days before, but we
really lack them around here, and its not a distance I would travel to race
particularly. This is the last one of
the year that I am available to do, and I wanted to get a clean sweep of pbs
before setting my sights on an even loftier marathon goal.
According to my race predictor on my garmin,
I ought to be doing a 10k in 43 something, but I am yet to run a sub 45 10k, so
thought I would pace for that, needing to stick below 7:15 pace until halfway,
and then see what I could do.
I started a bit too far back, and whilst the race was chip
timed, it didn’t have a starting mat, only a finish mat, so I lost time getting
over the start, and then battling through people, and getting stuck behind
people who were running 2 or 3 abreast-
this was a road race, and the only road closure was the start area for
about 7 minutes. The country lanes were
narrow in places, and clearly you wouldn’t want to face oncoming traffic. Despite a lengthy warm up though, by 1km, my
garmin was still saying 7:35 pace. I
didn’t want to over-egg it to catch the time up, but I did start thinking about
picking up leg speed, and being a bit more aggressive to find my space. This eventually worked, and I managed to pick
up one of my running club friends Chris, in the process.
We crossed 1 mile in 7:08. He
passed one of his friends who was going for sub-50, Chris said so was he, and I
politely informed him that we were on more like 45 minute pace. It was good to have the company, but I know
what I’m like in 10ks, I didn’t want to lose time here when I should be feeling
strong and fresh. I pushed on and Chris
came with me, which was great. It really
helped spur me on when my legs were still feeling sluggish. Second mile in 7:07 – ok, this was nice even
pacing, and definitely on track for a sub-45, assuming that the course was
accurately measured and there were no surprises (hills). But when the next mile clicked over and I looked
at my garmin again, I was on 6:40 pace, I reacted too quickly and it went to
7:30, and then I thought, clearly miles 1 and 2 were controlled enough, plus
you’ve done some bloody long runs recently, lets just risk it, and start the
push here.
Chris stayed with me, but I
lost him about half way, more from having the energy to dart around people than
anything else. He’s a very strong
runner, and I was sure he wasn’t far behind me, but I daren’t look back, and
lose my mojo. As I passed the first
water stop at 4.5k I reflected on how I used to stop for water in a 10k, but
know that as long as I’m well hydrated to start the race, it isn’t really
necessary. I would allow myself to stop
at the 7.5k one, if really needed. Mile
3 complete in 7:02; I had sped up, but not as much as I thought, but my legs
felt strong, and didn’t have that searing pain they usually have at the halfway
point of a 10k. Now was the time to push
and start chasing people- at some point I was sure I would have my usual 3rd
quarter of the race lull, so I was trying to stay strong, but it never came...
mile 4 was 6:57. Aha, there was a
reason, it was going to come in mile 5.
I was really starting to catch people here, who were capable of the
times they were running, but had gone out hard from the start so were keeping
even, or perhaps slightly slowing. I
could see 4 ladies all running very close together and this was my
motivation. I knew I would be quite high
amongst female finishers anyway, but the opportunity to pass 4 of them at this
pace could potentially put me in with a chance of getting a prize, depending on
who else had showed up to run today. I focussed on them, and by the end of the
5th mile (7:04) had passed them all, and they didn’t give any fight.
There were very few people in front and I was starting to
hurt, though it was my breathing, not my legs... this was nothing compared to
the 40kg deadlifts I had done on Tuesday,
clearly J.
During the first part of the last mile, I caught up with a
guy wearing a Colchester half marathon t-shirt (what an uncomfortable thing to
run it as its cotton, not technical). I
passed him on the inside and my pace was pretty quick – 6:30ish. I couldn’t keep it up though, and he did give
fight, which meant I had annoying heavy breathing in my right ear. I’m not sure if he sped up, or I slowed to
get that sound out of my head, but he got away.
There was barely anyone in my sights, and no women, it wasn’t far to go
now, and I completed the 6th mile in 6:51. Clearly I had started the second half push
too early, but was back now, and had some people to chase, even if they beat me
over the finish. I really don’t have
much of a kick; that said I always seem to pass men in the last 400m of a race,
who then out kick me in the last 50m, and you always wonder were they just
holding back the last 9.5km. Anyway, I
crossed the finish line with a watch time of 43:56. I didn’t place, but must have been close to
placing as the commentator said he’d lost count but clearly I was high up. When I checked the results later, my official
time was 44:06, and I was 5th lady.
Whilst pleased with a pb, I’m not sure it was the best race. A well run 10k shouldn’t have 18seconds
variation in mile split times!!
It shows
that despite improvements to my overall fitness due to running long and slow in
preparation for the ultra, it takes me a really long time to warm up to top
speed, as shown by the big negative split.
My garmin has told me I ran a 5k in 21:33 during that race,
and very interestingly, my cadence was 179.
They say elites run at 180, so I guess I’m one step away. ;-)
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