Run > Race

Oh me oh my - possibly I submitted my candidacy for the BAA trophy today at the HR Winter Handicap in Lawford. Left things just too late, what with putting out the mile markers, then picking Em up and then having nowhere to park except the Venture Hall, leaving me zilcho time to get across to the start. Consequently as I legged it in the final bends to the start point at around 10:20 I was ominously presented with the remainder of Group 1 just waiting to sink their teeth into the slowers runners out in the deep tarmacc'd yonder of Lawford and its environs.

Mark R. kindly asked if I'd like to go off with him...and, if truth be told, I would love to do that...just on a bl**dy bike just so I could keep up. Usefully the Garmin was doing its 'perfect weather, clear, and yet I will still make you WAIT your time before I deign to acquire'...so I was able to use that as an excuse. So a few moments later Peter, kindly, adjusted his time to let me go off on my own in pursuit of the rapidly diminishing Mark R. After the PR the day before I was concerned purely to 'get round' in a reasonable time and was pleased to see that pace sticking to around 7:00s but such thoughts were quickly erased as, within minutes, the quiet sounds of Group 1 hooves could be heard and, lo, Steve C and Sam efficiently overtook me looking like they were out on a stroll, making 6 minute miling look effortless. Clicked through Mile 1 at sub 7, feeling ok, not brilliant, just ok. The sense of loneliness of the [middle] distance runner were soon overtaken in both senses by Rob R who looked very strong as he passed me like a Ferrari overtaking a Zimmer frame, respectful but keeping a safe distance. Brief words of encouragement were exchanged but the doppler effect probably rendered them unintelligible to Rob.

Turned left and headed for Mile2. Stevie K. was clearly baffled at my sudden promotion to the club elite - but, feeling like a gatecrasher who turns up with the 2 bottles of Blue Nun, my sense of fraudulence was replaced by the reality that I was definitely, unequivocally in last place as Graeme sailed by with that determined, easy style of his. Now I would simply be chasing Mile markers and, at the very least, I knew where they were.

Mile 2 was clearly placed too long by about 0.03m as I passed it quite late on but was pleased to see another sub7 come up. Now for the all important Mile 3 and 4 - when I fully expected to blow-up and the pace to diminish badly...marshals were brilliantly encouraging at the crossroads and then clicking through Mile 3 saw a dead straight 7 minute mile come up. Felt noticeably tired by now and the pull round to Mile 4 seemed to take ages, although I was trying very hard to hang in there - yet despite best efforts still fell back to a 7:07s pace. Gritted teeth (never a good look) and upped the pace through the farm and up the hill, checking my pace every 100m (and looked good for another sub7. Realised that a sub-35 could be in the offing so TL with Jim providing encouragement at the turn, upped the pace and sprinted into the finish to click an overall finish of 34:53 with the final mile completed in 6:50. Surprised to see anyone there but that helped a lot (thanks Eva, Colin, Claire and Peter). Pretty pleased with that time considering where I am with the training...

Avg:
Fastest: 5:15, 5:19, 6:25, 6:28, 5:50.

My predicted time was less that the reality but I haven't raced for so long it would have been difficult to estimate things...just need to keep losing the weight to allow the speed to improve.

Cheers!