Well, this feels like the first opportunity I've had to sit down and blog since Harrogate 10k. I've been on work experience with Dr Martyn Speight, a cracking runner in his day, and so have struggled to even find time to train!
During this time however I've found time to reflect upon the 10k. Firstly, I am now really wanting to do another one and bring that time down to low 36. My mind is asking lots of questions; what I could have done on a flatter course, what if it wasn't windy etc. My biggest suspicion however is of the length of the course, as the map I posted last shows the course as 6.31 - 0.11 miles longer than a standard 6.2 mile 10k race. So, maybe I'm clutching at straws on that one but if it is true it could have cost me a good 30 seconds.
My preparation for the race was also very bad. Having had a variety of Mexican drinks on Friday night (!) and only birthday cake, nothing more nutritious to eat, I found myself a little low on energy on Saturday/Sunday.
These are all 'ifs and buts' but next time I may get everything right and reach the goal of 36 minutes!
Friday 30 July 2010
Sunday 25 July 2010
A good debut!
Well after a week or so's solid training, it was time to race.
I think it was mere curiosity rather than anything else which has driven me to enter a 10k. I’ve been on the look out for a local one which doesn’t cost a bomb to enter for while; Harrogate Town Centre was to fit the bill perfectly.
The course has been changed in the past couple of years to eliminate a sizeable hill in the route (typical road runners!). Still, I wasn’t to complain as the eradication of a hill would surely mean I could get a faster time.
As I lined up, the atmosphere was reasonably friendly but equally intimidating as people jostled to get to the front of the grid. Without any warning, the horn sounded and my first ever 10k was underway. I set off steady but soon got into the pace of the race and started pushing on, passing the early high flyers seemingly effortlessly. The organisers still seemed to have picked an ‘undulating route’ as we seemed to be forever gaining and losing height; there was certainly a lack of flat running. I hit the first mile marker in a time of 5:37 (!). I definitely felt as though this pace wasn’t sustainable for a further 5 miles.
It was as we neared the 3 mile mark that it became apparent that the race was 2 laps! I now started to feel the strain of the early miles which were all sub 5:50 and the tedious nature of 2 laps began to damage my psychologically. Still I fought on, up-down-up and round the houses of Harrogate.
I tried to hang on to the couple of runners in front and despite losing a little bit of ground, they didn’t get away too much. I was relieved to see the 6 mile marker; only 0.2 miles to go! All I focused on now was getting to the line and so all the pain could be relieved. As I lunged over the line, I looked at the big timer which showed 36:50. So, a pace of about 5:54 per mile over 6.2 miles.
I didn’t really know what this meant but as I had set out with a goal of 38 minutes, I couldn’t complain. Had I paced it better, I may have earned something more respectable. Still on a hilly and windy course I felt fairly satisfied, and even more so by the fact that I’d actually done my first 10k. Will this be my last? My last for a while I think! Don’t get me wrong, it was a very well organised event with a nice goody bag at the finish, but I don’t think I could pound the streets with minimal enjoyment week in week out. I’ll stick to the fells from now on, until I pluck up the madness/courage to try and beat the time I set today!
I think it was mere curiosity rather than anything else which has driven me to enter a 10k. I’ve been on the look out for a local one which doesn’t cost a bomb to enter for while; Harrogate Town Centre was to fit the bill perfectly.
The course has been changed in the past couple of years to eliminate a sizeable hill in the route (typical road runners!). Still, I wasn’t to complain as the eradication of a hill would surely mean I could get a faster time.
As I lined up, the atmosphere was reasonably friendly but equally intimidating as people jostled to get to the front of the grid. Without any warning, the horn sounded and my first ever 10k was underway. I set off steady but soon got into the pace of the race and started pushing on, passing the early high flyers seemingly effortlessly. The organisers still seemed to have picked an ‘undulating route’ as we seemed to be forever gaining and losing height; there was certainly a lack of flat running. I hit the first mile marker in a time of 5:37 (!). I definitely felt as though this pace wasn’t sustainable for a further 5 miles.
It was as we neared the 3 mile mark that it became apparent that the race was 2 laps! I now started to feel the strain of the early miles which were all sub 5:50 and the tedious nature of 2 laps began to damage my psychologically. Still I fought on, up-down-up and round the houses of Harrogate.
I tried to hang on to the couple of runners in front and despite losing a little bit of ground, they didn’t get away too much. I was relieved to see the 6 mile marker; only 0.2 miles to go! All I focused on now was getting to the line and so all the pain could be relieved. As I lunged over the line, I looked at the big timer which showed 36:50. So, a pace of about 5:54 per mile over 6.2 miles.
I didn’t really know what this meant but as I had set out with a goal of 38 minutes, I couldn’t complain. Had I paced it better, I may have earned something more respectable. Still on a hilly and windy course I felt fairly satisfied, and even more so by the fact that I’d actually done my first 10k. Will this be my last? My last for a while I think! Don’t get me wrong, it was a very well organised event with a nice goody bag at the finish, but I don’t think I could pound the streets with minimal enjoyment week in week out. I’ll stick to the fells from now on, until I pluck up the madness/courage to try and beat the time I set today!
Monday 12 July 2010
The good and the bad news.
Well firstly let's get the bad out of the way. The injury I sustained to my heel turned out to be worse than expected and it was a crack to the bone with lots of tissue damage. The good? I'm back fighting fit, training well after a 4 week layoff and ready to start blogging again!
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