OK, Stowmarket 7 race report....
I've done this event a few times, but the last was in 2008 and my PB was 50.xx so that was definitely on for improving. I wanted to go sub 49 really, and felt that was on the cards so long as I didn't go off too quick. The course is undulating, but all the uphill sections are in the second half, especially mile 5 which is all uphill and the last half mile too. So I needed a bit of time in reserve but didn't want to overcook it and die a death in the end stages. After chatting to a few people at race HQ I headed out to do a warm up - for once did a proper one with some strides and all feeling OK.
The race is always run on Remembrance Sunday so we have a 2 minute silence on the start line at 11am, then the race starts at 11.02. The weather was perfect - about 6 or 7 degrees but sunny and only a very light breeze. I'd lined up pretty near the front - working on past years results I thought I might be able to sneak a placing so wanted to check out the other ladies at the front. As the race started 3 women went off ahead of me, but I passed one of those in the first mile so knew at that point I was in 3rd.
Mile 1 is net downhill, which is good as you can get into a good pace straightaway. It was a little quick at 6.39, but I steadied from there and Mile 2 was 6.56. I was feeling good, concentrating on my breathing and just trying to relax. Mile 3 was measured short - I was doing manual laps on my Garmin and it said 0.94 miles and timed at 6.19 
. Mile 4 was another downhill, and measured long - 1.1 miles and timed at 7.23, So the average of those two was pretty much bang on my target pace, and comfortably under 7 min/mile. During Mile 4 I passed one of the women ahead of me, but my turn in 2nd place was very brief as another woman came past me and although I tried to stay with her she was really motoring and ended up about a minute ahead of me at the finish.
Then we hit the hill in Mile 5. I was just concentrating on keeping my cadence quite high and not losing too much speed. I passed quite a few people going up the hill which was nice, although a few passed me too! Mile 5 was a 7.13 so not too much time lost and still well ahead of target.
Then there are two miles to go, and we are heading back on the same route as miles 1 and 2. Mile 6 is flat, so just relaxing after the hill and picking up the pace a bit, with a 6.45. Then pushing as hard as I could for the last mile, which is net uphill - I caught the guy ahead of me and we then ran together to the end, just keeping each other going in that unspoken kind of way that runners do! Crossed the line with a 6.52 last mile and 48.07 on the clock. The race was chip timed, but as they only had a mat at the finish it was also the gun time...not really sure why they bothered with the chips, other than it saves having someone recording the finishers at the line? But to be honest it had only taken me a second to cross the start line anyway.
They started posting results up on a notice board realy quickly so my third place was confirmed. Prize was a dinky little cup and £10 cash. I was first F40 too, but it was one prize per person so only one bit of bling...can't really complain about that
So a good day at the office...next stop Norwich HM
Chick - I'm a celebtrity get me out of here (I know, it's cr*p TV 
), and Homeland
