Afternoon
Good luck to Chick and Wabo hope all went/is going well
Yesterdays lyrics Telephone line - ELO
Southend 10km race report scroll to the bottom if you like its an epic
Been looking forward to this usually one of my highlights of the year. But its a bit hit and miss with weather a bit like the girl with the curl. Sometimes its good, very very good. Sometimes its horrid.
Thankfully this year was good, though the last week or so didn't know what to expect weatherwise this year especially with it being a seaside race
But it was a gorgous day a bit chilly as i set out but the sun came out and hardly any wind, well none that i noticed
Made my way to the start saw some familiar faces club mates and others. I had a few goals mainly a seasons best. So that was 53:41 to beat which i got at the Mel Batty 10km back in late August. Secondly i want sub 52.
The start is always slow and congested due to the numbers so expected those opening kms to be slow but hadn't anticipated how slow so figured i'd have to work damn hard if i wanted those targets and play catch up
So 5:32 and 5:42. Oh bugger. Then an army guy came past with a backpack made it look all easy, so much respect then 2 guys with him wearing vests with the Words "Go Hard or Go Home" on their back.
Right i said keep up with these fellas. A 4:40 3rd km oh shit way too fast. Oops but afterwards looking at Garmin maybe marker in wrong place or the one before but i carried on the same keep with them one of them went ahead but still had the other to keep up with. Missed the 4th km marker so garmin recorded 7:50 for that mile. Still had the guy ahead of me. Often he'd open a gap but i soon came back 2:16 to the next marker the 5km point that is 4:54 km pace. So doing well.
BUT halfway in 26:02 i thought my sub 52 min target blown but of course forget about the slow first 2 kms and i'd easily make it up in the 2nd half though at the time i didn't think that
We come to the water station the 2 guys who'd come back together by now stopped to get a drink i took advantage and moved ahead but they soon caught me and passed me and i tried to keep up again. I managed ok till the 6th km (5:15) Definitely losing it now just have to keep at it and just go for the seasons best. To add salt to the wounds the guys moved ahead and i couldn't keep up. Course kind of narrowed so less room to move about. 7th km in 4:51 (36:09) tried to do some mental arthmetic. But head couldn't do it see what i had to average the last 3km in. Wait till 8km and it will be easier it was But sod that was a 5:25km Buckle down now heard so many shouts for me/my club Dig in Right i say pass 10 people just 10 thats all nothing else so thats what i do first 3 or 4 was easy but had to dig deeper to get past then one or two pass me so do i have to add an extra couple to my 10 of course i do That km 4:52. Thats much better one more km to do its going to hurt now 500m or so later i tell myself move your arms, your legs fo quicker then work those arms. Gawd where is that turn to get to finish all them ahead are going straight ahead, ios it there no its not. Finally they turn and i an see it. Heres the grass bit Try not to ber passed but i do but crikey they come pass me like a couple of cannonballs
Finish stop watch it tells me it took 51:18 Yes so excited didn't expect that
splits
5:32
5:42
4:40
7:50 for a mile missed the 4km mark
2:16 up to the 5th km (4:54pacing) halfway 26:02
5:15
4:51
5:25
4:52
4:56
51:18
It wasn't till i got home even better. i find thats my 2nd fastest ever 10km set back in 2004. My pb was set in 2005. (49:51) But i feel confident or is it post race exuberance that sub 50 is back
