A tough but enjoyable run!

Thanks for all your kind comments about my bad week and for helping to motivate me for today's 20 mile race at Spenborough. 

 

Despite the strong wind today it was still the best weather I've experienced at this race - previous years it's been rain, hail and snow!!

 

Today was bright and dry but windy, I had a bad start in that I forgot my wallet and house key when I set off and had to go back for them. Then when I was half way there I realised I'd forgotten my Garmin!! Too late then!

 

Once there I warmed up with a mile on the track and was feeling good. Derek from the Club was running as well as part of his London preparation. Thrace started with 400m on the track before heading out onto the roads and the hills! 

 

I set off fast with a 7:08, as most of the first mile was flat, as we climbed into the second mile I dropped to 8:16 but then picked up with 7:46 and 7:15 to 4 miles. Then a strange thing happened - I reached 5 miles in 5:57!! Now that has got to be a short mile because there was no way I ran that quick!

 

For the next 5 I tried to keep consistent with 7:32, 7:24, 7:46 then worked a long downhill in 6:59 but suffered on the next uphill with a 8:10 but I reached 10 in 74:15. The hills were beginning to hurt but the next 5 was again fairly consistent with 7:55, 7:46, 7:48, 6:57 and 7:21 to reach 15 in 1:52.

 

In the last 5 I was really hurting but still pushing for a good time - by half way I thought my target or sub 2:40 was a definite and that 2:35 might be possible but my PB for this course is 2:34:57 and I began to think I might beat that. Miles 16 and 17 went to plan with 7:53 then a slightly slower 8:10, but to mile 18 was tough but I didn't expect to see 9:24 on the watch!! That has got to be the longest mile of the race!

 

I then finished with a 7:36 and 7:21 to get to the finish in 2:32.31 and beat my PB by over 2 minutes! Derek also ran well to finish in 2:36 so we both feel like we're on track for good runs in London. 

 

The highlight of the day was obviously seeing Pete Elwick waiting for me at the track after I'd finished - Pete had done a good 18.5 miler in the morning and had stopped by to say Hi. Thanks Pete sorry I didn't have time to come up to the Club.