After having a rest week I was looking forward to this, my first race of the year and my first running race since Luton in November 2011. I was hoping that the really achy legs I had been suffering with would sort themselves out during my mini-taper and that I would enjoy the run and as it turned out, they did. Having thought about it most of the week I was hoping to run a comfortable 1.35hrs, maybe with a negative split and finish strongly. That was the plan anyway. Simon was running too, although when he came to pick me up he looked like death warmed up; he'd had a cold all week and didn't look in any fit state to run but he was going to take it steady and see how it went.
My first, and as it turned out, only problem of the day was the fact that I had lost my race number and chip, which meant I had to go and get a replacement. This in turn meant that in the results I am listed as Deborah. :-/ The only blip (by my doing) on an otherwise excellent event. And the course was really pretty. Watford hardly conjours up images of rolling fields and rose covered cottages, but it really was. The course would be described as 'sporting' or 'honest'. Uphill to halfway and downhill from then on. A few short-sharp rises and some gentle rollers. It was a really good course.
It's funny how as soon as you pin a number to your chest you're able to work harder than you previously thought possible. I deliberately didn't look at my garmin for quite a while, wanting to get myself tuned into how I felt again, rather than relying on it wholeheartedly. I wanted to get myself into an easy cruise where I was working comfortably and within myself. After a couple of miles I looked up properly for the first time as the field thinned out a bit to see one of the flag pacers just ahead and I realised he was the 1.30hrs pacer. Doh, too fast and a check of my watch showed I was running 6.50 miles. What to do? I felt really comfortable so I thought I might as well go with it and see what happens. I was overtaking quite a few fast starters and some of the people around me were working much harder than I so I presumed their wheels were going to fall off long before mine.
At halfway I was feeling it a bit and I had a mile of 7.07 as I climbed the largest hill and over the next couple of miles I began to reel in the 1.30 pacer and caught him at 9 miles. We had a quick chat, (apparently the side winds were proving tricky) before pressing on. My 'comfortably easy' pace was now becoming a 'comfortable hard' one as I got into a small group that began to push on. My 11th mile was the fastest of the race (6.11) as I broke away with another fella as we entered the park for the final coupe of miles. This fast mile took its toll and I could feel myself beginning to tie-up, although still overtaking a couple of people towards the end.
So how did I do? Well much better than I could have hoped for.
The stats are 164th/1703. 1:28:14 (1:27:56 chip time) That worked out as a 2 minute negative split. I am, as the saying goes, like a dog with two tails. I thought I might be looking at 1:31 ish on a good day but to go well under 1hr30 is well beyond what I was expecting and to do it relatively comfortably is a massive bonus. Two things to work on, however. Hills. I need to build some proper leg strength. As soon as the road kicked up I slowed more than I really should be doing. And two, pure endurance. While I was still running 6.50 miles at the end it was very hard work and I just didn't have the stamina in my legs, so it's really important I get my long runs in and address this. I am delighted, but I still have a very long way to go.
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