Cabbage Patch 10
I really wasn’t sure what today was going to be like. I mean – I’d been concentrating on triathlon training, and riding the bike and swimming (not at the same time), with just one or two runs thrown in per week, and most of those at a fairly gentle recovery pace. I hadn’t even tapered – just taken the day before off training but ridden 50km on Friday. Somehow, after that, I’d twisted my back and was worried it was going to play up if I ran. All in all not the best preparation.
I had a target time in mind of 8 minute miles, or 1:20. To be fair, I thought this was quite an optimistic target, as I hadn’t done a ten miler at that pace for well over a year, and expected to fade badly in the last few miles and be closer to 1:25. Anyway – I positioned myself where I thought was appropriate for that pace, and suddenly we were off. Something was wrong though – the pace was way too slow, even allowing for the usual time taken for the runners to spread out. It took a minute and a half to reach the start point, and I started the Garmin.
I was clearly way below the pace I needed to stand a chance at 8 minute miles, and the road was just too crowded to weave in and out. I resigned myself to a ten mile training run, regardless of time. However, a bit further and the crowds began to thin, and I weaved just to get some clear road, as the slow pace was annoying me.
This continued for a while, and then I saw the first mile marker. I’d reached this at something like 8:30, which wasn’t great, but faster than expected given the start. I think I’d probably been running at 7 min/mile pace to achieve that, as I felt like I’d been working my socks off weaving in and out to find a way through. Still – thirty seconds down isn’t too bad – I only need to make back about three seconds a mile for the rest of the race to get under the 1:20 mark, so I pressed on. I still had to weave, but not as badly, and the two mile mark came up with my Garmin showing 7:45 pace. That’s half the time made back already! I attempted to slow a little, didn’t want to overcook it and be left with nothing later, but the pace felt comfortable and I naturally stuck at that pace. Heart rate was okay, so I went with it. A moment’s panic half a mile further along, when a driver turned right through the crowd of runners at speed (thanks!), but as we came up to Kingston Bridge, I figured I was pretty much on target – and should be pretty much bang on 24 minutes at the three mile mark.
This proved the case, and as we went through the underpass, which is a slight downhill, I felt strong. I sped up, but when I looked at my watch the pace showed eleven min/mile pace! I figured the underpass had mucked up the satellite signals, so pressed on, hoping the split would reduce, and although it did gradually, it took a while – and the distance had messed up as well – somehow 0.17 of a mile was lost in the underpass! Anyway – the watch showed I’d gained 35 seconds on my schedule in that mile, so again I tried to slow a little! The course twists a lot here, so it wasn’t hard, but I still gained on my schedule. Mile six, and I was pretty much a minute up, and by mile seven, I had a whole minute’s buffer. I could run 8:20 for the rest of the race and still come in under 1:20.
Mile eight was okay – although the route does have a very exposed bit down by the Thames, where the wind was in our faces, and I slowed noticeably. There’s a nasty climb too, up to the main road, and my pace for that mile dropped a bit. I pushed on in mile nine, but my heart rate had started to rise, so I didn’t want to overdo it. I was losing a few seconds, but I was still well on for under 1:20, and should get under 1:19 if I didn’t fade badly. I was working hard at this point, which I deserved given how little training I’d done at this distance, but in fact I think I got off lightly. We turned off the river, and through the side streets. There’s a climb in there towards the end, but before long we were back onto the main road in Twickenham. The signs said 200 yards to go, but I’m sure it was less, so started to sprint. I overtook several people, but got taken on the line by someone who had come up fast from behind. I stopped my watch at 1:18:35, official time 1:20:05.
All in all, I was very happy with that – my back hadn’t played up, my stamina had been pretty good, and while my pace wasn’t fantastic (I did 71 minute for the same race back in 2001), it wasn’t at all bad. I adjourned to the pub to get changed, order beer, and eat a hearty lunch!
I had a target time in mind of 8 minute miles, or 1:20. To be fair, I thought this was quite an optimistic target, as I hadn’t done a ten miler at that pace for well over a year, and expected to fade badly in the last few miles and be closer to 1:25. Anyway – I positioned myself where I thought was appropriate for that pace, and suddenly we were off. Something was wrong though – the pace was way too slow, even allowing for the usual time taken for the runners to spread out. It took a minute and a half to reach the start point, and I started the Garmin.
I was clearly way below the pace I needed to stand a chance at 8 minute miles, and the road was just too crowded to weave in and out. I resigned myself to a ten mile training run, regardless of time. However, a bit further and the crowds began to thin, and I weaved just to get some clear road, as the slow pace was annoying me.
This continued for a while, and then I saw the first mile marker. I’d reached this at something like 8:30, which wasn’t great, but faster than expected given the start. I think I’d probably been running at 7 min/mile pace to achieve that, as I felt like I’d been working my socks off weaving in and out to find a way through. Still – thirty seconds down isn’t too bad – I only need to make back about three seconds a mile for the rest of the race to get under the 1:20 mark, so I pressed on. I still had to weave, but not as badly, and the two mile mark came up with my Garmin showing 7:45 pace. That’s half the time made back already! I attempted to slow a little, didn’t want to overcook it and be left with nothing later, but the pace felt comfortable and I naturally stuck at that pace. Heart rate was okay, so I went with it. A moment’s panic half a mile further along, when a driver turned right through the crowd of runners at speed (thanks!), but as we came up to Kingston Bridge, I figured I was pretty much on target – and should be pretty much bang on 24 minutes at the three mile mark.
This proved the case, and as we went through the underpass, which is a slight downhill, I felt strong. I sped up, but when I looked at my watch the pace showed eleven min/mile pace! I figured the underpass had mucked up the satellite signals, so pressed on, hoping the split would reduce, and although it did gradually, it took a while – and the distance had messed up as well – somehow 0.17 of a mile was lost in the underpass! Anyway – the watch showed I’d gained 35 seconds on my schedule in that mile, so again I tried to slow a little! The course twists a lot here, so it wasn’t hard, but I still gained on my schedule. Mile six, and I was pretty much a minute up, and by mile seven, I had a whole minute’s buffer. I could run 8:20 for the rest of the race and still come in under 1:20.
Mile eight was okay – although the route does have a very exposed bit down by the Thames, where the wind was in our faces, and I slowed noticeably. There’s a nasty climb too, up to the main road, and my pace for that mile dropped a bit. I pushed on in mile nine, but my heart rate had started to rise, so I didn’t want to overdo it. I was losing a few seconds, but I was still well on for under 1:20, and should get under 1:19 if I didn’t fade badly. I was working hard at this point, which I deserved given how little training I’d done at this distance, but in fact I think I got off lightly. We turned off the river, and through the side streets. There’s a climb in there towards the end, but before long we were back onto the main road in Twickenham. The signs said 200 yards to go, but I’m sure it was less, so started to sprint. I overtook several people, but got taken on the line by someone who had come up fast from behind. I stopped my watch at 1:18:35, official time 1:20:05.
All in all, I was very happy with that – my back hadn’t played up, my stamina had been pretty good, and while my pace wasn’t fantastic (I did 71 minute for the same race back in 2001), it wasn’t at all bad. I adjourned to the pub to get changed, order beer, and eat a hearty lunch!
posted by XFR Bear @ 7:06 pm
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