It would be nice to be sitting here writing about how I'd smashed my 10k PB and finally achieved a sub-40, but it was not to be. As a runner, you've got to accept that not everything always works out as you want it to, and it would be quite boring if it did. Goals that are too easily achieved are not worth much.
It's been 3 years since I last ran a 10k. It was 2006, and Askern was my last real effort at chasing a sub-40 time. 3 weeks after I narrowly missed out with a 40:05 at Rothwell, so whilst my form was good, I had another go. However, it didn't work out, and I missed by some margin with 41:01.
But now it's 2009, and I'm 3 years older which can't help, but on the flip-side, I've been running well all year, setting course PB's at a number of fell races, and a few people helped convince me to give a road 10k another shot. I've done very little road training, and only got back into track training at the start of the year after a long layoff. I confess, I had doubts about my ability to achieve the sustained pace I would need to break the 40 minute barrier.
The weather was better than in 2006 when it was pouring rain, tonight it was cool and overcast, but I soon worked up a sweat. I clocked my km splits (then stupidly erased them later) 3;33, 4:09, 3:55, 4:07 - all over the place! I think it was dodgy markers, as I can't have been that wildly out. At 5km I was probably under 20 minutes, although not enough. 5-6km comes the hill, and I clocked 4:27 for that one, wiping out the seconds I had in the bag from the first km. 6-7 should have been fast, but I only clocked 4:00 dead, I needed to get some back there. After that I pretty much ignored my watch and just concentrated on giving it my best effort. In the last km I was tiring, and finally crossed the line in 40:42 (unofficial).
So what can I learn? A lot I think! I've come back from a 3 year road running layoff, and with no specific training, run my 3rd fastest 10km ever, plus I beat my previous best for this course by almost 20 seconds. I think it shows me I'm in pretty good shape, and convinced me that I can break the 40-min barrier.
After the race, I rushed back to Spen and just made it in time for my 1500 debut at the track, but that's another story.
It's been 3 years since I last ran a 10k. It was 2006, and Askern was my last real effort at chasing a sub-40 time. 3 weeks after I narrowly missed out with a 40:05 at Rothwell, so whilst my form was good, I had another go. However, it didn't work out, and I missed by some margin with 41:01.
But now it's 2009, and I'm 3 years older which can't help, but on the flip-side, I've been running well all year, setting course PB's at a number of fell races, and a few people helped convince me to give a road 10k another shot. I've done very little road training, and only got back into track training at the start of the year after a long layoff. I confess, I had doubts about my ability to achieve the sustained pace I would need to break the 40 minute barrier.
The weather was better than in 2006 when it was pouring rain, tonight it was cool and overcast, but I soon worked up a sweat. I clocked my km splits (then stupidly erased them later) 3;33, 4:09, 3:55, 4:07 - all over the place! I think it was dodgy markers, as I can't have been that wildly out. At 5km I was probably under 20 minutes, although not enough. 5-6km comes the hill, and I clocked 4:27 for that one, wiping out the seconds I had in the bag from the first km. 6-7 should have been fast, but I only clocked 4:00 dead, I needed to get some back there. After that I pretty much ignored my watch and just concentrated on giving it my best effort. In the last km I was tiring, and finally crossed the line in 40:42 (unofficial).
So what can I learn? A lot I think! I've come back from a 3 year road running layoff, and with no specific training, run my 3rd fastest 10km ever, plus I beat my previous best for this course by almost 20 seconds. I think it shows me I'm in pretty good shape, and convinced me that I can break the 40-min barrier.
After the race, I rushed back to Spen and just made it in time for my 1500 debut at the track, but that's another story.
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Spen Results
108 Chris Jones M45 40:41
512 runners
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4 comments:
40seconds should be acheivable
I seem to remember the km markers were a bit wayward when I ran this race (having said that they were probably mile markers as I ran it before decimalisation).
Are you sure you ran the 3 peaks? The "hills" at Askern aren't really comparable to Ingleborough et al? After Rothwell I would say it was the flatest course I have ever run!
One step at a time - I think Gareth means minutes not seconds.
It's marked in km, but also has the miles on the same flags. The hill rises about 100ft over 3-400 metres, and it's not steep, just enough to slow you up a bit. It was really the sustained pace that was my undoing.
I think Gareth meant I could gain the 41 seconds I need to get me under 40 mins
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