Hyde Park 5K #2 2009

After a bit of gentle persuasion from Tim (or it may have been me persuading Tim?), decided to have a go at the 2nd Hyde Park 5K. My training seemed to have stagnated a bit so I thought this might be a bit of a test to tell me how well my recovery was going. The weather was nigh on perfect - warm, humid and still. As I arrived I met up with the ex Spen stalwart Steve Carter and we warmed up together. He's recently had a minor operation and wasn't sure what sort of shape he was in but there were several of his new colleagues from Keighley & Craven running. They were using the race as a time trial for selections for the Yorkshire Vets relay in September so he was obviously hoping for the best.

The first 1K is mostly down hill and I got off to a good start clocking 3-33. Not sure if its just me but when I do this the cup always looks half full. Rather than think I might have gone off too quick I thought that I must be feeling good and on for a good time. I've run this race quite a few times and I always play this silly game with myself. Its a 3 lap course and I always tell myself its only 2. Don't ask me why, but I always do it. By the end of the second lap I was flagging but consistently running 4 minute Ks. The 3rd lap was a real struggle and I had to work really hard to keep going. It did cross my mind to walk for a bit which I know is ridiculous but these were the negative thoughts I was fighting. I persevered and eventually got onto the flat run in for the last few hundred yards to the finish. One of the marshalls then shouted "come on Spen, they are all catching you" but I had nothing left for the "sprint" finish. 5 yards from the line someone overtook me and I was bit dismayed to see it was Steve Carter. From all his time at Spen, one of the many virtues Steve may of had, you would not have put sprint finishing amongst them!

Well done Steve, must be all that altitude training at Keighley paying off.

I finished in 19-34 which is ~15 seconds slower than my best Esholt time this year. Everyone is quick to tell me how much harder the Hyde Parks are vs Esholt so I'm prepared to believe this and convince myself I'm making progress.


PS I can't fault the new sponsors of this race, its not every race you get a bottle of beer for finishing.

PPS I haven't seen the results yet but I don't think any juniors beat me.