Gala Harriers 10k
The sun burnt off the cold and clammy fog just in time to give ideal weather for Sunday’s 127 runners of this low key race based at Gala Fairydean Football Ground in Galashiels. The start and most of the first kilometre was across the back pitches and the race finished with a lap of the main pitch – which was not in a condition to allow total football. Otherwise the course was on tarmac, two laps on largely footpaths and cycle track alongside the river, but with too many twists and turns for a detailed description – except to say there was only one very brief little hill of maybe 100m long.
For me this was a last chance for a fast race at the end of three months of “proper” training since Christmas – all of which gets put on one side from now on until October as there are too many races I want to do to allow for a training schedule. And with an ultra coming up next week, I had to fit this in alongside the necessary mileage – which meant an 18 mile run late on Friday night. So I was aware of a distinct lack of freshness in the legs whilst waiting at the start.
Maybe this was a good thing – since it meant there was no temptation to get off to a flier. I even found myself behind some rather portly folk at the beginning. I was hoping to beat 40 minutes for the first time – so was rather worried at running exactly 4 minutes for the first k. Off the grass and onto the faster tarmac I tried to increase the pace – managing all of three seconds faster for the second k. This was going to be hard. But Scott Jarvie was in sight not far ahead, and he pulled me through the next three kilometres at exactly 3:58 each – good pacing Scott! Half way and just nine seconds ahead of schedule. I lost a little ground at the water station, but was still the place behind Mr Jarvie for all of kilometre 6 (4:01), and then I had a little crisis of confidence (4:09). Up the little hill for the second time (4:05) and Scott found an extra gear to pull away. Two k to go and 6 seconds behind schedule. 4 minutes dead for kilometre 9 – still 6 seconds down, and 800 paces to go. So this would all come down to how accurate my garmin was being on the day. Back onto the grass and I couldn’t find much of a sprint. But fortunately the garmin was erring on the side of caution - according to it the race was only 9.98k long, and it said 39:48 as I crossed the finish. Such little things mark the divide between elation and despair!
Strangely my elation wasn’t tempered by the fact that I was last Porty, even though both our other entrants are in an older age category. And Scott was clearly taking things too easy since he gained 30 seconds on me in the last 2k: the coach should have words!
Times
Willie Jarvie 37:07
Scott Jarvie 39:11
Richard Dennis 39:47Report Richard Dennis
