White Horse 10k, Sandhurst, Gloucestershire, 3/04/10
(White Horse (nowhere to be seen))I’ve just about recovered from that heartsink feeling when I realised I couldn’t do the Dunbar 10km Club Race. This was catastrophic human error on my account marking it down as 10th April. Leaving the 3rd open for a family Easter in Cheltenham . After frantically trying to replan the whole of Easter (even momentarily contemplated coming back up for the race ( Realised it was 700m - Not a good idea), I resigned myself to ‘letting it go’ , and to enjoy the weekend, unpressured by the thought of championship points. As compensation I’d found another 10km race organised by Severn AC, which was on the same day as Dunbar, but at 3pm which I’m not sure is a good or bad thing, so easy on the lunch and forego any alcohol (or rather minimise consumption). This is my fourth Gloucester AAA race in as many months, in comparison to my 2 Scottish races over the same period.
Checked last year results for the White Horse 10km: a field of about 70 runners, a good chunk of these were all sub 40 times and no U/A’s. I’ve ran a Severn AC organised race before (Pilot Inn, 4 miler, Dec 09) and ‘scraped’ into the top 40%, whereas recently I’ve managed to squeeze in the top 20%. So it looks like a full on, hardcore, aggressive and fast paced race for grown ups. I’m running with Gloucestershire’s ‘Glitteratti’ – really not sure if I’m ready for this. A ‘punishing’ run seems inevitable and ‘rebellious scots they’ll crush’. Perhaps a low profile is sensible, maybe drop the warpaint? Steady on!
Gloucester AAA Clubs – Know your opposition (Spot the oddball).(SCENE – In car, somewhere in Gloucester, torrential rain, and ‘behind schedule’)
(Passenger 1) ‘I’m a spring chicken, I’m ever so small, my feathers are fluffy and they're keeping me warm, my legs are not long so I’ll never be tall, I’m a real spring chicken and I’m having a ball, chicken and a chicken and I’m having a ball.’
(Navigator) ‘I’ve never seen it so jammed before, google reckoned 13 minutes with traffic, must be the last Easter dash for chocolate eggs.’
(Driver) – ‘Do these wipers go any faster? I really can’t see out. It’s a monsoon out there, It’s global warming in middle England, remember those floods 2 years ago, and the Great and the Good were drinking out of water bowsers. Hey, its 14.35 and I have a 15.00 gun time.’
(Navigator) ‘Yes, The GPS says it’s just there, right here (on fast bypass – with no exits).’
(Driver) – (Groans)
(Passenger 1) ‘This train is bound for glory, this train, woo, woo! This train is bound for glory, this train, woo, woo! This train is bound for glory, I’m going to tell everyone my story, this train is bound for glory, woo, woo.’
(Passenger 2) – (Sighs)
Passenger 1, Driver and Passenger 2The Best Laid Plans O’ Mice and Men
As ever, I like to have a race plan. My mind is so much more enthusiastic than my body on these matters. Googling ‘how to run a fast 10k race’, resulted in a reasonable looking race plan defiantly called ‘Go-Zone Racing’ (has to be American), by a Greg McMillan. Surely a clear sign? However, reading it I could feel my body thinking that it’s going anaerobic by the first mile, and spectacularly crashing and burning in mile 6.
Pre-Race Zone(Greg) ‘The pre-race segment is unique in that it's completely psychological. During the days and hours preceding the race, the runner must convince him of success.’
(No. 71) ‘I’m a spring chicken, I’m ever so small…….’
(Marshal) ‘Right you all know the course, same as last year turn at the pylon near the Severn, then loop back, twice round Sandhurst, and back here. If you’re going to be sick, over the car park wall please. Numbers and pins back in the mauve box when finished. Bishops Finger and Old Peculiar in the White Horse on tap. Set, Go!
(No 71) Whiimpers.The Start Zone
(Greg) ‘The beginning of a race is when many runners will make PR-killing mistakes. The primary mistake is being too excited and going out too fast. This results in flaming out before the end of the race. The Go-Zone strategy suggests going out a slight bit quicker than the goal pace while maintaining control. Don't start with an emotional race.’Gimme a break, Greg!
Felt reasonable today, bit damp and soggy, but nothing more than Scotland can throw at you (and no sand in it). Big field today, maybe 100 players. The course route was chalked up in blackboard in the pub, and gave little away. So had a quick warm and joined the masses in a tight beach hedged lane, getting wetter and wetter. Let’s get this over with, before my warpaint starts to run.
Good up front position, and a good fast, but overpaced/ ‘emotional ‘, start. The first roadcone came quick with its 180 hairpin. Eased back slightly in pace and set on a quick scissor pace. Comfortable at 6.20 pace, I felt good, my minimum target pace was 6.25, so knew I’d need to pick it up later on.
Finish? - Not even mile 1 yet!No matter what I plan, I seem to run a similar race, in that I can’t keep up with the group ahead, find myself running alone for ages, never passing anyone, then I hear a group behind, which puts the fear into me, then I push ahead, seeing no-one again. If races were ice cream, this type is vanilla.
Slight variation today (vanilla with…could it be neopolitan – strawberry okay but not keen on chocolate). Mile 2 spotted a Dursley and Abington Ambler ahead, and made fair progress on them. Then that familiar noise from behind, a cacophony of rubber soles hitting wet tarmac at various paces and rhythms , how many is that? I quickly glance round.
I push with this group of six until mile 3, when we pick up the Dursely and Abingdon. Now we are nine. ‘Jump on the Bus’ I shouted in broad Scots (I read this in someone’s Alloa report and liked it – reduce, reuse, recycle). ‘How many of you are there?’ Dursely asked. ‘Loads’ I lied. Half way point - and still felt okay, so did a surging scream and went up to 6.00 pace for a bit then pulled back to see who was holding on, Dursely was there, and a Gloucester and Tewkesbury. The others were way back. So far so good.
Fairly hardball running, constantly pushing, but still felt good, as we sped through flooded ditches, decaying farmyards, manure trodden pathways in an picturesque undulating topography of Englishness. Pace got pushed up to 6.06. Rain still hard. Issued paper numbers lyingt underfoor. 77. 38. Starting to feel the pace. Hold it tight. Hold it tight.
Started to lose it a mile 4.5, and Gloucester and Teweksbury pulled ahead slowly, ‘Lets get em’ Dursely said, ‘come on’ as I tried to keep up. My Yankee pal Greg reckoned I should be sprinting for the last 1.5 miles. No chance. I could feel the strain on my lower back/ rear (which I reckon is from Alloa and overstriding in general) and it felt less painful to opt for long infrequent strides rather than short sharps. Dursley slowly drifted onwards, and I regained my breathing and went down back to aerobic. Still a decent pace. This race felt long.
Then checked my Garmin ‘five something something’ miles at 35.15 minutes. Did I read ‘five forty five’? Couldn’t really see clearly for the rain, and my eyes were stinging. Could I manage a sub forty? Suddenly game on again, and started making headway on Dursley. Quick rear check, no one in sight, push, push, push. Core muscles on fire. Sore, just sore. Breathing heavy, gone anaerobic again. Finish Line in sight, Sprint mode. ‘Number?’ . ‘ Seventy One’ I yelled.
Airborne finish as usual – Gloucester runner on the left(Passenger 1) ‘I’ve counted and you’re twenty sixth, and you’re facepaints are running and all messy’.
(Driver) ‘####, That was sore, ####### hell. (Checks Garmin) ####. 6.28 pace,####, oh, no’
(Navigator) ‘Listen to your language, and you’re soaked to the skin’.
(Passenger 2) Smiles understandingly, but simultaneously disapproving.No matter how you do it’s never enough, never fast enough. I should be delighted. It’s a new ‘faux’ PB from my previous of 46.42 minutes (May 2009). Faux in the sense it was pre-PRC, so the six and a half minutes is not really six and a half minutes.
Splits were 6.11, 6.36, 6.20, 6.35, 6.36, 6.35 and 6.09
The damage - Forty minutes and thirteen seconds. Only 14 seconds away. I so badly wanted that sub-forty. 39:59. I just don’t have it in me yet, no matter how enthusiastic I am, I’m so not there.
I could have happily done ten miles at 6.35 pace, but 6 miles at 6.20: Different ball game. Lets get the EM done and its long training runs, then refocus onto Speedwork and shorter distances. Next time, always next time. Welcome to the rest of my life.
Race Report – Ian McMillan
Photos – Thea, Beatrice and Greta McMillan
