Best Of

The first km or so is on a strangely deceptive inclining grassy bank, with spells of stony stuff every so often.
The wind is also really up.

I literally can't see anyone in the whole stretch in front, and it's just me. It's pretty bleak  

I see the watch go from 5.20 to 6 to 6.20 then 6.15 and all over the place, and I've literally no idea if Dachs is machine gunning me down and I'll be overtaken by the end of this grassy bank or not. Havoc.

End of this stretch you have a steep but short little climb as you get onto proper roady path. Much better.

Half a mile or so of this, from flat to a bit of a climb. I can see a club mate, but alarmingly it doesn't feel like I'm gaining! I have a few looks to my left and can't see Dachs to my left, so I'm ok for a bit.
6.13 first mile, which is stronger than the 6.35 or so our guy in 1st put in, so I'm going ok though.

Eventually past the team mate, then the bit of the course that you forget while waiting for the straight line to the end of the field.
It takes you a left, then another sweeping left and down through a woody bit, feeling like you're going in the wrong direction to where you need to be

A nice sweep round position I can see no Dachs so for the first time I think I might see this through, as he'll have to be going some to close this over 2miles including a gently down 0.7miles coming up soon.
Mile 2 is 5.48.

Overtake a few on the rutted slightly dodgy footing of this slightly down part towards the white gates, and the glorious turn around position. The long walk is right next to this, but they don't allow us to run on that, so instead it's the rutted footing

3rd mile up at at 5.34

I get to the end of the park, which takes ages, turn around, and there's just 0.4miles to go.
Back into wind, and It feels slightly up, but I look left, no Dachs, where he is?

I'm eating into this 0.4mile to go a couple of runners not that far ahead, but they're a lap ahead, although for one second I mistook the blue of the guy in front for being the original leaders, but no chance!!

I spot Dachs, and he'll have a min to the turn around at least, let alone to me, so I'm golden.

Fight the wind, ease up a bit to make sure, and a slightly dodgy no special finish line, and duck under the rope that separates finishers from their next runner, and soooo relieved to have seen it through for us to bank 3rd.

I walk across the gangway, hand my baton to the organisers and it's a good feeling. I can vividly remember finishing the long leg here once and being down in the cud for about 30mins  

21.03 for the 3.6miles so 5.51 pace, and that has definitely been my best turnout here as until this year I'm not sure I've had anything beyond average here.

Quite stressy being 6th, and even more so when they give you a strong lead.
Although better than leading and having a small lead over a better runner, as happened twice to us in recent years.

I believe PJ had exactly the good lead scenario at this race a few years ago, albeit on the old short legs (sub 3miles?) That was in the days of long leg (5.5m), short leg (2.9m), whereas now it's much better at all medium legs.
That long leg was particularly brutal in heat and humidity, the only place since 2015 where I've almost stacked it on a race.

So 3rd place, probably had a 2min lead, and I think on chatting to Dachs he took 20or so secs out of me.
But a bum gig for Dachs, 2mins is almost impossible to take out of someone on this course, as you'd have to smash yourself on the uphill into wind, and then the guy you're chasing can take advantage of the fast middle and run in.

Decent cool down with him after, good to catch up.

But the rest of the event was a decent catch up with our teams, and posing for a few pics and picking up the now medals...as opposed to the classic dinner plates they gave out for a decade.

No problem really, as long as what they give out has the event, what position and where, that's plenty.

In keeping with tradition, we only managed to get 4 into the prize giving pic, and never had all 6 of us available to take a team pic at anyone time!

Friday was race 8 on the club champs then, the magic mile.

Last year I believe they had a 3 lapper on grass, which I dare say was interesting, but this one was a proper track job, over at Thames Valley Track.

Turned out as being 5 heats, kids race, 8.30+, sub 8.30, sub 7, sub 6.
I feared the numbers and self policing could go out of whack, but in the end it went brilliantly.

Arrived 7ish, event due to start at 7.30 and knew I wouldn't be up until 8.
A few laps warm up in road shoes to prepare, then into Nexts for the main stuff. No stipulations on shoes at this sort of club thing. Not convinced there would truly be any advantage versus proper spikes and things for proper runners anyway!

Had some fun, with the nerves rising watching the earlier heats.

A couple of Dashers' "Big 4" were there, Lee and Bayliss.  I've been within 22secs & 14 or so seconds of the former at 5miles and 5k recently, but that's with him easing back into fitness!

So a clear favourite 2, but next positions up for grabs. 2 or 3 others who could be decent though, so no given to even be 3rd.

We line up at the "9 metres from the start of a lap line" as I believe all the proper track runners like me officially call it, and it's almost time for the off.
Encouragement to a few kids and people hanging about about 3metres into the lap to please get off the track, and we're OFF!!

Chris leads us off, but I only let that stand for about 10metres before I take it on.
Nothing silly but steady.

Take that to probably 200 or 300m and Dave Lee comes past as expected. No worries, I shouldn't be leading this for too long, and if I was I'd have overcooked it!!

Through lap 1in 1.14, which takes me a few seconds to remember that has the 2seconds 9metres bit factored in, so 1.12 seems well measured.

I'm either still 2nd or narrowly 3rd through lap 2, can't remember and I vaguely clock 2.31 on my quick glance, so I'm on track for a sub 5 as the last lap will always be quicker and we still have that 2 sec thing factored in.

What I do remember feeling was a strong feeling of no chance anyone comes past me in the last 2 laps. Feeling like there's something in the locker, but not particularly coasting. A totally different feeling to Gosport where I knew I wasn't holding people off from midway.

Lap 4, an actual bell goes which was a nice touch, as it's as we all are, until the last 50m, where I put an old fashioned SG sprint in, and juuuust don't quite make up the gap to steal 2nd from Bayliss!

I'd have taken 3rd before, but when you go over literally half a body, probably his foot just over before your head you do wonder. Just needed 5metres more I think.

Finally confirmed times as 
Lee 4.53
Bayliss 4.56
Me 4.57
5.02, 5.03 for 4th and 5th, and it's amazing how they felt comfortably held off. 5 seconds over a track mile really can feel a margin.

Whether 2 seconds quicker than road sounds about right I'm not sure, but if anything it felt a slightly tactical race? Maybe out a bit less hard than on the road where it's easy to not realise you're operating a bit too hard too early? Hard to say really.

But anyway,  comfortably sub 5 is always good, and 98 club points banked.
Just need 1 more event to get the qualifying 8 in and I'll definitely be in the top 5 that get pots in March barring some insanity going on.
Have half an eye on top 5 in the age grading too, which I think might be an even better achievement, as we have a couple of V60s you have no chance of matching, as well as all the better runners than me being older   

Bus - hopefully the paddling is strengthening up the back and hammies, but at the very least its not annoying them.

Reg - shame, especially when you're in good nick. The crap thing about Tri is that mechanical failures can ruin your day. I like the idea of a redemption race, to use your fitness.

PhilipMJones said:

Simon, how is the foot going? when I have done that sort of thing I have seen that after 24/48 hours of RICE then you generally have a good idea if it is a short-term thing that you can get through or i fit is more serious and needs to be treated with a bit more respect.

Hi PMJ - Well walking down the stairs earlier it felt normal, which is quite amazing as to not being able to put any weight on it at all on Sunday/early Monday. Bruising is amazing though. Black down the side under the ankle bone, some at the base of my toes and some on the inside of tbe bone. Then lots of yellow discoloration too, above the ankle bone, probably 3-4 inches above.

So the 5k doesn't look on Saturday. Hey ho...

Strong half mara that SQ. Your shorter racing and sessions will have kept you in good nick, but you will have to start building long runs soon if you're using your GFA. Im up to 16m, but hope to build on that.

SG - do you have a cricket pitch in a park locally ? Would be a repeatable place to do sessions rather than a track. I just do any sessions or quicker stuff in my commutes, but the route is pretty lumpy.

Simon - ouch. Keep icing it and the swelling might reduce quickly.

Crikey, didn't think I'd see you back here, Dan.

Are you popping in or looking to keep yourself honest as you build towards Leeds?