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Moraghan Training - Stevie G
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Baker Hughes 10k Race Report:
This week was, of course, all about the Baker Hughes 10k. I've had mixed experiences at this event in the past. It is an overall flat course and a big event with over 3,000 runners, so it should, in theory, be a fast course. The wind can often be an issue though as you run a few kilometres along the beach front and you're never far from the coast at any point of the course. This would be my 4th time at the event and on the previous 3 outings, I've ran a PB.
First time was back in 2004, and it was my first ever 10k. One of those running for charity type affairs, with zero training, having never ran as far as 10k in my life before. It was painful. I went off way too fast at the start, paid for it through the middle of the race and found a second wind with about 3km to go and finished in a respectable 46:51.
Second time was in 2014 - I was chasing my first sub 40 and ran an agonising 40:04. It was a 14 second PB (from just the previous week) but those 5 seconds were niggling at me! The wind affected me that day as it was really strong in the final couple of km just as I was trying to push on for the sub 40.
And my third outing was in 2016. I was gunning for my first sub 37 and absolutely sure I was going to do it at Baker Hughes, given the flat course, the number of runners etc. The wind was an absolute nightmare though along the beach and in the end I got a 15 second PB of 37:26. I fell out of love with running a little bit after that one and decided to quit running 10k for a while and concentrate on shorter races only. I got the bug back a couple of months later though and I'm glad I did because I smashed my PB in November with 36:11 at Peterhead 10k!
This time was different though. I was going into this with a completely different perspective and a completely different approach. I'd decided a couple of weeks beforehand that I was going to ditch the watch and just go and race - and enjoy it. I really had no idea if I was in PB shape or even sub 37 shape, so I really wanted to take the pressure off. There were a couple of runners that I thought I'd try and go with and see what happened. Andrew Blackhall is a fast guy at our club and I've never beat him at 10k but have managed once at 5k. I've been within 20-30 seconds of him a couple of times but just not quite managed to close the gap. Another was Nicola Gauld who has a great record of winning the female race at Baker Hughes and other local races. Her PBs are quicker than mine but I managed to finish ahead of her at a 3k race last year, so thought I could try to keep up with her if I was in and around that sort of space.
I was feeling pretty relaxed as I warmed up and got ready. The one thing I'd been trying to tell myself all week was if I start to tire, not to give in. I think sometimes, I'm not hard enough on myself when racing and let the pace slip back a bit when it doesn't actually need to. That's what I reminded myself of on the start line - to stay strong. The hooter goes and we're all off like a bunch of sprinters out of the blocks (as always!). I notice clubmate Mark Brown has gone off at about the same pace as me - I've predicted a good race for him after he broke 37 minutes earlier this year and wonder if he'll finish ahead of me today. I also then notice Andrew Blackhall just ahead of me. He's a fast starter normally, so I think I've probably shot off a little too quickly, but I decide to just stick with it. I'm also just behind Peterhead legend Alan Reid. The last time I did this without a watch, I was just behind Alan Reid at the start and I ended up having a bad race...! I'm feeling pretty good though, so just stick with it. We're through 1k, 2k, 3k in no time it seems. That's a good sign. As we come onto the beachfront, Alan Reid pulls up in front of me and hobbles off - I give him an "unlucky min" on the way past - hopefully that's nothing serious.
At this point I'm running with a young AAAC runner along the beachfront. The guy must be close to 20 years younger than me...! We work our way through, catching up on the group in front of us and going past. I don't even notice the 4k marker. We're approaching the 5k drinks table and I know there's a clock at the 5k point, so I'm wondering what sort of shape we're in. As the clock comes into sight, I see it reads 15:xx. My initial reaction is to say "holy f***" out loud, but the realisation sets in fairly quickly that the clock has to be wrong. I go through in 16:10, but there's no way I've just ran 16:10 for 5k. My PB is 17:27!
Just after 5k, I start to feel the fatigue setting in a little and I'm in danger of dropping off. Just then, Fiona Brian of Metro and Nicola Gauld (who I'd noticed was conspicuous in her absence...) drew up onto my shoulder and I heard a Metro supporter shouting "be brave, Fiona". I decided to try and not get "chicked" in this race and went with them. Fiona, Nicola and then me - we worked our way through the runners, overtaking. It was obvious that Fiona was looking much stronger than Nicola at this point who seemed to be working hard not to let her go, but Fiona started to open up a gap. I decided to stay with Nicola because I was working quite hard too and Fiona was ploughing through the runners ahead - looking so strong.
Nicola and I continued to work our way through but when we got to about 7.5k, Nicola started to get away from me and a gap established. I decided to try and just maintain the gap and not let her get too far ahead. Andrew Blackhall was still just up ahead - maybe 20 seconds and he became a target too. No sign of my pal Mark though - I wondered if he was just behind me and going to charge past any second or if he'd faded. As we got to about 8.5k, I decided to push on and give it a go. I drew up alongside Nicola and cruised past her. My sights were now on Andrew ahead. I closed the gap to a few seconds as we got to about 9.5k and then there's this annoying hill that takes it out of everyone just before the final corner! He got away from me a little on the hill there and I was struggling at the top of the hill. At this point, I glanced to my right and saw a familiar sight. Jamie Ross of Deeside Runners. He has a habit of flying past me in the final km of races. Not today, Jamie. Seeing him spurred me to really push on over the top of the hill round the corner and downhill to the finish. It's a deceptively long way from there to the finish and I didn't quite have an all out sprint left in me but I pushed hard. Three runners came flying past me but I pulled one of them back before the finish. Jamie Ross hadn't gone past me but I saw he was 1 second behind in the results! Andrew was only 4 seconds ahead in the end, but I didn't quite do enough to catch him - next time! Mark faded at halfway and finished in just over 38.
My second sub 37, with a 36:53 official time. 27th place out of over 3,000 runners. Very pleased with that outing running by feel and really enjoyed the racing element of it. Turns out I went through 5k in 17:28 - just 1 second outside my 5k PB! So a massive positive split but the windy second half and the additional couple of uphills in the second half mean a positive split is probably quite normal. Maybe not a 2 minute positive split, but I think I judged it pretty well to be honest! What it does tell me is that 5k PB is there for the taking any time. There's a Peterhead 5k at the end of June, so I'll maybe get an entry in there and see if I can take a chunk off the PB!
Reg, all vouchers for Apex. Surprised me with the amounts! Very generous, but then i guess if you load 700 or so entries at £16, there's plenty to go around even with a charity donation, road closures etc. Would probably prefer a keepsake or something really, but that was a good haul. (£10 voucher from the Marlow 5 in the bank too, different shop though!)
As always, you're a guy who does well off limited running mileage, and it would be interesting to see what you could do, fully fit, with even 40-50 mile weeks. But losing the bike part of your game would be an ask,
Matt - it's one of those where afterwards you think - there was more available today. Hard not to when it's only 5secs to 2nd and 24seconds to 1st, whe averaging "Only" 5.44ish.
But with the humidity being a bit of a "reducer", no man's land for 4-5miles, plus training being more set for shorter stuff, it was fair result.
My main thought when getting ahead of 3rd was to guarantee a top 3, as i feared i'd settle in behind him and we'd both be caught! So that was bagged, and the team prize made it a great outing.
Then judge tonight whether Wargrave 5k is sensible tomorrow night, or whether it's cleverer to save it for Saturday's Masters relay
Cracking race and position, in what sounds a huge 10k field! Plenty of pals for company then!
I'd get a couple of 5ks in soon for sure.
The winner added me on FB shortly after the race, and it was his idea to get the pic of the front 3 together. I definitely don't have the hair for immediately post race photos, it gets all stringy and darn messy! Made sure i dried it out a bit for the later awards
Seems a good lad, with a few recent injury problems. Did think he had a bit of a strange gait, which may or may not be forced.
Stuart MacDougall seems to be one of those guys that adds anyone who runs. He added me on FB a while ago and I imagined he must have been a North East Scotland lad - maybe Peterhead. But think he's central belt actually and maybe has spent some time in Aberdeen at some point. He's coached by Mel Edwards according to Po10, who is Aberdeen based. Don't know Stuart at all though!!
Clearly as a SE England chap, I just clocked "Scottish", with no idea which region!
You do need that field depth when going for the pbs. That, confidence in how you've trained, the right weather and the mentality on the day to push just slightly harder than you fancy.
I'll know im back completely in race mode when i know fairly closely what splits im going for, and to keep it to that throughout.
It was weird - I felt like I was getting overtaken by the masses at times or trying to rein in a fun runner ahead of me or whatever. I wonder if these are guys that just train for 1 or 2 big events per year and as a result have gotten pretty good but no concept (or desire) to be in amongst the club scene. I looked up a guy who finished ahead of me and he doesn't even seem to be on Po10.
My Datchet vest feels heavy enough, so let alone a proper t shirt. For non club events I might well slip back down to one of my real lightweight vests.
I take "small" t shirts when handed out these days, and i must admit, even with my Datchet tent and race number on underneath it wasn't even skintight.
"Extra small please" would be a bit embarrassing to ask for as an over 6ft guy
I'd have said that after the 800, 15 minutes would have have been plenty of time to clear the lactate.
That race may have blown some cobwebs away.
Talking of cobwebs. Following on from yesterday. At the time I felt my legs were unusually fresh in the post race warm down and even the bike ride. Then I remembered the item called DOMS.
Well there you go. I wake up this morning to discover... nothing at all.
Good! I'll go and do an easy run and make it up as I go along.
And, over two hours later I decide I'd better go home in case I'm reported missing.
At 17.5 miles, it's my longest run in two years.
Clearly the 10k blew some of my own cobwebs away.
Mind you, after 20 minutes or so yesterday, I'd pretty well blown myself up, regardless of cobwebs.
No substitute for racing when going into the red zone.
🙂
Blimey Ric! That's some recovery run! For me DOMS usually hits worst on the Wednesday after a Sunday race...
CC - epic stuff, and that's just the report :-) Tidy time though. I'm often tempted to run to feel with no watch, but never quite manage it.
Simon - cracking racing there!
Extra small on you SG would be a crop top!
17.5miles the day after a 10k? That's pretty madcap Ric. 3 felt plenty in the morn, and i dare say 3 in a bit will do too!
Easier said than done Matt
Things starting to come together Reg, has the injury completely gone or can you still feel it?
5 miles toddling about in the woods for me at lunchtime. That felt like enough! Legs feeling okay though
Great run there CC, sounds like a good event, I like all the references to real people with their full names inserted. Maybe the faster guys with t-shirts are doing it to play it cool. I have to admit to being tempted to turn up to a few races in football kit to annoy Bus
SC- Cracking double, didn't mention it before because it seems to be twice a week and I feel like I am repeating myself. I am doing the European Championships for middle distance triathlon. There will be no Deanesque silverware but if I can get in the top third I'll have done ok.
Scott - The foot seems ok, it aches but I wonder if it just where the bone has repaired, I have a broken finger that still aches after 12 months plus but as I don't walk/run on it, it's not something I worry about.
SG - I am surprised you're squeezing into a small. I find I am in between medium and large, often the mediums are too small after one wash. I got my GB trisuit the other day and the large is too small, looks like I will need to get my first ever XL! I reckon if I tried to do 40-50 miles a week I'd soon up injured and cross training on the bike anyway, that's what led me to triathlon.
CC82 - Epic report, sounds like a great event too - well ran and good for getting stuck in - the last time I had to do that was the Reading half on about 10 miles, really wanted to stop tbh..
SP, Ric - Yes funny old business this recovery before races, after races etc. I would have thought I could have done 15.55 ish without the 800, but I doubt it would have been loads quicker...although I'll never know I suppose. I'm certainly going to work on longer strides (200m at least) before track races. Like Ric I sometimes feel great the day after a race - but then I have felt dead to the world too.
Strange business isn't it. For me next madcap series i'm going to the BUPA 10,000 in 2 weeks time, the 1500m at Watford on the Wednesday and that Assembly league 5k at Battersea the day after. Ave it
4 at lunch, found a tenner. Nice! If i'd have done this route but a 3, i'd have not found it! Nice.
In less good news, i managed to permanently kill my already absolutely clattered old phone. (not a guarantee the screen would move unless a severe warm up had occurred, fb messenger not working like it used to etc) so probably good news in a way!
Not as good as the £60 I found at Marlow SG (though I did have to give it back of course!)
Reg - that would only annoy me if you beat me (so almost certainly it would!)
What that lady was expecting to need £60 handy for, on a 5mile trip round Marlow i don't know.
Thanks for your comments Ric and like wise from me. SG keeps threatening to arrange a thread parkrun meet so maybe that will happen one day. Impressive recovery run if 17 miles can ever be called that! I'm like Reg after races; no way could I face a long run today. Having said that I outdid you on distance (just) but that was with the aid of a road bike. Very windy out there for cycling and glad I was mostly in the traffic free confines of Windsor Great Park.
Phil, Bus, you in for that as well? Anyone else?
Too far to drive and not nice enough to cycle for me. I look forward to hearing about the parking though.
I'd probably bottle it and get Bus or Phil to drive to Fulham though. Unlikely to be as easy.
Years back I could unleash enough energy to cause a poor nights sleep due all the lactate coursing around my system.
The calf muscle issue was usually my post half marathon prize.
I had no problems in that department yesterday. I did think that I should have put the racers on earlier to get the calves warmed right up. No matter, they didn't get strained. Then again, I've spent a lot of time strengthening them.
🙂
If I was going to Fulham, I'd most likely go by train though. Unlikely on a Saturday morning, but not entirely beyond the realms of possibility, given I've done it for one of the BP10k jobs, and the 5ks on a Monday evening....