Hounds and Hare

I caught the Hare!

I was feeling ever so sluggish and achy on the jog down to the start. I got there with plenty of time to spare. There were a few useful looking new comers at the chilly start and even more in the lobby. Downed a gel and ditched my running jacket. Popped out with 4 seconds to go - cutting it a bit fine and off I went with three cats just in font and started reeling them in from the off. Caught Aisha after about a mile, but was gobsmacked when this dude creamed past me at 6 min mile pace after a about the same. Thought about going with him for about 2 seconds and eased off to let him put some distance between us. He was looking at a map so I gave him some directions and he pulled away through horse guards. Could see the field ahead of me strung out and started closing the gap to the next bunch along the bottom of st. James' park. Coming up and out of St. James' onto the Mall I noticed the barriers were up, the lights just changed in my favour and Clive and Charlie and another were already on the other side of the road on the park side of the barriers. I went wide and cut through the road side and back in on the right of the Green Park hill. By now level with this group. Injected some pace to pull away and the look on Clive's face as I went past was inspirational. Charlie's encouragement was appreciated as I started to think about the next guys to catch. Hard work around Green Park, but kept it going and then suddenly I got across the Mall right at the Buckingham Palace end and now it was game on as some of the guys in front had not crossed yet. My gel kicked in and the heart rate stabilised and the legs stopped hurting and the runners in the distance started getting closer and closer. On the return onto Horse Guards parade I take another - go through wide - get more green lights and am getting close to a guy running in black. I'm holding his pace and trying to sneak inches on the racing line. Along embankment we pick of some more of the slower guys including the hare and I'm still not getting any closer to this guy in black. He spots Andy stuck and lights and kicks to catch, I match. Lights change and he just gets past a tour bus and I somehow get between it and the next tour bus. I'm thinking it's only a four minute rep to the finish. Go! Go! But what's this Andy and man in black are racing hard less than 800m to go and they've both kicked, again I match the new speed - but I just can't close them down. 400m out I'm thinking 2min reps - but I'm already at that speed, now it is kick for the line and I'm in red line mode all the way to the finish. Just piped Andy to the line, but couldn't catch the MIB.
32:15 - second fastest time ever for this race and that's 6:30s held for 5 miles or 8km at 4:04 min / kms so I'm getting closer to the pace I need for the magical sub 40 10km target. That's a 51 second improvement since Jan. Chuffed to bits.