City Thameslink had a big q at the ticket office and I was very unlucky. A guy with a ticket machine started selling tickets at the back of the q. I was pissed off because a guy 4 behind me tried to go next and got served, while I was moaning at him the guy after me jumped in front of me at the ticket window. Next the ticket seller guy refuses to serve me because he cannot change 10 quid. I miss the train. Ahhhhhhh.
Next one will get me to the start with minutes to run to the cricket club get my number and get back to the start. I get changed on the train (in the loo) and so that means I can run from the station to the start as soon as I get off the train.
I get there and find the number man, see Andrew Stubbs who has defected to his running club and is not running for seac. Andy McCleery arrives late and luckly I spot him and introduce him to the number man just in time.
We head off to the start and Andrew and Andy are looking pensive, they're with me at the back. There are a lot off good runners here tonight one of them observes. But I'm in the zone now with minutes to go I can feel the heart rate rise with the adrenaline begin to kick in. We're off. I decide to hold back and try to have at least one Andy ahead of me at the top of the hill to hold me back. A. Stubbs is too slow on the hill so McCleerly is the new mark 5m ahead. By half way up the hill we're level and the temptation is to race. I hold back to the top as planned and let rip at the top leaning down into the hill and letting gravity assist the acceleration. Get past plenty on this part and then at the flat the race settles down again. The section previously blocked off in April has been transformed from an unmade road to a tarmaced road which made a massive difference. I notice the first mile alert fire on the Garmin, but decide not to look.
Mile two was great. I was pushing out and enjoying responding to everyone who tried to go past. Mile two was suddenly gone and I glanced down to note the 6:30 pace. Now I was leading a group. Three of us battled out the last mile, a eton manor guy and a ravens brook school kid and I traded places several times each one of us trying to drop the others in turn.
At the last section some nutter flew past me, but as I was not sure how far to the finish I let him go and then accelerated when I could see the finish. The group ahead were too far ahead to catch, but I'd dropped the guys behind me.
Although the course was short, 2.76 I was pleased with my time of 18:10. Ave pace was 6:35 min miles with ave heart rate of 160 which I'm amazed I could hold for 3 miles. Max was 173 which ties in with my max hrt from the test we did.
Even more encouraging were the negative splits.
6:43
6:32
6:28 (ave up to get mm pace - and this very close to my magic 4min km pace goal)
Looking at the Graph I managed to get into zone five at the top of the hill and stayed there for the whole race, drifting up and ramping at the sprint finish. Nicely done, even if I say so myself.
All in all a great night, spoilt only by either someone nicking my nice top or me leaving it on the train when I got changed.
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