Evesham Vale 10k - 10 July 2011...

Distance: 10k (6.2 miles)

In a time of...
hh:mm:ss
00:33:31

Finishing Position: 1
Number of finishers: 692
Putting me in the top: 0.14%

I had high hopes for this race... hoping for a PB and to run sub 32:30, but I knew it might be a tall order if there was no-one else to run with at the front of the field. That said, last year I was essentially running solo from 1km onwards, so I felt that assuming I ran a good race, a PB should still be doable... the course is pretty darn quick after all.

The sun was hidden behind the clouds as runners awaited the start - it would momentarily poke out from time to time to bathe all with its warming glow, and seemingly with increasing frequency as the race start neared - not what you want when trying for a PB. Once the chip timing system was set and ready for action, the race was soon started.

I was keen to enjoy a strong but steady start - and not go off too fast. Having spoken with the race organiser beforehand he suggested what times some of the other front runners were suspecting, and to that note I'd drawn the conclusion that I should be able to lead the way and that I'd quite possibly be running most of the race alone; the race win was therefore almost a forgone conclusion. Silly mistake which I've not done before, or plan to do again.

Thinking that I had nothing to do but focus on my own race and try to PB, it was with great shock that I saw another runner spring into the lead from the race start - I should've undoubtedly just ignored him and ran my own race as runners often start far too enthusiastically, but because I wasn't expecting anyone to go out so hard, it made me panic and my mind's immediate response in this state of shock was that I really needed to be ahead of this guy and thus I set off in pursuit at a hard pace. I ran behind and alongside him for the first kilometer - and he wasn't easing up. "This is about as fast as I can manage!" I thought to myself "...and he's not letting up yet...". That first mile must've been sub 5min for sure.

We continued at this intense pace through into the second kilometer and by this point I knew I'd gone out way too hard, and that I may have ruined my chances of a PB - although that wasn't such an issue at the moment - more of an issue was how I was going to beat this guy running alongside me. He looked lean, and tall, running in a sleeveless top, with reasonable muscle size and definition; he didn't appear the usual running type - but more of an avid gym-user - yet he was pushing me for everything I was worth.

2.5km in I made the extra stride to lead the way, this guy stuck rigidly to my shoulder. "My legs may not be able to go much faster than this, but I'll be damned if all that training mileage hasn't made me stronger than this guy - I'll just have to hold this pace until he drops". Legs burning, the bugger wouldn't leave me, but I reasoned with myself that if I could break him, he would fade badly and then I could take my foot off the gas if necessary. The course reached it's 90 degree turn away from the riverside and up a cobbled and stoney farmers track with a strip of grass between the two tyre tracks - the course began to climb slowly and the burning in the legs intensified.

The other guy started to edge ahead (I bloomin' hate inclines!) and I really had to work hard to stay with him, though thankfully my hard work paid off as it edged me ahead as we came past the 3km marker, and I think being on separate track (albeit only a metre or so apart), helped me break that psychological piece of elastic that kept him on my shoulder for so long. We reached the end of the farmers track and I pushed on again as we hit the tarmac, trying to increase the lead and before I knew it, he was gone... well and truly. I always try to avoid looking over my shoulder to see where the competition is, but I didn't need to, I could sense he wasn't with me, and could tell from the crowd support near 4km that there was no-one anywhere near me. I don't know whether he stopped, or just blew up really badly and dropped to a jog or what - heck... I wasn't complaining - I could finally ease off a bit before my body threw the towel in!

The rest of the race was just a case of keep pushing on as best I could - I couldn't tell whether the pace I was running was genuinely fast, or if it just felt fast because it was hurting so much. I eventually passed the 9km marker and knew that soon I'd be coming past the church/bell tower, and the rest of the course from there would be downhill or flat. I remember hearing the announcer in the distance saying that we're just coming up to XX minutes (I forget what he said, probably 32mins, but I recall thinking that I had no chance of PB'ing), I tried my best to keep pushing - maybe sub 33 was still possible.

Evidently I'd underestimated the finishing straight, and the finishing gantry came into sight - it turns out I was going to be hard pushed to match last year's time (33:32)! I approached the line in an all out sprint as the clock ticked 28...29...30... by which point the clock was out of sight and the final few strides were running blind to the clock.

Race win in the bag was very pleasing - particularly after the early struggle, but a finish time much slower than I'd hoped for was somewhat disappointing and I immediately felt frustrated with myself for going out so hard - if I'd just stuck to my plan and ran for a PB then I'd undoubtedly have beaten the second place guy by the finish line, and had a good time to boot - but in a moment of madness I made a bad decision which left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Enough being disappointed... very race is a learning experience in the world of running, and a 'bad' result is only a bad result if you don't take anything away from it. It turned out I'd beaten last years time (and course record) of 33:32 by a single second, which wasn't a huge amount, but I could take comfort in knowing that I ran an awful race (tactically), but still outperform my effort from the year before. Not only that but I now know more than ever that a race cannot be won in the first mile - however it can very easily be ruined in the first mile. Think about it logically - if you run 10seconds too slow in the first mile, that 10seconds of energy will be saved all the way through the race and most likely you could pull that 10seconds back in the final mile... set off too fast and you spend the entire rest of the race with an elevated level of lactic acid in the system, which will give a premature feeling of fatigue, and whilst you may be 10seconds ahead of schedule after mile 1, you will slow exponentially as the race progresses and will undoubtedly lose more than 10 seconds by the end of the race - there's no such thing as 'time in the bank' when it comes to racing at your limit!

A lovely prive giving and cracking event once again all round from the folk at Evesham Running Club - here's hoping I can come back next year and FINALLY get it right!