Leamington Regency 10k - 05 April 2009...

Distance: 10k (6.2 miles)

In a time of...
hh:mm:ss
00:35:05

Finishing Position: 6
Number of finishers: 1714
Putting me in the top: 0.35%

Well here it was… my first proper road race of 2009. I say 'proper' and 'road race' since I've raced numerous times off-road throughout the Winter, and also ran on the road in club races – though due to the low number of runners of similar ability, the club races are generally more of a social event where the vast majority of the event is ran alone.

Anyway, first road race of the year, and I was keen (as always) to see what I could achieve. In the weeks coming up to the event, I decided I would be happy to equal the 10k PB I'd set in the latter part of 2008 at Castle Combe, the theory being that whilst my training was more intense, it was geared a lot more towards marathon running and didn't include a huge amount of speedwork. However, as race day drew nearer, the usual "hmmm, I wonder if…" thoughts started to creep in. I began to believe a new PB should be possible, and the new question was whether I could dare dream about a sub 35minute finish time. This thought stayed with me, and I shared the thought with a few people, though maintained the primary goal was sub 36min, and ideally a new PB.

The night before an important race is always a strange one… I'm always incredibly hyperactive with nerves, but conscious that I want to be resting as much as possible – the end result is that I usually sit in front of the TV, fidgeting and generally being unbearable to be around. Ah well… c'est la vie! Eventually it's time for sleep, and having pinned my number perfectly onto my vest, I settle down to visualize the race ahead before drifting off into slumber land.
Waking early on it's business as usual; Porridge with mixed dried fruit, a large glass of water, shower, changed, then sipping on Lucozade Sport whilst trying to distract my mind from the race and any nervous thoughts. This of course doesn't happen, so I end up leaving the house slightly earlier than normal. Arriving at the start area early on, it's not long before I find familiar faces and chat the time away until there's just about enough time to squeeze in a quick warm-up before the start.

Lining up at the start, wishing good luck to fellow clubmates and then a guy starts chatting to me – I'm a bit puzzled at first as to how on earth he appears to know me?! Turns out he's seen my face via the powers of t'interweb! Obviously some people do actually read these little reports I write (best get them up to date then eh?)… Anyway, fellow Regency 10k Runner, if you read this report, hello, and I hope you got the time you were after.

Off we go… the race is underway and a nice paced stretch of pathway spreads us out, I see I'm comfortably inside the top 10 or so, and the pace is fairly steady. We head for the Newbold Comyn Golf Course and the field starts to thin a little more, I settle in behind the leading female and decide to sit on her shoulder. 1st place is well off into the distance, 2nd and 3rd place are just about in sight, then there's a small of a cluster runners just ahead. The leading female picked up the pace to catch the group; I kept the same pace and maintained the gap to those in front.

By this point we've just passed the 1km marker, though I'd completely missed it, and onto 2km. To be honest this part of the race is a little hazy in my memory, despite it only taking place yesterday (as I write this on Monday 6th April '09). All I remember is starting to close the gap to the next runner ahead as we approached the 3km marker, and then during the long gentle incline I managed to catch and just edge marginally in front of him. The long gentle incline from 3-4km seemed a lot less severe than last year – I'm not sure why, whether it was familiarity, or the fact that I was focused on closing the gap to someone.

Reaching the highest point on the course is always a nice feeling, and the downhill that followed was much appreciated – that is of course excluding the short sharp drop taking you off the golf course (back towards the 1km marker). I steadied myself on the descent whilst using gravity to assist me as best I could. Passing the Newbold Comyn Leisure Centre the Coventry Godiva club runner was now beside me having caught up.

The next section of the course along Newbold Terrace (from the leisure centre all the way down to the parade) is the most exhilarating part of the course and after running numerous winter events which have very little in the way of cheering spectators, the roaring cheer from the spectators as you run the long straight stretch of road is simply amazing, It gives me such an incredible lift which is almost impossible to describe, as if I'm running on air. I use this feeling to my advantage and effortlessly pull away from the runner who was beside me moments earlier – until of course the cheering crowds have gone, and then the increase in pace begins to take it's toll – D'oh!

Legs are starting to tire, though it's a well known feeling now, I know I can endure the discomfort for the rest of the race, as long as things don't get a huge amount worse. A sharp left turn and I cross over the river, followed by another sharp left and then a switchback sees me running underneath a bridge and another switchback sees me back on the other side of the road to where I was before all these sharp turns and switchbacks. It'd knock a good few seconds off runners' finish times if that road were closed for a short period to allow us to simply cross the road and avoid the frustrating twists – though I can appreciate the implications of having to close another road which gives access to the town centre.

A lap of Victoria Park and I'm trying to close the gap on 5th place, Stuart Hopkins, a fellow member of Kenilworth Runners, it's happening, very very slowly, INCREDIBLY slowly in fact, but the gap was starting to close a smidge. Back through the various parks and into Jephson Gardens, legs are completely spent now and hurting a lot, but I know my position is safe and that the end is less than half a mile away... and that I'll soon be able to hear the crowds which will give me a further lift.

I could feel myself grimacing as I'd came round the last few corners, hearing the encouraging voices of family members my legs became re-energised… not to the extent of 'running on air' that I experienced earlier in the race, but enough to pick up the pace in anticipation of a strong finish. I entered the finishing straight and kicked once more, I was looking for the official timing clock – I couldn’t see it! I could see the finish and crowds of spectators, but no timing clock… aha! There it was! As I came closer to the finish the clock came into sight – I had no idea what pace I'd sustained, but knew I'd ran a fairly strong race… would I make sub 35mins?

The clock read 34:57, 58, 59, nooooooooooooooooooo! I'd missed it! I came across the line overjoyed with the result. It was a shame that I wasn't able to shave off those extra few seconds, but a new PB and an admirable position left me smiling from ear to ear. Could I have run faster? Maybe, though surely if I could have, I would have? One thing's for sure, I'll be looking to improve on this time for next year.

I watched for club members, friends, and my elder brother to finish, cheering them home as best I could.

A fantastic day, but this time I won't say it's the best race ever, purely because I'd forgotten to record the bloomin' F1 Grand Prix!