Snitterfield Snipe Six - 27 June 2010...

Distance: 5.8 miles

In a time of...
hh:mm:ss
00:32:05 Personal Best!!!

Finishing Position: 2
Number of finishers: 86
Putting me in the top: 2.32%

I had a score to settle in this race after racing it for the first time last year and came away feeling that I'd been beaten by the course, and whooped by the race winner. So one year on I decided I'd race the Snipe Six once again, but that this time I'd make an effort to prepare for it a little better. Last year the race came some 4 weeks after completing the Edinburgh Marathon - I felt I wasn't properly recovered but the course is a tough hilly one, I failed to respect it, and I was dead and buried by 3mi, in survival mode just trying to get home. I finished in 2nd place with a time of 35:05; 1min 32secs behind the winner.

This year I planned a few pre-race runs of the course. I ran it hard 3 times, and once easy. First time out I managed 32:37 in my heavy training shoes, weather was warm and humid (18-19'C), but there a mid-run shower. The second attempt was warm (22'C) and saw me clock a slower time of 33:02, the third and final time was my best attempt thanks to cooler weather - a time of 32:17 in 17'C. This got me wondering about what could be possible on race day, as whilst I felt I couldn't have pushed any harder in training, there's usually that little something more that comes out on race day. My mind settled on the thought of "If conditions are good and it's not too hot, I might be just able to sneak 32:00 or a few seconds under".

Training had been going fantastically and just over one week before the race I managed a 5mi club race in heat at 5:20/mi pace which was ran alone for the majority of the course. I was feeling great, and confident that I could achieve a good result in my upcoming target race, the Evesham 10km on 11th July. The following day I went for an easy 15 mile jog during the afternoon - and to be honest I struggled a bit. My legs felt tired and heavy. I ran an easy 5mi on the Saturday and took Sunday off as a rest day before tackling a tough session on the Monday. Monday's session was 3x 2mile @ 5:32/mi with 0.5mi easy jog recovery between each rep - I struggled a lot, my legs just didn't want to work and I couldn't push on for love nor money; rep 1 was 5:40/mi, rep 2 I just about managed the 5:32/mi target although it felt much harder than it should, and finally rep 3 was undulating and I failed to get anywhere near target pace, giving it my all I could only manage 5:52/mi. I finished that session a broken man trying to take comfort in the fact that it was "just one bad run" and knowing how hot it was outside. Tuesday and Wednesday were easy days, but the legs still felt very heavy and void of energy. Thursday's session with the club was 12x400m, I struggled from the outset to run as well as normal, and was beginning to worry, especially when my legs felt completely ruined on Friday morning. Symptoms pointed to possible overtraining, which a few people had also suggested to me, so with Sunday's race (Snipe Six) in mind, I took Friday off, and jogged 3mi very slowly on Saturday, which helped loosen my battered legs somewhat.

Waking up on Sunday my legs felt so much better than they had on Thursday/Friday - still not 100%, but a darn sight better - I needed to take confidence from this, which I did, until I looked at the thermometer. 7am and it was already 24'C... eek! Breakfast went down a treat and I made every effort to keep sipping water - I gathered my kit and headed to the race - the weather station was showing 26.9'C as I left the house. The drive down gave me chance to think, I thought about what the heat meant and what it would do to my finish times. Eventually I thought about how I'd performed in training - 33:02 on this course in 22'C heat in training, if I could get near 33:00 today I'd be doing VERY well, but I would race for position, not time, it was pointless going for a time in this heat!

During my warm up I felt strong and comfortable, albeit pouring with sweat. I felt confident that I could beat last years winner, and my overall position would be dictated by how competitive the race field was, although I'd done all I could to improve. I headed back to the car to grab my Lucozade Sport slush (I'd stuck it in the freezer) to make sure I was hydrated as best as I could be for the race start - I'd also read something about drinking an ice slush drink before the race can help cool core temperature more than cold water, and thus improve time to exhaustion, "worth a try!" I thought. I headed to the start, and just after the "5mins to race start" announcement I spotted a lean, athletic looking runner who I didn't recognize "he looks a bit fast" I said to ym good friend Pete.

The race was soon underway, and much like last year where the start was VERY fast, it started fast again this year (it is downhill, but I was literally sprinting to keep up last year). Last years winner Jack Mee took the lead and opened up a small gap - I didn't push on too much, and nobody got too far ahead; no sooner had we reached the bottom of the hill we were attacking the first climb of the day.

Despite the first challenging climb, Alex (atko) came storming past in his bright orange top "Nooooooo" I thought... "Please don't push the pace! I want a nice easy first mile!". Nevertheless I followed the crowd and started to push on myself taking the lead by the top of the hill. It seemed three of us (myself, Jack Mee, and this other runner I'd spotted at the start) were edging away from the rest and soon enough the faster guy was alongside me and we ran together.

We past the first mile marker, and with a glance at his watch the other runner was away - I've no idea what the 1mi split was, but he obviously felt it was too slow, I would've argued otherwise. He opened a gap of perhaps 10m on the next climb, which I closed on the descent that followed, briefly opening up a few metres lead before 2nd place overtook and started to establish a lead once again up the third notable climb of the day, the short descent that followed wasn't enough for me to close any kind of a gap and up the next climb (the toughest climb of the race) into Norton Lindsey the lead was 15-20m in the early stages and growing. I tried to hold on, but it increased to perhaps 30-40m by the time the ascent was complete. I had accepted in my mind that this guy was obviously quicker than me, but that I'd at least try to give him a fight.

3mi came and passed and I ran strongly through Norton Lindsey, perhaps clawing back 10-15m before grabbing a drink from the drinks station. I never normally take a drink on such a short distance, but the temperature and sun really was that intense; half went in my mouth, half went over my head. 3.75mi saw a short descent before turning left and heading back towards the finish. Past the 4mi marker I just couldn't close in on 1st place, and he was edging further ahead all the time, a glance over my shoulder and third place was nowhere to be seen.

I climbed strongly from 4.4mi to 4.6mi, and pushed on over the brow of the hill and into the long descent. My training runs had taught me that a decent portion of time could be made up or lost here depending on how well you attacked the descent. Once it was out the way we had passed the 5mi marker and there was just one long steady final climb left before a short flat section to the finish. I was worn out but I didn’t feel the course had beaten me this time and I ran strongly again up the final climb, past my supporting mother, who's cheering and support gave me a welcome boost - I entered watched first place cross the finish line in the road ahead, perhaps 200m in front of me, the final 200m felt effortless as I picked up the pace and ran strongly across the line. I had no idea of my time other than that I'd heard the timekeeper(s) shout "05" as I finished.

I congratulated the winner, and we moved out of the sun into the shade whilst chatting. Turns out this guy actually a track runner (800m) and was hoping to be at the Birmingham Alexandra this weekend for the European qualifiers but just hadn't been able to get his fitness up enough in time. I asked his time for this race, which he said something along the lines of 'around 31:40', which has drawn me to the conclusion that based on the distance I was behind him, and the timekeepers shouting "05", my time must have been 32:05.

32:05 is faster than I had ever hoped for in such hot conditions. I am delighted with the result and can't wait to tackle a fast 10km to see what I can manage (hopefully in cooler conditions too!).