Returned to the hills of Epsom Downs this weekend for the Tadworth 10 and saw some familiar faces again from DMVAC. Before the start I ran up the first 800 yards and found what I expected to be a bottleneck as it goes through a gate and some nasty big puddles I wanted to avoid. When the gun went off my strategy was to go off quick to get past the bottleneck before the crowd. As I ran down the back of the first hill towards a gate and the photos man, I was doing well and had Robert McCaffrey in my sights. Not I ever expected to keep up with him, but it felt good to be close to someone so good for a kilometre!
Shortly after this picture he was gone. I thought about pace and maintaining heartrate on the hills. Well I thought about it! Thing about HRM's is your meant to work with them to maintain a level thats sustainable or to not burn yourself out on a hill. But I don't do that! I just keep going wandering about why so many people are overtaking me.
I found myself running along hearing the same laboured breathe behind me. As it caught up with me, I looked over and thought, why can't I keep ahead of someone who sounds so laboured? So each time I would put a bit more in and get 20 yards ahead again. But ultimately he would track me down and eventually left me. I did this with a number of people on the run. The idea is that if your going to pass someone, do it positively and demoralise them. Ummmm, not quite like that in practice. They all came back at me and left me behind! This is me at around 5 miles. Ummm not looking too bad I think, a bit of pain but still going quite well.
And heres me at the end,
lots of pain and desarate to overtake the guy in front before the finish. Why? Because I'm completely sad like that! I did overtake him, ha ha, life in the old dog yet! This years Tadworth 10 was also my best so far. 1:18:35 finishing 204 out of 674. - Chuffed a PB by a minute. I think cycling and swimming helps.Next race, Watford 1/2 in Feb and then the Ballbuster in March. Now thats worrying! I need to get the number of hours training up. In an effort to do this I ran from work (Trafalgar Square) to Clapham Junction on Friday night, about 5 miles with a 12lb rucksack on my back. I must do this again. Although it feels abit 'Jack the Ripper' going through Battersea Park in the dark, very 'Victorian avec Ipod'.
