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| At the start of the Woodhall Spa 10k |
So, the day of the race came, and I was pleased that it promised to be warm and dry, but not so warm that it was uncomfortable to run in. My journey to Woodhall Spa was uneventful until about the last 1/2 mile, where the amount of traffic and the narrow roads caused tremendous traffic jams, to the extent that this last 1/2 mile took over 1/2 an hour to complete. As a result, I felt rushed and a little flustered, and I only managed to get to the starting line just before the race was due to begin. However, although I briefly considered taking it easy and just enjoying the run for its own sake, I soon dismissed that idea and was determined to "go for it", as all the reports I'd heard indicated it was a flat and quick course. I really did feel that this was the best opportunity I'd have to break 50 minutes this year.
As for the actual race, it started a few minutes late, I presume to account for people who were still struggling to park up and get there. I did not particularly find the start well organised, as there were spectators standing alongside runnners right at the start, which created even more overcrowding in an already busy race. The first couple of kilometres were therefore pretty busy, and I found myself yet again (and somewhat frustratingly) getting a slow start. I was aiming to run at just under a 5 mins per km pace, and found myself running behind the clock right from the start and although I attempted to catch up on this during the first half of the race, I never really did, and it was only in the second half that I managed to pace myself better and run at a slightly quicker tempo.
Fortunately the course was flat and fast, perhaps the flattest I've run this year. In fact I really enjoyed the course as a whole, as it went through some pretty countryside around the outskirts of Woodhall Spa, and certainly did not even come anywhere near being an "undulating" course. I also felt reasonably OK throughout the race, apart from from around the 8-9 km, where I struggled a bit. However, this was also the part where I ran quickest, so this perhaps explains why! Perhaps the best part, for me, was a "mini dual" I had with a guy towards the end of the race: he had caught me up at about the 8 km mark and then we kept on overtaking each other as we neared the end of the race. He had overtaken me (again!) as we entered Woodhall Spa, but with about 200m left, I finally overtook him: it was most satisfying to hear him groan with despair as I "sped" past him, as he clearly was not expecting me to come back at him again!
And the result? I finished with a chip time of 50:38, so a PB, but still frustratingly outside my target of under 50 mins for a 10k. So I came away with mixed feelings, pleased at gaining a PB, but sad that on such a quick course, in good conditions, I did not do any better.
However it was an enjoyable experience, and apart from the issues surrounding the car parking and the start, it was a well organised event, which was well attended and supported by the local community. It also left me with 2 very different running experiences and challenges in the space of a few days, with the hills and peace of Scotland contrasting with the flat of rural Lincolnshire. I have no doubt that my next race in my Challenge Series, the St Albans Half Marathon on Sunday, will provide me with yet another type of running experience, as this will be a much larger race in an urban setting. Then, after this, I will have a small break from racing over the summer, until the end of September, when I will renew my efforts to run in order to raise money for my charity NYAS!
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