Race report - Ford Test track 10

Let me just start by saying that for this 10 mile race today my aim was to run in 2hours. Official time.... 2 hours 1 minute. How flipping annoying is that?!?!?

In all honesty, I could not have done any better. It was tough out there today. The wind was so strong that when ever it was in my face I was running hard just to stand still, and when I got lovely downhills the wind seemed to be blowing me back up them! There was also a very steep hill, which we lapped twice which I just had to walk up as it was strangely steep.

All in all though, the Ford test track 10 organised by St. Luke's Hospice in Basildon was a great race. I was running with a buddy from my club, Kate, who runs the same speed as me so it was great to run together and having her there at my side really kept me going when it was tough.

The first half actually passed relatively quickly, apart from a slightly soul destroying moment when we had to run past the finishing line and start the loop again! And when were being lapped at one point by the first group... Haha. Not so great, but there were some awesome runners, including my best friend's husband who finished fifth in 1 hour 1! 

It was lovely that my best friend and her little boy were there cheering on daddy (and me), as due to the looping we passed them 4 times. 

By mile 8 I was struggling but then I just started to dig in and tell myself how little I had to go. I was slowing down dramatically and dragging my feet through the final mile,  but I still managed to speed up for the last 300 metres and sprint finish.

It was nice to do a road race that was off road - being on the Ford Car test track it was great that there was no traffic. The challenges were the hairpin bends with steep camber and of course... The small matter of the high winds whipping across an enormous open ground. 

It was also nice to be twenty minutes from home. I felt very very stiff and sore all afternoon and also utterly exhausted. I think I feel more shattered this evening than when I ran my half marathon. Maybe because I didn't have the excitement and adrenaline of completing my first half. Although I finished 10 miles today I find it really hard to imagine that I could have managed another 3 miles. 

I'm very happy to be having a little long distance break now. Plenty of time to work on some short distance speed and start planning a training plan for the Royal Parks half in October.

That's for another day... For now, it's early to bed for me!

Racing again this week

On Sunday I'm running a 10 mile race.  I am feeling very laid back about it.  What's 10 miles after a half marathon!  My training has been OK, not brilliant. I ran 9.5 miles 2 weeks ago and 8 miles this weekend past. I'll be fine.  I just want to get the long distance running over with to be honest.  I'm getting fed up of my Sunday mornings being eaten up by the long slow run.  My family are also getting fed up with that too!

The 10 mile race is an interesting one - at Ford's car test track. So it should be relatively flat. And it's very close to home so that makes it easy in terms of logistics.  One lady from my running group who runs a similar pace to me is doing it too.  Also my super amazing marathon friend is running but I can't bear to think about him waiting for me at the finish line, getting cold, for an hour :-O He'll probably get a trophy.

http://testtrack10.weebly.com/

After that I want to spend the spring and summer getting back to loving my short distances, and bringing those 5k and 10k times down.  And I want to work on eating less crap so I can lose a few extra inches and pounds... long distance running makes me eat badly :(

But then....

I got a place in the Royal Parks Half Marathon, through the ballot - first time I entered!   I couldn't believe it.  It's very exciting as it's like running the London marathon, but without the whole marathon distance lol.  I'm very excited as well because my lovely running friend Michelle also got a place so we will be able to train together.   But that's not until October so I don't need to think about that for just a little while!