Today it was Craughwell. Conditions very damp and breezy but not too cold. In fact we were a bit lucky as it had just about stopped raining by the time the race had started.
After a few kms warm-up and some strides it was race time. In speaking with Mark before the start I decided on a new strategy to take the first km out really hard. Then try and hang on. Well after rounding the first right hand bend, I put in a surge along the main road which was flat/downhill with wind behind. I had soon passed the first km in 2:55 and had opened up a gap on the field. Feeling okay.
More downhill before making a left hand turn where the course became more undulating with some uphill drags. I still felt like I was running quickly and was a little disappointed to meet the second km marker with a split of 3:12. Perhaps I was paying for my quick start?
The next couple of kms continued this trend. Undulating terrain that normally wouldn't bother you, but running into the wind made it tough. I was in the wrong mindset in that I was always looking for a quick downhill section which never really materialised. The 3rd and 4th kms passed in 3:14 and 3:11 respectively and I wasn't feeling great and was basically holding out for the finish.
I was still in PB range but couldn't find any leg speed in the last km. I gave it my all and even managed a sprint like 50m to the finish line - uphill! Time was 15:46 gun and 15:45 net. So obviously I'll take the lower of the 2 which gives me a split of 3:13 for the last km. Same time as last week - but a lot tougher in the process (probably due to the quick first km). Good to try these strategies out and win another race in the process. That's the hattrick now!
Feedback on the course compared to last week was mixed. Some people ran quicker, some slower. It was probably close to 50/50. I think a lot is to due with how you feel on the day. Initially I thought this course wasn't as quick as last week but to be honest it probably was a slightly quicker course. Not by much though. It was just that I didn't have the legs to bring it home today - that could be due to the hills I did on Saturday as I've been a little tender ever since.
A lap of the course warm-down with Owen who ran a blinder to take out 3rd place in a massive PB. All up 13km for the day.
Thoughts now turn to Saturday. The 10km is flat, and there should be plenty of competition at the pointy end to help push things along. I'm looking forward to this one.
1 comment:
Getting used to winning races cant be a bad thing! Well Done again!
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