All the guys were there - and the usual banter at the start line. The horn suddenly sounded and I got a terrible start. That probably wasn't a bad thing though as it gave me a bit of time to settle into my running. There was a group of half a dozen or so at the front, and none of us were prepared to take it on running directly into the wind. At the km marker I checked my watch (3:13) and I wasn't happy with the split so I made a split second decision to drop the hammer. I took off like a scolded cat running flat-out with the benefit of some downhill sections and I immediately broke away. I ran hard up to 2km with a split of 2:49 and then there was the realisation that I still had another 3kms to go...
The third km was good ground but all gradually uphill. It felt tough going and I guess I'd paid for the huge burst in the previous km. At 3km (split 3:13) and feeling a little better I started to lift the pace again as the road flattened out. As we approached the main road there is a very nasty 200m climb up to the 4th km (3:10). From there on it's a lovely run home - downhill or flat. I really attacked the last 500m and crossed the line for the win in 15:23 with a 2:57 last km. New PB!
Some great times out there tonight - congrats must go to John and Owen who both broke 16 for the first time and I knew many people ran their quickest times of the series so well done if you clocked a new PB. I'm delighted with my own performance but I know there is still more to come. It may be time to get on the track to see if I can get close to the magical 15 minute barrier...
Here are a couple of photos - one just after the start and one of me approaching the finish:
All up 12.5kms with warm-down. A couple of beers to celebrate when I got home as you never know when a PB could be your last!
1 comment:
love the last line, great shot too, well done Matt
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