We arrived with plenty of time to register and relax a bit but at the last moment I needed to dash off to the loo and when I re-emerged they'd started! Without me! So I was running hard just to catch up with the stragglers and then the uphill struggle really started. A long slow incline stretched out ahead of me which I dutifully pounded into. As we descended into a farm I thought I might be getting in a good stride only to find another set of sharp-ish hills to get up. It was important for me to concentrate only on the moment I was in: one foot in front of the other. If I'd focused on how hard it was and how much left of the course there was still to run I may have given up. I kept at it and came out over the small heights above Royston and could see the finish line down below.
My final time was nothing to crow about but I did maintain roughly 10 minute miles. The overall route was 6.4miles and I managed a time of 62 minutes: just better than my training times probably due to other runners helping me set a pace.
Wow, that's amazing - what a fantastic achievement, I've only managed 5k as a race before. What a nightmare having to chase after them all at the beginning too :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Nicola!
ReplyDeleteI was just glad to finish without stopping...
I'll post about tomorrow's 10k soon!
When you signing up for your 10k then?
:-)
Hi, that's a good question, I will find one for the spring if I can't get there before. I think I've run out of excuses now not to !
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your other 10k too - wow that's amazing to be running that distance.
:-)