With this Wednesday evening's 10km race being just down the road Dawn and I headed out to Race!!! Dawn loves this race as back in '98 she ran 38:35 her PB, while I haven't run any really fast times here it's alway nice to run hard at the end of the year...
It wasn't a big field as we gathered in the grounds of Pollsmoor Prison maybe 400+. Before we started the field honored the Late President Mr Nelson Madela with a moment silence and the National Anthem!
Then the gun set us off I got into my
running, the first 200m was into the wind and I went with the lead group
so as not to have to fight the wind, we then turned right and right
again... Tanith (Yes Tanith Maxwell who ran the marathon for SA at the 2012 Olympics!) was tucked in behind me, Lenka and Nelson were just ahead, with Rich and Byron a couple
of m behind... (was hoping to get a couple of the boys to run a good time)
3:20, fast yes, but it is an easy km as I had warmed up properly...
3:27 Lenka and Nelson still 5m ahead, I think Rich was still close behind, through the joggers path and on to km 3
3:22, I don't think we running to fast, the next couple of km have a climb out of the cycle track and a couple of turns
3:37,
we now on Firgrove and it's a long pull up, only Tanith is still with
me, we took Nelson and Lenka on the cycle track and they fell of the
pace...
3:35 5km 17:24, past the school and still climbing, I take
the turn... I'm a little naughty and find myself slowing a touch to let
Tanith stay with me. (I don't feel I could catch Nichoals and the 2nd
40+ about 50m ahead and didn't want to run alone!)
3:40, dam need to start working again...
3:32,
500m left till the turn I can feel some-one chasing us. We turn and I
tell Tanith if she wants it she needs to use the down hill to make up a
bit of time.
3:33, It's VOB's Warren Jeppi, and Lenka isn't far
off... 6:50 needed to break 35... I go for it, my pace doesn't really
change, They feed us onto the grass just before the turn back into the
prison... I find myself closing the gap on the 40+ guy... a left turn in
the prison send us up (can't call it a hill, but at the top I catch the
40+ guy, I've dropped Warren and Tanith, and Lenka didn't have the legs
to race on.
3:31 it's now 2 old men running together, I think he got
a bit of a fright seeing the 40's on my vest. We are now running into
the wind, and I am tucked in behind him... I can beat him if I can get
to the grass finish, 400m to go and I find myself lossing touch. Why is
my head week, where is the fight. We hit the grass, 200m to go... I'm
catching again, but the grass isn't really a trail and I've left to much
to catch him...
3:27 finish 3rd 40+ man in 12th place with a time of 35:10
Another 10km race under the belt number 212!!!!
You're running with elite company there - and slowing to let him keep up. Congratulations on another good race.
ReplyDeleteGood work, i remember that race from 2 years ago, into a strong and just about hanging on to Candyce and you running with her i think
ReplyDeleteThat would be it we were just talking about it, she was saying I can't run any faster, while I just said, you don't have to run faster, just hold the pace...
DeleteCongratulations on another great race! Love reading your blog - you passion always shines through!
ReplyDeleteNice run, well done! Age groups make the racing interesting again. With all the trails you do that is an impressive 10km time.
ReplyDeleteNice job on the run! And awesome to run with an Olympian! and yea I was able to squeeze work into my travel schedule during 2013 lol. 2014 will be slower, I am going to try to concentrate more on running, which will be nice.
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