This was a new race and took place in Druid Hill Park n 16 August. It began at 6.30pm and was in the high 80s at the start line.
The first few miles went well but the heat was certainly having an effect on pace.
1. 6:40 - 173bpm avge
2. 6:58 - 176bpm avge
3. 7:09 - 172bpm avge
As is obvious, the pace declined as the effort remained the same and a few of the early hares had disappeared behind me. I was now largely running on my own with two runners in red and yellow singlets about a fifth of a mile ahead.
The course involved two double backs that we would encounter three times and gave me an opportunity to see the battle for the ladies' race about twenty seconds behind me and helped distract me from my isolation. The remainder of the course was essentially three loops of the park lake.
The pace continued to slow and stabilise, but I neither passed nor was passed by any runners.
4. 7:27- 173bpm avge
5. 7:15 - 173bpm avge
6. 7:25 - 172bpm avge
7. 7:32 - 173bpm avge
I was concerned that an effort of 92% of MHR was too much but did not feel any worse as the miles passed so resolved to stick with it.
Shortly after mile seven a runner in a green singlet passed me and initially I thought he was someone on a training run as I had not seen him before. However, as I drew level again I saw he had a race number and I let him go about fifteen feet ahead of me and had given up on him; however as I slowed he did too and that was enough to encourage me to dig in a little while longer.
Mile eight in 07:24 and we were slowly closing in on the runners in the red and yellow singlets I had given up on about four miles before!
As I closed on green singlet he put in surges that I matched every time despite the urge to give in, but his surges never lasted more that ten or twelve seconds that kept giving me motivated to maintain contact. This duel allowed us to pass the two runners in red and yellow singlets who looked like they were suffering.
Mile nine in 06:55 - less than half a mile remaining and as I reached the base of the hill that encompassed the final third of a mile I made my move and moved past green singlet on his right and surged up the hill, remaining conscious of the need to put in a good long surge of at least thirty seconds to break him. It was hurting now and a few audible grunts and groans were emanating from me but the sight of another runner kept me going and I passed him in the last couple hundred metres to finish in 01:06:48 and 11th place. I am very satisfied with this performance but would love to know what I could have done if the temperature was thirty to forty degrees less.
The ladies' race was an excellent duel between the top three with the lady in third for most of the race finishing second, the leader for the race's majority finishing third, and the girl chasing her for the majority ultimately triumphing.
