This was a timed official run by the same people who did the Delamere 10krace, only £5 so very cheap but well organised, water at 3-4 places and a gatorade at about 17 miles. Route was the old railway line Halewood to Aintree, now a forest nature reserve of sorts, 10 miles there and back
Nice bowl of pasta the night before + cheesy garlic bread...(hey works for me, don't knock it, its got me this far). Idea for me at least was to try as close as possible to marathon race conditions, equipment, sweets, hydration, etc, so try most things. Maybe not at full pace, but maybe 15-60 seconds off per mile.
I have a checklist of things before every run greater than 13 miles, like vaseline, running belt, tissues, jelly babies, clothes, things for eating/ drinking after. Currently 10-11 things on it. Now 13 :)
All fine. Forgot something major and obvious NOT on the list at this time.
Coming out of the Wallasey - Liverpool tunnel about 10-15 minutes away from home, realised I had forgotten my trusted Garmin GPS watch and heart rate strap I have used on every run. Not enough time to turn back.
This is a bit like having a car without a speedometer, you regularly check you are running the pace you want, maybe even beeped at you're running too slow or even too fast.
So a bit scary. Really did get a bit wibbly and anxious, but only for a few minutes. Ways around this and actually a good test of me/ my limits.
Running smoothly should be natural to me now with all the training, so good pace without pushing to the limit, comfortable heart rate, a bit like feeling the revs in a car at particular gears and guessing rough speed, and also using the time on my ipod every 4-5 miles, also asking anyone I passed to work out approx time per mile. Like they used to go in Olden Days. :)
Race went off at 10am, and got a decent pace going quickly, met someone with a garmin at 3-4 miles and found I was doing under 8 min miles so backed off a bit. Could still see them and 4-5 others maybe 250-400 metres ahead of me though. Very nice surroundings too, forest, old railway tunnels.
Half way, 10 miles done in 1hr 25-26 mins approx. Pretty much back on my pace. A few twinges from legs so stopped a couple of times and stretched quads & calves. Picked up pace, and got a nice speed going, gradually drew back in the 5-6 people I'd seen ahead for 7-8 miles... by 15 miles had caught up 3 of them, by 16 miles all of them and went past them.
Saw Mrs FRC at 18.5 miles giving out drinks to everyone but just after directed down the wrong route by a group of lads who switched a sign to go left not right... added on another .2 or .3 of a mile, maybe 1-2 minutes but luckily did link onto the course still.
Anyway, ended up doing the 20.2-3 odd miles in 2hrs 46m 50 seconds, so under 4 hours is looking good - remember this was fairly flat course and some big hills in Liverpool course.
Still meant I finished the second 10 miles in approx 1hr 20-21 so a negative split, faster for second half than first, something tough to do allegedly, so happy with that, I can tough it out and very competitive if someone to catch.
Refuelled with my now traditional chocolate shake (carbs & protein) and 500-1000 ml of water, and then got to West Kirby for porridge with fruit, lots of tea + water, poached eggs on toast. Job done - for now. October awaits, only 6 weeks to go now.
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