Alison had selected Milton Keynes for my first 10K. The weather was not good. It was 3C but the wind chill made it feel minus a lot. And there was snow in the air. I had thought that having run a 5 mile at Marlow last summer, and doing far longer runs in training, I would not be nervous. I was OK until we entered Escape forty minutes before race time. I guess it was just seeing all the people that put me into a state.
Alison did the right thing. With twenty minutes to go, we went for a warm up. Getting running made me feel a whole lot better, and we still had time to go back in the warm for five minutes before heading to the start. The atmosphere there was quite something. We weren't too cold, and as soon as we got going, I didn't feel the cold again.
Alison did a brilliant job of pacing me round. The splits for each kilometre of the first eight were so consistent:
5 minutes 42 secs, 5.43, 5.46, 5.44, 5.51, 5.47, 6.10 and 6.00 (the last two more uphill). At that point Alison told me to leave her (she had been poorly for the last week, so not at her best) and run on. Another 6.0 with a big hill and finishing with a 5.31 got me home in 58 minutes 14 seconds. I had wanted to just break the hour (which Alison just made) so I should have stayed with her.
I was pleased with my result of 280th out of 620 runners, and first of four over 65. But this was all down to my pacer - IAWT (In Alison We Trust). A steady 8K and a blast at the finish. Roll on Maidenhead 10 Mile.
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