Perhaps this could be my only race of the year. So having recovered from my plantar fasciitis and put in lots of training, I didn't want to miss it. I kept away from people as much as possible, no hugs from some running friends we met. It was a much smaller field than two years ago, 919 runners compared with 1,321 so 30% down!
In the end I was very pleased with my result of 58 minutes and 46 seconds at a pace of 9.27. My Garmin told me (without even pressing the lap button on the way) that at 5K I was there in 28 minutes and 18 seconds, at a pace of 9.04. Well it was mainly downhill. The second half was slower, and I did feel as if I was struggling at times. 30 Minutes and 28 seconds meant this was at 9.50 pace which was not that bad.
I was first of the two men running in the 75+ age group and even first of the four in the 70+ and 75+ categories. My age grade of 65.97% compared favourably with the 66.14% exactly two years ago for the same event when I ran two minutes faster, and with two 10K's in 2017, both three and a half minutes faster with an age grade of 67.04%. Especially as I had been out for nearly three months with my heel injury.
We were very lucky with the weather, fairly mild at around 10C although still windy. I actually became too warm in the two layers, so was quite grateful for the light drizzle that started a mile before the end. The rain became much heavier on the way home and poured down all afternoon.
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