Saturday 15 May: Loch Leven Half Marathon

Mileage: 15 miles

Loch Leven Half Marathon: 6th place - 1.16.00

Splits: (1) 5.34 (2) 5.33 (3) 5.37 (4) 5.45 (5) 5.43 (6) 5.28 (7) 5.41 (8) 6.05 (9) 6.01 (10) 5.36 (11) 5.55 (12) 6.00 (13) 6.10 (13.1) 45.5secs

Full Results here

All things considered I am pretty pleased with today's race result, especially as it is the first road race of the year where I haven't picked up a PB.

I ran this race last year and finished 7th in 1.18.57 and was part of the winning EAC Team. I had really enjoyed the race last year and had even got a PB, so I was keen to come back and  make sure that we successfully retained our team trophy. Over the last couple of months I had been lobbying several club members to run to give us a good chance of keeping the trophy, so at the start line there were plenty of us, which was great.

Looking through the starting list on Entry Central I knew there were quite a few good runners in the race, so I was looking forward to running in a group to help drag me round to a good time. All of the road races I have been in this year I have ran on my own with people out in front or a fair bit behind me. It's harder to find that extra bit of performance on your own and it can be a tough, mental battle to keep going and keep the pace up.  

It was sunny in Kinross, but very blustery and windy, which was quite annoying. What was more annoying was I was still  not feeling great. My week long battle with man-flu was still going on when I woke up on Saturday morning. I felt tired, lethargic, my glands were swollen and I had a sore throat. Not a good sign.

Lining up on the start line I wasn't feeling super confident, but I had already made up my mind that I would run my race as fast and as hard as I normally would for as long as I could and then deal with any ill affects when they occurred or at the end of the race.

Straight from the start a very small group of 3 quickly established themselves as the leaders and pulled away before we'd even reached half way through the first mile. Knowing the names of those runners I'd expected that. I found myself in a group of five other runners including my club mate, Graham Beal. Graham told me before the race that he was in good shape and running well, so I thought it would make sense to just fall in behind him and try and keep up with him. My intention had been to run 5.45s for the first 3 or 4 miles and then see where I was. We smashed through the first mile in 5.34! I knew it was quick, as I could feel it in my legs and chest.

I turned to the group and said "that was a bit quick" hoping they would all see sense and drop back to my pace. No one answered. I knew it was a little quicker than I wanted to go, but I didn't want to drop back and fall away from the group, as we had already opened up a gap to the next group and I was determined not to run on my own. I stuck at it. The second mile was 5.33 and I did quietly shake my head at the speed, but kept going.

Half way through the third mile I knew that I had to make a bit of a choice so I eased slightly and sure enough three of the group went ahead of me, including Graham. The fifth runner in our group had already begun to fall away and so was a few strides further back. I was a little disappointed to see Graham and another runner pull away so easily. The other breakaway, a Perth Road Runner, didn't follow them and ended up coming back to me. By the time we reached the third mile marker I was convinced that I had dropped back to 6 minute miles, such was the distance that Graham and his rival had put between us, so I was pretty surprised to see the mile time flash up as 5.37! Graham and friend must have done close to a 5.25 for that mile.

The Perth runner put on a burst of speed and I decided to let him go, as I wanted to settle into a steady sustainable pace. He quickly left me and opened up about a 10-15 second gap. I passed through the 4th mile in 5.45, exactly what I had wanted and I tried to hold the pace. At this point I was feeling pretty good and strong. I certainly wasn't feeling the effects of the fast opening miles. 

The 5th mile was a bit of climb and I actually like hills, so I decided to pick up my pace and try catch the Perth runner who was ahead of me and looked to be slowing. He was, as I caught up and went straight past him finishing the mile in 5.43 and now in 6th place. At the top of the hill the road drifted gently downwards again and still feeling good I thought I would try and put some distance between myself and the 2 runners behind me who were (based on a quick glance) about 5-10 seconds further back. It was a great mile and I cruised past the 6 mile marker in 5.28 and an overall time of 33.40 seconds - about 45 seconds quicker than I had been aiming for. I I checked my watch at about the 10k mark and realised I went through in about 34.55, an unofficial 10k PB! I was pretty pleased with that, but wondered if I was going too quick, my half way time was 36.55. The problem was (if you can call it a problem) that I was feeling really good, especially in my legs - they felt strong and fresh. My lungs felt a little heavy and my throat was sore from the man-flu, but I felt good and just kept going. I crossed mile 7 in 5.41 and got a good round of applause and encouragement from the people of Falkland village which I was just entering.

This was the part of the race I had been dreading. Mile 8 and 9 were both up hill and to make things worse it was straight into a strong head wind. The wind had been blowing us about a bit over the first 3 miles, but for miles 4-7 it had been behind us or nowhere. It was a bit soul destroying, because I could feel myself slow and I well and truly on my own now, like all the other races I have ran this year. The only thing on the plus side was that I was convinced that Graham and his rival were a little closer to me than before. I'd checked my watch at 6 miles and seen that the two of them were close to 2 minutes ahead of me. I tried to convince myself that I could catch them, but I had to run hard up the hills. Miles 8 and 9 were slow, but I knew they would be, 6.05 and 6.01. The 10th mile was undulating, but still with a strong wind into the face. It was also at this point that my lungs started to feel quite tight and wheezy and my throat was sore and dry. I had run well for so long so I decided I wasn't going to worry about it and I convinced myself that the adrenaline would take care of everything until the end of the race. I went through mile 10 in 5.36 and in an overall time of 57.19, a PB for 10 miles!

Looking ahead I knew for sure then that Graham and the other runner were definitely slowing. Graham had pulled away slightly and the guy in fifth place looked vulnerable. I knew I had a chance. I focused on them and tried to drive on. Unfortunately it was still quite hilly and the wind was not letting up at all, if anything it had got worse. I started to worry that my almost certain PB was at risk. I crossed 11 miles in 5.55, but it felt faster than that. The fifth place runner was so close now, only about 20-30 seconds ahead of me and Graham wasn't much further on. I tried to chase. My legs were starting to feel a little heavier now and my throat and lungs were sore. I crossed 12 miles in 6.00 exactly.

The last mile was pretty awful, strong winds, but more than anything else I had just run out of steam. Maybe I was finally paying for the fast start, maybe my man-flu had used up all my adrenaline, whatever the reason I just couldn't kick on. What made it worse was that I was almost within touching distance of the guy in front of me and having ran so hard over the last 6 miles to catch him I was gutted not to get up to him or even past him.

My watch bleeped a 6.10 mile at 13 (at the exact spot of the marker) and as we turned into the park and the finish straight I still thought a sprint would bring me a PB. Alas it was not to be. I crossed the line, stopping my watch at 1.15.58, 1 second off my PB. What made things worse was that later my official chip time was given as 1.16.00 - I don't know where they got that from, as I was certain that I had got under 1.16. Also my Garmin had the course long at 13.14! I know that Garmin's aren't always that reliable, but my mile reps had been bleeping at exactly the right point at every mile marker during the race including the last one at 13, so if it was long by 0.04 miles than that would have been worth 12 seconds or there abouts! Never mind.

Graham had finished 4th, 15 seconds in front of me and with Club Captain Martin Ferguson coming home in 11th place we managed to retain our team trophy holding off the challenge from the Perth Road Runners. My other team mates also did very well, particularly Niamh Devlin who was 2nd woman and Simon Adamson who finished in 81 minutes to follow-up his good time at the Chris Hoy Half in April. Seamus and James were less fortunate. Seamus suffered from bad cramps and sickness so, had to stop several times. James had been going well, but had some muscle problems in the last few miles which meant he didn't finish as strong as he wanted.

I have been known to be very self-critical after a race. I am never a 100% happy, because I am in a hurry to get quicker and faster. It's not healthy to be that self critical, especially when I have no real reason to be. In an attempt to balance this out I now, after every race, write down a list of all my positives and negatives from the race- a sort of self assessment. I find it really good for reviewing my race, making sure I stay positive, as well as ascertaining any learning points for training and future races. So here is my self assessment from yesterday's race:

Positives
1. I ran really well and fast for first 7 miles.
2. I reeled in the 2 runners in front of me and closed a 2 minute gap at halfway to a 15 and 3 second gap by the end.
3. I ran this well despite feeling a little choked with the cold and having a sore throat.
4. I was only 3 seconds off my PB on a much tougher course than where I got my PB.
5. (Most of all) I was 2 minutes and 57 seconds quicker than my time from last year.
6. I ran the last 10-11 miles of the race on my own, so had to keep myself going.
7. Got my taper right.
8. Based on the first 10 miles, in better conditions, I know I can run a sub 75minute half

Negatives
1. I ran too fast at the start
2. I caught the 2 runners in front of me, but didn't have enough to go past them
3. I didn't get a PB, but was on course for one right up until the last mile
4. I had man flu

So many more positives, than negatives - therefore I am happy with today's run!

Club mates, Dan and Jo, had been providing morale and photographic support during the race and were there at the end to cheer us all through to the finish, which was really good. They had also been to get a disposable BBQ. We set it up near the rugby pitch close to the finish and rounded off a good race with some sausages and burgers. A great way to spend a summer afternoon. We hung around for the prize giving to collect the team trophy and Niamh's second prize, some of which she used to buy us all an ice cream.

The day was finished off in Lebowskis where we celebrated with beers and burgers. I am sure there was absolutely no need for Dan, Seamus and I to end up in CC Blooms drinking alcopops, but I guess Saturday night's have got to finish off somewhere!!