Knowsley Hall: Not too shabby huh?!
Having run this last year and knowing the course I was
really looking forward to it. It’s a fairly up and down course at times but
enjoyable none the less.
After Sunday Morning’s Mersey Tunnel 10k I really wanted to
try for sub 20 minutes to test out my fitness.
7.15pm sharp the race started and off I popped – the only
competitor wearing my club’s racing colours, despite there being 3 club mates
there. I was however, joined by plenty of Knowsley Harriers in contrasting red
and white horizontal striped vests; I can only presume this was a club
championship race for them.
I completed the first km in a speedy 3:51 through winding
landscape, but on a tarmac-ed path which was best of both worlds! I slowed down
for the next couple of kilometres to bring my 3km split to 12:04, so still on
track.
Rain had started to pour down, that fine stuff that gets you
really wet y’know? (Not the purple stuff – thanks Peter Kay) This was nice and
cooling, but there was to follow a 20m elevation climb in kilometre four. Not a
particularly daunting prospect but given my lack of speed and hill work
something I struggled with.
Due to this I had to pretty much kiss goodbye to my sub-20
hopes as I clocked the penultimate kilometre at 4:18 (dang).
I was a bit annoyed with myself at this point for going out ‘too
quickly’ as I was feeling the pace… Then came along a runner who decided to
over-take me, so I thought I’d use him as a pacer – he was going pretty fast
and was a fairly tall bloke, so I got in right behind him and tried to get into
his slipstream (don’t I sound technical… I probably wasn’t in his slipstream or
anything but I’ll take anything that makes me think I can run faster).
With 300 yards to go I was setting a pace to complete what would be a quick
kilometre time; was I on for my sub 20 after all? Pacer guy and I (kind of rhymes) stepped it up a notch before turning a corner to the final straight and for the last
200 yards I absolutely killed myself in the sprint finish – my watch was
counting to 20 minutes; 5 seconds to go 4 seconds to go…
I crossed the finish line…
I looked down at my watch….
20:05… DAMN!!!!
5 seconds quicker and I would’ve been sub 20 again!
Final Race stats
Time: 20:05 (The last kilometre, though a fast 3:43 wasn’t
enough to offset kilometre four’s so arsed-ness)
Garmin here
A great race, nice and relaxed atmosphere with a small
number of runners making quite an intimate, but competitive race.
Race bling:
Final notes
I’m not disappointed with my time. It would have been really
nice to get sub 20, but my fitness is where it’s at, and I need to get back
running like I was this time last year to get anywhere near my PB’s.
I’ll be taking a rest now and give the foot/lower shin problem
I’ve had for the last month a chance to recover – it, and I, needs it!
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