Downton 10K

I've never raced a 10k before. In actual fact I haven't so much as run a 10k since last summer, pre-knee injury. So of course it makes perfect sense for my first 10k distance in about nine months to be a race. Not only a race either, but a tough, hilly race. I don't do things by half.


Still, with my first triathlon of the season two weeks away and a 10k on the cards, I needed to know I could do the distance. Any sensible person under these circumstances would probably just turn up, do the race, then head home for copious cups of tea and a nice relax. I however, got (very, very easily) talked into making the 10k a 'brick session'. 


My training buddies for this brick session were two ladies who are both extremely comfortable with the 10k distance, and in extremely good shape in general. The pre-run ride was a fairly fast-paced two hours (after I'd just ridden the 9 miles to meet them in the first place) so it was actually good practise for me with the triathlon coming up. We quickly changed, grabbed our race numbers and had time for a quick munch and a short warm up.


The race was hard, within the first mile we were heading up hills and even though the track was dry, it was hard going. The legs were giving up before the lungs and the last mile and a half was tough going as my calves really started to burn. 


I wanted so much to get a sub one hour time and I knew it was going to be close to the mark. The results sheet revealed a time of 1:00:01. Noooooooooooooooooo!!! I couldn't believe I was so close. At least now I have a time to beat anyway and hopefully on an easier course I'll be getting closer to that goal of 52 minutes!


Did I stop for copious cups of tea and a good rest? Nope. I ended up riding another 40 miles with a soup stop in Brockenhurst instead. As the wise Nicky Yevko said earlier today "this isn't Egg Goes Healthy, this is Egg goes bloody bonkers! She's not wrong..