Definitely a Good Friday

Good Friday - Maidenhead 10

Everyone has a favourite distance and mine is 10 miles – don`t really know why but I do.

So an early start but still a cracking way to start a long weekend, along the M4 & A404 and into the business park – so easy to find. Ample close car parking. Got there and met up with loads of folks – WTS, Excitabubble, Corona, Ruth, Sue, Jon, IC, HOD, Jock, Gymfreak, Caterpillar, RFJ.... to name just a few....let`s say it`s quite a social gathering. Maybe that`s another reason why I like this particular event plus it`s in the Berkshire Race Championships so the fast boys & girls pop make the switchbacks interesting viewing (amazingly fast)..

Anyway I forgot I would run in a 1:20:00 bus and got reminded of this whilst in the starting `grid` - moved up into position and we were off.....no, we weren`t – taking up the slack....and off we went.

So one loop, which was near enough a mile around the business park, then down and around the switchback part of the course (I love this part - yelling out names of runners coming the other way) and then back into the business park for another lap (about 3 and half miles when you emerge from the park and over the bridge again)

By this stage we had put some time into the bank, which was quite lucky as the first 3 mile markers were long – only by 0.1M at the 3 mile marker but l had learnt from pacing in the Reading Half we would prefer to be under than over the target time – we were inside the target by about 40 odd seconds so all good there. Through 5Km in an estimated 22:40 but we had dropped two passengers from the bus....we would find out later on they were closer to pacing 1:20:00 than we were – opps.

Onto the open part of the course – no protection from the wind but kept it steady and past the half way marker (5M = 38:55) and into the second half :-)

Past some rather nice houses – I will not repeat one of the comments Ruth said but it kept us busy till the 10Km point (through in an estimated 47:15). The mile markers had worked themselves out which made it easy to work out (+0.03M). Pace was easing through miles 6 & 7 – always good to ease the pace before the next section I think – still ahead thou.

I remembered from last year that there was a slow section – narrow footpath, so easy to drop the pace. Along the footpath & up into a track, passed a cheering point (thanks) and over the footpath – the only missed paced mile of the race. Just before the final mile (over the track across the field we were passed (and I hope he doesn`t mind but) by an elderly gent – fantastic stuff – I looked it up M71

Final mile push – there was no way we were going to let this one go...from the end of the field to the bridge is about half mile – I was keeping just in front. Then from the bridge / roundabout I broke it down into three part – first part towards to the corner of the business park. Second part – 90 degrees to the finish arch - getting ready of the final sprint in. Then past the final corner and into the finishing straight – pushing it harder - hearing the cheers, trying to get past our `look a like` target runner and through the line.....

And for some reason Ruth decided to rest on the floor !!!!

Mile Splits - 7:44, 7:49, 7:40, 7:55, 7:47, 7:47, 7:54, 7:56, 8:15, 7:34, 0:16 (0.05m)

Garmin time 1:18:39

Ok more under the 1:20:00 than I think Ruth had thought we would have gone, as we were recovering the others came in (1:19:48 & 1:20:07) – everyone we talked to seemed to have had a cracker of a run. Watched Corona come in with a massive PB too and then watched the prize giving.

Just as I was leaving the predicted rain came down – felt for the organisers taking down the marquee in the rain.

Next event – Frimley Park 10Km next Sunday...as part of a 10+ mile run....my final long-ish run