Never ran this one before & only made aware of it only recently. I didn`t really knew too much about this one except that I could enter on the day & it was 45 mins away. I had run doubles event before - half marathons & a 10 KMs but never two HMs back to back. I would do this for more Thunder Run training than anything - a supported Long Slow Run. To be honest it was hard to get the motivation going for this one. I had easier options - club run (most of the guys I run with were at Surrey Slog), treadmill run, or go for a run later in the day.....
Got there with plenty of time - booked in, saw a couple of faces (MicknPhil chatting away, Sarah Gee checking the route). I had decided to wear my compression full legs for a change - first time I had worn them for any real distance. Went for a warm up - legs felt surprising good but it was only a mile warm up. .I guessed about 2:00 hrs (9.09 m/m or 6.6mph) would be good - I didn`t really want to see any 8:xx mile splits...
Met up with a couple of fetches (Kallywag & Footpad). Waited around for a minute or two before the big off - 10Km & HM runners starting together...
The first section is over the field = not that quick = excellent. Then turned a corner and unto a solid path. A few twists and turn - I looked up and couldn`t really believe where we were going. It was like an alpine pass - a `S` shaped route to the top. It was steep. Well at least I was dashing off! Felt for Mick at this point but from what I heard the hills ended after about a 1 1/2M
Heard the 1st mile bleep - 1 down 12 and a bit to go. I settled down quite quickly, OK I had a couple of slightly quicker than planned miles but found my rhythm well. At this stage I was running with `Too Much Water` which helped. We chatted away as the miles clicked over - I did check my garmin every so often just to be sure. It was a nice pace.
Just before Mile 6 is quite a sharp decline - too sharp for me really (One reason why I like hilly events is to practise my hill work - I`m `ok` going up but I am rubbish at going downhill (can you tell by my brilliant mile split) - I guess it was down the Munro went I got injured coming down to the finish. I make sure I don`t extend the leading foot out but it comes at a price - I lose so many places as the other runners fly past me) Of the many runners that went past was footpad - he said why...I didn`t ask anymore.
The course bottomed out and we were back on the flat. I kept the pace steady. TMW wanted to catch a breath and dropped back a bit - I had a feeling he would pass me in the later stages. Took a gel in mile 9 which was good as I found mile 10 a struggle. Stopped briefly to help out footpad and carried on. TMW came flying past.
I calculated that I would just be over 2:00 hrs - even thou I wasn`t racing I didn`t want that so I sped up a touch. It was nice that I didn`t want or need to stop - a bad habit that had crept into my recent long runs. By mile 12 I knew I had to put my foot down ever more to get a sub 2 hrs. One sharp incline left then unto the track that went around the finishing area. Unto to the grass area and through the finish.
Split Summary
====
1) - 1m - 10:15(10:15/m) - 126cal
2) - 1m - 9:44(9:44/m) - 129cal
3) - 1m - 8:46(8:46/m) - 130cal
4) - 1m - 8:50(8:50/m) - 130cal
5) - 1m - 9:01(9:01/m) - 129cal
6) - 1m - 9:11(9:11/m) - 132cal
7) - 1m - 9:09(9:09/m) - 131cal
8) - 1m - 9:07(9:07/m) - 131cal
9) - 1m - 9:10(9:10/m) - 130cal
10) - 1m - 9:29(9:29/m) - 129cal
11) - 1m - 8:51(8:51/m) - 131cal
12) - 1m - 8:51(8:51/m) - 130cal
13) - 1m - 8:17(8:17/m) - 130cal
14) - 0.14m - 1:00(7:09/m) - 19cal
Garmin time - 1:59:40....excellent
Went through into the finishing area and was awarded with the most generous goody bag which included a technical T-shirt, a huge medal, massive bottle of water, fruit, energy bars, more nibbles, pen etc and it was a start gun to finish timed event all for (a pay on the day price of)...£15.00 - so generous...I have a feeling they feel guilty about the first mile and half.....and a cup of water from TMW - thanks
Stayed to watch the prize giving - some super times....
Saw MicknPhil finish with an inspiring and had the pleasure of chatting to then for a while - giving high fives to Phil.
An incredible event - a must do event.
Weekend`s bling
Got home and checked my time and my start gun to finish time was....2:00:01 opps
Coming up - A bit of a Running Club weekend. A few of us are meeting up at the Frimley Lodge parkrun, then on Sunday it`s the club`s Ray Tapp memorial run - a 4.25M run (without any timing / HR devices) and who finishes closest to their predicted time wins. Then on Wednesday it`s the Woodland 5 and then the weekend`s Thunder Run..
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