Saturday, October 28, 2006

CR 5k Challenge

Today Total: 10k
Week Total: 30k
Month Total: 123k
Year Total: 1464k

26.29 today = 1.29 faster than last month = still bloody slow = Ewen is pretty safe from losing our bet on who will get back underneath 23 minutes first.

When I first turned up about ten to seven the start line was deserted. Shortly afterwards Papa Luigi turned up and we wondered if we had the right day? Then within the space of a couple of minutes CR's emerged from everywhere like freedom fighters converging on secret food dump. I swear that if we had CR bandanas instead of caps Homeland Security would take an interest in us.

Having been off work yesterday with a crook tum I wasn't expecting too much today so went off 27 mins with one other guy Geoff (?). I was determined to stick to pace so let him go early as he scampered off closer to a 26 min pace.

I found 5.15 to 5.20 pace fairly comfortable but the wind was an absolute shocker during the second and third k and my mouth went all dry and gluggy (sorry not the nicest image I know) which had the run comfort indicator spiraling downwards.

About half way through the second k I recognised the twin bobbing pony tails of Bernie G and the Owl and just focussed on closing the gap.

The two ladies who went off 25 mins passed me somewhere around the 4k mark and I used them to drag me up to within a few meters of Bernie & Owly where I recouped my breath and sat put till there was about 400m to go. At that point I increased my stride length, overtook them and headed with what little energy I had left for Queen B who was marking the finish line.

For once I was amongst the first to get to the finish and could turn back and see the rest of the crowd come hurtling across the line in various stages of exhaustion - for my part I was totally spent.

The 5k back to the start was a complete horror for me - the fuel tank was reading empty and I was barely running on fumes - in fact a few times I slipped it into nuetral and just coasted (read walked). I was the last back by a long shot and most people had already left by the time I got there.

I was going to go to breaky with Uncle Dave, Papa Luigi, Owl, Colin, Benny, Gnome & TA (there may have been others - sorry if I left you out) but when I got back to my car my breathing was becoming all wheezy (wot tha?) and I decided to bail and go home - beaten but not cowed.

Next stop sub 25 :-)

10 comments:

Ellie80 said...

good run mate, i have to say that on the one occasion when I have done the run back it has been HARD!!!

i decided that i have had enough for a while of racing and getting progressively slower so went to my squad training (a brick session... doesn't that sound painful?) where i could at least use 'i've only clipped in 3 times in my life' as an excuse for being slow and unfit :)

Ewen said...

Bastard! You're 31 seconds faster than my recent best.

Neutral is my favourite gear - works well at 6 foot ;)

TD said...

Well done 2P. You set out with a goal of <27 and you achieved that, which was an even better performance considering Friday's sick tum and the tough conditions on course.

TA and the Gnome said...

Nice to send you on your way today 2P and that's a great improvement especially against that horrid wind. We did miss you at breakfast and hope you are feeling better now.

TA

Simlin said...

Top Run mate.

Horrie said...

You're heading in the right direction 2p. Sub 25 beckons.

Katie said...

Good on you 2p!!! That wind was a shocker!! It felt like I had someone on my back. great to see you.... see you next month for a sub 25 for sure!

miners said...

nice effort to get that sort of time in that sort of wind (it hit us with MAJOR force shortly after lunch, so I know what sort of conditions you must have faced!)

That <25 and then <23 won't be far away mate :)

Don Juan said...

Good work out. Those hills back to the start are deceptive, even to a garmin.
That 23 minute bet sounds like one I might be in with a chance of losing.

Steve's Stuff said...

Good run there. Saturday must have been the day for 5 k challenges all over the place (is that because it's the last Saturday of the month). As you mentioned it was cold and windy down our way as well.