I love racing. Yes, after my stroke in December 2016 I thought that my racing days were over, but after having to slow down in 2017, in 2018 I am lifting the pace, a little.
In every race of the 84 that I completed, before calling a (temporary) halt in my challenge, I simply ran at my best pace from the start and tried to hold on to the finish line. I would like to say that my race pace was about seven minutes 30 per mile, but it varied according to the terrain, sometimes faster, but normally 45 minutes/46 minutes for a 10k race.
During those races, I regularly checked my watch (Garmin Forerunner) for my pace. Now I check my watch even more regularly, but for my heart rate. For the main consequence of my stroke was that my heart has to work harder when I exert myself. It has taken 18 months for me to find what I can achieve in running without (hopefully) putting too much stress on my body. This involves a slow warm up, a relatively, gentle pace for the first mile, then a gradual increase to my steady 8.30 minute race pace. I am not going to achieve any more age category wins at this pace, but I am running again and vitally, enjoying it!
At Prudhoe Riverside last Saturday part of my warm up was cycling through the Country Park to the start. This was followed by a slow warm up and a gentle start, perhaps half way down the field of runners. Keeping my pace (and heart rate) down in the first lap meant that I was able to gradually able to allow both to increase for the second and final lap.
I was being so good, keeping my usual competitive instincts under control, when who did I spot just ahead of me with half a mile to go? Yes, fellow Tynedale Harrier, Keith Robson. This is a guy who didn't just dream of living the dream, he did it, moving to the French Alps some years ago to lead an outdoor sporting life. He is now back in this country and was testing out his recovery from a knee. problem. At first I wasn't gaining on him, but with just a few hundred yards to go I realised that if I caught him as the course descended to the finish, well who knows? The image (below) shows the outcome.
So with just five races remaining in my 100 race challenge, how do I feel? Pretty good is the answer, having recorded 25.31 min. for this 5K Parkrun. Following on from a decent race at Durham (10K) just a couple of days before, I am ready for number 96 whichwill probably be the Morpeth 10K in a couple of weeks.
My thanks go to the Parkrun volunteers at Prudhoe Riverside and to my fellow Tynedale Harrriers at Prudhoe:
Adam Pratt, Lisa Tang, Willow Lloyd, Martin Bluck, Charlie Pinkney, Keith Robson,Kim Firstbrook, Liz Foster and Liz Sanderson.
Going for it at the finish - Keith Robson is in the cap
A slow start
A steady first lap
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