Gunn Runners 5km

Down in Melbourne today and given it's a Tuesday then I also get to run with the Gunn Runners tonight!

A pretty cool idea run by Fitzcameron from CR and hosted from a pub (more of that later!). Tonight is the first of the daylight saving run which means a lap around Albert Park lake, where they hold the Aussie F! GP, plus a little bit for 5km. A very flat course but it seems you always get a headwind from either the north /south. Also it is mostly on a crushed rock type surface which seems a little slow.

Despite the niggle I loaded up the GPS so I could try and run as even as pace as possible with the goal to do a sub 20 min time. Last run here was a 21.xx on a cold night with a howling northerly to run into for the last 500m.

These guys are pretty informal and when the start horn went off I had to dodge past a few slower people who stationed themselves right at the front! Anyway one guy shot off and I settled straight into my target pace about 4th/5th. As each of the guys in front started to slow I just kept the pace going until at the 1km point I was running just off the shoulder of the guy in second while the leader was slowly pulling away. Stayed that way for the next km until we hit the headwind where the guy in front started to slow so I went around him. On target at 3km but still has another km of headwind which hurt and then just tried to keep it going to the line. Ended up with 20.28, pretty close! After catching the breath, remembering the comments from CR about not doing the hands on knees look, had a look at the distance as I seemed to recall the 5km split sounding a little out from the finish line. Ended up with 5.084km on the timex and with the last 84 m in 16.5 secs was damn close to the 20min mark. Pretty happy with that given the lack of any decent training.

Splits were:
Dist Split Total AvgHR
1km 3.57 3.57 172
2km 3.59 7.56 183
3km 4.03 11.59 187
4km 4.10 16.09 188
5km 4.03 20.11 188
Finish 0.16 20.28 190

Here is the output from the Timex, pretty consistent HR and pace!




Tomorrow night, Summer Series at Longueville/Riverview!

Oh and I forgot the best bit of the Gunn Runners, a free beer included in your entry fee back at the pub and then lucky draw prizes as well! (they do also provide iced cold water as well...)