Final runs for 2005

Friday 30/12

As planned the usual recovery run around Ryde Common on the grass, 6.7km in 36 minutes

Saturday 31/12

Decided to end the year with a bang and race the Cool Running 5km challenge at the Bay Run. Numbers were smaller and I opted to start with the 20 minute group but still try and pace myself to a low 19 time. A couple of others also at 20 minutes with Professor, Running Wolf (after an absence) and Mr WT.

Missed the first km marker which has not been replaced since the work done in that area but the Garmin was saing I was sitting on 3:50 pace which was the goal. Despite Garmin the actual split when the 2km marker appeared was 7:45. I was leading through here but could still hear someone lurking just behind my shoulder. The 3km mark saw 3:57 as the heat seemed to start taking its toll. At 4km we had just about caught the remaining members of the 21 minute group and the split was 4:01 and I still had that person just lurking behind me.

I do really hate the last km of this run as it zig zags back and forth along a park. With about 250 metres to go the person who had been following me loomed up alongside and edged forward as I started to struggle. However in the last 100m I put in a big surge and went back past edging him by a second with 19:40! As it turns out he had decided to pace himself off me rather than doing his usual go out too fast. It worked as he posted a 4 second pb, a great effort on a very warm morning. I was happy with my time despite still being about 25 seconds off PB range.