HBF Run For a reason 2013

Having run so well last week, the pressure was off for the 12k race today.

This combined with a late night out last night (James Bond monopoly night! with some nice wine esp a 2000 Bin389 holding up very nicely) and some flu'ey symptoms didn't leave me expecting much.

i parked up the top of Kings Park and jogged down to the start, in the 'elite' group after a solid 27th last year - my claim to fame last year was being the first finisher wearing the event t-shirt - most ahead of me are sponsored or at least favour the fancier kit - looking around the elites it seemed i was likely to take this dubious honour again.

Unfortunately my Garmin did't record the first km properly and then completely lost it through the tunnel - so I'm not sure exactly how fast I set off but i'd wager a 3:25 then 3:35s. Lauren Shelley streamed past me at 6k, and i managed to keep within a reasonable distance - she was the only person to pass me after the first couple of km. I went through the 10k sign in 36:03 in a pack of 4, and managed to clear away from that group to finish in 3:30/3:30 to cross the line in 43:03. The finish on the Gloucester Park horse trotting track was quite nice, although significantly longer than the old finish round the WACA.

I ran into Connor Quinn at the start and finish. I knew I was a similar standard to Connor, but a closer check on recent results shows just how close - we've finished within 30sec of each other in every race I've done this year  - with me taking the honours in 4 of the 5 (again by about 20 sec today). 

3 weeks til the marathon - time to start a taper.

Joondalup HM 2013

A while between posts - but all has been going well. My training, whilst not reaching the heights of last year, has been very consistent - no weeks under 100k this year thus far.

Having missed Bunbury Marathon, this race was important psychologically in my buildup to Perth. The aim was sub 80 minutes. Luckily I had Clown to run with, who is in a rich vein of form currently

I'd skipped a run Saturday as a taper, but still put in 85k Mon-Fri with a great tempo run with Rob on Tues pm. Up at 5:30 - vegemite toast and some coffee, then the long drive up to Joondalup.

The course is around the Lake, fairly flat but the first couple of km on unsealed track and with some hills. We started 3:49/3:59/3:48 to be well behind the 8 ball by 3km. Already we'd formed a group of 4 runners, which would stay togather for the next hour. This is an experience I've rarely had in races - i tend to run to my own tempo - but it was really fun to be in a group and notice the pace/form/surges/cadence etc of the others.

Early on, Rob was setting the pace, and he sped things up to get back on target. This saw 4k in 3:40's. At this point i thought things were too close to 10k pace and was ready to drop off the back, but luckily we settled back into 3:45s for the next 8k or so.

At about 18k we hit the first of the small hills of the final km's, and I put in a bit of a surge, which saw the other 2 fall behind, leaving Rob & myself pushing the last couple of km at a slightly higher tempo. The final 2k were our fastest, and we crossed the line together in 79:20 or thereabouts. We ran a negative split of about 20 seconds, which was pretty pleasing.

So onwards and upwards to perth marathon, just a month away. The 12k HBF Run for a Reason is on this Sunday, although after a good run last weekend I'm not too concerned with how i go - I have my confidence  for a 2:48 in the marathon now and that will be the goal!