My dad started racing bikes at the age of 14 and still is today. It might have taken him 40 years to get around to SPDs but he’s taught me most of what I know about bike handling and racing. Some of it applies to running. For instance – draughting - if its windy, you can get a lot of shelter off another person. It can be worthwhile increasing your pace that little bit to suit theirs rather than battling against the wind alone. However, don’t burn yourself out as I did in the 3 peaks in 1999 and ended up quitting because a banana just wasn’t enough to replace the energy I spent trying to keep up with Sue Young. If they really are tiring you out, drop off and let someone else come and be your windbreak.
In the final km it’s really easy for the adrenaline to take over but use your visualization to channel the energy inwards. 1km is still a long way. Wait for the crowd factor to set in. I came around a bend in trees and all of a sudden, all I could hear was cheering. It’s amazing. Really picks you up. About that moment a girl passed me going pretty quick and I jumped in behind her. I knew she’d started her final kick too soon and second is the best place to be in a sprint for the line because you can see everything that’s going on. I stuck with her passing 1…2…3…7 other people all plodding at the speed I had been doing. Then we were on the finishing straight and the trees were replaced by people 7 deep. All cheering. The commentator was trying desperately to call out names but then he saw us coming like a couple of ice breaker steamships, chuffing down the road, runners flying left and right to either side of us (OK not quite). The clock was getting precariously close to my 25 min target. The commentator stopped calling names and all I heard him say was, “And look at this… it’s not just about winning this race, there’s the personal battles too…” To be honest we must have looked silly, battling for 73rd and 74th place…
Then my little friend slowed up ever so slightly and that was my cue to dig. It’s a good word “dig”. Dig-in, dig-deep and it’s short so you can say it when you’re out of breath. I must’ve looked a sight, all arms and gangly legs digging. But pass her I did. She tried her hardest to keep with me but because I came from behind her, she reacted just that little bit later than I did and I crossed the line in front of her in 24:59.6! Someone thrust a bag of goodies in my hand and I walked to warm down for as long as I could before slopping onto the floor to spit and look for some breath down there. Then I looked around and caught my new friend’s eye and she came and shook my hand and said, “I just couldn’t catch you in the end”. But she had the last work because I couldn’t really talk. I just smiled and murmoured “well done” and tried to stem the coughing. What I actually meant was “Thanks for dragging me in in my target time”.
Afterwards I went to find the perpetrator of the madness - the Beckster – who also finished within her target time and probably raised a damn sight more money for Imperial Cancer Research than my measly 70 quid. And she’s doing it again this year after having a baby in August last year. SO Go Becky GO.
On the contrary, today, I went out in my morning break and failed to buy a Pedometer as City Runners doesn’t open till 9:30 – I guess the staff run a marathon every day before work. With the Polar HRM going in the post to Quebec to get its new battery and being short of one of those very advanced digital watches from HHGTTG, it’s another lunchtime run squinting at the minutes hand of my very small wristwatch and trying to read it accurately through the jiggling… maybe I’ll run to Canadian Tire and get a digital watch instead of a pedometer. With all Silver's frustration at the little electronic gadgets I’m beginning to wonder if the map method doesn’t suit me better.
Wellness vibes. (oh and don’t take a drink from any strange men on the day).
said...
There's a whole other story in that last sentence, I'm sensing.
Thanks for this - I might get round to posting about what I've been up to today, later. But I'm wrung out, so I might just collapse and tell you tomorrow!
said...
Wow. Sounds really exciting. Fortunately/Unfortunately (?) I ahve better mouse control than silver lining and didn't actually sign up for the race, and then when I thought perhaps I could do it, it was full. I'm just tagging along with the training, sort of, but I'm remebering that rush from racing in my school days...mmmm....and I thought I wasn't competetitve....mmmm.....perhaps should have another look at self.
Right race for Life - Silver Lining could do that with me too?
said...
Could do. All the local ones seem full, though.
Trepid Explorer said...
I did mine in Birmingham's wonderful South Park. Actually, as I wrote this blog I thought that if you were both running, you'd be crossing the line hand in hand. But you could've still kicked someone else's ass whilst you were at it so I carried on writing. Last line was innocent until proof reading so I left it in anyway.