Hoburne 5

Hilly but no howler - result!

Finally I managed to finish a race feeling like a human being. It has been a long time coming. An absolute age. I actually got into a race and felt ok. It's amazing!

I'm still disappointed. I don't feel that deep aching disappointment, more of a tinge. A tinge of what if, or if only.

After the race, my if only, was if only the course hadn't turned out to be pretty hilly. I was hoping for a quicker time, something which really reflected what sort of shape I was in. Had I not been so desperate for a good time, I would have been really satisfied with my performance. Infact I am still satisfied with my performance but there is still that lingering frustration that I could have whipped out a nifty time on a flat course.

The plan was not to ease down for this race, as we're always mindful of getting the training in at this time of year and so I did my long (but not quite as long) Sunday run on Friday morning and then my Friday easy run on Saturday. I wasn't feeling particularly tired this week so I was still hopeful for a good time.

As per usual I was pretty damn nervous in the days before the race. The day before I had a lousy headache and I convinced myself I was having a migraine. I kept waking up the night before kind of panicking that I still had a headache. First thing I did when I woke up was shake my head to see if it felt ok! Of course, I was fine. Absolutely fine. Just the brain playing tricks probably. A bit like the sore throat you always get the week before a marathon which scares the living daylights out of you for about five hours. I really must pull myself together.

The race was only ten minute drive from Chris's mum's so fortunately we arrived in plenty of time to suss out the start and finish and for me to check out the facilities an excessive number of times. The first mile looked pretty flat but I was a little nervous when one of Chris's Bournemouth club mates told us that the course was actually very undulating. However, I was feeling fairly positive so didn't worry about it so much.

The course sort of started right on a corner which was a little bit awkward so I had to do a bit of a sprint for the first 50m or so, so as not to become swallowed up by masses of runners, and somehow, not sure entirely how, I looked up and I was at the front. I was baffled. I eased back a bit...still no-one drew level. Well I wasn't going to stop, so in one of those silly moment's (I have them quite often) I thought to heck with it, and just got my head down and focused on my own running. At one or two points in the first mile I could hear someone breathing down my neck but no-one ever really drew level. The first mile was a bit sprightly (surprise surprise) so I tried to ease back a little, but not too much as I didn't want to get caught and look like a right plonker!

Early in the 2^nd mile was the first of what I can only describe as a 'big dipper'. I got up it fairly well I thought. No elderly race-walkers in sight. I told myself that this hill constituted the description of 'undulating' and that at least I'd got it out of the way, and I was smirking to myself as I came over the top that I could see the 4 mile marker on the opposite side of the road so was plotting a heroic last mile coming back down it!

If only I hadn't been so optimistic. As soon as we had run up this first hill, we turned, ran down a bit and then back up an even bigger dipper. Now I was getting a bit concerned. And I was right to be concerned. Another five or so (not sure exactly but it was a lot) big dippers later, we finally came to that 4 mile marker I had gleefully spied some 17 or so minutes earlier. The hills had taken their toll and I had drifted a little off my target time but was still running strongly. Chris shouted at me that I needed a sub five minute mile to hit my target time. It was highly unlikely and we both knew it, but I still was able to muster a relatively quick last mile and finish in 27:24. It was a PB and I felt relieved it had gone ok. It was a virtual time trial as I was running at the front by myself the whole way, but it was still an enjoyable race. It was quite funny hearing comments from spectators as I ran past, who were bemused by the fact a woman was leading the race. You could almost see them doing a double take! I'd definitely do the race again, it was a good course - just not that fast. I'm trying not to be too disappointed - a flatter course and more runners around me and I am sure I could have met my target.

Hopefully this means my run of bad luck is starting to blow over....hopefully. Next race is in about three weeks time and I'm looking forward to it. One of the things I've just got to remember before races, is that there is no reason why I shouldn't feel good. Unless you're ill (in which case don't race) you should just expect to feel good. It should be your default mindset. There's no point worrying you won't, or else the chances are, you won't! I feel as though I have got so used to not feeling good in races. I just now need to re-programme my mind to think that, if you prepare, and are healthy, there is no reason why things can't go to plan.