Bulle 8k

Continuing with a few races I managed to get a start in another little 8k race in a small Swiss town.  As mentioned in the blog they do these events really well.  The course was a loop of the town centre with good viewing for the public and we had 8 laps to do.  A tough little course though with a few little downhills but also a long drag up to the finish, which we had to go up 8 times!  They had events all day and the elite men were last to go at 6.30 pm.  Fortunately the weather has been very mild for November, so although a little cold when it got dark, it was not too bad.  As this was the first in the series of the Post Cup, an in initiative to provide Swiss only prize money for their athletes it brings the best guys out.  As the main prize money is also good, the Africans were also out in force, with about 20 running.  I warmed up with several of the Swiss guys and it was apparent this was bigger and more serious than last week.  I felt pretty good in the warm up and was happy with training last week.  I had decided though that I went off far too quick last week, so even decided to run with the Garnin to keep myself in check, although as soon as the race started I was concentrating on holding position that I never once looked at the watch.  The start was ridiculous fast and I just sat in and took it steady, which was definitely sensible.  After the first lap a group of about 6 of us settled into a rhythm with an Eritrean at the front putting little surges in which was really tough.  When I say at the front, I mean of our little group.  The main field had gone tearing off and were out of slight.  Being a small loop of the town there were lots of corners which really did not help with the rhythm, but I knew we were going at a good pace for me, so I was just concentrating like mad to not be dropped by the guy doing the fartlek! 

The only problem with loop courses is I find them pretty tough mentally, I have always liked out and backs because you know you are on the way back home once you have got to the turn.  To keep running through the finish and seeing the lap board 8, 7, 6, 5... was pretty tough and I had a bad little patch at around 4 to go, but so was everyone suffering.  Two laps out I hit the front of our little group and managed to start pulling away with the Eritrea guy.  We also started to catch a few other guys who had gone off too hard.  With a lap to go I managed to push on one more time and drop him, coming home pretty strong to finish 14th.

My time was given at 24.24 although my Garmin read 8.39k!  Take it with a pinch of salt as not really sure, all I know it as a tough run.  One other moan I am going to have about the British is times.  Why is it we can't get times out quickly in this day and age?  These guys had chip timing and the results were first all printed and binded (with all the other races from the day) within half hour of the finish of the elite race, and then everything had been uploaded to the net by the time I got home-easy!  Not in Britain, sometimes we wait a few days for results, and only seem to get info from message forums, crazy!

Back to my time, on the net they didn't put the exact distance but have my recorded time of 24.24 but also my average per k, which was 2.59, so I guess the Garmin might have been right, the race was definitely long.  The great news for me is I was on for a sub 30 clocking for 10k, if I had stayed at the same pace, which was du-able, and I was starting to feel a bit better over the last part, on a tough little course, so I am really happy with my fitness right now.   

Sp8y