BMC Trafford Grand Prix (3000m)

23/7/11  BMC Trafford Grand Prix - 3000m

After an encouraging 14:42 the previous weekend at Solihull, I thought that I might have a chance of running inside 8:30 here.  That wouldn’t be a PB but would be a sign that things were getting back on course and I still had a shot at a PB over my favoured track events (5000m/10000m) before the season was over.   My plantar fascia was still problematic as it had been since April but had improved in recent weeks to allow me to do sessions again.  There was light at the end of the tunnel and I was still thinking in terms of gunning for at least one PB before the summer was out.

 I found out on the Thursday when the start lists were announced that I was in the C race which was being paced for an 8:25 race and looking like a perfect race for me to shout for 8:30.  Unfortunately that race was starting while I was still working and so I was moved up to the B race.  I was a little worried about the pace of the B race that was listed (2:10 through 800m) and knew that my best chance of running a good race would be to stay out of trouble towards the back of the field in the first half of the race, and then look to improve my position.  I was surprised how comfortable I felt on the first lap but then as the timekeeper called out a time of 70secs it was easy to see why!  I retained my position with one athlete behind me on the second lap and went through in 2:14.  I knew that 64 second lap was going to hurt me!  I must have been the only athlete in the field who had never run sub 4mins for 1500m (64secs per lap) and for that reason it was always going to hit me harder than most. 

My third lap was 67secs and already there were quite significant gaps behind the leading 10 or so.  I had Fergus Meade for company at the back of the race, with another athlete just ahead and coming back to me.  It didn’t help matters when both of these athletes dropped out.  My 2k split was just outside 5:40 but then the erratic early splits really hit me hard in the last km and I spent the whole of the last km wanting to drop out but telling myself it wasn’t an option.  The final time of 8:47 was a terrible result and slower than my 3000m split last week at Solihull!!  Hardly a boost before a crack at the UK Championships 10,000m next weekend.