It's that time of year again where I make the trip to Basingstoke to race through their shopping center as part of their annual 5k race.
It's a good time to do it, my foot is feeling much better and I'm back to doing weekly speed sessions along with upping my mileage on my Sunday long runs as I head towards 16 week till my marathon (!!!) and the mileage gets really silly.
This wasn't a PB (personal best) hunt, rather a race to keep my streak alive. I've run at the Festival 5k for 6 years in a row now, since it started in 2013 and I'd like to keep that up for as long as I can.
Saying that, I can't complain with a time of 26:56. Not my best time but not my worst either.
It was also a good reminder of what it feels like to race. The nerves as we make our way there, wary of the slow Sunday morning drivers. The visit to the loos. The collection of my race number. The second visit to the loos. The nervous energy which makes me bouncy and ready to go. Then everyone making their way to the start line and in amongst all the noise of the other racers as they chat and bounce and stretch, I feel at peace and ready. This is a good feeling. Then the horn blasts and we're off. It's waiting for your Garmin to connect to GPS and then finding your way between the people around you. The sound of footfalls on marble echoing round you. The sound of your breathing in your ears. The sound of the breathing of someone else coming up behind you and trying to stay in front. The sound of cheering as you reach the finish line.
I know the marathon won't be as fast, for which I'm glad, but its a good reminder of what racing feels like. Now I must start looking towards September and all the running that is needed to get me there.
No comments:
Post a Comment