Race: Deeside 5k (Christmas handicap)
Time: 17.29
Two race options today: either the Jubilee Plunge from Moel Famau to Llangynhafal, or this informal handicap event round a variant of the Deeside border league course near Hawarden Bridge. I've done the Plunge a few times, and enjoy it, but it takes days for my quads to recover from 12 minutes of eccentric movement and flat-out downhill running. So, I went for John Earlston's handicap: a great idea and very well organised. As ever, the main challenge of a handicap race is keeping a sustainable pace and not getting hypnotised by the challenge of catching the runners in front. The obvious danger is starting too fast in an attempt to catch those in front: and this is exactly what I did! Started to blow after 1km or so, so dropped back a bit and just tried to maintain the same pace over the rest of the loop through the industrial estate and back to the riverside cycle path. I finished 11th from 22 in the handicap, exactly mid-table, which suggests that John's handicap for me was bang on despite my rather slow time. Felt sluggish and heavy throughout, but it was an excellent session which must have burnt off a bit of the Christmas pudding. Sunny and very mild throughout.
No comments:
Post a Comment