Race: Longford Park 1500m
Time/Position: 4.41 (7th from 12, Heat 4)
The toughest distance of all, but also the shortest race I have ever done. It has taken me 500 races and 20 years of running, although we did a timed mile at Deeside earlier this summer which put the idea in my head. It wasn't my first time at the Trafford Grand Prix: four years ago, I did the 3000m on the same track at the same excellent summer meet. They are very interesting experiences, superbly slick and professional, an entirely different aspect of running (I can guarantee no other competitors were still recovering from the Maesgwm Muddle fell race). Proper middle distance running must be the hardest discipline of all with its combination of speed and endurance. This sluggish performance was no such thing, but I wanted to at least record a geriatric time before I switch to ultras next year. After watching the elite, I was placed in heat 4 and got a bit boxed in over the first two laps: I couldn't get the inside lane and was put off my stride on three occasions in the middle of a very tight group (all heats are selected by predicted time). Margins are, of course, tiny in these races and that was enough to miss my sub 4.40 target time (however, I was only 1 second slower than the time I had predicted, at 4.41.32, so not too disastrous). Most of the competitors are very young but, at 47, I was still not quite the oldest runner.
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