Sunday, November 05, 2023

Birkenhead BL

Race: Birkenhead Park 5.5 (Borders League race 1)
Time/Position: 32.30 (62nd from 480 [1st V50])
A record border league field, and by my reckoning one of the most competitive ever, up there with the post-Covid Capenhurst 5m race (when I ran 28.40 but finished 60th). I'm not too far off 100 appearances in the league now, so do have a fair amount of races to draw on by way of comparison! This was similar to that Capenhurst race, although more pedestrian from me, a slightly odd race where I felt unusually comfortable by recent standards (where I have often been hanging on for dear life) but didn't really feel able to push the pace for whatever reason. After the usual frantic start and quick first lap, the field settled down and Jez and I embarked on a miniature battle of our own. As usual in the league (and especially in this fixture) the tiniest slackening sees others fly past, and a slower third lap lost me a few places. I had opened up just enough of a gap to finish 1st V50, which is never easy in the league, although certain elite supervets were absent. Well down on my course PB, but it wasn't a personal worst either, and the course was very wet and slippery today. 

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