Roding Valley HM+0.522 (ish)

Funny title I hear you say...
Well - funny race.
Apparently the lead car has a TIA and took the lead runners the wrong way - and so in order for it to be officially a race - the organisers sent everyone the wrong way too! Having not run the race before, I assumed that I'd had a GPS mini-stroke, and that the Mile markers weren't out by over half a mile at all!
Much disgruntlement at the end, it has to be said - and the Race Director - in his Goldfish bowl at 'Results Central' was looking somewhat harassed.

Funny that!

Anyway - the race.

On the way there, it started to snow. Hmmmm though I - might be a bit nippy then! Better actually warm up before this one for a change. So - did the normal runners' necessaries (as you do) and went to plod a few times around the track just to get the blood coursing and hopefully avoid any silly - muscles are cold injury type thingies!

And we were off (2 mins after the official start time) - and it was........ bliddy freezing!

Ms Womble had suggested that I would be able to get under 1:35

.... a suggestion which I went "Pah" at - after all, if you look at my mileage for this month, it's not good!!
and the longest run I'd had in a week was Li'l Profs 3.13 miler on Thursday!

Hmmmmm - maybe I should employ him as my tapering coach!!

The first two miles were pretty quick - helped in no small part by the undulating nature of the course.
Mile 3 was a long drag up - with the steepest bit at the end - but still rather pleased, and surprised at the pace I was keeping - and it was about this point that I though - "Hmmmm, not much training - pretty quick for me - wonder if I should temper this a bit?"

But then it flattened off and running was fluid and easy - followed by a dreamy decline. Looking at Mr GPS I kept seeing 6's
eeek - don't see them very often - but I was running downhill, and keeping the effort minimal.

This continued to mile 9 (the point at which *I* had noticed that the Mile markers didn't correspond at all with Mr Garmin

Damn - [thought I] - I though I was doing OK

I started to get a little jaded around 10 miles (on the Garmin) 9½ according to the now fictional Mile Markers - and my pace dropped a little over the last few miles. Was pretty pleased though, because as I got tired and felt myself running 'heavier', I consciously made myself concentrate on holding my form, and, oddly enough, it felt much easier..
At 11½, Mr Man in Black came thumping past me
So I sat on his shoulder until just after the 12 Mile Marker - then gently applied the accelerator...
Bye Bye Mr Man In Black!!
Oooh look - Mr Man in Blue Tri Top ahead...

I'll have you too matey

Zooom..

..and then the worry.. felt my right calf doing the - careful sonny - I'm going to cramp on you in a minute... so had to stretch it out while still trying to keep up my pace - difficult that!!!!

As I came to the turn into the finish line, I saw Ms Womble who had had to pull out - and it was great to see her there - 'cos I was really pooped by this time!

Finished - Garmin said 13.71 at an average pace of 6:57 - 1:35:17 (which was the time I was given on the preliminary results!
Beside which was a note from Mr Race Director saying - Sorry - we stuffed up - we'll accurately measure the extra that people ran and publish pro rata times for a HM for you.
The word on the street from the marshals was that it was 0.6 miles too far


Well - *that* time was a HM pb anyway - and the pro rata time (based on the 0.6 thing) will be about 1:31:06

Pretty chuffed about that!!!

Just off to measure it myself on my mapping software
(Well - you know how I like stats)

Oh - and my HRM strap slipped before the first mile - so no stats there - needless to say - it wasn't a 65% MaxHR LSD!!!!!!!!!!!

:o)

The Numbers from Mr Garmin

Distance: 13.71 miles
Time: 1:35:17
Pace 6:57 min/mile

Mile	Pace	Time
1	6:49	6:49
2	6:23	13:13
3	7:90	20:22
4	7:06	27:28
5	6:46	34:15
6	6:50	41:06
7	6:58	48:04
8	6:41	54:45
9	7:27	1:02:12
10	7:11	1:09:23
11	6:56	1:16:19
12	7:13	1:23:32
13	7:03	1:30:35
0.71	6:39	1:35:17
Race	6:57	1:35:17

Post Script

Have used two bits of mapping software to measure the extra bit and it's about 0.522 miles (approximately)
(or there abouts)
(roughly)

That would make my Corrected time

1:31:13