Liverpool 10k

This month started off well with the Liverpool 10k race in and around Sefton Park.  Going into the race I had aspirations of a 42 minute 10k – which would be over a 2 minute improvement on my previous best (set two years earlier).  I knew I was capable of getting a PB (which was 44 minutes) as I'd been able to run 45 minutes off the bike during two Olympic Distance Triathlons this year.  However, when I set my Garmin to pace me at 4.12 k pace – this now seemed a bit quick and maybe a bit ambitious.

Starting towards the front of the field (of about 1600 people) in the rain and the mud of Sefton Park, the first 100m or so were a little treacherous with lots of feet slipping around me.  Once out onto the road, with a solid surface underneath me, the race really started.  I set off at what I thought was a comfortably fast pace.  However, I knew I was running a bit quicker than I expected as I could still see the leaders – very unusual - and the pace on my watch read 3.45!  That’ll explain it then!!  I managed to keep this pace up for the first couple of k’s - feeling pretty good too - but when I noticed my HR had hit 184 after 3k of the race I thought it was time to reign in the heroics and save a bit of gas. 

At the 5k point, my watch had me at 19.55 – a new 5k PB!  At the 7k mark, despite feeling the pace of the first few k's, I figured I could turn up the heat and let the pace creep up again – knowing that I had a maximum of 12 minutes until the finish.  After a few twists and turns inside the park, followed by a 400m dash across the mud to the finish, the race was over – in 53^rd place and in a PB smashing 39 minutes and 32 seconds!