Mallow 10 Mile Run 2013

Yesterday I ran the Mallow 10 mile road race for the third time. This year due to injury and a trip to Scotland I hadn't really done much in the way of meaningful training before this one so I was quite apprehensive before the start. The sum total of my runs in the previous month amounted to two 10 Ks the week before. So I guess you know where this post is leading, I struggled big time in the race.
Anyway,  there was a superb entry of 1200 runners and the weather was perfect and as everybody gathered at the start there was a mounting sense of occasion and excitement which was infectious. I left the nerves behind and started to look forward to the challenge. My best time was done last year when I just went under 70 minutes. I had trained well for that but I was determined to try and emulate that time again this year. So from the off I stuck with the 70 minute pacers. This was a bit of a shock to the system as I found the pace really quick. Still I persevered and after the first mile there is a lengthy gentle downhill section and I was able to relax a bit more at the pace. The two, three and four mile markers passed and I was still with them but then I found that I just didn't have it in me to keep up anymore.

Feeling the pain.

 Slowly and almost imperceptibly the balloons bobbing above the pacers moved further and further in front of me. At around five and a half miles I made an effort to try and bridge the gap to the pacers who were now two hundred meters ahead and I did a little bit but the effort put in jeopardy my ability to actually finish the race and I had to just concentrate my efforts at just keeping going. Slowly and increasingly painfully the mile markers passed until I returned to the town and I knew I would actually get to the end. In the last mile I was passed by many runners as they were able to put on a burst of pace while I was getting ever more sluggish. Still despite the pain I couldn't help but feel a certain satisfaction that I had kept going and I had persevered. About four hundred meters from the finish a small child shouted out "Look there's Santa" and I couldn't help but have a big grin on my face for a while, I still do now. The finish line at last arrived and I was a bit gutted to pass through in 72 mins 40 seconds. Now I see that it wasn't really such a bad time considering the lack of training I had had but I am determined to break the 70 minute barrier in another run this year. Finally a big thanks to everybody for organizing such a great event. I have no doubt that it will go from strength to strength in the future. Well done to all.