Dont think i have blogged since GNR 2015
Been toying with this idea for a little while so going to give it a go OH YOUR STILL READING GOOD!
I have seen lots of my friends posting online race reports so i have decided to follow suit not original i know. This year i have quite a few races and i thought it would be a good idea to blog throughout the series.
April already and my racing 2017 has only just started, that being said i have currently done 177 miles out of my 450 yearly target for this year (thinking i set the bar a little too low on that one) way more at this point last year anyway. Had a fantastic winter training season and spring seems to be following suit with new PBS galore in 1 mile, 2 miles, 5k and now 10k (8 miles and 10 miles to boot too)
So lets get started with an account of today before i completely lose it from my brain
Race 1 2017 North Tyneside 10k Sunday 16th April 2017 Happy Easter
Mixed feelings going into this one following 2 days prior representing my running club at the Good Friday Relays and achieving a new 1 mile and 2 mile record in the process (9:52 and 20:52 respectively) and having one of the best days ever in the process and doing the best for my club with my teammates Gillian Smith and Kay Black proving that even beginners group can take part in the relays but back to the task in hand.
back to the mixed feelings as was also running for the third day in a row having yesterday guide run at parkrun for the first time so wasn't really sure how my legs were going to respond.
So the day started with me waking up too early with mixed emotions and self doubt wondering with the improvements i have been making lately leading to the new PBS could see me getting a new 10k PB whilst not trying to put too much pressure on myself. I pulled myself together and got ready proudly wearing my Tyne Bridge Harrier vest and promising myself after fridays achievement that i would try my very very best.
9am: Me and mum get dropped off at the start, my legs already thinking about refusing and chat to various people that i have met thanks to running and shortly after gather together with my Tyne Bridge Harrier teammates for a team photo, time then seems to pass relatively quickly up to a point with friends coming over to give me support convincing myself i can do this
A good club friend Debbie Wardle suggests we go for a warm up before a last minute loo visit so thats what we did, it seemed to tell my legs your doing something anyway.
After a bit more standing around for what seemed like forever we were called to the start to gather for the race starting by this point i just wanted to get away and see what happened with my course PB being 1:23:53 and 10K PB being 1:16:51 set in November at Memorial 10k race on the town moor having beaten previous PB of 1:19:04 at Manchester 10k 2016. I knew in my mind if i could as least beat last years time i would be happy.
All too soon the race was underway, didnt take me too long to get over start line from the middle of the back where i was standing with Alison Harris and Helen Blades from Tyne Bridge Harriers.
Mile 1- 10:14
Started steady didn't want to push off too hard in mile 1 as knew what was to come this year each part of the course unlike last year so just settled into a slower rhythm encouraging friends as the passed me made my way steadily down the hall down to the North Shields fish quay not letting myself go flying into others as we were still tightly packed at this point carried on steadily until we went onto the Fish Quay which is wear mile 1 ended.
I didnt check what my mile split was at this point but mile 1 completed in 10:14
Mile 2- 11:41
Just going onto the Quayside path, by this point was listening to some of my friends training for a marathon chatting just behind me before they passed. I was going steady along the Quayside whilst trying to plan my priory hill strategy and how i was going to take it, Had a bit of a panic as knew if i pushed too hard up the first incline that my goal of not stopping on priory hill would not be achieved but started gently running up the start of the climb up from the quayside and this ended mile 2 in a split of 11:41
Mile 3- 12:07
My aim: not to end up walking on priory hill having done a practice with TBH at the end of December 2016 12 times up and down the thing
I knew there would be an army of TBH members not running today supporting at the top of the hill and i couldn't be seen walking up it so at the top of the first incline before the main priory hill after a brief walking break i plucked up the courage and took the hill slow and steady until near the top where i saw Kay Black, my physio and fellow Tyne Bridge Harrier Sophie Marr and a few other club members and their encouragement made me power up the final part of the hill, i could tell they looked impressed and i was ecstatically happy that i met my aim and did the hill non stop.
I then tried to pull myself together and carry on strongly but the effort had me feeling a little queasy tried to put this out of my end took a breath and recovered down the hill that followed i then felt a little better and mile 3 ended at a steady split of 12:07 when that included a big hill i was impressed.
Mile 4- 12:20
Following the coastline i am guessing i hit 5k in about 35 minutes but felt as if i was slowing so an overall pb might be slipping out of reach but not totally over.
3.5 miles another wave of nausea hit me so i had a quick walk at this point assessing the situation and pretty much feeling that i really don't want to be sick during a race and that i was slipping a bit so decided to slow pace for a little while, then some girls from a this girl can group offered me some sweets and i am glad i said yes as then felt better.
Mile 5- 12:31
I could see St Marys Lighthouse in the distance as i took this mile steady whilst talking to the girls who gave me the sweets before they went off ahead a quick time check and i worked out you know what a 10k PB is not out of reach but its going to involve hard work but i regained focus
Tyne Bridge Harriers cheerers Michelle Moat and Kathryn Stevenson were there with signs which brought me huge encouragement and was fantastic to see support
Tyne Bridge Harriers cheerers Michelle Moat and Kathryn Stevenson were there with signs which brought me huge encouragement and was fantastic to see support
Mile 6- 11:35
Arrived at Whitley Bay Promenade where a parkrun Buddy John Mccargill then spurred me on i knew sub 1:16:51 was still on but if the worst came to worst i would get course record sub 1:23:53 but i decided to push along for it as knew supporters would be on the final stretch.
true to my word saw Karen Jeff from choir and many club mates on the way from their own race pushing me onto the finish i still had energy and i increased my pace and told myself its now or never and began to realise the time i had left it was getting more and more possible to achieve
The final 0.2
Without looking at my watch i increased pace as could see the finish and my friends and family watching i really went for it.
Took a look at my watch and it said
1:13:11 I had to look twice
I CAME AND SAW AND I CONQUERED
not only had i smashed last years time by 10 minutes 40 seconds i achieved a 3 minute 41 second PB and i couldn't be more thankful to my friends for believing in me.
Until the next race happy running.
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