12th at Great North Run

Well that went better than expected I must admit, my finishing time was 64.27 which was quicker than I had hoped so happy days!

I wasn't really sure of my fitness in terms of what I might run being that I have only done 4weeks of training after my end of summer break. Admitedly it was a short break but still if I'm able to run that sort of time now I am confident I can run faster with a good spell of the right training behind me.

The race itself was much more enjoyable that I expected too, other than a couple of the early miles where i was finding my rhythm I felt very good and if anything I felt I finished with more left in the tank. I was in the second group of lead runners for the first 6miles which contained Dan Robinson, Ian Huspith, Neil Renault, Mark Draper (all Brits) and also Alberto Chaica (Portugal), Jon Brown (Canada) and Pete Norwill (Australia). THe first mile was covered in approx 4.45/4.50 but it is partly downhill so I expect it do be a little fast. My race plan was to head out at around 5.00 mile pace but it made more sense to stick with the group rather than get isolated early on, plus after the first 5k (15.10) I was starting to settle into a nice comfortable rhythm and 4.50 to 4.55 pace was feeling good. After 6miles the Chaica started to push things on and only Dan Robinson went with him, I decided to hold my pace but found this sounds stretched me away from the rest as the group started to break up. From 7 miles onwards I was basically running on my own but really enjoying the crowds and feeling good about the race. If anyway reflection back I could have pushed the last 3-4miles a little more in an effort to catch Dan (who finished 11th in 64.14) but as i was operating ahead of my target pace so I played on the the side of caution. I ran very even race though, with exception of quick first 5k the rest of the race was a solid even pace.

Needless to say though the result and time have give me further confidence that the move to the marathon is the right decision and that even these early stages of winter training that faster time are more than possible at the longer events. I ran a very even paced race in the end though, with exception of the frist 5k being a little quicker the rest of the race was fairly even.

Overall a good experience of things to come and good weekend generally (with the exception of Aurigny deciding not to bring our bags back from Mancheser last night - but that's another story!). It gave us (Teresa, Thomas & myself) the chance to spend some time with the family up in Newcastle which is always nice, my mum comes from a large family of seven with most of family still living in Newcastle. Three of the family's live in a place called Clara Vale, which is small old mining village just outside the centre of Newcastle and next to Tyne. Really beautiful place and some great places to run long the river there, it's actually only a stone through away from Wylam another small village and the birth place of George Stevenson. I've had a few histroy lessons from my uncle during my visits - Stevenson was the inventor of the first public steam train.

Anyway thats' all for now. Next race will probably not be for a few weeks, I plan to run the National 6 stage road relays for Newham (my UK club) which is not til 17th Oct and then the Great South the following weekend in Portsmouth.