Barts and The London Charity 10K

First 10K of the summer and I'm still suffering from it! I've just completed the Barts and The London Charity run in Victoria Park, and I am absolutely spent. Three weeks ago I ran a marathon. How I managed I can't fathom. Any further today and I would have collapsed in a heap. But, I made it. And not too badly as well :-)

My training had been a nightmare. After a week off, I managed a full weeks worth of training. Then tragedy struck. A monster hike along the Thames Path and an ill-judged long run the day after reduced both my feet to a blister-ridden mess. Seven days ago there was no way I could run. Not for love nor money. Luckily I was all healed for today. But would the lack of training affect my efforts?

My 10K PB is 44 minutes 15 seconds. That was the target. Secondary target was a sub-48 minute race. I hadn't managed better that 48 minutes for over a year and was getting annoyed with myself. This was a flat course so a good time was on the cards. I started well the first 2K took me just over 8 minutes. Niiiice! But I had started too fast. Soon I started to tire massively, and I hadn't even reached the 3K mark! Nightmare.

"You're never beaten until you admit it."
- General George S. Patton, Jr

I have never stopped in a 10K and didn't want this to be the first. And there was no way I was giving up pre-5K! I aimed for the 5K mark. The plan was to reach half-way. Then I would aim for 7K - a respectable distance. Then, being so close to home I would just have to push on and finish. And to cut a long story short that is what I did. Result: 46 minutes 37 seconds. Not a PB, but two minutes better than the previous 18 months. That'll do just nice:-)

Next stop, Dysart Dash 10K in two weeks time. Hopefully no blisters between now and then.