15.33k
Start 13.15
Cycled out to the start (about 8k I think) and collected my number, had a wee jig about as a warm up (hey, I count the cycling there as well...) and wandered up to the starting line. Along with a couple of hundred others I would think. All very relaxed. The gun seemed to go off before any of us in the middle of the pack realised that it was already time and we were off.
I felt good and after the usual start where faster runners get ahead I settled down behind 2 women in pink tops who seemed to be going at a speed I felt comfortable with. Bit faster than my usual training pace (ok, a lot faster really but what I can maintain for a while at a push). When the road widened a bit I pulled up level with them and said that I suspected they were going too fast for me but that I'd like to try to keep up with them as long as possible. They laughed and said they were probably 'getting ahead of themselves too' but were feeling strong and had settled in behind the small group in front of us. After a while this group, obviously club runners who knew each other and were chatting away noticed they had a small 'tail' behind them and were saying that they should maybe get themselves a pacing balloon next time. We laughed briefly as we just managed to pant along behind their easy chatter and now and then one of them would ask if we were still there as we were so quiet.
They were doing roughly 5.45 kilometers and I was surprised when we were almost at the halfway mark and I was still keeping up easily. Then at one point the 'leader' of our pack dropped out suddenly for some reason. Not sure what went on there, he wasn't in pain or injured or anything and later on near the end he passed me again saying 'You can fall in behind again if you want'.
Anyway the group broke up a bit when he disappeared and one of the pink tops left her pal behind and went ahead. I was still keeping up a good pace and actually overtook a few other runners. Based on my just under 2.10 half marathon last month I'd thought a 1.35 for 15k was a distinct possibility. I'd have been absolutely delighted with a sub 1.30. I came in at 1.26 something!
The weather was a perfect 11 degrees and the wind, what there was, was with us for a lot of the way, though the last 3k did have quite a strong headwind which slowed us down a bit. I remembered to press my lap button just after the half way mark and my first 8k was at an average of 5.45 and the last 7 at 5.56. So no negative splits and an average of 5.50 for the whole race.
So all in all a great result for me. The occasional speed sessions I try to get into my more usual plodding runs are definitely paying off.
Oh, almost forgot - today's Garmin hiccup is very odd elevation gain statistics. Usually my runs are between +4 and -4 (meters above or below sea level). Today they were apparantly swinging between +24 and -33... Nah, really that wasn't happening.
Start 13.15
I felt good and after the usual start where faster runners get ahead I settled down behind 2 women in pink tops who seemed to be going at a speed I felt comfortable with. Bit faster than my usual training pace (ok, a lot faster really but what I can maintain for a while at a push). When the road widened a bit I pulled up level with them and said that I suspected they were going too fast for me but that I'd like to try to keep up with them as long as possible. They laughed and said they were probably 'getting ahead of themselves too' but were feeling strong and had settled in behind the small group in front of us. After a while this group, obviously club runners who knew each other and were chatting away noticed they had a small 'tail' behind them and were saying that they should maybe get themselves a pacing balloon next time. We laughed briefly as we just managed to pant along behind their easy chatter and now and then one of them would ask if we were still there as we were so quiet.
They were doing roughly 5.45 kilometers and I was surprised when we were almost at the halfway mark and I was still keeping up easily. Then at one point the 'leader' of our pack dropped out suddenly for some reason. Not sure what went on there, he wasn't in pain or injured or anything and later on near the end he passed me again saying 'You can fall in behind again if you want'.
Anyway the group broke up a bit when he disappeared and one of the pink tops left her pal behind and went ahead. I was still keeping up a good pace and actually overtook a few other runners. Based on my just under 2.10 half marathon last month I'd thought a 1.35 for 15k was a distinct possibility. I'd have been absolutely delighted with a sub 1.30. I came in at 1.26 something!
The weather was a perfect 11 degrees and the wind, what there was, was with us for a lot of the way, though the last 3k did have quite a strong headwind which slowed us down a bit. I remembered to press my lap button just after the half way mark and my first 8k was at an average of 5.45 and the last 7 at 5.56. So no negative splits and an average of 5.50 for the whole race.
So all in all a great result for me. The occasional speed sessions I try to get into my more usual plodding runs are definitely paying off.
Oh, almost forgot - today's Garmin hiccup is very odd elevation gain statistics. Usually my runs are between +4 and -4 (meters above or below sea level). Today they were apparantly swinging between +24 and -33... Nah, really that wasn't happening.
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