3rd January 2007

Adam’s 10k

3rd January 2007

Training Run

This was initially a recovery run from my grueling speed workout yesterday. I decided to go for a 10k run but at a very steady pace. The route I chose was from my parent’s house in Smalley to my new house in Heanor and then back, but I made sure it was a one loop course.
The weather was awful with heavy rain and strong winds but the New York Marathon will not stop for bad weather, so my training won’t either.
I set out along Smalley straight and with my music in my ears I soon forgot about the weather. As I have been told, and soon learnt, on a bad day the hardest part of a run is getting out the front door. I was out the door and on my way, I remember passing the one mile marker in just over eight minutes.
The second mile proceeded down Derby road past Heanor Gate School which was the first hill in the Heanor 10k. Going down it was far easier and I entered HGIS feeling fantastic and proceeded along the long straight towards the final hill in the Heanor 10k (the Heanor 10k goes the opposite way towards my parents in Smalley so the hills are around 8k apart). The climb up Thorpes Road was much easier than at the Heanor 10k, and I reached the top in good spirit but I was out of breath slightly. Just after the brow of the hill came the second mile marker and I passed it in just under sixteen minutes. I was running at almost 10k race pace without trying to and I was there that I decided that I was really enjoying this run and will make it a regular route. The course has many twists and turns through both town and country with four challenging hills, so it will be a good training 10k in preparation for future races.
After the mile two marker the course takes a steady climb up Lockton Avenue towards Ilkeston road and although a little tired I felt good and I arrived on Ella Bank Road (my street) feeling good although a slight stitch had arrived on my right side but I concentrated on my form and breathing and used the descent down Ella Bank to recover ready for the long climb up Hands Road towards the mile three marker. As I approached the hill I felt the stitch get worse, so I really took it steady on the climb and by the time I passed the mile three marker I felt good again, and after the short straight past HLC I was treated to the penultimate hill. The hill was painful as it went on past Hands Road up into Heanor town centre.
As I ran through town I felt my breath come back and my form returned and the next mile was a steady pace as I regained the momentum lost on the two hills. As I passed the mile four marker and ran back down Thorpes road I looked at my watch and saw thirty two minutes something, and I knew I would not be far off my PB for 10k, however I was not going to push it as this was still only a recovery run.
The run back up HGIS seemed longer than before but I was ion high spirits, and as I approached the final hill I told myself “one last push”. I really slowed going up the final hill and I knew it cost me time but this was not about a time. I passed the mile five marker in just over forty minutes. I knew with a push that I could almost equal my PB for 10k. I was however very tired as the four hills (combined with the Christmas festivities) had really taken it out of me, so the final one and a bit miles were really slow. I also felt my right hamstring tighten up so I eased off and did not opt for any heroics.
I crossed the finish line in fifty minutes and thirty eight seconds. Little over three minutes off my race personal best (and this was a recovery run with four challenging hills). More importantly I had knocked nearly three minutes off my best training time.
In closing I really enjoyed this run and know it will be a regular route and training 10k in build up to future races.

Conditions: Cold, Raining

Time: 50.38



“You can never plan the future by the past.”