Race Recap: ZFS Münster-City-Run (10k)

Background: After enjoying the SIENA GARDEN-Straßenlauf 10k back in March, I jumped at the chance to run the ZFS Münster-City-Run, a 5-lap summer 10k in Münster’s beautiful city center.

But let me take a moment for a tangent/rant: What is it with weird race times here in Germany?! Last autumn’s Advents-Aaseelauf was an evening race in the dark, the spring Straßenlauf started at 3pm, and this one was at 7pm on a Sunday. It surprises me that so many races are scheduled in the afternoons and evenings; I don’t think I’m in the minority in preferring morning running (and racing, so you don’t have to think about it and pay attention to nutrition all day). Anyway, it is what it is. But an interesting and unexpected cultural difference.

And now back to the City-Run. I had plans for extending my long runs over the spring and early summer, and keeping up my speedwork. Unfortunately, toddler illnesses led to some disrupted work-/daycare-/exercise-weeks, so my running has been mainly in maintenance mode for the past couple of months.

Goal: Given my low training volume and lack of long runs – not to mention that pesky evening start time – I had no major goal other than to finish and not overheat. I’d have to see how I felt. Of course it would be great to run under 50 minutes again, but I knew that would be a stretch.

Race strategy: See how I feel, try to stick with Jochen (he wanted to run 48:00), try to run consistent lap times, hold steady until the last two laps of the 5-lap course.

Weather & outfit: Quite warm: 24C/75F and partly sunny with a bit of a breeze. It’s summertime! Of course I wore my red shorts with side pockets and my light Wienburgpark parkrun t-shirt with my Saucony Kinvara 9s and sunglasses. I carried a water bottle, too, although in retrospect that was overkill.

The race: After hanging around and chatting with some parkrunners before the start, we set off promptly at 7pm from Münster’s iconic Prinzipalmarkt. The 2-kilometer loop took us through some twists and turns over the cobbles of the city center before we turned onto the Promenade for a lovely, shaded section. Then onto Salzstraße – more cobbles – for a longish stretch before turning left onto the Prinzipalmarkt and going around again (and again, and again…).

It was clear from the start that I wouldn’t be able to stick with Jochen. After 1.5km, I told him to run on ahead. After that, I settled into my own rhythm and just ran my own race. Evening running is hard for me: even if I pay close attention to what I eat throughout the day, I often feel heavy in my stomach and legs. It was no different here. But I kept running through the discomfort and ticked off the kilometers and laps.

The cool thing about the 5-lap course was getting lapped by the really fast runners. The winner set a course record at just over 29 minutes. So fast! There were some very fast women running as well.

Meanwhile, in my own race, I was ticking off sub-5:00 kilometers according to my Garmin, but my watch and the course kilometer markers were way off. Too bad! My watch had me running faster than I probably was.

My legs started feeling the pace and distance on the fourth lap; I think running on cobbles is also harder than it seems. Starting the last lap and last two kilometers, I dug in, took a deep breath, and loosened up my stride to see what I had left in the tank. That felt good, and I did actually pass a few runners. Turning onto Salzstraße for the last 500m, Theresa – out for a regular run – jumped in and ran me towards the finish. That was a huge help – thank you!

I had no kick left but ran through the finish just as the clock ticked over to 51:00. This is how I felt:

Knackered at the finish. Photo from Jochen M.

The result: My chip time was 50:48 (5:05/km or 8:11/mi average) for the 10k. A bit disappointing not to come under 50′, but given my recent (lack of) training I’m happy with it and couldn’t have run any faster. I finished 34th of 62 women (rant number 2: why did only 62 women run this 10k, when there were 211 male finishers?! That is a huge discrepancy).

Here are my lap splits – not too uneven, but a clear slump on lap 4:

Spilts on each of the 5 laps. I was hurting on the 4th lap!

Post-race: I briefly checked in with the other parkrunners before grabbing a tasty chocolate oat drink (German races do have good post-race drinks!) and cycling slowly home to watch the Tour de France stage highlights with F.

Next up: Nothing on the race calendar, but as usual I’ll be at the Wienburgpark parkrun in Münster every Saturday that I can. Come by and run with us!

Race Recap: SIENA GARDEN-Straßenlauf 2022 light

Jochen, Robin, me & Theresa post-race. Photo from Theresa.

Background: When Jochen and I were discussing when to officially start the Wienburgpark parkrun in Münster, he mentioned that the 19th of March would not be a good date because of the SIENA GARDEN-Straßenlauf 10k taking place that same afternoon. “10k? What 10k?” I asked. Shortly thereafter, I checked out the race website and signed myself up. I was somewhat put off by the 3pm start time (what is it with German races and random start times?!), but thought at least I could volunteer at parkrun in the morning and then go to the race.

I had a pretty consistent first couple of months of training in 2022, with only a week or two when I was too busy and/or under the weather to fit in my three runs. I’ve managed to do a tempo/Fartlek run most weeks, but my long runs have topped out at just over 10k. So I knew I could run the distance, but the question was how fast.

Goal: As race week approached, I was feeling strong and in the mood to really race the 10k and see what I could do. I hadn’t properly raced a 10k since October 2018 (!) – pregnancy/baby and pandemic happened – so I was excited to give this one a go and just hoped I’d be healthy for race day. (Spoiler alert: I was.)

So I settled on a goal of finishing under 50 minutes. My recent tempo and interval runs had been under 5:00/km, so I thought averaging that pace for 10k could be doable.

Race strategy: To go out steady and not too fast. To come through the first 5k in 25-26 minutes and then see what I had left and try to run a negative split. I wasn’t quite sure how my body would react to the 3pm start time – it’s not my usual running time – and how tired I’d feel after being on my feet at parkrun all morning.

Weather & outfit: We have had unusually (for Münster) sunny weather recently, and race day didn’t disappoint: it was about 11C/52F and sunny, but also quite breezy – even trending towards blustery, as we experienced during the race. The wind made it feel cool, so I was unsure what to wear: 7/8 leggings and a t-shirt, or shorts and a t-shirt? After consulting previous race recaps (practical to have these records on my blog!) at similar temperatures, I opted for my red shorts with side pockets and my light Wienburgpark parkrun t-shirt with my Saucony Kinvara 9s, my go-to racing shoes, and sunglasses. It was the right choice.

With Jochen & Theresa pre-race. Photo from Theresa

Jochen & me pre-race. Parkrun represent! Photo from Theresa.

The race: I cycled to the race and let that be my warmup, although Theresa and I did do one token lap of the track before the start. Even 30 minutes before the start there were a lot of runners already milling around and warming up. Embedded in the SIENA GARDEN-Straßenlauf were the 10k road race championships for North Rhine-Westphalia (the German state we live in), so there were a lot of fast runners around! Theresa and I found Jochen at the start, and shortly thereafter the countdown began. I was impressed that we started promptly at 3:00pm.

Off we went onto the two-lap course. The start was a bit slow and congested, so I went with the flow and let the crowd of runners pull me along and out onto the Sentruper Straße. Many runners streamed past me, but I kept reminding myself to run my own race and stay steady. The last thing I wanted was to go out too fast and tank in the last few kilometers; my Garmin showed me running under 5:00/km pace, so I was well within my goal pace.

We had a nice tailwind running west along the Sentruper Straße and on the track as well; unfortunately, these segments of the course felt much shorter than the rest along the Aasee, where we experienced blustery headwinds and crosswinds.

Though the first kilometer in 4:51, I checked myself a little bit and relaxed into a steady-hard pace. My next three kilometers were just under 5:00 each. We turned back onto the sports grounds and ran one lap of the track, where the water stop was (except there was also sweet tea, a cup of which I accidentally grabbed instead of water! I was parched from the wind but only took a couple of sips when I discovered it wasn’t water). The end of the track lap was also the 5k marker, which I passed in 24:45, a bit faster than planned. But I was feeling strong and decided to run with it (ha! Pun intended).

Knowing that kilometers 6-8 would be the hardest, I intentionally picked up the pace going back out away from the sports grounds. I also knew we’d have tailwind and wanted to use that to my advantage. 4:48 and 4:39 for kilometers 6 and 7 – the 7th kilometer ended up being my second fastest of the race.

Around 7.5k we turned back down towards the Aasee and into the wind. I slowed down a tad and ate a shot block during this stretch. With 2k to go, I started picking out runners ahead of me to try and pass. I spotted a woman who had passed me early on in the race and decided to catch her. At this point my legs and feet were getting tired, but with less than 2k to go I pushed on.

I caught up with the woman just before we turned back onto the track for the final 250-300m. However, as we came onto the track, someone started loudly encouraging her (sounded like a coach) to start her sprint and pass me. Which she did; I tagged along as best I could, knowing it was too early for me to kick. But when we turned onto the final straightaway, I could tell she was starting to tire. So I gritted my teeth and dug deep for a final surge. I passed her in the last 5-10 meters for a strong finish (a 4:27 final kilometer, and the last 100m in 3:19/km pace).

The result: My chip time was 48:26 (4:51/km or 7:48/mi average) for the 10k; my gun time was 48:43 but I prefer to go with the faster of the two! I’m really pleased to have run under 50 minutes, and by a decent margin with a strong finishing kick (and a small negative split). I was 293rd out of 441 finishers, and the 73rd woman of 127 that finished.

I was happy about my steady pacing and my overall race execution. While it’s not even close to the fastest 10k I’ve run, it felt good to race again and see that I’m regaining some fitness and speed. That my legs and feet got tired means I need to work on my strength and longer tempo running, I think. Goals for moving forward!

Love German post-race goodies: this time, a grapefruit-flavored alcohol-free beer. Delicious!

Post-race: I drank a cup of sweet tea and a cup of water, then found Robin and cheered in Jochen and Theresa. We exchanged race recaps and took some pictures, then got our free alcohol-free beers (love German post-race goodies!) and stood around chatting until it got too cold and it was time to cycle home.

Next up: I’m not sure what’s next on my race calendar, but I’ll be at the Wienburgpark parkrun in Münster every Saturday that I can. Come by and run with us!

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• Select previous 10k race recaps: Advents-Aaseelauf 2021 | Crouch End 10k 2019 | Middlesex 10k 2018 (my second-fastest 10k ever) | Olympic Park 10k 2018 | And my 10k PR/PB race: Regent’s Park Summer 10k Series #1 (2015)

Race Recap: Advents-Aaseelauf 10k

The Aasee at night, lit up more than usual for the event

Background: Finally, at long last, an actual race taking place in person that was a 5-minute cycle from home? Yes, please! I hadn’t run a “live” race in over two years, since the Crouch End 10k in 2019 (at 11 weeks pregnant). It was fun to do the Virtual Wings for Life World Run back in May, but that was more of a personal challenge and not the same as running together with other competitors. So when a friend told me about the Advents-Aaseeslauf at the end of November in Münster, I jumped at the opportunity. I wanted to register for the 5k but it was already full, so I bit the bullet and signed up for the 10k, even though I hadn’t actually run that far in one go since June.

The race timing intrigued me, and almost put me off: a 6pm start for the 10k. But the race took place on the first Sunday of Advent (a big thing here in largely Catholic North Rhine-Westphalia), so I assume that was the idea behind the evening start and decided to give it a go.

Goal: I thought registering for a race would motivate me to get back into a rhythm of tempo runs and long runs. It did, for the few weeks that I stayed healthy in between viruses brought home by E from daycare! I never managed a run over 9.2km, but I figured with decent base fitness I would certainly finish the 10k. Unfortunately, we all got colds the week before the race, and I still felt a bit congested on the day. I almost decided not to run, but then Jochen, my co-event director for our coming-soon Münster parkrun (first official parkrun on 8th Jan 2022 – stay tuned!), suggested we run together at social pace and chat about parkrun. That sounded good, so I rallied myself and told Jochen I’d be happy if we finished the 10k in under an hour.

Race strategy: No strategy other than finishing under an hour and enjoying it. The course was 3 laps on the somewhat narrow Aasee paths, so I wasn’t sure how congested it would be at the start and wasn’t really bothered about where I started.

Weather & outfit: Classic Münster weather: 3C/37F with on and off drizzle (I love the German word: Nieselregen). And completely dark, of course, given the evening start. We had to be there not later than 15 minutes before the start, to get our “2G” status (geimpft oder genesen = vaccinated or recovered) checked, plus I was cycling there and back, so I dressed a bit warmer than I might for a run in these conditions. I wore long running leggings with side pockets (so practical!), tall merino ski socks, a warm mock-turtleneck baselayer with my parkrun 50 t-shirt on top, a snood, a hat, and gloves. I opted for my Brooks Ghost 13 shoes, since I wasn’t planning on really racing.

Jochen, me, & Theresa before the start. Photo credit: Jochen M.

The race: After hanging around in the starting area with our masks on (don’t worry – we didn’t have to run in them!), we were ushered forward for a casual but on-time start at 6pm. The first 2-3 kilometers were very congested; even if we had wanted to run faster, Jochen and I couldn’t. So we had a nice gentle warmup-style start to the race while we caught up on parkrun chat.

I finally warmed up by around 4km and started taking off layers: first my hat, then the snood, and eventually my gloves. By then, Jochen and I had reached a good cruising speed. We came through 5k in 30:40, and I said we’d better pick it up if we wanted to come in under an hour! By then the pack was finally thinning out, so we didn’t have a problem speeding up.

My right outer knee started twinging a bit around 6km, but other than that I was feeling good – much better than anticipated – and we picked up the pace even more while still maintaining conversation. Kilometers 8 and 9 were 5:15 and 5:11, respectively, and I suggested we go for it in the final kilometer. I felt strong and even had a bit of a kick, coming through the last kilometer in 4:41.

The atmosphere was beautiful, with wide candles set up around the course. It was challenging to run in the dark and took a while to get used to it; I didn’t want to trip and fall. It felt peaceful yet festive to race in the dark at the start of the holiday season. I still prefer morning running and races, but I wouldn’t rule out another evening one.

The result: My official time was 56:09 (5:37/km or 9:03/mi average) for the 10k. That’s under an hour, so I’m happy with it. In retrospect, I probably could’ve actually raced the entire thing at a decent clip, but it was nice to run with Jochen and not tax my body too much, especially with a lingering cold/sinus infection. I couldn’t figure out my overall place, but I was the 81st woman of 217 that finished.

We ended up running a perfect negative split race in the form of a progression run, without really intending to. While it wasn’t even close to my fastest 10k race, it gave me confidence in my fitness and motivated me to keep up my training and speedwork.

Stutenkerl (Münsterland) / Weckmann (Rhineland)

Post-race: I picked up my post-race goody (a Stutenkerl/Weckmann with Streusel – yum) then headed back to my bike and cycled home. F had made me fresh hot chocolate with leftover whipped cream from our Thanksgiving celebrations the day before. He’s the best!

F makes delicious hot chocolate

Next up: I’m not sure what’s next on my race calendar, but soon my energies will be focused on getting the Wienburgpark parkrun in Münster up and running!

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• One Year Ago: Pandemic Thanksgiving (2020)
• Two Years Ago: Mama K’s Winter Rotkohl
• Three Years Ago: 2018 London XC Champs
• Four Years Ago: Festive Cookie Party
• Five Years Ago: Perivale 5 #4
• Seven Years Ago: Dianne’s Cranberry Cake – a winter holiday season favorite!

(Virtual) Race Recap: Wings for Life World Run

Nostalgically sporting the London Heathside vest

Background: Due to pregnancy, childbirth, getting back to running, and a pandemic, I haven’t raced since the Crouch End 10k in 2019 (at about 11 weeks pregnant). I’ve been feeling the itch to compete again, mainly to motivate myself. So when I completed a recent Strava challenge and it plugged the Wings for Life World Run, I quickly signed up. The basic idea is everyone starts at the same time and you have to keep running until the chase car catches you. My good friend Hannah ran Wings for Life live a few years ago, and I remember her talking about the strange experience of having to just keep running until being caught by the car. Due to the pandemic, this year’s event was run virtually; the app tracks you via GPS and tells you when the car catches you.

Goal: I’m not in racing or long distance shape, so my goal was to make this my longest run of the year (and longest post-baby run). The app told me that if I wanted to do 15k, I would need to average 6:07/km. On the day, I decided to aim for at least 14k (to complete my weekly mileage goal) and not push the pace too much.

Race strategy: Try to maintain an average pace of around 6:00/km, break the race into thirds (I figured I’d be on my feet for about an hour and a half), and enjoy it. A challenge for me was the 1:00pm start time – not my body’s ideal running time – so I knew I’d have to just see how I felt after setting out.

Weather & outfit: Classically, it turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far. After weeks of cool weather, the heat was turned up to about 25C/77F (maybe more) by the 1pm start time. It was sunny with a bit of haze. I wore shorts, my Heathside club vest (for nostalgia! I’m no longer officially a member since I don’t live in London anymore), and my Brooks Ghost 13s, my everyday running shoes (remember, I wasn’t really “racing” this). I took a couple of shot blocks and my running water bottle.

The Dortmund-Ems Canal in Hiltrup

The race: I had originally thought I’d run laps around the Aasee but I knew it would be packed at midday on an unusually warm Sunday in May – not social-distancing-friendly. So I opted for an out-and-back along the Dortmund-Ems Canal that flows through Münster.

I felt sluggish and a little bit nervous all morning, even though this wouldn’t be an all-out effort for me. But I was a bit anxious about the midday start time and whether my various niggles would hold up over a longer distance than I’d run in a while.

The first couple of kilometers were indeed sluggish, but once on the canal I got into a pretty good rhythm. The World Run app would check in every kilometer with a cheesy motivational statement, which was slightly annoying but also somewhat amusing!

After the first 5k, I knew I’d manage at least 14k, so I decided to keep going down the canal and turn around after 7k. There was a bit of a headwind on the way out, which had a cooling effect; I definitely felt the heat more on the way back and was glad I had my water bottle.

I took a shot block and a short walk break around 10k. I was actually still feeling quite good, although the fatigue started setting in around 11.5k. When I got off the canal and headed back towards our neighborhood, I was ready to call it quits…but I had to keep running until the car caught me! I surged a bit to run through my 14k goal, and then pretty much shuffle-jogged my way through the rest, waiting to be caught by the virtual car.

The result: I was (finally!) caught by the virtual chase car after 1:32:50 and completed 15.26km (9.48mi) in that time. That’s an average pace of 6:05/km or 9:47/mi. It’s about what I was aiming for.

Post-race: I finished in my neighbourhood and walked the last steps home, where F presented me with a big glass of cold sparkling water. After a shower, I devoured half a Laugenecke and a Käsebrötchen with a boiled egg. F took E out for the afternoon so I could sit with my legs up and recover a bit.

Next up: It’s unclear when races will resume in our part of Germany, so this is a big TBD/TBC.

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• One Year Ago: What’s Been Cooking? Pandemic edition (the first one…)
• Three Years Ago: Crouch End 10k 2018
• Four Years Ago: Spas & Skylines: Exploring Bath
• Six Years Ago: Walking the Cotswold Way
• Seven Years Ago: Modal Verbs & Cross-Cultural Moments

Race Recap: Crouch End 10k (2019)

Two of the best London running friends I could ask for

Background: It’s May again, which means time for the annual YMCA North London Fun Run & Festival featuring the Crouch End 10k (with a detour this year, bringing the course to a slightly longer 10.268km). It’s the closest thing Heathside gets to a home race, and I love the combination of local and club support around the course. My running volume hasn’t been very high over the past few months – I haven’t run over 10k since mid-March and speedwork has been limited – so I wasn’t looking for any spectacular times. This would also be a somewhat special race for me, though: my last London race before moving to Germany at the end of the month (surprise!).

Goal: No major time goal, no pressure.

Race strategy: Run steadily with Jo and see how we feel. Enjoy it!

Weather & outfit: A coolish but muggy 12C/55F at the start and mainly overcast with hints of sun peeking through. Good running weather, although a bit humid. I wore shorts, my club vest, and my Saucony Kinvara 8s, my standard racing shoes. I decided to carry a running water bottle, which I’m glad I had.

Runners warming up for the race

The race: Jo and I started in the middle of the first wave and set off at a steady pace. We weren’t too bothered about streaking off at the start, so we settled into a rhythm and waved at Heathside marshals as we ran by.

The detour that lengthened the course this year actually missed out the steepest part of the hill on Station Road. Fine with me! We were warm by the time we descended into Ally Pally for the first time and opted to pour cups of water over our heads – that was a good choice and something we repeated at the next two water stations.

I wasn’t paying too much attention to my splits and was instead enjoying the atmosphere and chatting with Jo as we ran along. I did notice that we came through 5k in just about 27:00 – not super fast but a good, steady pace. Heathside marshals continued to shout their support (thanks Eilidh, Amy, Satu and others!) as we entered the second lap. The hill was hard the second time, but coming down into Ally Pally felt like we were almost there.

With 1km to go, we picked it up a bit down the long straight on Priory Road, before dipping back into Priory Park for some final twists and turns. Jo pushed me in that last kilometer (a 4:51) and we came through the line pretty much together.

Tom & Alice masquerading as Dunns runners

The result: I finished the 10km race in 53:45 (5:22/km = 8:40/mi). I came 357th/869 and was the 58th woman of the 341 who finished. I’m pleased with my time given recent (lack of) training and other life things taking up my energy. Plus, it was not actually my slowest CE10k time so I’m happy with that!

Post-race: Jo and I picked up our Dunns jelly donuts (probably the only time in the year when I eat a donut – yum). We chatted with Tom and Alice, who were sneakily running for “Team Dunns,” then found Caroline to exchange race stories and snap a few photos before I wandered home. It was a lovely way to say a sort of goodbye to the north London running community that has been such a big part of my life for the past six and a half years. Who knows – maybe I’ll fly in next year just for this race!

Next up: Stay tuned, but it may well be a July 10k in our new home of Münster.

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• One Year Ago: Crouch End 10k 2018 (a course PB)
• Two Years Ago: Crouch End 10k 2017 (do you sense a trend here?)
• Three Years Ago: Baking with Hot Bread Kitchen: Tortillas
• Four Years Ago: At the Theatre: English National Opera’s “The Pirates of Penzance”
• Five Years Ago: Four-Ingredient Lemon Pudding (so easy, so good!)
• Six Years Ago: Zucchini & Hazelnut Salad with Grilled Halloumi (still a staple on our spring/summer dinner rotation)
• Seven Years Ago: Mama Anya’s Spring Radish Salad
• Eight Years Ago: Picking Cherries

Race Recap: Heathside Club 5-miler, Finsbury Park

Photo by Lenny Martin

Background: My running club, London Heathside, hasn’t had its own road race for a number of years. (It used to be the Hampstead 10k, the final iteration of which I ran as my first race with the club back in 2013.) A few of the club committee have been pushing for a while to revive a Heathside-run road race in our local area. The club plays a large part in the Crouch End 10k, but that’s actually the YMCA’s race. We also have an intra-club 5km handicap race in Highgate Woods in the summer, but that’s a different sort of event. This intra-club 5-miler in Finsbury Park was a good start to hopefully bringing back an annual Heathside-run road race.

Goal: I ran an unexpectedly fast Finsbury parkrun two weeks ago so thought I could run a pretty good time in this 5-miler, although grappling with “the hill” three times would not be easy. I didn’t think I could improve on last year’s 5-mile PB but wanted to run under 37:00.

Race strategy: I was feeling pretty sluggish in the morning so, on Gabi’s advice, decided to take it steadier on the first lap (of three), then try to pick up the pace if I felt good.

Weather & outfit: A warmish 9C/49F and cloudy with a bit of drizzle. Good running weather, actually. I wore shorts, a technical t-shirt (some people wore their club vests but it was a casual event so I opted for a regular tee), and my Saucony Kinvara 8s, which I usually race in.

Photo by Lenny Martin

The race: The course was a variation on the Finsbury parkrun course, which I know very well, having run it over 30 times. We started with one lap of the track, which helped me clock a swift 4:21 first kilometre. I know I can run strongly down the long descent and up the long, gradual incline on the far side of the park, so I tried to use the terrain to my advantage and ran the second kilometre in 4:24. Somewhere in there, I passed the 1-mile marker at just 7:00. Keep this up if you can, I thought to myself, you could be on track to run under 36′.

Then came the first time up the notorious parkrun hill. I’ve learned that I do better when I take it slow and steady up the hill, then come off it fast onto the flatter ground. This means I usually get passed up the hill but I try not to let it bother me.

A slower third kilometre, as expected: 4:51. I tried to use the downhill again on the second lap, but the headwind didn’t make it easy. Jessica and I were trading off leading each other at this point, and I made it my mission not to let her get too far ahead of me. My splits were slowing but I was still on pace to run under 37′.

First lap. Photo by Lenny Martin

Last lap. Photo by Lenny Martin

Up the steep hill a second time, and my legs were starting to feel it. I didn’t have much fuel in the tank, either, but Jessica’s presence helped keep me going through the last lap. My 6th kilometre was the slowest of the race, but on the other side of it I gritted my teeth and calculated that I could run just over 36′ if I kept it up. J and I kept pace up the long back straight. My hamstrings and ankles were feeling it at this point. Come on, you’re almost there. Tackling the hill for the last time, I surged onto the track for the last 200m and tried to muster some sort of kick down to the finish line.

The result: I finished the 5 mile race in 36:15 (4:31/km = 7:15/mi). I came 17th in the small field of 33 and was the 4th woman of the 13 who ran.

This was a hard race, but as Eilidh pointed out, it was a nice way to mix things up: 5 miles instead of the 5k of a parkrun, and doing a hard effort instead of a long slow run on a Sunday (although a bunch of Heathsiders that are marathon training added many miles onto this club race).

Post-race: An easy jog down Parkland Walk with Eilidh, catching up on the latest and shaking out our legs a bit. By the time I got home, I had clocked up almost 8 miles, so could count it as a race and a longish run.

Next up: I’m entered for the Victoria Park Open 5 Mile race next month. Today’s race helped me see where I am in terms of 5-mile fitness, so I know what I should work on before VP5 (more speed & tempo!).

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• One Year Ago: 50th Parkrun
• Two Years Ago: International Women’s Day 2017: Be Bold For Change – IWD is my favorite holiday! What are you doing to celebrate this year?
• Three Years Ago: At the National Theatre: Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”
• Four Years Ago: International Women’s Day 2015
• Five Years Ago: Chicken & Dumplings – this has become part of our regular winter dinner rotation. Yum!
• Six Years Ago: Sweet Potato Rosemary Biscuits
• Seven Years Ago: Sniatyn District Teachers’ Sports Tournament
• Eight Years Ago: Humor break: stereotypes

Race Recap: Met League XC – Ally Pally 2019

Photo Credit: Tom Hosking Photography

Background: It’s the tail end of the cross country season here in the UK. I joined in a few times back in November and December but took break from XC in January to focus on longer road stuff: the Fred Hughes 10 and the Watford Half Marathon. The former went well and the latter got cancelled, so I was excited to lace up my spikes again for a very local cross country race just up the road at Ally Pally!

Goal: Is it really possible to set a time goal for a cross country race? Not for an average runner like me. Every course is different, and the same course varies year to year depending on the weather the week before the race. My glutes were sore on Saturday from the many 1-leg squat variations prescribed by the physio, but I made a couple of general goals for myself: 1) Don’t turn an ankle/trip/fall/get spiked, and 2) Expect mud, embrace the mud, and enjoy it.

Race strategy: None, really (see above), but I did decide to treat it like a very muddy parkrun, have some fun, and try to save some energy for the finish.

Weather & outfit: A warmish 9C/49F but very windy. It rained a lot in the week leading up to the race, so mud would definitely be on the agenda. I wore shorts, Heathside vest, and my cross country spikes (15mm for the expected mud levels). No need for any extra layers, even with the wind.

Terrifyingly long spikes. Worth it!

The race: I’m glad I had reread my race recap from the last time I ran this course, two years ago. According to that, the course was quite a bit short of 6km. That said, the start this year seemed further back than I remembered, so I mentally prepared for the race to be at least 6k (there’s nothing like assuming a course will be short and then having to run further than anticipated!).

I knew the first long straight would be gradually uphill and into the wind, so as we set off I went with the flow and used the time to test the terrain and warm up my calves and ankles. I found myself in touch with Jen and Alice, so breathed encouragement to them and pushed on. Short strides up the hill. Use your arms, I reminded myself as we were tested by the first short rise. Alice and I rounded a corner and had a brief respite from running uphill.

Lap 1. Photo credit: F

Then we crossed the paved path, hurdled a ditch, and dug in up the long, steep hill for the first time. This three-stage hill is killer: a longish steep section, a turn left onto a slightly more gradual (but still very much uphill) section, then a right up a short, sharp bit to the top. This hill alone made me really glad I’d put 15mm spikes in my shoes. The long spikes gave me enough traction to maintain control while clawing my way slowly up and up and up…

Photo Credit: Tom Hosking Photography

Then the descent started. The course wound around some trees until plunging back down the first section that we’d run up. Another ditch and paved path later, we were back on firmer, slightly downhill terrain. Behind the cricket pitch, it got sloppy: thick, soupy mud with a few more ditches to cross. I enjoyed hurdling the ditches – it reminded me of my track days from university and distracted me from the exertion.

Photo Credit: Tom Hosking Photography

Soon it was back out to the long straight for the second and final lap. I was tiring, but the cheers from the Heathside supporters as we ran between the club camps – Come on, Heathside! Go Tammela! – were amazing and helped me summon some extra energy. A fellow Heathsider kept passing me on the uphills (impressive!) but I tried to keep her within range. Tackling the long, staged hill for the second time slowed me a lot, but I reminded myself to raise my knees and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Back down the hill and over the ditch, I knew it was only 1-2km to the finish and the course would, indeed, be shorter than 6km. I passed a few runners in the boggy section behind the cricket pitch, including a couple of fellow Heathsiders. Come on, we’re almost there, I encouraged them. Surprised to catch one of our speedy vets, S, I knew she’d probably respond to my challenge and stick with me.

A marshal called out that we had 800m to go. You can do this! Just a few more minutes, I said to myself. My legs felt so heavy and I felt a bit sick. S caught me up and we pushed each other through the final 500m, passing a couple of other runners along the way. A yell from F, who had come to watch, helped me find a tiny kick to the finish, just in front of S.

Heathside women. Met League Champs for the 2nd year in a row!

The result: I finished the 5.37km/3.34mi race in an official time of 25:33 (4:45/km = 7:39/mi). I came 78th of 244 women finishers and ran my fastest time on this particular cross country course.

And by coming 16th of 35 Heathside women finishers, I actually scored for the C team!

Cross country scoring can be baffling, so here’s how one of our club coaches explains it:

The first 6 women to finish score for the A team, the next 6 for the B team and the 5 after that for the C team.  Additional finishers count towards the C team: although they don’t score, they can push back members of other teams, making the points for the team more valuable.

I don’t think I’ve scored for Heathside in a Met League XC race in over five years, so I am chuffed to have squeaked into the C team! I felt strong and was mentally in the mood to race.

As an added bonus, the Heathside women’s A team were crowned the Met League Champions for the second year in a row. Amazing running, ladies!

Post-race: A women’s team photo, catching up with Gabi, Caroline, Jo & co, then walking back home with F to de-mud my spikes and take a hot shower.

Next up: I think I’ll go back to some shorter, sharper running now that my long goal races are out of the way. I’ll try to keep doing a longish run most weekends, but I want to make sure my knee/ITBS pain settles before ramping up the distance again

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• One Year Ago: Regent’s Park 10k, Feb 2018
• Three Years Ago: Baking with Hot Bread Kitchen: Chapati
• Five Years Ago: Chocolate Beet Cake with Beet Cream Cheese Frosting – just in time for Valentine’s Day, if you’re into that sort of thing
• Seven Years Ago: Leftover Mashed Potatoes & Cooked Cabbage? Make Pyrizhky!

Race Recap: Fred Hughes 10 (2019)

Some Heathsiders pre-race

Heathsiders post-race. Photo credit: Nilesh.

Background: Back in September, J persuaded me to enter the Fred Hughes 10 in mid-January as a goal for us to work towards. Having run this race once before, then entering in subsequent years but bailing due to illness or injury, I was keen to get it back on my racing calendar and hoped to actually make it to the start this time! So I signed up and have been dutifully ticking off Sunday long runs with my clubmates. I did a number of 10-11 mile training runs in November and December so I could finish the distance for Fred Hughes. It was the speed I was concerned about!

Goal: Given my lack of speedwork in recent months, I set a goal to finish under 1:20:00. I ran this race five years ago in 1:16:17 but wasn’t sure I would have the speed for that kind of time. This was also my longest race since 2015 – and my first 10-mile race since then. I wanted to finish without too much right knee pain (it has been bothering me on my longer runs).

Race strategy: Start steady and try to average around 5:00/km until the halfway point (5mi/8km). Don’t panic if my pace ends up being a bit slower or faster – listen to my body. Slowly increase my pace from 5-8mi/8-13km. Take a gel after 55-60 minutes. Start pushing towards home with 2mi/3km to go. Use the downhills and think about my form on the uphills. Also, enjoy it!

Weather & outfit: A brisk 0C/32F or so in the morning, with a promise to ‘warm up’ to about 3C/38F by the time the race started. I went back and forth on what to wear, but settled on the following: capri leggings (quite thin), my Craft thermal long-sleeve baselayer under my Heathside vest, light gloves, and a fleece running headband. It was cold at the start, but the sun was out and I warmed up quickly once we started running. The outfit choice worked. I even shed my headband at 5km and my gloves at 8km.

Mile 5. Photo by New Pixels Photography

The race: A narrow first half kilometre meant keeping the pace steady until the road widened and the runners spread out. My watch read 5:01 for the first kilometre – right on track. The next two kilometres had some nice downhills, which I used to gain some time early on: 4:41, 4:42. That’s okay – it’s quick but you feel good. Stay steady.

M, a runner I know through J, caught up to me around 3km and chattered away, pulling me along at a good clip for the next 2.5km (thanks, M – that helped a lot!). We went through 3 miles at 22:30, and 5km at just over 23:00. (Yes, I think in both miles and kilometres when training and racing. Maybe it’s a waste of brain energy but I like doing both!) If I can keep this up, I’ll definitely run under 1:20:00, I thought. But we still have a ways to go. Be patient.

M pulled away around 5.5km and I let her go, preferring to stick to my game plan. My next few kilometres were all under 5:00. I enjoyed the dappled sunlight and quiet country lanes, focusing on my surroundings to distract myself from how hard I was working. A woman in a St Albans Striders vest complimented my running form and ran alongside me for a little while; it was nice to have some company/motivation.

I hit the halfway mark at 37:53. I can run the second half in 40 minutes and still beat my goal for today. That gave me a confidence boost, especially when the 10th kilometre ended up being a long slog uphill. It was one of those hills where you don’t really feel like you’re running uphill until you look at your watch and realize your pace has slowed massively. It was by far my slowest split of the race (5:27), but I still went through 10km in around 48 minutes.

Running through the countryside. Glorious!

Just 6km to go. You can do this. Two kilometres and then you can have your gel. I picked up the pace for kilometres 11 and 12, to shake off the long climb and to inject my legs with a bit of energy. 4:20, 4:30. I ripped open my gel and started focusing on runners to pick off up ahead.

Between the gel and an uphill, kilometre 13 was not swift – 5:08 – but I kept my eyes on clubmate Holly and the guy in orange and red who had passed me earlier on. You can catch them. Just 3km to go. Despite feeling a bit sick at this point, I pressed on and focused on my form up the hills. The orange-and-red guy kept passing me, then slowing down enough for me to pass him back. I think I finally dropped him with less than a mile to go. Looking at my watch, I calculated that I could probably make it home in under 1:16:00 – it wouldn’t be a PB, but it could be a best time for this course. With 400m to go, I picked up my legs, pumped my arms, used the downhill and pushed up the rise to the finish.

The result: I finished the race in a 1:15:33 chip time (7:33/mi = 4:42/km). I came 230th of 840 finishers and was the 43rd woman of 412. I was the 11th of 17 Heathsiders running, and the 3rd of our 7 women who finished.

This was also a course PB for me. Sure, I’ve only run this race twice, but still – I ran it faster than 5 years ago! I’m also really pleased to have run almost 5 minutes faster than my goal time of 1:20:00, and to have run a small negative split. Guess I do have a bit of speed in these legs, despite the lack of speedwork. The crisp, sunny weather was glorious and the country lanes were peaceful. I was really happy I ran.

Post-race: Picking up my t-shirt (I love how Fred Hughes does a women’s specific technical top), gathering for a Heathside photo, jogging back to the race HQ for a quick change, sharing these brownies that I made, then getting in the car for the drive home.

Next up: The Watford Half Marathon in two weeks. My longest training run has only been 11 miles, so I will definitely be treating the half as more of a training run than a race. Plus, I’ve heard it is very hilly…

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• One Year Ago: Year in Review: 2017
• Two Years Ago: Beetroot & Carrot Salad with Raisins, Walnuts, & Goat Cheese – a favorite that’s in our regular dinner rotation
• Three Years Ago: Singing Bach’s “Mass in B Minor”
• Four Years Ago: Whole Wheat Focaccia
• Five Years Ago: SEAA Cross Country Championships, Parliament Hill and Roasted Parsnip & Cauliflower Soup
• Six Years Ago: Spicy Homemade Falafel with Minty Yogurt Sauce – also in the semi-regular rotation.
• Seven Years Ago: Video Update: January
• Eight (!) Years Ago: Highlights of the Week

Race Recap: XC “Dirty Double”

Background: I was supposed to run the Perivale 5 road race this Sunday – it has been an annual sojourn for my group of running friends for the past five years. However, this year not many Heathsiders signed up, and I didn’t fancy spending three hours on public transport to get to and from the race. So I decided on option 2: the arguably more challenging “dirty double” of Met League cross country on Saturday afternoon, and Sunday League cross country on Sunday morning. After a long week with minimal exercise due to evening work commitments, I was keen to try my hand at the double, and decided to combine my race reports for a bumper post! Read on to see if I regretted my decision…

Heathside ladies after Met League XC. Some missing. Photo from Emma W.

Race 1 – Saturday: Met League Cross Country in Uxbridge

Why pay £50 for a Tough Mudder when you can do this for free?

Goal: It was my first Met League XC race since February 2017, and I’d never run the Uxbridge course before, so I settled on my usual “under 30 minutes” goal for the 6km race. Also, after seeing the juniors tanking it in the river crossing (check this out if you don’t believe me!), I decided to focus on not falling over in the river, and generally not turning an ankle or getting spiked.

Race strategy: Run by feel and use the downhills. Be smart but not overly cautious in the river crossing. Breathe!

Weather & outfit: It had rained all night and morning and was grey and misting at the start of the race. At least it wasn’t too cold – probably about 12C/54F. I wore shorts, Heathside vest, and cross country spikes (9mm, but 12s might have been better).

The race: We set off on a flat, muddy grass field. This isn’t too bad, I thought. It’s not as wet as the Ridgeway Run was! Pretty soon we started up a long, gradual slope. There were two of those in this race, and we ran two laps so faced the long hills four times. At least they were followed by long descents. I particularly enjoyed making up time on the descent after the short, steep “ski slope” hill.

Yes, this course had a ski slope and a river crossing that we had to contend with. Twice.

First time through the river crossing…

But back to the running. It passed in a bit of a blur. I felt anxious about the river crossing the first time, but managed not to fall over and got out of it well. As we neared the river again on the second lap, I estimated the course would be longer than 6km, especially as coach J called out around 5k that I had six more minutes to run. I’d been keeping half an eye on my splits but didn’t pay them too much attention since the course undulated so much. I did want to keep my average pace under 5:00/km, so that kept me going on tired legs.

I got through the river the second time and was soaked to the waist but I didn’t face-plant! After a few more twists and turns, the finish line was finally in sight and I gave the best kick I could. Unfortunately for me, a long-legged Ealing runner responded to my challenge and just nipped me at the line.

The result: I finished the longer-than-6km (my Garmin showed 6.67km/4.14mi) in 32:09 (7:46/mi, 4:49/km). I was 102nd of 215 female finishers – pleased to be in the top half of the field – and the 21st of 27 Heathside women.

Most Heathsiders before Sunday League in Trent Park

Race 2 – Sunday: Sunday League Cross Country in Trent Park

Back in action less than 24 hours later…

Goal: 1) Finish this race and complete the “dirty double”! 2) Run faster than I did last year on this course, which would mean mean averaging under 5:00/km and beating 39:09 total. After the Met League, I wasn’t so sure, but thought I could probably manage it.

Race strategy: Go out hard and try to keep going. Use the downhills to make up time. Try to pick people off one by one.

Sunday League, Trent Park. Photo credit: Andrew W.

Sunday League, Trent Park. Photo credit: Andrew W.

Weather & outfit: Even warmer than Saturday, at about 57F/14C. A hint of sun peeking through the clouds, but also some lightly misting rain during the race. I wore shorts, Heathside vest (yes I washed it in between races!), compression socks (placebo or real effect to support tired calves?), and my XC spikes. A lot of people wore trail shoes but I remembered slippery, sticky mud from last year so opted for the spikes.

Sunday League, Trent Park. Photo credit: Andrew W.

The race: I set off well and was glad to have spikes on for the first two kilometers, as we looped up and down a grassy, muddy field. 4:26 and 4:45 for the first 2k – not bad. Entering the woods, I was less satisfied with my footwear choice: my spikes grated on the gravelly paths. I tried to stay near the edges on softer, leafier ground.

The third, uphill kilometer was my slowest at 5:14, but I tried to make the most of the downhills in the next 2k to pick it up. I set a goal to keep clubmate Sif in range, and caught up to her around the 5k mark. I didn’t have enough in the tank to pass her or stay with her, though, as we started climbing again on the second lap and my legs complained about yesterday’s Met League race.

With less than 2km to go, I managed to pick my legs up and surge down the descent, although the final steep, muddy (spikes were useless at this point) hill nearly defeated me. My glutes screamed and it was all I could do to hold my position. I did somehow find a mini kick to pass one man just before the finish.

Last hill. Shattered legs. Photo credit: Andrew W.

The result: My Garmin had me at 36:47 for the 4.75mi/7.65km course (7:44/mi, 4:48/km). Somehow slightly faster than the previous day’s Met League race, even though the Sunday League course was longer! Either I didn’t run hard enough yesterday, or the river crossing really slowed me down. In any case, I was pleased to run this Trent Park course much faster than last year, and with a small negative split despite my tired legs. I was 169th out of 445 finishers, 23rd woman out of 171, 23rd/37 Heathsiders, and 7th of 14 Heathside women who finished.

Post-race: Cakes all around! A Sunday League tradition. I enjoyed one of Emilia’s delicious peanut butter swirl brownies. A latte and some yoga upon arriving home helped jumpstart my recovery.

Next up: I must get in a long run next weekend, then I’ll probably run the next Sunday League in two weeks’ time.

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• One Year Ago: Race Recap: Perivale 5, 2017. A PB! – a bit sad to skip Perivale this year, but all streaks must end!
• Three Years Ago: At the theatre: English National Opera’s “The Mikado”
• Five Years Ago: Celeriac, Potato & Apple Soup
• Seven Years Ago: Highlights of the Week: “One Year At Site” Edition

Race Recap: 2018 London Cross Country Championships, Parliament Hill

Photo credit: Andrew W

Background: When planning my autumn racing calendar, I knew I’d miss the first Met League and Sunday League cross country races (let’s call it XC to save words) in October and November due to travel. So I impulsively signed up to run the London Cross Country Championships on Parliament Hill as part of Heathside’s women’s team. It’s hard to say “no” to such a local race, but it would also be my first XC race in a year, and in a fast field – I was one of the slowest Heathside women on the roster. Upon perusing my blog archives, I also realized that I hadn’t run this particular race since 2013! It was high time to rectify that.

Goal: Not having run cross country in a year, I set modest expectations for myself: not to be the last Heathsider to finish, and to run under 30 minutes (I did this race in 28:08 five years ago).

Race strategy: Run by feel and use the downhills. Don’t trip or fall and don’t worry too much about time. Try to enjoy it!

Weather & outfit: It was a sunny autumn day and relatively warm for the season. The temperature was about 12C/54F – maybe warmer in the sun. I wore shorts, Heathside vest, and dusted off my cross country spikes for the occasion.

The start. Photo by Andrew W.

The race: It had been pretty dry in London so the course consisted of “very firm ground with lots of holes,” as fellow Heathsider D put it on his Strava description of the race. That’s not to say the lack of mud made it easier. If anything, the hard ground was less forgiving on my thinly shod feet – I could feel every hump and bump in the terrain and had to work hard to balance myself and not turn an ankle. I definitely wobbled a number of times. But that’s the challenge of cross country for you! Time to do some more core work…

The Parliament Hill XC course famously starts by running straight up the long, south-facing slope of – you guessed it – Parliament Hill. The first kilometer felt endless, although I was pleased to go through it in 5:01. It doesn’t get any easier after the long hill: the course undulates up and down grassy fields, through pockets of woods and across some paved paths. There is never a step on perfectly flat ground. It is relentless.

About to get caught by a clubmate! Photo credit: Andrew W

Photo credit: Andrew W

Nevertheless, I had committed to it, so I kept running. My second and third kilometers were faster than the first. Clubmate A passed me at 3.5km as I was struggling up a steep hill for the second time. We’re over halfway, I breathed to her. That fourth kilometer was the hardest. I felt a bit sick – it’s hard to fuel properly for midday/afternoon races – and my legs had lost the spring they had in the first lap. Just relax, keep breathing, be patient, I told myself.

Knowing the last kilometer was mostly downhill, I resolved to save my energy until then for the final push to the finish. I picked it up for a swift final kilometer – 3:55 – but didn’t quite have the kick to catch anyone at the end.

Heathside women post-race. Photo from Emily R.

The result: I finished the race in 28:04 (7:31/mi = 4:41/km) and came 123rd of 311 women finishers. I was the 15th of 20 Heathside women running, and ran this course 4 seconds faster than I did five years ago. Not much, but I’ll take it. The best news is that our leading quartet of women combined to win and become the London XC champs 2018! Brilliant running, Heathsiders.

This was a hard race. I struggled to get in a racing mindset and didn’t respond well to challenges from other runners. I forgot how hard cross country running is on your feet, ankles, and calves. Time for some stretching and rolling! But I’m glad I did it and now know I need to do some more hilly trail training.

Post-race: Women’s team photo then home to a hot shower and F’s freshly-baked sausage rolls. Yum!

Next up: Probably Perivale 5 in a couple of weeks, although I may trade it in for a Sunday League XC race. I’ll see how I feel.

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• One Year Ago: Sunday League XC – Trent Park
• Two Years Ago: Thanksgiving (in London) 2016 – what we cooked – this week this week!
• Four Years Ago: Dianne’s Cranberry Cake – my favorite autumn/winter holiday cake. Make it now!
• Five Years Ago: This Week in “Issues”: Photography
• Six Years Ago: From one home to another: Ukraine to the USA – I can’t believe I finished my Peace Corps service over six years ago…
• Seven Years Ago: I am thankful for…
• Eight (!) Years Ago: Thanksgiving in Ukraine

Race Recap: Ridgeway Run 2018

…in which I traverse the trails of Tring for 15 kilometers in the pouring rain.

Some Heathsiders, pre-race. Still dry at this point. Photo credit: Louise C.

Background: The Ridgeway Run 15km trail race has been my goal race for a few months. I ran it last year as a training run and decided that this year, I wanted to be fit enough to race it. So I dutifully built up up my long run distance with Sunday club runs in August and September, and I’ve raced regularly over the past month and a half (maybe too regularly?). I’ve tried to incorporate hill/interval/speed workouts into my training and get in the gym for strength sessions. Two weeks ago, I ran my second-fastest 10k ever in Victoria Park. That gave me some confidence going into this race.

Goal: After the Middlesex 10k, I thought I could push for 1:15:00. As the elation of a fast (road) 10k wore off, I revised my goal to a time range: 1h15m to 1h20m should be realistic. On the day before the race, I was feeling tired and sluggish, not really in the mood for a long race in the forecast rain. So I revised my goal again, to: “faster than last year” (1:25:07).

Race strategy: It’s almost impossible to evenly pace a hilly trail race, so I decided to run by feel and use the flat stretches and downhills to make up time lost on the climbs.

Weather & outfit: The forecast was for 13C/55F and rain. Not just a chance of rain, but 99%-guaranteed autumnal British rain. I wasn’t sure how to dress but remembered it being cool up on the ridge last year and really didn’t want to get chilled due to the rain. I wore shorts, a t-shirt under my Heathside vest, thin arm warmers, and my trail shoes (Salomon Speedcross 4, in case anyone’s wondering. I love how cushiony they are, although they’re a tad narrow in the forefoot for me). The arm warmers were a last-minute addition and definitely the right choice. I’m also really glad I wore my trail shoes, as some people raced in regular running shoes and struggled on the slippery ups and downs.

The race: The rain seemed to be letting up as we walk-jogged to the start. Just kidding, the weather gods seemed to say, as it started raining harder as we were briefed and sent off up the lane promptly at 10:00. The first 1.5km are on paved lanes and I was pleased to tick off a 4:54 first kilometer. I tried to leap around the big, deep puddles for a few minutes, but eventually they were hard to avoid and I was pretty much soaked through already, so what difference would wet feet really make?

We entered the woods after crossing a road and that’s where the trails started. An ascent in the third kilometer meant I slowed right down to 5:42 pace (see elevation profile below). We emerged onto the edge of a golf course and it started raining harder: all I could do was laugh joyously and think of the scene in the rain from Pride and Prejudice. I’m not sure how that popped into my mind, but maybe being out in the countryside put me in a Jane Austen frame of mind.

But back to the race: I had a swift fourth kilometer, net downhill in the pouring rain. A man passed me at some point and warned of a steep hill coming up. I had forgotten how long and painful that fourth-kilometer hill was last year, but ouch. 6:36. I was pleased to run the first 5km in 27:15, though, about two minutes faster than last year.

Kilometers 5-9 are my favorite part of the Ridgeway Run. They go through the woods on wide trails, and it’s relatively flat all along. I had a Serpentine runner and two Leighton Fun Runners pushing me along on this section. The motivation helped, especially as we passed the halfway point: kilometers 8 and 9 in 4:52 and 4:59.

Emerging onto the exposed ridge (think sideways driving rain), the 10th kilometer felt so hard. I took a gel around this time but my legs felt leaden slogging up the steep, grassy hill and into the mist on top. My energy flagged until we entered the woods, when I had to refocus in order to avoid tripping over roots and slipping on leaves. My 13th kilometer was the fastest of the race – 4:33 – in part because a heavily-treading man was right on my heels for the entire narrow descent. It was somewhat annoying, but it did push me to keep going!

The last section of the race is a seemingly endless two kilometers back to the clubhouse on paved roads. My glutes and lower back were not happy, and it was all I could do to stay under 5:00/km pace. Come on, you can make it under 1:20:00. Use your arms. Breathe. You’re almost there. I had to pause briefly before crossing the road, then picked it up for the final grassy stretch of 100m or so to the finish.

Not an easy elevation profile!

The result: I finished the 15k trail race in a chip time of 1:19:04 (8:28/mi, 5:19/km), coming 23rd woman of 209 and 128th overall of 473 finishers. I’m really pleased with my time: it was faster than last year and within my goal time range despite the conditions. As a bonus, I was part of the first three Heathside women (after Emily and Louisa) that won first women’s team prize! Two other women also bagged age group prizes. Overall, not a bad performance for the Heathside contingent.

The Ridgeway Run reminded me that there is something magical about trail running. It was absolutely glorious to be out in the middle of nature, not a house in sight, with intrepid, like-minded people running the race or out walking their dogs in spite of the weather. During the race, I reflected on how remarkable it is that we can travel so far on our two feet. We are fortunate, indeed.

Post-race: I collected my race shirt then headed to the changing rooms to peel off my soaked running clothes, wash the mud off my legs, and attempt to dry off enough to put clean clothes on. Caroline and I got tea and I shared these flapjacks (without chocolate this time) around before we headed home.

Next up: I’m not actually sure! This was my goal race for this training cycle. I think I’ll take it easy for a few weeks then think about what’s next…maybe some cross-country?

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• One Year Ago: Sunday League Cross Country – Cheshunt
• Two Years Ago: Singing Brahms at the Barbican: “Ein deutsches Requiem”
• Three Years Ago: VeloPark Team Relay Duathlon
• Four Years Ago: Eggplant Parmesan
• Five Years Ago: If I Hadn’t Joined the Peace Corps
• Six Years Ago: Sweet-Salty Eggplant, Two Ways – forgot about this! It’s tasty.
• Seven Years Ago: Journey to Axe-Land (Сокиряни)
• Eight (!) Years Ago: Базар!

Race Recap: Middlesex 10k, 2018 edition

…in which I run my second-swiftest 10k ever!

Photo credit: Bea V.

Background: I ran a good 10k in the Olympic Park last month. Training has been going well since then, with a handful of solid long runs (13-16km) and a smattering of tempo/hill/speed sessions. I thought I was in good enough shape to run faster than I did in the Olympic Park. Unfortunately, I came down with a head cold on the Wednesday/Thursday before the race… I promptly took two days off of exercise in the hopes that my cold would clear, and luckily by Saturday I was feeling better. Sunday morning, I woke up slightly congested and with a small cough, but physically felt okay.

Goal: Given my cold and a stressful week at work, I wasn’t sure how I’d perform. I thus set myself a series of goals for this race (is that a cheeky way of making sure not to disappoint myself?): 1) Under 46:00, 2) Under 46:18 (my fastest time this year), 3) Under 47:30.

Race strategy: Run by feel, not look at my watch too often, and not put too much pressure on myself. I wanted to average under 4:45/km but decided to keep my watch on the timer-only screen to allow myself to focus on how my body felt rather than be a slave to my splits.

Weather & outfit: Sunny and cool – around 10C/50F, maybe a tad warmer in the sun – with a slight breeze. Near-perfect racing conditions. I wore shorts, Heathside vest, and sunglasses.

Heathsiders pre-race. Photo credit: Jim C’s phone

The race: After an 11-minute warmup job, some leg swings, and a Heathside photo, we bunched up at the start and were sent off promptly at 10:30am. As usual, I let the flow of runners carry me along for the first kilometer: 4:22, swift. Andrew and I exchanged greetings and race goals – we both planned to run by feel rather than goal time.

Alun came up alongside me soon after and then pulled ahead. My second and third kilometers were 4:43 and 4:44. Not bad, but can you run faster?, I challenged myself. I think Andrew passed me somewhere in here and ran alongside Alun up ahead. That motivated me to surge to keep in touch with them. I caught Nilesh around 4km and he pulled me through to the 5km mark: 23:16. It might be a stretch to run 46:00 now, but let’s see what you can do. You know how to run a negative split.

Kilometers 6 and 7 are often my slowest in a 10k: my mind wanders as I get tired and my pace often dips as a consequence.

Not so today! With Andrew and Alun up ahead, I knew I had to try and catch them soon, otherwise they would be out of my sights by 8km. So I picked my knees up and reminded myself to use my arms. I can’t remember when I caught up with A&A but they certainly helped me pick up the pace: 4:36 and 4:34 for kilometers 6 and 7.

One lap to go, I breathed to myself, you can do this. With 2km to go, I gave a push over the very slight downhill section and around the tight corner for the last long straightaway. A 4:28 ninth kilometer at 41:35 on my watch: It’s going to be tight, but maybe you can just squeak under 46:00. Come on! I gave it my all in the final 400 meters, nipping along at 4:10/km pace, and almost caught clubmate Emilia on the line.

The result: I finished the 10k in 45:06 (7:16/mi or 4:31/km) and came 35th woman of 90 in this competitive club race. This was my second fastest 10k ever, and 21 seconds off my PR/PB from back in 2015. I am really pleased and wasn’t quite sure I had it in me, especially having a bit of a cold. But the morning was beautiful and I was fortunate to have clubmates of similar speed to pull/push me along during the race (thanks, Nilesh, Alun, and Andrew!). It all came together.

Post-race: Staggering around for a few minutes to catch my breath, acquiring a delicious apple-cinnamon energy ball from Tom, sharing my flapjacks, and trading race stories.

Next up: My goal race for this training cycle: the Ridgeway Run 15k. I ran it last year as an easy training run but hope to be in good enough form to give it a proper go this year.

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• One Year Ago: Baking with Hot Bread Kitchen: Tortillas de Tiesto
• Two Years Ago: Regent’s Park 10k (winter series #1)
• Five Years Ago: the sex education I wish I’d had
• Six Years Ago: Desert Island Discs
• Seven Years Ago: Kefir Power Smoothie
• Eight (!) Years Ago: End of Week 1.

Race Recap: Jubilee Hall Trust 5k Trail Race

Ready to run

Background: In retrospect, I’m not really sure why I entered this 5k trail race in the Parliament Hill area of Hampstead Heath. I could have just run Hampstead Heath parkrun…for free. But I had pleasant memories of running the Jubilee Hall Trust 10k a couple of years ago, and the entry fee went towards the British Heart Foundation and the Jubilee Hall Trust‘s work to help people improve their heart health, so why not? I also thought this race would be good hill training and preparation for cross country season (although again, I could’ve just done HH parkrun).

Goal: I had a full-on workweek leading up to the Saturday morning race, so didn’t have high expectations for my run. However, based on my 10k a couple of weeks ago, I thought I could aim for 23:00 or under. My stretch goal was to aim for close to 22:00, but knowing how hilly the course was, I knew it would be difficult.

Race strategy: Run by feel and use the downhills. See what happens.

Weather & outfit: A beautiful late summer/early autumn morning: warm in the sun and cool in the shade. Around 20C/68F. I wore shorts, Heathside vest, and sunglasses. Although this was a trail race, the weather has been dry and part of the race was on paved paths, so I didn’t wear my trail shoes but instead went for my new Brooks Ghost 11 trainers (I’m a fan!).

Photo credit: Phil Rumbelow

The race: F and I jogged the 2 miles down to Parliament Hill together but of course were mega-early so I collected my number and hung around for longer than ideal. I was not warm anymore by the time the race started. I was one of the only people in a club vest; this was very much a local charity race, which gave it a low-key feel. The small field of 31 5k runners lined up first, and off we went up and over the grassy knoll and down to the paved paths by the ponds.

Only one other woman was in front of me but she was way ahead so I tried to settle into my own rhythm. My legs felt heavy and I was disappointed when the first kilometer went by in 4:34. There goes my 22:00 goal, I thought. Oh well, just do your best. These hills are killer. Around past the Ladies’ Pond and into the wooded part of the course. Mostly uphill. Second kilometer: 5:12. Ugh. Just keep running. Use the downhills in the second half of the course. With two kilometers to go, we finally had some reprieve from climbing. I pumped my arms and tried to work my legs as fast as they could go. My fourth kilometer was 4:11 and I brought it home in 4:06 pace, glad to finish and not have to run another lap like the 10k runners. I ended up running the entire race pretty much on my own, which didn’t make it any easier.

Finishing. Photo credit: Phil Rumbelow.

The result: I finished the race in a 21:46 chip time (7:29/mi = 4:39/km) and came 6th of 31 5k finishers and 2nd woman of 18. Although my time looks fast, the course was actually 4.68km rather than 5k, so I was actually on track for about a 23:15 finish time.

This was not a particularly fun race. I was happy that the course was short. My legs felt sluggish and the hills were hard. I’m glad I did it, though, and it definitely counts as a good hill/XC training run if nothing else!

Post-race: Slow jog home with goody bag, including a decent technical t-shirt in navy – a color I didn’t have yet!

Next up: The annual Middlesex 10k in two weeks. It’s flat, so hopefully I can run a good time. I think I need to incorporate more speedwork, though, as I’ve struggled to average under 4:38/km in recent races and workouts. I need a bit of a boost to get under that threshold.

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• Two Years Ago:A New Favorite (& possibly the BEST) Pancake Recipe – making these this weekend!
• Three Years Ago: City v Wharf 5k & a PB! – maybe one day I’ll get close to this time again…
• Five Years Ago: Naan – everyone on Bake Off was shocked to have to make naan without yeast, but I’ve never made it with yeast.
• Six Years Ago: Kyiv Half Marathon 2012 – I think this was the last half I ran. It would be nice to do another one at some point.