A short race so a short blog…
Today was the Stortford 10 mile multi terrain race. Me, Sue, Laura and Becky went to our clubs annual 10 mile event staged at the local Bishop Stortford Rugby Club grounds. After meeting fellow members and chatting for a bit we got ready for the start, I was going to try to go at a decent pace as a good tempo run as I had not run for 2 days.
I started well and set off at sub 8mm pace and plodded off down the road, first mile in 7:33 then there was a downhill stretch where I sped up a bit and logged a 7:13 mile.Then it started getting hilly and muddy, this race is a mixture of trails and field boundary with some roads/tracks between. With all the recent rain some of the tracks were heavily rutted and very muddy. Mile 3 was 8:26. By now I was slowing a bit due to the mud and ruts and the steeper terrain. Mile 4 was 9:08. More hills and mud, it was quite warm now and this was slowing me down a little. There were only 2 water stations this year and to be fair it would have been fine if we got the weather we expected but there should really have been 3 as in the last few years. It always seems to be a hot run this. Mile 5 was 9:12. Over half way now and the next mile was more level and went past in 8:24. The next mile had a field with really long grass and a really steep muddy hill which I walked as there was no real gains to be had from running it. Mile 7 was 9:49 as a result. Into the last few miles now and psychologically its easier to push a bit more with only 3 miles to go. Mile 8 was 8:30 and mile 9 was 8:31. the last mile was fairly flat and mostly road with a grass 400m finish and it was done in 7:59.
All in all a decent time and only a few seconds off last years time, a good hilly tempo run.
Sue finished in about 1:31ish.
Laura did the 1 mile fun run in about 9ish minutes. I marshalled the 1 mile route.
A nice relaxing day.