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RE: Clubbed again
So the 20 August race arrived - and it was the Hornets Stinger, a hilly 10K run from Waterhall playing fields up to the South Downs Way and back. The Stinger being in the tail with two sharp rises in the last 3k. My theoretical goal in my head was 55 mins.
Since my last Sunday outing had worked well with a gentle Twitten Run to start, I repeated the experiment - with a steady twittens in company of newcomer (but Moyleman run supporter) Jack Arscott, and MM chief of Marshals Tom Roper and my partner Paula.
Then fortified with a Ground Coffee flat white, we drove the short distance to the A23/A27 junction where Waterhall is based (and incidentally where it would have been much more sensible to build the Amex stadium for the Seagulls, if only Brighton council hadn't had thing about no new build north of A27, but I digress).
It was bright morning, with some wind and I was a little trepidatious since I hadn't been able to get my head round what the course involved. Joff from Lewes AC - a guaranteed top 10 finisher and winner of VM50 East Sussex cross country league - talked me through it: steady climb for around the first two-three miles, then sharp downhills, the sting and nice fast finish.
I met my target man Geoff, who asked if I had done anything mad beforehand like a quick HM and I assured him only the twittens. We both agreed this hilly 10k outing was very different to the last two quick 6Ks, and I genuinely meant it. The psychology - and for me it's mostly that - was different, with the 4-8K stretch usually most testing.
The start went from open playing fields and then hitting road and chalk track to climb up to the top of the downs. I felt comfortable - not pushing too hard, but not feeling myself slow down relative to others. I deliberately didn't look at my Garmin as the run went on, since I'd decided to run it by feel rather than dictates of particular pace.
The climb up was (or at least felt) steady - so there was no need to rein back at all. I overhauled Geoff and another Lewes AC runner early in the climb and I worried I might pay for that later.
Interestingly, I found myself using other runners to overcome any sense of slacking off, which had been a feature of races earlier in the season. As well as looking for targets ahead, whenever I found someone trying to pass me I pushed ahead a little, reasoning that by 4k in we were all about as strong as each other and that at the very least this would give me a slight time boost even if they eventually past.
The top was reached - and we were on the South Downs Way with glorious views all round - and especially south over Brighton, but we soon then plunged down over open fields, and all that gain was spent in a matter of around 500m, meaning the descent was too steep to really make for a truly fast section.
More climb followed and then a long slow down. Only after the run was over did I realise that we were at this point simply reversing a section of chalk track we had covered on the way up. How odd to be so disoriented.
Some more jostling for position with runners - seeking to get some advantage by being first when arriving at stiles - and then the stings came and they were short enough to be hard but beatable.
A final dash to the line - holding off one and overtaking another - and I was through in just under 53 mins. Overall a good outing. And with the positioning results through super quick time from the Hornets, another theoretical 7 points. I seem to have sustained the improvements seen in earlier runs.
And though outscored in the run by Crawley Saints and Sinners, Lewes AC extend their lead at top of WSFRL since Burgess Hill fared worse.
Five more runs to go - and the trophy is ours to lose. What could possibly go wrong ...
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