Tidewater Striders Distance Series 20k

Today was the day for the first event in the Tidewater Striders Distance Series – a 3 race series designed to be used as a tune up for a Spring marathon. The 20k race consists of 2 x 10k loops on Fort Story Army Base – home to both old and new Cape Henry Lighthouses. The route features 2 short “hills” per loop, (which is actually quite unusual for a race in flat-as-a-pancake Virginia Beach) and starts/finishes right next to the original lighthouse which was built in 1792.

This would be the 6th time I’ve run this particular race since 1999, with finish times ranging from 1:17:27 last year to 1:25:06 in 2001. Two days ago, based on my current fitness level after a fairly lazy December, I made the following prediction:

This year I’m definitely not in that kind of shape, and I’ll be more than happy to get close to 1 hour 20 minutes. With this in mind, my race goal is to start off at 6:26 per mile and run the first 10k loop in about 40 minutes. How I feel at the 10k mark will determine what happens in the second loop 🙂 I would love to speed things up a fraction, but if I can maintain the same 6:26 pace I’ll be satisfied.

Conditions for the race were very good – sunny, about 40°F with 6-10mph SW winds – and after an easy two mile warm up and removal of 3 clothing layers I was ready for the off. Fort Story always brings out the worst in people (and I don’t mean that in a nasty way). So many runners at the start line psych themselves out before the race is even underway. Some of the comments I heard were “It’s always so cold and windy here”, “I wish this was a flat course – the hills are really tough!”, “I hate running 2 loops”, “I’m so out of shape at the moment”………the list goes on.

I, on the other hand, seem to thrive in the conditions:

• The wind and the cold doesn’t bother me. As long as I warm up properly and wear gloves during the race, I’m fine.
• I try to use the hills to my advantage – catch people on the uphill section and cruise down the downhill section. The change in incline also uses different muscles which is always a good thing!
• I use the 2 loops to help my pacing strategy and break the race up into smaller pieces.
• I’ve accepted my current fitness level after a busy holiday period and am looking to use this race as a platform to build on

I was conscious when the horn sounded not to start off too fast, and reluctantly watched as the leaders disappeared into the distance. Some were actually running the 10k race (one loop of the course) so I decided not to panic and stick to my race plan. Mile 1 was completed in 6 minutes 22 seconds, a few seconds quicker than planned, but it felt very easy and my heart rate was just 156 beats per minute.

For the first four and a half miles I had the pleasure of running alongside Charlie who authors the excellent Running Nowhere Fast blog. He’s on a real high at the moment and every race seems to be a new PR for him. Having company made the time go fast and I was pleased with the mile splits we were ticking off – 6:37, 6:27, 6:32 and 6:27.

My race prediction called for a first 10k in 40 minutes, so I decided to pick up the pace a little, wished Charlie good luck and pressed on. Mile 6 was slightly quicker (6:12) and would turn out to be the fastest of the race, but it allowed me to complete the first circuit in 39 minutes 58 seconds – perfect!

By now, many of the runners ahead had run through the finish chute and completed their 10k races, which left a pretty spread out field ahead of me. I grabbed a quick drink of very cold water, before setting off on the second, lonely loop. I was able to catch and pass one runner between the 7 and 8 mile markers, but the other runners ahead were definitely out of reach. I decided to concentrate on my form and maintain a quick cadence.

Although I gradually slowed for the next 4 or 5 miles (6:20, 6:22, 6:24, 6:28 and 6:34), I always felt in control of my race. A Raspberry Hammer Gel I’d carried since the start and consumed at the 15k mark took a few miles to kick in, but I’m sure boosted me sufficiently to finish with a 6:24 last mile.

My wife Ally, who ran a solid 10k race herself, came back to cheer me on and take a few photos – a nice surprise and another boost! With a final spurt towards the finish line, I finished in 1 hour 19 minutes and 53 seconds – 11th overall and 2nd in the 40-44 age group. After quickly doing the math, I worked out my second loop was completed in 39 minutes 55 seconds – 3 seconds quicker than the first one. How’s that for even pacing and how’s that for meeting my goal?

The 20k race wasn’t easy (my heart rate maxed out at 177 beats per minute towards the end of the race), but it’s given me some confidence and a nice platform I can now build on. The 12.4 miles was also the longest run since my 10 mile race in November and my biggest training week for a while too.

Next up – the Mud In Your Eye 5k XC race in 2 weeks time…