This weekend was a huge one for races – the Edinburgh and Liverpool marathons, the Westminster Mile, and the Bupa 10km, amongst many others. The shortest distance in that list – the mile – was particularly resonant this year, the 60th anniversary of Roger Bannister’s triumph. But spare a thought too for Diane Leather, the first women to break the five minute barrier, and a rather less well known name.
I ran the Bupa 10km (and definitely did not jog it) – feeling a shade under the weather and having done a hard track session the day before I wasn’t aiming for a PB. I did, though, manage a negative split – the second 5km about 50 seconds faster than the first – which I don’t think I’ve ever done before, and finished in 42’50.
It’s a great course, on closed roads through central London from the Mall into the city and back again. Perfect weather too, though perhaps because Mo Farah had to pull out, spectators were pretty thin on the ground. My highlight was the last mile or two – following pretty much exactly the end of the London marathon course. I vividly and painfully remember quite how long the final 800m of the marathon was, and how every attempt I made to speed up even fractionally caused my calf to go into cramp. A lovely change, then, to be able to come home strong and make the final km the fastest of the race.
So a good session – followed by a very slow run home, which oddly turned out to be precisely 10km as well. It’s one way to break up a long run, as long as you don’t mind being overtaken by small children on scooters and snails for the second half.
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