With no specific training, tapering or preparation, it was the JP Morgan 5.6km corporate thrash around Centennial Park last night.
After flogging my legs on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, my legs were a little delicate by the time I lined up on the start line. The organisation was much better this year with dedicated starting pens based on estimated finishing time. I have always aimed to finish the race in under 4 min pace, but hadn't yet managed to achieve it - and with the lack of dedicated speed training, I wasn't holding out much hope for this year either. Still, it was a good social event with workmates I thought.
I ended up only 10m or so back from the start line which meant that I was able to get a clean start and could run fairly freely from the gun which was nice, and very different from the previous times I have run this event when I have spent the first km or so darting in amongst slower runners.
I knew the first half km or so would be uphill so the plan was to push things hard to start with and try to hang on from there.
Felt strong up the hill as I knew I would, going through the first km marker in 3.50, although the Garmin reckoned I had only done 0.96km. From there, I tried to hold the pace at sub 4 min pace, but with another little hill that I don't recall from previous years, I went through the 2 km marker with a split of 4.19! Although again the Garmin gave me a 1.07km distance for that split. I was therefore slower than where I needed to be.
Knowing that from this point to the finish, the course was either downhill or flat, I pushed on to the 3km marker which was basically all downhill, still feeling comfortable, recording a 3.42 split (Garmin again showing 0.96). Ok, so things were back on track again. I just had to hold a sub 4 min pace until the end and I was over half way.
3-4km was basically all flat, and it was around this point that I started overtaking people who had clearly gone out too fast. I managed to hold the sub 4 min pace, with a 3.57 split. Still going well and only 1.6km to go!
Between 4km and 5km the wind picked up and there was an annoying very small hill as the road passed the Randwick Gates. I could feel that I was slowing down at this point with a couple of runners sneaking past me. Just hold on I kept telling myself, get to 5km and then just go for it.
I eventually passed the 5km mark with a split of 4.06 and the Garmin agreeing with the km markers for once. Disappointing given the effort I had put in. Still, I was in with a fighting chance to crack the sub 4 min pace race (I worked out afterwards that my target time was 22.24) especially given the long downhill finishing chute!
With only 600m to go, I decided it was now or never and so put my head down and tried to up the pace, entering the finishing chute, down the grassy bank and crossing the line in 22.22.
At the time I had no idea whether that meant I had managed to average under 4min and indeed it took me about 10 minutes and lots of calculations to work out that I had managed it with 2 seconds to spare!
I grabbed a drink and a protein bar and set about waiting for the rest of the City Plan walking team to come in just under an hour before walking back to the car and driving back home, happy that at last I have broken 4 min km's for a proper race at last!
Still a long way to go to get under 40 mins for 10km but after the pounding I have given my legs recently, it was nice that I was able to notch another PB - my third for the year!
Km splits (according to the markers, not the Garmin)
3.50, 4.19, 3.42, 3.57, 4.06, 2.26 (600m)
Distance: 5.6km
Time: 22.22
Position: 211/5927
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