Run > Race

Trimpell 20 - Very flat easy course which I found quite hard going, am sure I fare better on undulating nowadays! Started ok for first mile but then clocked a couple of fast miles following that and decided that I may as well continue as I was, rather than running a long slow run. Thought that a bad race at this stage in training wouldn't affect Edinburgh and therefore decided to go with starting fast and experimenting with a WHOLE gel at mile 11/12 to see how I would fare over the distance. Was nice to have a couple of loop backs along the way so I could see the front runners and take my mind off the pretty boring task in hand (not the most scenic of courses, although it did have its moments). Whiled a mile or so away counting them as they passed so I could tell TR where he was in the field. As expected, I did slow in the latter miles ( I do like my slow starts and speeding up usually), although overall I only slowed by 40s per mile which is much better than I would have predicted. Took the gel at mile 11.5 as I had clocked the water station at mile 13 on the loop. Was YUK and I properly gagged on the third mouthfull so I squeezed out the rest onto the floor and stashed the wrapper in my back pocket (as all decent runners should). Noted that was the first time I've ever had to dispose of a piece of litter whilst running .... well, you think about silly things on long runs like these!! Started 'feeling it' at mile 15 but kept telling myself that the gel was a bout to kick in, which it never did. Had to give myself mile goals as I felt I was running so slow that I might as well stop, however, my Garmin reassured me that I was still well under 9:00 so I kept chipping away at it. Had a short half mile burst over the millenium bridge where there was support and runners walking, so felt good as I passed a fair few there and on the run up to the 18M marker but the burst was very short lived. Found it very mentally hard to keep going from here as the scenery was boring and my knees and hips were hating the consistant flat, flat, flat!!! I dreamed of undulations and even hills!! Got to 19M and thought I couldn't walk now, not after wanting to for 2/3M so just stayed at it and got to the line wondering what on earth the clock said as all I could see past the runners in front was 2:4???? I willed the 4 not to change to a 5, which it didn't and I crossed the line with a new p.b ..... just!!