Race Date: 01 September 2024

Flat, fast and good for a pb. That as a runner is just what you want to hear but this is the first part of the mental game. “It’s going to be great, coast round overtaking other runners, what margin will the pb be broken by, super shoes will take some more time off, it’s going to be a breeze!”. All the things to talk yourself into running the race in the first place and how good it’s going to be. Only for reality to kick in when the race starts.

Fortunately, for this race there’s a secret weapon – a pacer. Someone you run with, train with and has helped you achieve more than you could believe possible. It’s impossible to emphasize how important this is. Forget the super shoes, pace is where it’s at. Hard work in training and getting your pace dialled.

The week before Wilne we both ran Rother Valley Parkrun to see where we were. To be honest, I thought I was going to die in the last mile and held on feeling deflated as I knew I had to do twice the distance a week later. Result was an 18min 30sec Parkrun and John (John Kilcoyne ed) 18min 20sec.

Race Day. We set off for Wilne at 8 am. The weather isn’t too bad so it seems and better than the previous day’s heat. Later, when running, there was a head wind to slow us down whilst no wind in other sections made the humid conditions more apparent. There is parking in a field near the start line but we park a little way out to jog/warm up. We collect numbers and make our way past the other waves to get to the front so as not to get boxed in. Standing near the front, listening to the moaning, there’s a slight delay as a horse and cart had been on the road but we get off about 8 mins late so not too bad. The first mile feels a little slow but a 6min split seems ok and heart rate, 170bpm, isn’t too bad. I’m thinking should we be going quicker but trust the pacer as he’s done this loads more times than me. 2 miles same split still thinking the same – should we pick up the pace slightly but heart rates gone up again to 177bpm. 3 miles and going through half way feel pretty good but slower than Parkrun – heart rate goes up to 180bpm but another even spilt. Now this is when the mental game kicks in. Mile 4 and the heart rates up at 184. It’s now feeling really uncomfortable and grateful we didn’t push the pace early on. Then a little voice has kicks in… “Just stop, it’s only a run, it doesn’t matter. In fact just stop and never run again. The heart rate monitor is saying you will have a heart attack so just stop!” Fortunately my pacer keeps giving me encouragement “Chris think of that pint at the end” and “you’re running for a PB just keep going”. We are also slowly passing other runners which is encouraging. We had picked up the pace and the heart rate is still going up. Feeling worse I have now found a new level. Forget pain cave I was heading for pain grave, a new place even by my standards. Mile 5 split comes up on the watch surprisingly the same as mile 4 and I think that’s it game over but the mental battle rages on. The heart rate is up at 186 and I’m wishing I had left the heart rate monitor at home as I have never seen it higher than this so the pain grave is getting nearer. But so is the finish line. That last mile has gone with the same split so now just a battle to get to the line. At the  400 metre marker everything was at the limit. Breaking point. As the line seemed to get further away it was just a matter of not stopping. We went even faster in the last 400 there was absolutely nothing left, gasping over the line.

Job done. Now, what was all the mental talk of stopping about? The route I thought was good, all road and, as it says on the tin, it’s flat, really flat. We collect our t-shirts and have a slow jog cool down back to the car. If I said that I enjoyed it I think I would need to see a doctor but testing your limits, not stopping, getting a PB can’t be found on the aisles of Poundland. I don’t think I could have done it without John plus the people who I run with. Thanks to you all.

For the record John ran 37.12 off marathon training with Chris a step behind with 37.13 (pb by a massive 90 seconds ed). Chris maintains that he would have won if it wasn’t for a pebble in his Bostons. (Sounds like it was in his head. ed) Prior to this race, Chris thought that his max heart rate was about 186bpm illustrating that running to hrm rather than feel isn’t necessarily the way forward. Nevertheless, he was certainly in the red for much of the race.

A dozen Steel City made the journey to Derby for this event which had a good standard with Ben Connor (Derby) first in 29:50 and Catherine Allen (Hallam) first woman in 36:14. The last of the 1033 finishers crossed the line in 1:45:23. Epic Art want £25 for the pleasure of official photographs which is unfortunate as the proofs show Chris and John seeming joined at the hip for most of the race only for the fast finishing Becki Timmings (Birmingham Tri) to separate them on the line. Wilne 10k 2024 Provisional Results