Dead Runners society race
report
Lancashire Walking Club 10000m track race, Bury
- Saturday 17th April 2004.
A year ago
I was in Boston preparing for an ill-fated marathon. Since then I have been
concentrating on racewalking. My streak of consecutive racewalking weekends ended
on the track and I finally had a good walk with Lancashire Walking Club.
Evenin all
We interrupt
your scheduled discussion about how hot it's going to be in Boston on Monday
with news of my racewalk today. This was my 6th consecutive weekend with a
racewalking race, I was feeling pretty tired last night and I wasn't sure how I
would do, However, today's event was a 10000m track race organised by
Lancashire Walking Club, something I had never done before (although I had run
10000m on the track) so at least it would be interesting.
So off we
went to Bury, north of Manchester, and made our way to the track. It rained on
the way there, but for once in a LWC event it didn't rain during the race. I
jogged a couple of laps of the track to warm up, I felt a bit stiff. Then on
with my racewalking shoes and we lined up for our 25 lap journey. Only 6 had
turned up for the 10000m, another walker started 200m away as he was going to
do 5000m. I was hoping to get near 1 hour today for 10km, I had done 1h03.40 on
the road in Germany 6 weekends ago.
Off we went,
immediately 4 of the 6 moved away, Dave E, Greg, Dave C and me. As the first
lap progressed the other 2 got ahead and I tucked in behind Dave C. 1st lap in
2.15, well under 1 hour pace! I knew that 25 laps would be a long way so I
decided to hang onto Dave C for as long as possible. 2nd lap also took 2.15 and
we got to 1000m in 5.39. Dave E was pulling away from Greg and I was tucked in
behind Dave C. We kept going at more or less the same pace, I was working hard
to stay in contact, 2000m in 11.17/5.38, I knew I was ahead of my 3000m pb pace
so I was determined to hang on for as long as I could. Periodically we would
have to move out to lap the slower walkers, we were about 100m behind the 2
leaders. 3000m in 16.58/5.41, inside my 17.08 pb on the road (in very windy
weather) at Leamington last month. There was a bit of a breeze today, it would
be behind us on the back straight and in our faces in the home straight, every time
we entered the home straight I would have to watch my step to stop myself
bumping into Dave C as he slowed into the wind. 4000m in 22.37/5.39, I got
cautioned by the judge for creeping so I made sure I was standing up straight
after that and then I was back walking legally. I was getting very tired by
now, next target was 5000m which we reached in 28.20/5.43. Another pb, inside
my rather annoying 30.00.50 from last summer British Masters track
championships.
By now Greg
had overhauled Dave E and was pulling ahead, Dave E was about 100m ahead of us,
he would leave a straight just as we entered it. 6000m in 34.00/5.40, still
hanging on. The pace slowed a bit after that, I was getting very tired and got
another creeping caution, 7000m in 39.54/5.54. Dave E was getting more than a
straight ahead of us on each lap. Just before 8000m as we slowed into the wind
on the home straight I went past to try and keep the pace going, 8000m in
45.56/6.02, the previous Saturday I had walked 5 miles in 45.52 so I was only just
behind last weeks pace! I picked up the pace and Dave C tucked in behind me, 5
laps to go (even though the officials initially said 6, we corrected them), lap
21 in 2.20, lap 22 in 2.18 and 9000m in 51.44/5.48. Working very hard with Dave
C still breathing down my neck. Lap 23 in 2.20 and we were slowly catching Dave
E, he was on the same straight as us. Lap 24 in 2.19, entering the back
straight I saw Greg cross the finish line in 55.45, going really hard now, on
the last bend I stumbled slightly on the track curb, into the home straight and
a big gust of wind blew us both sideways. I finished in lane 2 and Dave C in
lane 3. Dave E hung on for 2nd in 57.12 and Dave C just got his nose in front
to get 3rd in 57.21, I was 4th in 57.22, a huge pb!. Very tired on finishing,
what a great race! Another half lap and we would have caught Dave E. We cheered
on the other 2 walkers who did 66 minutes and 70 minutes. Getting all 4 leaders
on the same lap at the end of 25 laps showed what a great race it was.
A very
encouraging race for the track season, I got some good feedback from the judge
about my walking style, he said I looked better when I was walking fast at the
end than when I was hanging on earlier in the race. Whilst we were all slogging
round in lane 1 Shelley was doing a track session in the outside lane, Shelley
a lap jog with me to cool down and then I did another lap with the race winner.
Now I am
feeling very tired after all that but I can watch the London marathon tomorrow
morning and not feel guilty that I won't be taking part this year. That will be
my last serious race for a while, time to get some hard training done for the
track season.
bye
tony....
--
Tony Bell - tony.bell2@ntlworld.com
Midweek - Warrington, Cheshire.
Weekends - Milton, Cambridge.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tony.bell2/tonyhome.html
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