Lordshill 10k

I think I’ve said this about a zillion times on this blog (and in person) but I truly hate 10ks. I’ve come to be OK with 5ks because mentally you can deal with that level of pain (because it is painful for me in terms of effort) for around 20* or so minutes.

(*relative time, depends on my fitness!)

But for 10ks? That’s a long time. Yes you’re going slower than you are for the 5k but you’re still working at a level that is hard effort, heavy breathing, focused attention and lactic acid.

I’d signed up to Lordshill 10k before the marathon. To be honest anything after the marathon was dream-world; I couldn’t see past it. But I needed a good 10k for our running club pentathlon (basically our league table, based on a points system for people’s performances for 5k, 5 mile, 10k, 10 miles, half marathon and marathon). I had all distances done apart from the 10k and 10 miles. Plus I hadn’t had a good 10k race where I really felt in shape and not coming back from injury since before last year.

So Sunday I woke up naturally quite early and got myself together. I had a black coffee and porridge and waited for my dad to pick Alfie and me up to go. Quite a few of my running club were doing the race too so it was going to be nice and social.

Lordshill 10k start (1)

Our club has new running crop tops so I felt nice and cool in the muggy temperatures. This race is very local to me (about 15 minute drive) and is chip-timed. It was also advertised as “fast and flat”. I wanted a PB and so this seemed the ideal race.

I heard mixed reviews about the course from people though. Some saying it was lovely and flat and others saying no way was it flat. Hmm OK!

I got a nice pre-race loo visit in a proper toilet in the Ordnance Survey office that was used as the race HQ until they cordoned it off and directed people to the loos outside, of which I peed twice more (I’m not entirely sure why I feel the need to share this information with you, but I like to think of it as “setting the scene” and keeping it real!)

Lordshill 10k start (2)

My dad checked the course map out and worked out where he and Alfie would stand and then we were good to go.

My goal was to keep under or around 7 minute miles all the way. I had a PB of 43:15 to beat. But I also knew how tired my legs felt in the week so I thought if I felt that pace was too hard at the beginning I’d abort it and just aim for a tempo run and hope to be somewhere close to my PB.

We set off and I felt good. Yes it was warm but not overly so and I felt comfortable in my pace.

Lordshill 10k (6)

Photo credit: Paul Hammond

The course was an out and back (thereabouts) so I just kept thinking “get to three miles and you’re going back home again”. My dad was stood at one side probably after mile one and cheered me on. Alfie was oblivious; probably watching out for squirrels.

Lordshill 10k (4)

The course was a little dull but nothing terrible; a few houses, some nice greenery, under the motorway through an underpass. All nice enough but nothing to write home about (but let’s be honest, this is Southampton we’re talking about).

Lordshill 10k (16) Photo credit: Gary Trendell

I knew I wouldn’t achieve any significant female positioning in this race because of the high number of amazingly talented ladies who had entered so I didn’t concern myself with any near or in front of me. I just kept my pace to 7ish min/miles. With no music allowed I kept my mind focused on the task at hand. On the turn around point it got more interesting as you started passing other runners coming the other way so it was nice to wave and cheer on other people that I knew.Lordshill 10k (1)My dad saw me again coming back under the underpass and gave me a nice cheer. He also informed me of my female positioning, bless him. I had told him there was no chance of me coming anywhere high up but, like a good coach, he wanted to keep me informed 😉 I was apparently 7th at that point (and I remained there).

Miles 4-5 were the pain train. I wished I was doing a five mile race. And near mile five there was a significant incline in comparison to the rest of the course. It made it tough work.

image But a nice downhill at the end!

By mile six I was singing the Imagine Dragons ‘Warrior’ song in my head to keep me pushing. I kept thinking as well “less than eight minutes” – I’m not sure why it was eight as my miles were seven minutes and I still had the nubbin as well but it seemed like a good number to me (better than 10!).

Lordshill 10k (13)Photo credit: Paul Hammond

Then the marshals started telling us it was 400m to go, then 300m and I knew I’d be OK. It was going to be close but I was just happy to be stopping soon.

image

Crossing the line in 42:50 (new PB!) and 7th female. Happy days!

Lordshill 10k start (3)

We didn’t get a medal but a trophy glass thing, a bottle of water and a banana. Not too shabby for a cheap local race! Alfie thought the glass and water were excellent.

Alfie Lordshill 10k

We also won the female team trophy for our club. This meant a £20 voucher for each of the three of us for a local running shop. How cool!

IMG_1745As 10ks go this was actually pretty good. The pain train was there but not for the entire race, just towards the end (that incline). It’s made me feel a bit more kindly towards 10ks, but not enough to want to do one again anytime soon! One a year I think 😉

After saying goodbye to my dad I got ready to head out for lunch with Ben’s mum, Di. Yes Ben and I aren’t together anymore but I’m still good friends with Di and enjoy spending time with her and will continue to spend time with her going forward (like I’ve said previously, things are amicable).

We went to a local pub and I enjoyed a chicken and avocado burger with mango relish and sweet potato fries for my main, followed by an OMG-AMAZING millionaire cheesecake.

Fox and Hound Burseldon I’m not a fan of cream (unless it’s thickly spread on a scone with jam?) so that got side-lined, but honestly it didn’t need it. The cheesecake was perfection on its own. Cookie dough pieces throughout and a delicious chocolate topping.

So a pretty good weekend all in all!

Lordshill 10k PB Bit of fancy pants photo-editing there 😉 (Photo credit: Gary Trendell)

How do you feel about 10ks?

What’s your favourite cheesecake flavour?

Medals or mementos?

21 Replies to “Lordshill 10k”

  1. Anna, you have the perfect ‘hair swoosh’ going on in most of those pictures! Great race, well done (and I totally agree about 10ks being awful).
    Autumn recently posted…Game On!My Profile

  2. ith a name like LordsHILL 10K, it couldn’t be completely flat 😉 That’s a cruel point in any 10K to have a hill though, and you coped with it really well by the look of your splits.

    Just when I thought you couldn’t look like any more of a pro, your club brings out elite-esque tops. I really like the style of them actually – shame I don’t have the times or physique to sport such fab club apparel. Oh, and I suppose I’d have to move 268 miles in order to be near your club…

    I used to love 10Ks. Now I find them depressing because I could easily run 40:xx in 2009 without trying that hard, and I have no idea how I did it! I did no speedwork at all and no focused training. I wish I could travel back in time just to remember what that felt like. I also wish I’d waited before moving up the distances so I could have gone under 40 minutes. Regrets, I have more than a few…

    I’ll always have a preference for medals, but that’s a really nice memento too 🙂
    Jess @ One Step Closer recently posted…Questioning My (Running) Decisions?My Profile

    1. Haha yes OK LordsHILL should have given me a clue!! 😉
      The crop tops weren’t hugely popular with everyone I must say – I think only three of us have them!
      I honestly thing you’ll get back there to those awesome times. You definitely have the engine for it.
      AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #15My Profile

  3. Brilliant work well done!
    I know what you mean about finding 10k’s hard, but I don’t always race them, I sometimes run them to enjoy it (what?? 😉 ) so then they are quite nice to see somewhere else. We quite like a weekend away for a race- in the Autumn we have Bournemouth, Brighton and Nottingham, and we are doing 10k’s in all of them because it is less stressful and takes up less time than a half marathon- no worrying about what to eat the night before, and also I know I will have time to shower at the hotel before the check out time. I think I find parkruns harder but that is probably because I go much faster and also my mind playing tricks and only remembering the horrible hill right before the finish line at my local one!
    Maria @ runningcupcake recently posted…June running and missing things by a minute (or more)My Profile

    1. I like to do 10ks as “fun runs” too. Especially if I’m training for something else, as it’s nice to have a catered run with friends. Great to include in a long run too.
      Oooh you’re doing Bournemouth? What distance? I’m doing the full. Be lovely to see you quickly beforehand to say hi again if you wanted to! 🙂

  4. I do like it when you get to see the other runners out there in the race on an out and back course. It helps pick you up cheering others on and also hearing your name shouted out there as well.
    Well done for winning the female team trophy and for getting that PB!
    I think 10ks are starting to grow on me at the minute. I really enjoyed (I can say that now I’ve finished!) my race on Tuesday night and am already keeping an eye out for another. Long distance will always be my love though!
    Mary recently posted…A PB in the heatMy Profile

    1. Yes definitely! I’m quite excited about the Bournemouth marathon as it has a lot of that on the course apparently. I just can’t get hooked on 10ks…not yet anyway!

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