moor park 10k - race report (rather long post)

The moor park 10k was held last Sunday in Northwood, north-west London. It is set in the grounds
of Merchant Taylor's school and the Moor Park estate and golf course, the course is entirely
traffic free and very picturesque. The weather was fine and sunny with a brisk and rather chilly
northerly wind.

The race was in aid of the Linda Jackson cancer charity based at the nearby Mount Vernon Hospital.

There were various children's fun runs in the early afternoon which were well supported. Then the
main event started at 3pm with over 500 entrants.

The first two and a half kms comprised a circuit of the school's very spacious playing fields then
out into the estate which is full of some of the most expensive houses in the country. I had hoped
to complete the race in sub 40 but the combination of strong breeze and a cold which I had picked up
in the previous week had dented that hope. Anyway in my race plan I had intended to run the flat
first 3k in around 12:00 - I was through the 3k marker in 12:11 and was feeling pretty good.

At around 3.5k the course headed up a substantial hill - the hill was hard going and lasted up til
the 5k marker with only a short respite of a flatter section halfway up. I knew I would lose a bit
of pace on the hill but didn't expect to be through the 5k in 21:09. At this stage I knew there
would be a good downhill followed by a largely flat finish to the race but even so was not confident
of making up the 1:09 to get back on pace. Anyway I still felt pretty good and had been overtaking
people steadily on the climb.

I was pleased that I had managed to run what felt like a good steady pace all the way up the climb.
I pushed it as hard as I could on the downhill figuring this was a good opportunity to make up some
time and managed a 3:18 on the next km. I was still passing runners on a farily regular basis and
was feeling more confident as the race went on. the next km was a steady
3:55 on a flatish section then the 8th and 9th kms were in the wrong place as I recorded a 3:13!!!
and then a 4:30 when I know I was running a fairly even pace on a flat section of the course.

Anyway the upshot was that as I came back into the school grounds with a km to go I was as far as I
could tell 5 seconds off pace for a 40:00. As the finish was now in sight I really pushed on hard -
I had been following a guy for the last km or so and was gradually winding him in. Just before the
9k marker I went passed him and then there was just one other runner who I could realistic look to
catch up. I started to get that reaction where you feel like you are going to throw up or retch so I
eased off a touch and breathed hard before one last push towards the line. My legs were also feeling
a bit wobbly which I think meant that I'd judged things just about right.

I stopped my watch at 39:30 but I had no idea where I had finished. My 8yr old daughter kept
insisting that she thought I was 6th at which I laughed. But when the results were posted up not
only was I actually 9th but also my time was posted up as 39:29.

So I was delighted at this in what was only my second ever 10k race (along with one olympic distance
triathlon) since taking up running last December. To finish 9th in a race with over 500 competitors
was a real shock - though I think that realistically there were more 'fun runners' than normal.

The race was reasonably well organised for an event in only it's second year but no post race food,
misplaced markers around the crucial 7, 8 and 9 km stage and dodgy drinks stations (I didn't bother
after seeing some rather giggly girls drop and cup on the guy in front!) didn't help but otherwise
it was a fun event in very beautiful location (though I've only got the Watford 10k and windsor tri
to compare it to!!).

I've been on a bit of a high all week and trying to take time to recover a bit but I'm really keen
to get out there and run hard again!!

Kev