On 23rd July, I raced the Wrexham 10k. This summer I had signed up to race three local 10k’s in a bid to beat my 10k PB of 37:30 which I set 3 years ago at the Chase The Sun Tatton 10k coming off the back of all that lockdown running.

6 weeks ago I raced the Colshaw Hall 10k on a hot early summer morning, clocking a 38:23, my slowest 10k time in over 4 years. So it’s fair to say, my summer 10k PB charge didn’t get off to the best of starts. I was registered to run the Wilmshow 10k 2 weeks ago but I had to DNS that one after going down with a random viral infection which thankfully, after 4 weeks, I managed to clear this week.

Given the illness, my goal of a PB today seemed a tall order but it was just nice to be able to make the start line and see what I can do despite the illness and missed speed work over the last month.

The weather couldn’t have been better, a far cry from the 23’c at the start of the Colshaw Hall 10k last month. Well, it was 18’c but at least it was cloudy and very little wind. As good as it gets for a summer July race, to be fair, for North Wales 18’c is like a heatwave.

Bib pickup was on race day and with the new start location and large car park, there were no issues with getting a space and only a small queue for the bib pickup. As with any race, the biggest queues are always for the toilets.

I went out for a 2km warm up with some strides to get the legs moving. All felt good, so I figured I would go out at PB pace and see how it goes, but not the 5:50/mi I went off at last month. The “plan”, I use that word loosely, was to go out at 6min mile pace and wing it. I know the fitness isn’t perfect but at least I am rested.

So with that, I think I have all the excuses covered, let’s get going.

Splits: 5:59, 5:50, 5:58, 6:38, 6:56, 6:14, 6:05

This is a flat and potentially fast course, in total there was 79ft gain over the 10k. The first and fourth mile (it’s a 1 & half-lap course) is a gradual uphill but nothing major. A slight gradient on the 1st mile is never a bad thing as it holds you back a little.

Things were quite crowded over that first mile, with a lot of jostling for position and big groups of faster runners going off down the road. I did my best to hold back the urge to follow them and stuck to the 6:00/mi target.

As the first mile was a gentle uphill, the next 2 were downhill, I am talking a very slight downhill and barely noticeable but welcomed nevertheless. I did let the legs run out a little on mile 2 and dipped under target pace with a 5:50/mi but got that under control for mile 3 again back on the 6:00/mi pace.

I was starting to feel it by 5km, yes I was on “target” pace but was that pace too fast for me today, and where my lack of training was going to catch up in the second 5km. I had ran 18:44 for the first 5k which is decent but only if I can back that up with a good second half.

By 3.2 miles I was pulled over at the side of the road catching my breath and contemplating throwing the towel in but then didn’t fancy the walk back so I carried on running but at a slower pace now. I think mentally, I wasn’t ready to push into that zone where you know it is going to hurt. I had set myself up with an excuse ahead of the race with the illness and missed training and I gave in that which post-race, I feel disappointed with that lack of mental strength.

I was walking at mile 4, again “catching my breath” but again contemplating a walk to the car. After a few words with myself I set off again but clocking a 6:56 mile split and still 2 more miles to go, I was thinking this will be even slower than the Colshaw Hall 10k last month and that was my slowest in 4 and a half years.

I do feel pleased that I didn’t give up and DNF, I carried on and pushed somewhat to make the finish in a respectable time.

I managed to settle into a pace in mile 5 that wasn’t comfortable but not pushing too hard that I mentally cracked again. I had settled into a small group of 4 runners all struggling along at the same kind of pace.

In fact, I was starting to feel like I was pulling the group along so I pushed on a bit to see if they come with me or at least I could have a mini race within the race to try to be the winner of this group. As you can see above, one Buckley Runner came with me but the others got gapped quite quickly.

This mini race of 2 runners continued in the last mile, I ultimately pulled away slightly to claim that win that wasn’t really a win at all. I am trying to find some positives from this race but there aren’t many there.

I guess finishing any race is always the first goal but considering I had come into these 3 summer 10k’s feeling very confident I could run a PB and maybe even go deep under 37mins. To finish up with a 38:23 at Colshaw, a DNS, and 39:03 today wasn’t what I had expected and does make me question what in my training has impacted this summer so badly. Then on the flip side, if I look back just 4 years, running under 40mins was a dream, it was something I was close to on a good day but always a step too far. This year I have had two “bad” races, one on a hot day the second coming off an illness, and on both occasions run 97secs and 57secs under 40mins despite stopping during both races.

We often get caught up comparing to yesterday and chasing PB’s only to forget where we were 5yrs ago and even where we were on day 1. That day 1 first 10k race for me was the Great Manchester 10k 2016 and I was over the moon to run 51:58. That was the first time I had ever run 10k without stopping so that gives a little perspective on today’s perceived poor performance.

Next up I am changing distance and dropping down to 5km in the full summer heat and humidity of Florida. Excuse already pre-loading….