Despite not being on top-top form I still had this eyed for a PB. My 5km PB is 22:59 at Park Run. This is a flat course, on roads with a bit of a crowd.
In the changing rooms I bump into Shane. Shane would probably be running something around the 17 - 18 mark. A fantastic runner, modest and a thoroughly top bloke.
As I arrive at Bunhill fields I stop to chat with the rest of the work team. I then move towards the start and then disaster. The race is broken into 3 categories: Sub 21 mins (People like Shane, who didn't think this was strict enough), 21-27min and Over 27 mins. I end up at the back of the 27mins.
The race starts and I am in crowd-hell nightmare. At the JP Morgan corporate challenge, I had got to the front of my pen and it was a joy to run in. Everything you need for a good time: competition, crowds, atmosphere...
I am currently not checking my lap times as I run (I go through fads) but the first km is done over 5 minutes. The second km can't be much faster. As I swing past the pub local to work, I can see all of my colleagues standing there, some with Vuvuzelas. Because of the slow start I am able to but on a good sprint and blast past them to cheers and blasts on the horn. Round the corner I slow down.
Maybe at 3km the race starts to open up. I try to make up lost time and give it a good push. The run down London Wall, round the museum of London and back, I push hard, keeping on the edge of the red zone. This is all good practice but I feel cheated. It cost the running club £25 to enter this race. Jogging 5km is not good value.
I still sprint for the end, look at the time: 24 minutes. I had clearly made up some time but. I went through stage of running 24.5 minutes at park run, so I must be improving.
5km 24"00 Crowded and fustrating
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