Up to Group 5

Club night, and for some reason I decide to step up to group 5. I have been comfortably running in group 4 for a while but decide to take the plunge.

I am desperately worried about dropping off the back. I sit at the front with group leader Ian. I settle in and focus on running smoothly. And I do. At one point my foot catches on something I go flying. These days I am a bit more nimble on my feet and I recover without hitting the deck. The pirahnas also help.

After half an hour I relax. With all my distance training at the moment, it is the first half an hour of runs that I struggle with. I now know I will be fine.

Suddenly Ian realises he has gone wrong. We have two options, take a short cut to bring the run back in line or run a couple of extra miles. If I had been struggling this would be hell, but I'm not so I enjoy it.

Towards the finish Ian asks John if he wants to go on ahead as he is going to drop back for the stragglers. Suprisingly I am not with the stragglers.

John, Emma and me run off the front of the group. We must be running a crazy pace. A mile out John and Emma edge away from me. At the finish they are perhaps 2 or 3 hundred meters clear.

I started off a few years ago in Group 1 and have gradually worked my way up through the groups to group. There is sometimes a group 6 when John is in the mood. That I think is somehow beyond reach...

A massively satisfying run

15.08km 1:13 4:53/km