After getting over my cold midweek, i did the club time trial as hard as possible and didn't find it to bad, maybe a bit slow time wise but in all i felt well above 90% back to full health. So i was all ready to go for Hartlepool Marina 5 mile. On a cold and windy morning i lined up on the start line and recognised a few good runners and realised this was going to be a tough race. From the gun i set off showing my intentions in that i was here for the win and nothing else. I lead upto the first mile with three others, Ricky Stevinson, Lewis Thompson and Dominic Shaw all right behind me. 4 minutes 36 seconds for the first mile and Stevinson looked like he hadn,t got warmed up yet, not long after and Stevinson pulled away leaving me to battle with the other two. The 2 mile marker came in 9 minutes 46 seconds and i was still locked in battle. Just before the turn near the 3 mile marker i attacked to try and open a gap between me and the other two New Marske Harriers, and luckily i managed to succeed. By the 3 mile marker i was in to much pain to check my watch running into a strong head wind. Stevinson was well ahead and the sound of footsteps from behind had totally gone, the four mile marker was a turning point for me going through in 20 minutes 29 seconds , knowing i had no chance of catching the leader or breaking any of my best times and with the two behind now 60 metres plus behind i decided to ease back very slightly as my morale was broken. I finished in 26 minutes 06 seconds, about a minute slower than last year in similar conditions. Ricky Stevinson equalled the record set by Stephen Hepples in 24 minutes 38 seconds.
In all i suppose for my first race back after reduced training i should be happy. But deep down i know i have a lot of work to do to get back 12 seconds a mile.
Edinburgh Marathon is now only seven weeks away. So i'm hoping for a healthy tough training and racing seven weeks.
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