Striders 10k 2019




Race date: Friday, 19 July 2019
I hadn't planned to be doing this. I'd planned to do the Hardwick 10k, but I'd messed my calendar up, and that was on the 18th, when I was already running the Sheldon Fell Race. I'd had a very long week and really needed a run to cheer me up, so I decided to trundle down to Ladybower and run the club 10k race.
The Striders 10k is part of the road race championships, but it's actually a trail race, out and back along the South side of Ladybower reservoir. The walk across the dam to the start is beautiful in the dusk, and the huge assembly of green and gold running vests is warm and welcoming.
The rain that had been pouring down all day had lifted, but I decided to wear trail shoes anyway - road would have been fine, but so were trail.
Just after 7:30, we were off. The trail is fairly narrow, so there was a bit of congestion, but soon the field spread out and I started to concentrate on overtaking. There's quite a lot of undulation on the course, but on the way out with fresh legs, you don't really feel it apart from a nice drop between 1.5 and 2k. Although my head wasn't in the right place, my legs felt surprisingly fresh and I got to 4k before I saw any runners coming back the other way.
The turn is a steep drop to a gate, which you touch and then set off back to he start. I dug in and kept momentum, then pushed on. The field had really thinned out by now, and I didn't pass or get passed by many runners.
The course feels much harder in the second half, perhaps from tired legs. There are a couple of really taxing climbs, and I almost (but not quite) walked. Finally though the trail turned to concrete and I knew I was in the last 500m. I wouldn't say I managed a sprint finish, but I definitely used up all I had, and there was a lot of panting before I could walk back.
Strava gave me lots of medals, but I suspect most of them were caused by patchy GPS.
I didn't go to the post-race drinks, because I wasn't feeling sociable, but this race didn't half cheer me up for a bit.
The winner was Joe Sweetnam-Powell in 35:57. First woman was Frances Roberts in 42:09. I was 53rd in 46:12. 145 people finished.


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