This race actually had pace makers. The fastest one where supposed to run a 39:59 and my goal was to run another sub 40 minutes, last week I did a new PB of 39:58 :) so my plan was to keep up with the pacer until the first of 2 big hills, just before 8k, and then try to kick from there. Well that was the plan.
At the start I get myself in the first line next to this very small woman, and some fast looking guys. The gun sounds and we are off. The guys are gone within the first 100m or so. I was really fighting myself not start to fast. So instead of trying to keep up with the little woman, (mistake) I wanted to find my own pace. First 1k 3:53 perfect not to fast. The next km went by in 3:58 but with a lot of up and down hills I was not really finding a nice rhythm, next km 4:04, uh I had slowed down I could really use somebody to pace me, so I look behind to see where the pacer is at, he is around 50m behind. I find this a bit strange because that would mean that he is not running fast enough, or he plans to run a bit faster on the last 5k. But there are these 2 big hills, so I don’t think he will be able to do that. Well I did not slow down to let him catch up to me. All I have to run after is the little woman who is 50m in front of me. This is the gap she made over the first 1k, since then we have been pretty even. So far this has been a very lonely race I am all by myself :(
Finally we turn around, just over 20 minutes, I can see that the pacer is not catching up, so I just have to continue running by myself. From 6-7k I had slowed down to 4:12, and I gave up on finishing under 40 min. But I did try to pick up the pace a bit. There it was the first of the big hills. This was where I had plan to make an attach, but now where I had been running by myself the whole way, I was not really able to do that. I did manage to pick up the speed a bit, but not as much as I had wanted to. Luckily after the hill there was a downhill section. I was now just tring to focus on the last hill, which also was the longest. 9k just one more km to go, and then the hill started, I could see the little woman up in front of me, about 2 lampposts ahead of me. The first part of the hill was not to bad, but it is quit long. I was now really pushing, and half way up the breathing rhythm was a mess, this is the point where the second part of the hill starts, which unfortunately also is the steepest :( Nothing to do but attach the hill, with all control gone, it felt like a sprint to the top. I finally made it, now only 1/2k to go just streight and a slight downhill before the finish line, I look up from the pavement where my eyes had been for most of the uphill section, wow the woman was now only ½ a lamppost ahead of me. I had to slow down after the hill, it felt like my heart was beating around a million, but I had to try to get her, then I could at least overtake one person. I went into “sprint mode” running my heart out but I was catching her, when I got to within 10m of her she heard me, and looked behind, no it is not a steam engine, just another runner coming to get you. Well gets what she did ! She started sprinting too ! Hæ don’t do that, I was just catching you. Damn it. But then some thing strange happen, I was already sprinting at full speed when something clicked in my head. I simply had to get her I have no idea when the energy came from but somehow I went from “sprint mode” into “Carl Lewis” mode :o I don’t know how it was possible but I absolutely flew by her like she was standing still. I crossed the line with a big gap down to her. I was totally out of breath but I was a lot more surprised about the speed I had be able to reach over the last meters, and even more surprised over the time 40:06 how was that possible, it should have been 20-30 seconds slower ! I then checked my split times and what a chock !! I had done the last km with the long hill in 3:37 :o How did I do that?????
I am still in chock over that, I have absolutely no idea how I did that……….


How enough fait in myself to believe I can stay with small running women.

Walked around, got some dry clothes on, and then waited for the rest to finish


The same as always training, but also not believing in myself


Good hard race, but the hills are real killers