Notes
A PB, so can't really complain, but I didn't feel great today — could already tell in the first mile that it wasn't going to be one of those days where it feels effortless.
I pushed my way through to about row four of corral A, behind all the sub-seeded and seeded starts. No staggered start here, so on the dot of 7am everyone charges forwards. Couldn't really run to start with due to all the people, but after some weaving managed to start ratcheting down the pace until it felt about right for 12km. Passed a few naked racers and the first women's centipede while we were still on Howard. Up and down Hayes hill — slowed a lot going up, still felt terrible, but managed to push quite hard going down the short sharp descent. Along Fell caught one of the DSE regulars and ran close to him for a while, making ground on the flat and uphills, but losing it on the downhills, before getting comprehensively dropped on the final couple of descents. Had no real kick on the last hills, wasn't dying either, just couldn't find that extra turnover (need to add speed-work?)
Jogged home afterwards, and felt like I was crashing — very wobbly. Left hip was also hurting.
Strava tells me my grade-adjusted pace was 5:59/mi (for the GPS measured distance), if that's accurate it makes the result a lot more satisfying, cf. last week's 5K at 5:45/mi.
AG: 73.83%, AG position: 157.