So much for sticking to a 10 - 11 minute mile pace! When I was getting changed for today's run I felt as though I could achieve a PB for the 6 mile run round Gosforth and the Town Moor. Despite hot and humid conditions (about 18 degrees) I was going to go for it. My previous best for this route was 00:52:52. I set this PB back in the winter of 2003 and have rarely come close to beating it. In fact I never got less than 1 hour all last year, often taking about 01:05.00 or thereabouts.Rob, Jonathan, Ian and Steve set the pace. The first few miles were done at a pace faster than I'm used to (08:59) and I thought that I would never be able to keep that up for the whole run. On the uphill section of Grandstand Road I picked the pace up even more and managed to reach the 2 mile point at 00:17:40. It wasn't long before I was at my familiar position at the back of a pack of runners. However, I used this to my advantage on the 3rd and 4th miles where Ian "The Coach" and Steve were setting a good pace which I managed to beat and I left them at the 4.5 mile point. I later found out that Ian had forgotten his running socks and was struggling to run at his usual pace.
Knowing that a PB was in my sight, I really pushed myself on the last mile and a half. I had now increased the speed to an 07:30 minute mile pace. I crossed the finish point (which is simply a lamp post near Northern Rock's head office) at 00:51:56. I had to stop there and then for fear of collapsing!
What a way to start my running week! As well as improved fitness, I think that losing a stone since Christmas has helped. Right! It's time to start running sensibly again. Back to that 10 minute mile pace!
