NoblePro Mk 5k PB Special

... or the one with all the wind!

Looking forward to this one, a chance for a decent 5k and from recent training a slim chance of an (OA)pb!

Training has gone well. Raced Thursday night in Harrow over 800m and then an easy 9 on Friday and a shakeout 4 on Saturday.

Early start - that never goes down well with me - to wake up the legs and collect Nic at 8am for the 45 min drive to Milton Keynes.

Started to feel a bit under the weather in the last few days but nothing serious. Few early nights and I've been holding together but I am definitely on the verge of getting ill (if I'm not sensible!) #excusenumber1

Today's wind was pretty shocking too. 17 mph with 33 mph gusts forecast. I'm pretty surprised how many people turned out considering! It was going to be pretty exposed for several longish sections #excusenumber2

The course when warming up (and confirmed in the race) had some pretty tight turns to navigate. The Alphafly do not like going around corners !! #excusenumber3

But anyway, on to the race.

On the line for 9.45 in wave P with 11 other runners. This was the 17 min target group.

We're off and I settle in behind. Pretty relaxed all the way down to the first turn and just looking for shelter.

Move alongside pretty early for space and take a bit of wind. Push to the front up towards the overpass / fly over. Pass 1km in 3.18 (ish) so not great considering the downhill start.

At some stage the Garmin goes loco and decides to reboot so I have 0.74 miles of the race recorded which I was apparently at 5.30 pace.

On the flyover a kid moves aggressively to the front and I follow. It's a serious dig and I work to stay on feet as I know at the turn it's a long uphill drag into direct headwind. He breaks off the front so I settled back for cover.

500m in to the straight I push to the front of my group and as I hit the drop to the lake I'm clear (which surprises me as I didn't lift the pace). The sharp drag up to the housing estate I get caught and passed and drop into 3rd (where I remain).

As we head back to the lake it's downhill or flat to the finish now with wind behind.

Moving OK but nothing special. One of those days to just close out. Don't really have it to close on 2nd today, feels like I am missing a gear BUT I am moving ok.

Around a fiddly underpass with 3 tight turns and onto the last straight. Dig in for a half arsed sprint.

No idea of time as Garmin has gone fubar but assume low 17 (hope high 16).

Finish up with 17.03, so not ideal but considering how it went that's solid. 83.4% WAVA so in line with 800m & 1500m times I guess.

Hard not to be disappointed with the time. I guess the take away for me is that I still don't have the strength for wind / hills and when it's tough going. If that was a still evening race at Ferry Meadows I would have been looking at 16.3x - 16.4x. Still, it's a respectable marker to build training paces out from.

Training wise, Sessions like 6 x 1km off shortish recoveries, mile reps, longer tempos will all benefit what I am lacking. Not sure I'll pick another 5k before next training block but it's unlikely.

Next up mile race at Dagenham on the track. Target is sub 4:50 although club record of 4:47 seems a little out of reach (71.xx laps). I'll possibly take it a bit less seriously and just have a bit of fun and run it on fairly tired legs.

Training week finished up as 36.9 miles. With an 800m and a 5k race that's not too bad. Pretty consistent mileage block for 3 weeks with 3 races in the last 2 weeks.

Fitness is Ok, I think lots of races + cold weather = form petering out. There's 2 more races to close the season out then a short easy week to recover and then a long winter build where I need to start looking towards much higher goals.