FVS 3k Relays - 21/7/09

They're off - pedestrians beware! (photo Martyn Annetts)

Another week, another race! I have a half-marathon I want to do well in this Sunday, so I decided not to put my body on the line for this 3k (sorry team-mates). Therefore, I approached the race a bit like my effort at the MWL 9k Mob Match last week – hard, but not all-out. Just to prove the point, my HR profile for the first 2k was almost identical to the first 2k of my last 5k race.

Apart from having a key half-marathon this weekend in Milton Keynes, I am now putting into practice the principles I'd already accepted in theory. It's just impossible to keep giving 100% in races. If one can't resist racing regularly (guilty) then either you need to run some conservatively or your body will eventually make you slow down (or stop). This can be difficult when your ego (yes, despite my modest demeanour - I do have a little one) wants you to maintain your perceived position in the pecking order! So, taking the conservative approach (excuse) into account, I was quite pleased with my time of 10:10 (5:27 mile-pace) - a PB and 35s improvement over my July 2008 time.

NHRR managed to pick up 5 team ‘gongs’ on the night, and the ladies did especially well. The event also incorporated the Herts County Road-race Relay Champs 1st Female Senior team - Rachel Gibbs, Tash Pitman, Melissa Winters 1st Female Senior team (Herts) - Rachel Gibbs, Tash Pitman, Melissa Winters 2nd Female Vet team - Jane Chappell, Jo Summers, Karen Dodsworth 2nd Female Vet team (Herts) - Jane Chappell, Jo Summers, Karen Dodsworth 3rd Male Vet team (Herts) - Pete Scrowther, Nickolas Malpeli, James Walsh, Adrian Sherwood, Pete Sibbett

The sprightly Male Vet 35+ Herts County Bronze medallists (L-R) Nick Malpeli, James Walsh, Pete Sibbett, Statto (Adrian Sherwood not in pic) - photo Karen Dodsworth

A 3k race, which approximates to Vo2Max effort, is always a bit of a shock to the system for runners who train at intensities more suited for optimum 10k road-race performance. Consequently, my general sentiment on 3k racing is - at least it’s only once a year! Having said that, this is a fun team-event and the course affords lots of good spots to to cheer on your club-mates.