My first race after I had started running regularly was Standalone 10k 2006. However, the seeds of my obsession had actually been sown the previous year on the fringes of the Black Forest in SW Germany. I have my good friend Pat (an ex-pat arf-arf) to thank for for this.This was an 11.11 km (the Germans are very precise) race from a village in the valley all the way up to the ridge, along a bit and then back down again. Even with training, this would be a tough race, but with hardly any and in the middle of a lads week-end (and on a hot and stormy August day), even more so. In fact, in Statto’s road-race hill ranking table, this one is 2nd toughest. The first km or so was downhill, so the final km was the reverse. There is a very short and steep section near the finish adjacent to a Cemetery. As I staggered past it, I was about ready to occupy one of the plots!
The course was mainly on roads or tarmac paths, with forest trails on the high ground. With no race experience or pace judgement, I set of too fast and by the end of the long steep climb in the first part of the race, I was wasted. It was then a case of hanging on. My time was 56:06 (8:08/mile), enough to see me finish about halfway down the field of around 300. I’d really enjoyed the challenge and being part of a race and wondered how much faster I could get – the die was cast!
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