Cambs County 5k Track Championships

In running terms I've always felt road races the equivalent of drawn out pitched battles and track races as a gladiatorial contest. I much prefer the latter, as I'm not much interested in scenery, I like it flat and have always preferred the "short, intense yank" rather than the long toothache.

All this of course, before I tried running a 5k on the track which I must say, on a windy day, rates as one of the most unpleasant racing experiences I've had. I was extremely close to reacquainting myself with my beans on toast at the end - although I'm not sure if that was due to the intensity of effort or the fact that a hairy back and shoulders was my scenery for the entire race.

To top it all off I ran exactly the same time as my last road 5k 2 weeks ago! The race itself split into 2 groups, with me in the second. There is a time for going with the lead pack and trying to hang on like an unpopular schoolboy - but that time is late season when you have completed all your VO2 max training and when there is a chance you'll somehow cling on like a fierce winnet until the end. All that would have got me, this being relatively early in my season, was the same result as a Beyonce marriage proposal - a horrific crash and burn. So I did the sensible thing and went out at my own pace in a group of 3.

I'm perfectly satisfied with the way I raced and the effort put in and don't feel I could have done much more than I actually did. That's the state of my fitness at the moment and I'm looking forward to another step forward at the end of the month - not on the track this time!