This was actually the fourth time I have walked into Leeds for a race. It the walk feels like an important part of my race part now. So much so that races out of the city leave me feeling a bit like a fish out of water. I set off at 8:00am after a breakfast of black coffee, orange juice and a banana. I know that this doesn't sound like a well rounded and energy packed meal but I like to keep things as normal as possible on race days and that is what I tend to have for breakfast during the week.
One of the reasons I love the walk from Beeston to Leeds on a race day is the growing feeling of excitement and anticipation the closer you get. The first ten minutes or so is a very solitary walk. Only dog walkers tend to be up at that time on a Sunday morning. Once you make it to Bridgewater place you start to see more runners, only one or two at first, but once you are through the tunnel under the train station you are suddenly part of a mass migration towards Millennium Square. It does feel primal, like we are being called to an ancient ritual site. We are however being corralled and sorted into race pens, to keep similarly paced runners together. This works, after a fashion, but I'll come back to that in a bit.
First things first, I went for a wee. My fourth of the morning. I think my bladder wanted no part in any excuses I might have for a poor race after last years forced comfort break. The public toilets in Millenium Square were open and that was fine, but only if you were a bloke. The queue for the ladies was HUGE and there didn't seem to be many portaloos available. I'm sure this was causing quite a lot of stress for a lot of people.
I spotted the Sub 50 marker and, due to a change of planning by Run for All, I ended up stood on the same piece of ground as I was a year ago, the cobbles out side Leeds City Museum to be precise. We milled about for a while, not as long as last year and were soon herded to Merrion Street to wait for the start and to cross the start line on Vicar Lane.
The wait was made much more bearable by bumping into Diane, a friend from twitter and previous runs. We took the mick out of the random warm up guy and tried to focus on the impending race; don't run too fast and try to run in a straight line whenever possible was the plan.
It was a simple plan. All I had to do was keep under 5 minutes for each kilometre and I would achieve my goal. Sounds simple enough in theory. I managed to keep my powder dry and got through the first kilometre in 4:32, settled into a steady pace and without getting boxed in too much, got on with the rest of the race. It's a dull route along Kirlstall Road and back again but there were people cheering us along all the way and that does make a huge difference.
The only tricky bit of the course is when it swings behind the old Harley Davidson garage. It's a tight chicane and everyone wants to stay as close to the corner as possible so bunching and losing rhythm is inevitable. I got to the turn at Kirkstall Morrisons and started the return journey back into town. I went through the 6k point with 20 seconds still in the bag but the heat was starting to get to me. My pace dropped and thoughts of finishing 50+ entered my mind.
At 8k I tried to up my pace again, nothing too fast but I convinced myself that there were only ten minutes to go and then I could stop. At 9k my watch read 44:46. I had just over 5 minutes to cover the last kilometre of the course including the only real hill on the route. All of my training routes include hills of some kind, all of them more severe than the slight ramp into town, but it took all my effort not to stop for a walk just to catch my breath.
All that was left was the final 200m in front of the Town Hall. The crowds were huge. We Exist by Arcade Fire came on my ipod and from somewhere I summoned up the energy to sprint to the finish line. I stopped my watch and clung onto the barrier at the side of the road rather than falling off my exhausted legs. I have learned that my watch time is never the same as my chip time, such is the vagary of which line the time is set from so I tried not to pay attention to the information it was giving me.
Last year I had to wait a day to find out my official time but this time I got a text message instantly. "Congratulations on completing the Asda Foundation Leeds 10K in a time of 49:52". I had done it! Over the moon doesn't come close. In the space of a year I have shaved seventeen minutes off my time. I'm never going to challenge the lads at the front of the pack but that isn't why I run.
It wasn't a perfect race by any stretch of the imagination. Starting the race with people aiming to run approximately the same pace should eliminate having to run around the slower runners but the corporate teams, who started after the elite runners and before the rest of us, were of mixed ability. Having people already walking after the first kilometre meant having weave, exactly one of the things I wanted to avoid doing. But if that is my only complaint of the day it can't have been too bad.
The 2014 Leeds 10k was a great and well organised race. There were fewer water stations than last year but it was cooler than last year too. I already have my place booked for the 2015 race and hopefully by then I'll be looking at a time sub 45. Best get running!
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