run (Spalding Golf Course Ch1) 27:14 [5] 6.98 km (3:54 / km) +26m 3:50 / km
shoes: x talon 190.2
First Harriers Champs run of the year, and I was pretty sure I would be comfortably slower than last year, when I ran it as a tempo run after a 30+km long run the day before. They changed the course around a bit this year, so I'll claim the course was slower (added a sandy bit around the practice fairway which was a bit hard on the legs).
Times from last week's run, which I didn't do, suggested I'd be lucky to nab third today, but figured I'd go out as hard as I thought I could get away with and see if the fact we weren't on flat bitumen helped me any. Very quickly had Ben sitting on my shoulder and he pretty much stayed there until the 5km mark. I thought he sounded like he was working a bit harder than me, so I just plugged away and resisted the temptation to let him past and see what happened to the pace.
At 4km, another bloke came steaming up to us and I figured it was all over. He slotted into second but never came past. Starting the third lap, I figured I'd try to work hard up the hill and see what happened, figuring if it came down to a sprint finish, I'd be third, and I was pretty surprised heading up the fairway to hear the bloke in second call Ben thru. By the time I hit the top of the 'hill' I had a small gap, so tried to keep the stride long heading back the other way and heading out onto the sandy bit with 1km to go, I knew I had it in the bag if I didn't blow up.
Came home feeling pretty strong, so happy with the day's work. Still a long way to go to being 'fit', but a lot further from complete unfitness where I was languishing a month ago.