Running warm up/down 11:20 [3] 1.46 mi (7:46 / mi)
shoes: The Purple Ones
A warm-up jog with the other OUCCC people.
Running 27:40 [5] 4.0 mi (6:55 / mi)
shoes: The Purple Ones
Mob Match vs. Thames Hare and Hounds, Wimbledon Common
My first race ever running for OUCCC! It was a pretty four-mile course with some quite muddy areas and a hilly bit towards the end. Before the race, I chatted with other OUCCC girls, including an American exchange student called Christine. From what she told me, she seemed to be about my speed, so I decided to try and stay with her, at least in the beginning. So when the race started, I stayed right on her shoulder. We were going at a very reasonable pace for the first five minutes, but then I wound up passing her on a slight downhill and being ahead of her for a while. Then, sometime around 14 minutes out she passed me again on the flat following a hill. I kept going at my steady pace and didn't try to stay with her, but I noted that although she made a gap between us, she didn't seem to be increasing it. So when we reached the last mile or so and the course became quite hilly and muddy, I began catching up again. She seemed better than me on flats and uphills, but I would gain on her on the downhills. Once she got to an intersection and didn't see any markers and I almost bumped into her. I continued on straight and she followed and almost immediately we saw a marker, so we knew we were going the right way. I stayed ahead for several minutes, but when we broke out into the final grassy flat run-in, she passed me again. It was hard to accelerate on the grass because my sneakers were so muddy from the course, but I think even if I had been wearing spikes I wouldn't have been able to catch up to her. She put on some speed for the last two minutes of the race and I just did not have the strength to do the same. We were together (her right in front) at the beginning of the final straight grassy stretch to the finish chute and she managed to beat me by 8 seconds. I'm not good at distance estimation, but I reckon this stretch was more than 200 meters, but less than 400.
Overall, I am very happy with my result. I did my best today and being able to stay with Christine for most of the race was awesome. We are both racing again at Birmingham next weekend, so that should be another fun challenge!
Running warm up/down 9:20 [3] 1.1 mi (8:29 / mi)
shoes: The Purple Ones
Cool-down jog with Lucia and Christine.
Note
My knees felt a bit funny during the warm-up jog. They felt sort of loose and sore along the sides. Running did not make it better - sort of hurts to walk up/down stairs now. I am definitely orienteering tomorrow because it is the only day of the week I get to do that, but I'll take Monday off from running.