Pacing Balbriggan 2017

After Monday's easy 10 mile, as I wasn't working on Tuesday evening, I went to meet the members who do speed training Tuesday nights.
After an easy pace two mile warmup, the plan was for 4x1 mile at 10 pace.
My 10k pace should be around 6:15 to 6:20, but for some company, I ran at 6:30's with a fellow club runner. However, after three reps, I knew I had enough. My legs were quite heavy and tired starting off on the third mile, so an easy cooldown after and then home.

The weather was not forecast very good today, but as I had tapered over the last two days by not running, I decided to go ahead and pace the planned half marathon.
I had paced the 1:40 last year, and throughly enjoyed it. But this year, looking back, I really don't know what my brain was thinking promising to pace a 1:30, 5 days after my previous race.
Anyway, I was confident I could do the time, but how comfortable tHat might prove to be was an entirely different proposition.

The field was small enough, just over 110 ran, and only a few really looked like they would be running any sort of fast times, although 'fast' is of course relative, and 'looks' can be deceiving!
After grabbing my ballon (the second as the first floated away!), I warmed up. A few runners met me and asked what pace I would be running (I would have assumed that would be evident?) and it appeared I might have plenty of company. For definite, one runner from my club, Adrian, was trying to break 1:30, and was determined to tag along.
The course is very hilly, like no flat sections almost at all, and there was a very stiff wind blowing, but thankfully only a light drizzle and not the full on rain that was to come.

The 10k went off first, and the half 15 minutes later. At the end of the first mile, our little group were six. I knew one other besides my clubmate. I explained the strategy over the two miles, a hilly course, so bank a few seconds on the easy downhills, which could be used again going up the climbs. In particular there was an almost two mile drag straight in to wind, which had to be done twice as it was a two loop course. The first loop went well, and we were all together by 7 miles. On the drag, we lost one, and although I tried to keep him going and even slowed a bit, it was obvious he was struggling so I had to let him go. At 10, two of the guys felt strong, and pushed on, (finishing in 1:28:30 in the end), so we were down to three. One chap had told me earlier in the run that he had done Ballycotton the previous Sunday, and he was running very well. Unfortunately, at 11 miles, I was not struggling, but most definitely feeling the pace. I was certainly working at this point, and while I knew I could do the pace and time all the way, it was not 'easy'. One factor was hydration, the water stations were few and far between, no sports drinks, and I had no gels.

At mile 12, my clubmate was struggling, having done so well, and started to drop off the pace. The Ballycotton runner was still with me, and very comfortable. I was very torn at that point, and I asked him if he minded if I dropped back to try and pick up my clubmate, with me assuring him that if it wasn't happening for him, I would come back to him. And so, I slowed to bring Adrian in, despite him graciously shouting at me to keep going when he realised what I was doing. But pick him up I did, and he found the energy to hold the pace to the finish. He even managed a late sprint, something I can never do, and he crossed the line in 1:29:40, with me crossing in 1:29:45. I was really pleased with that, knowing that I had paced it perfectly, and could not have helped anyone else and still made the time. The other member of our six came in at 1:30:57, and he thanked me afterwards. As last year, I did question if I could have taken him with me too.

So overall, I achieved the objective, but over the last three miles, I did realise I might have been a bit ambitious running two half marathons in five days, and maybe I am not quite there yet for pacing a race which is so close to my hard effort running.