We picked up Christèle and Jean-François and headed to Issou for the start of the race. The GPS took us to the town no problem, but nobody in the car had any idea where the start was situated. Luckily, it's only a small town and the streets were full of cars spilling runners out into the roads so we decided to park and wander off in the direction that the other runners were taking.
We went though some small gates and found ourselves in the wonderful grounds of an old uninhabited castle. The registration area was teaming with athletes and as we went to pick up our bibs, we bumped into most of the other runners from the St Germain club: Thierry, José, Yannick, Nick B, Philippe, Catherine and many others. We all had a good chat and enjoyed the sunshine before the start of the first race.
2 races were organised for the morning: the first to start was the 36km race which shared the course with the second race until the 13th kilometre before adding an extra loop: and the second course, which we were entered for covering 19km.
We watched the first race go off and then lined up ours. The sun was beginning to gain in heat and still no clouds in sight. The temperature was very pleasant and I was able to stand in my singlet without feeling the cold whatsoever. My aim was to finish in my target time for a half-marathon in around 1:25 and I figured I would be in the first 15-30 runners. The best runners from the club: Thierry, José and Yannick were all down for the 36km race, so my club competition for this race would be coming from Nick B.
We set off at a steady pace. I didn't want to tire myself from the start and knew that there would be plenty of time to catch others over the distance. I ran with Nick for a few hundred metres at the beginning before he let me go. The course wound its way up past the castle and along a wooded track behind, creeping gradually upwards. I was running just behind a small group, telling myself not to let them stretch away from. The pace, after the first km in 4:30 had settled down to a steady 4:10 - 4:15 rhythm.
Already, I could feel that I wasn't totally involved in the race. My mind was elsewhere and I was going through the motions but the heart wasn't quite in it. We arrived at the first feeding station after 6km and I grabbed a glucose drink and carried on. The sun was beating down now and I was starting to overheat. I hated the long passages through the rape fields, running in ruts left by tractors and trying to overtake slower runners from the 36km race who'd set off 15 minutes earlier. Trails are so unlike road running as you can't get into a rhythm and every stride has to be taken carefully in order to avoid twisting an ankle in a rut or slipping in the mud.
At around 9 km there was a steep stretch of uphill on the road and I ran up this slowly. I was overtaken by another runner who stopped shortly after and began to walk. I overtook him again and then was overtaken in turn by Nick who invited me to run with him. I was tired and fed up now and I let him go. The will to race was slipping away and the course was getting harder and harder: the going was all uphill now and the sun was relentless.
Another kilometre further on and yet another hill and my willpower went. I began to walk up the hill and then jogged as the incline decreased. I slowed the pace and thought only about reaching the next feeding station at 13km. This one was perched at the top of the hill and I remembered from the course profile that this was the highest point. I stopped for a couple of glasses of water and then poured one over my head. Thoughts of the Paris Marathon were ever present and I was determined not to repeat that experience.
I set off again and my performance improved from then on. Nick was long gone but I could see other runners ahead now and I began to catch them slowly. I had stopped looking at my watch and was just concentrating on finishing the course. The going was easier as it was in the shade of the forest and downhill. At long last, I was able to get my legs turning over steadily and concentrate on the runner ahead rather than on the track 2 metres in front of my nose.
The last feeding station appeared and I took my 2 cups of water and repeated the operation: one for the head, one to drink. Off again and I could feel that the runner in front was tiring. I overtook him on one of the last uphills but unfortunately, he responded and stuck to me as I increased the pace. I stayed ahead for a kilometre until around 17.5km and then he set off again and I couldn't reply. 1 kilometre to go was posted on the next sign and this was encouraging. I had looked around earlier and there were no runners in sight behind. I just kept steady and concentrated on the finish.
Into the castle grounds and down a small slope: 500 metres to go. I heard a noise behind me and 2 runners came past. This was totally unacceptable. Despite my head telling me not to bother, it's not worth it, my legs responded and I followed them. Another last effort, and I overtook them on the last bend, sprinting the last 200 metres to the finish. Lose 2 places after almost 90 minutes of effort: no way!
Finished in 1:29:23 in 20th position. Nick B. finished 8 places ahead and 3:30 faster. He had been speeding over the second half of the course, putting all of that time over me in 9km.
Graph showing course profile and speed. (Note severe drop in pace uphills!)I waited for Laurence and Christèle, expecting them to have run together. Laurence showed first though and was clearly flushed from the heat and the physical exertion. She'd left Christèle after 7 km and had suffered with her knee, still not recovered fully from the marathon.
All in all good training. I needed a good 5 minutes and several cups of water to recover from the race and heat. Don't know how I'll manage the Pastourelle if it's sunny like that. Time will tell.
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