Achères - 6.4km

I only decided to enter this race at the last moment: Thursday evening in fact while speaking to Nico and Régis at the end of the club session. Nico was looking for a short race where a podium was possible and I thought that I could return to Achères to try and defend my first veteran title over the distance. Régis let on that Fabrice was also entering this race, as he was also looking for a podium as a veteran. This added a little spice to the equation and I decided then and there to enter.

I turned up about and hour before the race and paid my fee and picked up my bib. Gérald and Nico were there already and Gérald decided that the 6.4km race would be too fast for him and that he'd enter the 15km race which starts at the same time. We were just leaving some stuff in the car before setting off on our warm-up when Fabrice arrived in the car with his family. He evidently wasn't expecting to see me there and I could see from the expression on his face that his plans for a podium were no in doubt. I was far from sure about my own condition, already feeling tired yesterday on a recovery run and far from confident as to whether I had the energy to run fast around such a short course.

Gérald, Nico and I set off on our warm-up along the course which leaves Achères and heads into the forest at the edge of the town. The paths are wide and flat through the forest until just beofer 3 km when there is a very short hill up and then down and back onto the roads through town to complete the loop. The 15km race does 2 loops and a convoluted finish around the playing fields whereas the 6.4k race is just one loop.

We lined up at the start and when the gun went, I was surprised to find myself near the front of the field, in the first 6 or 7 runners. I was sat on Nico's shoulder for the road out of town and then when we turned into the forest I moved past Eric (running the 15k) and the St Germain runners (Eric, Nico, Anis and myself) represented 4 of the first 6 in the race. Nico encouraged me to take the lead at this point so that I could write in my blog that I led the race at the 1km mark, but although I felt good, I wasn't ready to expose myself at this point. We carried on at the same pace for the second kilometre, dropping Eric slightly in the process and it was only in the third kilometre that I fell back slightly from the group of 4 leaders, leaving Nico to battle it out ahead.

Eric overtook me in the 3rd km and then we hit the road section for the 4th kilometre and another runner overtook me towards the 4km marker. I began to tire now and all the energy I had at the start of the race waned fast. To make matters worse, we turned into the wind for the next 2 kilometres with the second of these slightly uphill back through town. The leaders gapped me here but there was nobody close behind me so I wasn't really worried about my losing speed. We turned into the stadium and I saw that Nico had turned first as the other 4 runners ahead (Anis and Eric included) were running the 15k race. Unfortunately, the guy who'd overtaken me also turned and my thoughts of completing a 1 and 2 for the race with Nico vanished.

I pulled off a little acceleration to finish and completed the course in 24:32 or an average speed of 3:46 per km according to the Garmin. This was 34 seconds slower than last year due to the wind and the tiredness but Iwas very happy with the result. Nico achieved his first ever win outright in a race and was also chuffed. Unfortunately, Fabrice took a wrong turn towards the end which cost him a few seconds and any hopes of a podium for the veterans. He'll probably be looking for his next race and a possible podium now.