Training Log Archive: murraystraining

Great Scottish run 10km
It's easy to be snooty about events like these: self-declared 'great' runs with astronomical entry fees, large participation but low quality fields and heavy cotton race tshirts destined to a future in a charity shop or the back of the drawer. The high entry fees put off most club runners and the imported elite fields mean the domestic talent often go home empty handed. 
I have to admit it was the possibility of prize money which attracted me back to this race. I last ran (and won) it in 2008, picking up a healthy cheque for my somewhat mediocre 32:30 running - the top 4 scots in the half marathon all ran faster than me that day, never mind the phalanx of Kenyans and Japanese who dominate the top 10. This year the race seemed the perfect pre Jungfrau sharpener, and if I could pick up a few bob along the way so much the better - I do have flights to NZ to fund after all. 

The race was fun. Unlike 4 years ago when I was alone at the front all the way this time there was a good group pushing the pace all the way. Luke Traynor, a good junior runner and last years race winner took the early lead on and pulled a group of 4 away. The first km is largely uphill (3:07) and the second down the other side (2:57) with a flat 3rd to the Kingston bridge (3:03 - 9:06). I thought this pace was a bit high but I knew that would be true for the others as well. The new Ethiopian, Tefese Wegami of Cambuslang was the unknown factor in this assumption but if he was going to win in 30 flat there wasn't much I could do to stop him!
The 4th km which includes the climb up the Kingston Bridge was surprisingly quick (3:02) but over the next few km it seems the pace caught up with us as we dropped to 3:10s while no one really took it on. By halfway (15:19 by GPS ~15:30 by course markings) we were down to three but it wasn't until Tefese injected some pace after a short climb at 7km that anything else happened. Here I put my head down to stay with him and we got a small gap on Traynor. I was digging deep to stay close but with a mile to go a gap opened in front of me as well. As this grew from 5m to 10m to 20m my thoughts turned from winning and prize money to the time, PBs and 30:xx. With a km to go I started trying to pick it up but it felt like the time was ticking away. It was only when we turned the corner into Glasgow Green that I really found some speed, and suddenly the 20m gap ahead of me was falling! I kept pushing, sprinting for all I was worth until I was within touching distance of Tefese. There was still over 50m to go so it was clear this was going to be a race - I pulled alongside him and I think i caught him by surprise. He accelerated as well but it wast enough and with 20m to go I glanced over my shoulder and saw he had capitulated - victory! 30:57 - all surfaces PB! Ok so it's a little slower than Scott, but I'll take it and (do I always say this?) there's more in the tank: slow middle kms, no speedwork since woc and a couple of hills all contribute. 

Running the final 3km in <9mins is a great feeling. Now I just need to run the first 7 in 21 flat and I'll be going somewhere!

GPS splits
3:07
2:57
3:03 (9:06)
3:02
3:10 (15:19)
3:10
3:11
3:03 (24:43)
3:01
2:59 (30:44)
94m in 13s. 

There are cool things about winning a race like these. One  is when you turn up at work and rather than people asking how your weekend was they already know, cos the results were in that mornings Metro or the highlights were on BBC Scotland. The other thing is that I've realised that it's actually quite fun to run flat out around closed streets. I suppose it's similar to the excitement I feel when I'm sprint orienteering - running fast in an urban environment. 

C • Great race, got your pic in... 3

Esoc ultrasprint. Fun.

Mixed pace out to Clockmills Business Park and up to ________ in Wester Hailes. (fill in blank when I'm reunited with my AZ. )