Passing Clouds (and expectations)

As mentioned in my last post, I showed a significant improvement at Saddleworth Edges and finished much further up the field that I normally do. I had a rule if thumb that most things up to 10 or so miles, I'd be around 50 to 60% of the way down the field and once over that point, it could slip back to around 80%. However recent training has been paying off it seems and at Saddleworth I ended up 30% of the way down (42nd of 139 finishers)

http://saddleworth-runners.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Saddleworth-Edges-2013.pdf

So the target for Passing Clouds which is slightly longer at 9.8 miles with 1800 ft (to Saddleworth's 8.1 miles with 1148 ft) was to maintain that level of performance and solidify that I am actually capable of it. I felt a long way back at the start but by half way round my increased miles and climb were paying dividends and I was overtaking people and pulling away on the uphills. A little over enthusiasm on a stretch of farm tracks and fields by a brook before the final big climb to the Roaches trig saw me over exert myself and take a tumble which was arrested by smacking my right quad on some rocks. That cost me four places while I got up and moving again but I thought I was doing well and I wasn't going to be giving in to the pain from the quad so I carried on. Not stopping to walk uphill and grinding it out even pressured a Congleton and a Buxton runner stop and step aside to surrender their places saying they had no uphill legs left in them and I regained all places lost plus around seven more across the length of the Roaches before a further four on the final drop off Hen Cloud and run in. It felt good to be able to put eyes on the next runner and pick them off one by one on the ups and the downs.

Looking back I can tell I'm not used to doing what I'd just achieved as I thought the lack of runners by the finish meant I was in fact much further back than normal and everyone had gone to get a coffee, get changed or warm up in cars (was a cold race with plenty of strong wind and rain). I was wrong as I had in fact pushed myself in to the top 20% of the race, coming in 34th of 198 finishers. I even overtook some strong runners I recognised from clubs like Pennine and Dark Peak, though admittedly one of them told me at Langdale that he is carrying some injured ribs at the moment. I've also gone from being 40 seconds being Ritzy on Saddleworth to being ahead of all the ladies on a race, another first for me. Anyway, the results;

http://congleton-harriers.co.uk/Passing%20Clouds%20Race%20Results%202013.pdf

Onwards and upwards (in the field)