Busy week in work so no blogging going on. Last week went to plan, took my foot off the gas training wise leading up to the Sale 10, laying off long runs or double sessions. Sale nearly didn’t happen as the junction 3a on the M56 was closed, a de-tour ensued and thanks to a few good directions from a friendly old timer I eventually found my way to Wythenshaw Park. Not much of a warm up but didn’t really think that would matter much for a 10 miler but the early start proved to be more of an obstacle.

My main goal was to get under the hour – like the sub 3 for the marathon, it’s a goal for the athletic nobody to break this barrier. Ideally though, I was aiming for sub 59. I knew the course was flat and I felt I was in good enough shape to drag myself around in 5:53 pace. I didn’t really get started though and felt like I was struggling to stay under 6’s – I went through 5 mile in 29:38 but worryingly, the mile markers were 5 to 15 seconds outside the Garmin mile mark. It’s tough to keep a race line on a route you don’t know that has a lot of runners involved but at this rate I thought I’d struggle to get under the hour. I pushed on and tagged behind a lad who started pulling through a group of runners. I felt really good and after about a mile over took him and made an effort to pass as many runners as I could.

About 7 ½ miles in a fella breezed past me, I tried to stay with him but he was far too strong. The mile markers bizarrely started coming in a bit shorter, I suppose the twists and turns must even themselves out. I got to 8 miles and according to the Garmin I would easily get under the hour if I stuck to sub 6’s – the course was four laps, two long and two shorter with miles 5 to 6 being the same as 8 to 9 – the elevation made these the toughest miles, but by 9 I knew I was okay. I really kicked on and was welcomed onto the track by Martin Swensson, who’d ran another PB in 56:04. The finish is a lap of the track and I was really feeling it. A chap passed me but I clung onto him knowing my if I could muster a sprint from 200m I’d pass him.

Pass him I did and managed the respectable time of 59:31 – 27th overall. Another PB, albeit by proxy, but a satisfying end to a tough week. I still managed to pump out close to 68 miles and looking back at my training diary, I was also at week 11 in the marathon prep for Edinburgh. That week I ran a PB for the half marathon at Wilmslow, 79:28 – roughly 6:03 pace. I was 6 seconds a mile faster at Sale, I’d say that was an improvement.

As long as keep doing what I’m doing and more importantly focus on looking after myself (not too many late nights on the ale!) I should be in great shape for Liverpool, not to mention the Lake Vynwy Half Marathon and the relays in September.