Strong and fresh (before the race!)At the weekend Jack ran his first competitive 10 km race. We started together on a flat if somewhat cobbled and overcrowded run through Prague. Pacing was a little tricky at times with 9000 runners on a course which had room for half that number but we managed to hit the first 5 km pretty much bang on our 5 min/km pace.
This is me after about 8 km, I think, with the Senate behind me - but I'm not sure, so if you know that part of town better than me, please make suggestions:
Here's Jack at 9 km, crossing the bridge on the run back into town:
I lost sight of Jack at 4.5 km - but he was never far behind, finishing in a spectacularly impressive time of 50.34. I just squeaked under my 50-minute target, managing 49.56, in the last frenetic kilometre shredding my thighs such that two days later I still struggle to walk from one sofa to the other. Here's my standard "dead man walking" finish line photo:
Still, at least I can walk. Jack caught the bus to school this morning! Here's his final sprint:
I think this may well be the last time I go under 50 minutes for 10 km - courses don't really get any easier than Prague's riverside. I suspect it's also the last time I beat Jack: not only did he scarecely train but he's getting stronger every year.
Next year's target?
Anything under a hour!
