So I did a last minute entry into the Wimbledon 10k and got up at the crack of dawn to trudge over to the place slightly more famous for tennis matches than distance running. Two bus rides and a train later and I made the start. Initially I was slightly alarmed by a) the fact that over 600 competitors were taking part, b) the weather was distinctly wet and c) the race appeared to be sponsored by an unmentioned energy drinks company!
As usual the opportunity to upstage the "competitor" just boosted my motivation and I made sure I necked a decent amount of Torq Energy and my pre-race Banoffee gel just before the start. Within the first kilometre or so it was clear that a lead group of 4 had established itself firmly ahead of the rest of the field and so we all tucked in as close to the lead car (a rather cool Audi SUV with a time board attached). At about 2k in my legs really started to fatigue due to the all the racing I had done in the last 2 weeks - was this such a smart idea?
At 4k, a strong attack came from one of the pack and I started thinking "ok, just try a snag a podium place if you can" but just hang on for a bit longer. Fortunately this attack was short lived and as soon as we made our way up Wimbledon Hill (a fairly evil drag about a minute long) I kept the pace constant and the rest of the field just seemed to blow apart entirely. By the 5k marker (at the top of the hill) I could no longer hear footfall and soon afterwards realised I had a race winning break of at least 20 seconds. The rest of the race went according to plan and I just kept trying to push myself hard and convince myself that nothing was won until I ran through the finish line. Job done and my first race victory of the year.
Racing up and down the country would not be possible were it not for the continuing support of both Torq and the tri team sponsors so thanks as ever go to:
Frames: Merida: http://www.merida-bikes.com/
Wheels: Fast Forward: http://www.ffwdwheels.com/
Power: http://www.cycleops.com/
Cycle shoes: http://www.lakecycling.co.uk/
Helmets: http://www.limarhelmets.com/
Aerobars: http://www.use1.com/
Wetsuits and compression: http://www.2xu.com/
Wheels: Fast Forward: http://www.ffwdwheels.com/
Power: http://www.cycleops.com/
Cycle shoes: http://www.lakecycling.co.uk/
Helmets: http://www.limarhelmets.com/
Aerobars: http://www.use1.com/
Wetsuits and compression: http://www.2xu.com/
All snaps courtesy of Jolekha Shasha
Photo 1: End in sight, race already won:
Photo 2: The 3rd weekend of racing, I was tired at 2k!
