2017 Westfield Turkey Trot, 25th November

Since the NYC Marathon I’d spent the time trying to keep myself moving while not overdoing it. The recovery period had been good, so I felt well enough to give the race a decent effort.

Race day offered great weather, perfect for running. The PracticeHard Mile started off the day. The kids all flew off into the distance with astonishing ease. Through the race I tracked Samuel, seeing him take 10 seconds off his mile time from 2016. He was happy with the race although unhappy he didn’t place!

On to the 5 miler. The goal was to try and break 30 minutes for the first time, which meant averaging sub-6 minute pace. I felt good but wasn’t sure if it was on. As the race began and I settled in I stuck with a couple of runners. We paced each other until mile 2-2.5, at which time I pulled away. At mile 3 I caught another runner. As soon as I got level I felt him start to push on. We worked together through to the last half mile. I thought I’d got him, but with a quarter mile to go he accelerated and I didn’t have the kick to keep up.

Through the race I was checking my average pace. My Garmin had me at 6:00-6:01 throughout. Yet as I approached the finish I could see the giant clock ticking toward the 30 minute mark. It was great motivation to push to the end, and I crossed the line with a few seconds to spare! So goal achieved. A great way to finish off the year, plus winning my age group was a nice bonus. Time for a rest now.