Run One; Done

Thursday 1st January

Run #1.

Serpentine New Year's Day 10k - Race Review

This one had been on the cards for a fair while with the intention of hitting the ground running, as it were, on day 1 and to minimise the option for excuses to loll about in bed (like the rest of the sane world) when the new year rolled round.

After a good few days of brutal sub-zero temps since Christmas checking the 5 day weather report had become a bit of an obsession in trying to figure out what level of bundling up was going to be required. Mercifully, the temps lifted considerably in the 48 hours before race day and a positively balmy 7 degrees was predicted for the 11am off. However.... today has taught me never to discount the wind chill: something it never even occurred to me to check. Rookie mistake. Whenever the wind dropped it was a pretty perfect running temperature. But with the wind slicing off the Serpentine I was seriously regretting my choices of attire on arrival.

The standing around pre-start just got me colder and grumpier until M had the inspired idea of heading the loos to run the hot hand drier into my gloves. Genius. Once my hands were warm the rest of me followed and I stood on the start line pretty ambient. Which of course meant that, after 2-odd k I was far too warm. Note to self; always ALWAYS start cold!! Dressing for the conditions - both for the standing around pre-race as well as the actual running - is a skill I definitely hope to hone throughout this process.

The race organisation itself was a well-oiled machine with the regular Serpentine club runners acting as marshals and coordinators. Number and timing tag collection and bag drop were all together at the finish and took next to no time, both before and post-race.

Being very much a middle-of-the-back-of-the-pack runner I was heartened to see a good mix of runners grouped around the start. I had been fearful that a New Year's Day run would tempt out only the most whippet-like of singlet and short-shorts club running speedsters and had visions of bringing up the rear as the course markers were being collected in. But was happy to site myself towards the middle at the suggested 55min seeding board.

True to form I went off a bit quickly, but reassured myself that the downhill that seemed to cover most of the first k and a bit justified it. The course was all tarmac with no slippery or skinny sections, so pretty perfect! I would call it 'mildly undulating' - but appreciate that is hugely subjective. What I did enjoy was that there seemed to be far more downhill than up. Though this was partly to do with the start being on higher ground than the finish it did also feel that the ups were short and steep but over quickly, and the downs more gradual and deliciously longer allowing for a welcome stretching of the stride length.

The course did involve 2 laps of one section which meant that, as I hit this loop the first time (a bit after 4k I think), the super speedsters from the front of the pack were zipping past us at somewhere between their 6th and 7th k. Some beautiful running form to watch and aspire to, and a good distraction on the long straights at this point.

The water station was around 5k on this double loop, so you did actually get to pass it twice. The water team were cheery and efficient, especially whomever the lovely lady was armed with the black bin bag shuttling back and forth gathering up empty plastic cups and doing a fantastic job.

In fact, the marshals, who were out in great numbers - basically at every path intersection and wherever you could take a wrong turn - were brilliant: enthusiastic, energetic and encouraging all the way along. Several dog collisions were also averted by their interventions.

The final k was flat, straight and followed the reverse of the out-route taken earlier, without any tricksy dog-legs or unexpected turns, all of which made for a speedy sprint finish. Each race finish time was also instantly available on a printout, which was a fun addition I hadn't encountered before.

For me the downhill course profile and the marshals made this race. The overall experience was far better than I was feeling on arrival and the inevitable slobbery of the rest of New Year's Day feels rather more justified for having done it.

One down...