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30 k is
an odd distance. What time can I expect? Faster than a marathon,
for sure! But how much slower than the half? I will be aiming
for a 55 min split at 15 k, and then try to hold the pace for as
long as possible, and hopefully make it under 1.50.
The
gun goes, and I see the juggeler in front of me. I can’t
believe it. It must be impossible for him to beat me in a 30 k,
but I don’t care. It is 29.5 k to go. Soon we are a nice group
of 8-10 runners. Some look very fast. Like really experienced
and strong runners. |
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Others are dressed in soccer shorts and
windbreaker. And then there is the guy cheering every single
spectator. I’m thinking that he must be wasting lots of energy
on that, and I will be impressed if he can maintain this speed.
And after 8 k mark I don’t see him anymore!
But already at 10 k the group has been reduced, and we are now
down to 4 runners. But we are flying. Using the group dynamic is
extremely powerful. At 15 k we have lost another guy and now we
are 3 strong runners together. It’s unbelievable. It is
powerful and fast. At 17 k we pass two women that been ahead of
us. And we really zoom by.
I enjoy every minute of it. At least until the 20 k mark. That
is when the hill starts. We all slow down, but now it is only me
and Daryl left. And he is pulling me up the hills. I’m really
close to let him go several times, but I always bring it in
again. He really makes me keep the pace up. But that’s what I
always say: -“Use other runners whenever you can in a race”.
Up around the last hill and turn I’m right behind him. I let
him drive the remaining k’s, but with ½ k to go I pass and
kick. I finish 2 sec ahead, but we are both extremely happy.
It
is incredible how you can bond with someone you don’t know at
all in a race like this.
With the outcome of the race I don’t think I could have done
any better. A faster first half would have made me slow down on
the second half, and with a slower first half I would have had
problem to regain. I think this was close to the perfect race. My
time was 1.49.04 and with a negative split with 35 sec.
I’m really looking forward to the other spring races now.
/Per
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