Another PB!

Day 320 Thursday 15th November 7.9 miles : miles to date 2114.4 Yet another Thursday night session with the club, on an undulating urban figure of eight loop with a few testing climbs chucked in for good measure. Over the years, I would guess that my average time has been around 64 -66 minutes. I have tried to reduce that and dipped below the hour for the first time ever last year. Since this new found need for speed started earlier this year I have found myself a bit in no mans land. I am in-between the whippets and the next group down, which meant I was firmly put in my place by the real speed merchants tonight. I set off with the whippets near the back and not so slowly graduated backwards. By the time we climbed the second hill, I was already 20 feet behind and the gap grew. By three miles the leaders were out of sight and I could just about see the Flying Scotsman having for him a slow run in front. He turned 40 yesterday and has slowed down overnight. Or the beer more likely effected him. I was at this point puffing hard and I just tried to keep the gap from growing essentially for the rest of the remaining five miles. I couldn't catch him and concentrated on trying to get a decent time. The front runners came in at around the 48 minute mark, which is a pace I was never going to live with (yet). Despite being firmly last in that crew, I was none the less quite chuffed to dip in just under 53 minutes for the first time ever for that route. The Silver Surfer had a great run coming in comfortably first in the next group at a little over 58 minutes. And there you go, right in the middle. The challenge for me next year, is to avoid my normal 14 pound weight gain at Chrimbo (no exaggeration) and get closer to the 50 minute mark. Its making me tired just thinking about it.