Abbey Dash - November 2006
This race is a big 10K race run each year from the centre of Leeds. It is a popular race that can be tricky to get a place in, and with good reason. It is always well organised and for the more fleet of foot, it offers a good change of a PB with a fast, mostly flat out and back course. I have taken part in it a few times now and have always enjoyed the experience.
The race begins by the International Pool, with markers to indicate expected finish times, no doubt trying to alleviate the congestion of the intial surge. Timing chips ensure there's no need to panic as the voice over the loudspeaker informs you that the leaders have already completed their first mile while you are still waiting to cross the start line! Once you get going you head out of the centre towards Kirkstall Abbey, where you'll discover once and for all that the race isn't entirely flat, there's a definite incline up towards the Abbey. A quick trip around the Abbey grounds constitutes the turn around and then you can fly (unless you're me!) back along the road, down the incline and back into town to finish at the end of the Headrow.
This year, and I unfortunately seem to be saying this too much, I wasn't really properly prepared, I hadn't been doing a vast amount of the running in the lead up to it, and this showed in my results. Still, I enjoyed it. Good chat with other runners at the start and a friendly sprint finish with a lady at the end. I earned my T-shirt though, this felt hard. Must get myself better organised next time and try for a better time.
And on the subject of times, here's my times for this race and my previous runnings of it: 2003 - 56:46; 2004 - 57:11; 2005 - 59:47; 2006 - 1:09:40. Hm! Not exactly the right trend there. Each time I seem to have done less when it comes around, the fall in times coincides with the upturn in the amount of triathlon I'm doing, I just need a rest by that time of year. Oh well, hopefully I'll hold it together better next time.