Remembrance 10k, 2019

This was the first proper cold race day this season. The thermometer read 0 degrees and the car was all iced up as a beautiful dawn broke and we headed to Fort Nelson for our second outing of the Remembrance 10k.

Heavy artillery at Fort Nelson

We got there in plenty of time, picked up our numbers from the registration desk and scurried back to the car with goose-pimply legs.  We went through a warm up and activation sequence, stripped down and headed to the start area a few minutes before the scheduled 10am start.

This was a Rural Running event; a hearty running outfit led by Geoff, who picks cracking courses but always managed to bring an element of disorganisation into every race.  He didn't disappoint.  At 9:55 he announced that as some runners were still queueing at the registration desk, the start would be delayed till 10:15.  Oh Lord, we thought.  I really didn't want to spend 15 minutes outside shivering in my singlet, so we went to the warm cafe, where we could see that the queue had almost cleared.  Fearing that the race would in fact start before 10:15 (which of course it did), we soon went back outside and got into the start area where we had the last post and a minute's silence, which felt very right and appropriate as we stood beneath Nelson's Memorial and looked down onto Portsmouth Harbour, but all of this meant that I was cold and stiff as the starting horn sounded.

For the first km, all of which was a drag uphill and into the wind, I could barely feel my feet, while my lungs felt tight.  The second km was all downhill, and by this stage a handful of guys had pulled well ahead.  One guy eased ahead of me, another fell back, and by halfway I was on my own in 4th place.

This course has two out-and-back doglegs, both about 1km each way.  A good chance to check out the competition, and an opportunity to wave at the lovely Mrs S, who was looking strong.  And then back onto the circuit and onto the long climb back up Portsdown Hill to the finish.  It was a longer and tougher grind than I had remembered, but passing through the 5k runners prevented it from being too lonely.

I finished in 4th place in 39:04, three places down but 26 seconds up on last year.  Here are my Garmin stats.  On paper this was a respectable result, but in truth I hadn't felt comfortable or in the zone, especially with the chilly start.  Mrs S, meanwhile, did an absolute stormer and had loved all of it.  And as a bonus, we got into the car just as it started pouring.

A focused, furious finish from Mrs S