Mitchell scores PB at Crystal Palace

Abit startled I woke at 10am this morning, I looked around. Damn, I thought i'v got a race to run in an hour. A little home work last night on the good olde www, told me that I had a train to catch at 10.28 that would get me to Crystal Palace a few minutes later.

Today I was taking part in a Nike 5km. This is a continuation from the Nike 10k held mid october. The idea being, 'I will Run a year'. Nike will be arranging 5km runs throughout the capital every two months, Crystal Palace is the first.

Knowing full well that it was going to be a wee bit chilly when I left the warmth of my flat, I doubled up on my gear. We had to wear our red Nike tops but unfortunately they were short sleeved. So I put on my Nike yellow long sleeved top from a couple of years ago and the red one fitted nicely over it.

Tired eyed and not having time for breakfast, I stopped on my way to the train station and picked up a lucozade orange. Not the best preparation for a rac, even if it is only a 5km. I'm glad I reached the station early, as the time board said 10.24 and as I went down the steps to the platform the train had already pulled in. So much for the www and 10.28!

Arriving at Crystal palace I followed a few red shirts and Nike signs and a couple of minutes later I found myself in a field. People were in full flow bobbing up and down to Mr Motivator. I have gone on a couple of training runs since the Nike 10k in October but I knew that I have been slacking of late. I felt nervous. A tiolet break later, we were being called to the start line. But its only 10.40am. My race was due to start at 11am.

Nike has organised a race every half hour starting at 9 or 9.30am and went on until 2.30pm. I choose to run at 11am. As I walked towards the start line i heard someone say 'they have decided that it's to cold to be hanging around, so once they have about 50 athletes, they will let them off'. I moved towards the line but the race was already underway. I was unphased. I wasn't looking to be the leader of the pack, lets be realistic about it-i was looking to get around the course and hopefully put in a half way decent time. I started at the back of the pack.

Starting at the end of the field has it's advantages, I can only go forward. With music in my ears within a minute I had passed a few. Up a wee hill and around a lake. Oh look there's a dinosaur across the water. Around Crystal Palace park, the air was fresh and the autumn colours were still clearly visable. I had passed the first 1km mark. A quick check on my stop watch-just under 6 minutes. On I went passed a few more red shirts; up and down another few hills.

Passed the 2km mark just under 11 minutes. This is great I thought. Loads of energy in the legs and only 1 mile to go....rrrrrrrrrrr rewind. The realization that although I had clearly read the signs in KM, my brain was thinking for some reason in miles. Therefore rather than having one mile to go, I had 3km to go. Eejit!

The next km was a long one. The slowest in the race. A few reasons for this actually:

1. Now that I still had 3km to go, I had actually run the first 2 to quickly
2. I was slightly disappointed as a result
3. My breathening was all over the place
4. There was a bloody big incline to get up

After I got to the top of the hill I stopped. I had told myself that i was seriously going to try and run this race without stopping, no matter how slow I was, but i needed to get my breathening under control. Two red shirts passed me by. I walked for 30 seconds or so. Off I went again. Passed the two read shirts with realitive ease, and at the 3km I was feeling good again. Here we go two kms to go. I checked my watch. Going under 30 minutes was within my reach-I just had to keep going.

Up and down a few more hills, passed the 4km, come on Michelle, just keep going. I knew that our finish was going to be a lap of the Crystal palace track...the stadium was in sight. My right hand side [stomach] had been sore for the last km. Ignore it and keep going. I turned into the stadium, 400 metres to go Michelle. I have long wanted to go under 30 minutes and in the words of my father in a 1990 cross country race 'keep on plodding Michelle'. 300 metres, I'm tired, 200m come on almost there, 100 I get passed by a guy who should have been finished long before me [he had run along side a mate who was of a slower pace than he was] he had loads of energy and before i knew it he was gone. Keep going, keep going. YES!

I crossed the line and my stop watch read 29:49:55. A PB. I was thrilled.

I knew there was no medal to get, this was a timed fun excercise. Nike presented me with a small bottle of water and a banana. I was thankful. Cross the track and up into the stand. Dave was not insight. I was disapointed. I wanted to share my great news. I walked towards the baggage check-in. No sign of him. I had left my phone at home and had no way of getting in touch with Dave. Probably off taking photos of dinosaurs. I waited, I warmed down. I waited. I was getting cold. Some time later we met up. I think ill bring my phone in future.

I enjoyed this run from start to finish. Talking to a stuart while waiting for Dave; she said a number of people had complained about how hilly it was. Granted we were up and down hills with very little flat but I would say we had more down hill than up and i think this helped with my PB today.

I was on a high for the next few hours. I rang my parents. dad was delightd for me but still wants me to slow down, get my breathening right and 'don't stop'. I know he is right. For the moment though, I'm delighted. I have broken the 30 minute mark.