10k taper for the weekend sir?

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I’m easing off the 5k a bit at the moment. This coming weekend is the Elmbridge 10k race. Hopefully a 3 day do-nothing taper should enable me to recover from a hectic last few weeks of Duathlon training. Not ideal.

I’ve not raced a 10k for more than a year but I’m definitely fitter and am hungry for a PB. Just found out the ‘road’ race is partly on the Thames Tow Path… 🙂 not quite a road but never mind. Luckily just bought a pair of x-country shoes which I might try out if it’s a bit muddy. Though risky in the extreme for an inaugural usage and on the road bits (ie not a great idea at all really!).

I was meant to defend my Brooklands 10k title earlier this year (the ‘title’ was second in an age category where I won a pair of socks) but I was ill at the time. So Sunday will be my only chance this year to achieve one of my running goals, this one for the 10k. I should very easily be able to do that but we shall see. Apparently the top 100 finishers get a ‘gold’ medal. I’ll take that if I manage it but the standard will be incredibly high as it is part of some Surrey racing series. I think last year to get a ‘gold’ medal you had to better 39:36, something like that. A slightly higher standard than the parkrun at Bushy Park…[edit: although even there often there are 100x sub20 minutes 5kers – that’s pretty amazing really]

My lucky racing flats will be out in force attempting to maintain their 100% PB performance. Which shows the importance of psychology in these things.