Run Down Cancer

Photo: Tommy Jensen/Fundracers

So this is my first post about a none OCR race - who knows it might be the first of many 😀

I have been struggling with injuries lately, besides a broken wrist; my hip flexor has caused a lot of problems, which means intervals and trail has been off limit for about 3-4 weeks. Before that I had been back running for approximately 2 weeks, as I took 2 weeks off training after the OCR European Championship in June, right when I was about to start running again I got sick, so had another week off before I got back to training. 

Søren Hansen, a fellow Goldbear Runner, had organised a race for charity, Run Down Cancer, where you could choose to run 5k or 10k. My logic is that if you do 10km you can get away with running slower compared to a 5km, which means I of course chose the 10km 😂

On Tuesday I did a progressive 10km at DHL relay, I am really happy with my time (10,3km in 44.19 min), since it is a very  twisting route and I haven't done any pace training for 2 months.

I started playing with the thought of going after a PR of sub42 min at Run Down Cancer. This would be an average pace of 4.12, my average pace on Tuesday was 4.18min/km so the PR should be possible on a good day, but was today a good day? Only time would tell 😊  

The race

Already during my 1,5km warm up my body was not feeling great, my loving Garmin Fenix 5S told me my performance index was -5!!! Well thanks a lot! 😭 Well I decided to see what would happen, and remind myself of not pushing myself too much, as my priority is my 21km trail run on Møns Klint this Saturday, and I know that race will most likely destroy me. Though this is a race I am really looking forward to, as I believe the running experience on Møn will be amazing!

Well back to this race; off we go, all the fast men run off and I try to hold back and not let myself get carried away. I'm in front, but I have a man with a baby jogger right behind me. This was going to be a tough race, I really don't wanna be passed by a guy with a baby jogger 😂 Well I manage to keep him behind me, just before we hit 2km a woman catches up with me - "oh damm, this is gonna be a long race, I do not have the energy to fight with her for the next 8km!" I manage to stay in front of  her, as we get to where the 5k and 10k route splits; 5k to the left and 10k to the right, she turns left -"YES, she's doing the 5k!" 😁

Now my Garmin says 2,5km so I am a quarter through the race, this is gonna be a loooooong 10k. It was warm and I already started dreaming of the Nutramino Gel I had with me. 

Photo: Tommy Jensen/Fundracers

Everytime the route turned I glanced back, I knew I had a guy behind me and a little further down I could see I woman. I felt like she got closer, and my pace just kept being slower, at this point I had given up on sub42, that's for another time when I have being doing my intervals😊 

At 5km I took my gel, got a sip of water at the water station and tried to keep pushing, but my body just wasn't with me. I looked back at a right turn, and it seemed like I managed to hold off the women in second place. The guy was still behind me, part of my hoped that he would pass me so I could try to hang on to him the rest of the way home. However, on the otherhand, I run better when I feel like I am being chased down, so he kept me on my toes and I kept running, though I was not satisfied with my pace. 

My running technique

Lately I have started working on my running technique, since I have done that I have been flying on my runs 😜 I decided to focus on that, perhaps that would help me keep my pace up, "lean forward, chin up, use your glutes", it lasted about 10 seconds, then I forgot about it again, and just dragged myself forward. My hip flexor had started to act up after 2km and at this point my back started feeling tired, which it has done before when my body isn't a 100%. 

When I hit 8k I knew I could win this race, a little run downhill helped me increase the pace and I managed to shake the guy behind me. I got closer and closer to the finishline, and I knew the win was home safe 😁 

I finished in 45.07 which is almost a minute slower than DHL relay which was 300 meters longer, so I think it's fair to say that, for me, the run today was not impressive 🙈

The future

I have a few things I need to focus on and be serious about for the future if I want to become an even better runner; one of them is for sure my running technique. If my technique becomes better then I (hopefully) won't have as many issues with my hip flexor, which means I can run trail again 😍 

One of my goals next year is to do Tromsoe Skytrail, Norway, in August, which is about 32km including 2000m elevation, so I need to do whatever I can to give my body the best chance of completing that race.

Photo: Tommy Jensen/Fundracers