How not to run a 10K race

As I’ve said before, and I’ll say again (!) I am no expert but this year I learnt (again!) how NOT to run a 10k. Having spent the last few years focusing on long runs I spent the first half of this year determined to improve on my 5k and 10k PBs. I had a clear training plan and a clear goal. Then the day came...March 11th...The Milton Keynes Festival of Running. I was confident and training had gone largely according to plan. If you could ask me “what advice would you give to someone doing a race?” My advice would be simple. Run your own race, don’t get swept up with the crowd and most importantly enjoy it. So me being me I decided to completely ignore my own advice. Rather than doing what I had trained to do which was 6 even mile splits followed by going as hard as you can for the finale I just went off at the start. Mile 1 was too quick, mile 2 was even quicker, mile 3 was still too quick, mile 4 was spot on, mile 5 I was dying, mile 6 I was walking and the “sprint finish” felt like wading through treacle. As if it wasn’t already bad enough, I finished 1 second outside of my PB. Complete train wreck of a race. Ignored all my own advice and paid for it. BUT you either succeed or you learn. Next time I’ll tell you how I put this right at Silverstone. But if you want to run a terrible 10k here’s how:

1. Follow the crowd and ignore your own plan.
2. Do the opposite of what you trained to do.
3. Kill yourself in the first 4 miles so the last 2 are hideous and leave you never wanting to run again!