THOLTHORPE 10K......evaluation

  It was good to relieve the old feet with an easy few laps around the fields tonight.  My usual "easy" Friday.  I thought that I'd have the fields to myself but it was registration night for the new season at the Ben Rhydding Hockey Club.  Dozens of maroon clad youngsters and their enthusiastic parents ensuring the club will not be short of candidates for this season's teams. For the moment at least!
  It's the only venue I "run with music"  as there are no cars or bikes.  I was reminded of the fiirst mile or so in last Sunday's Tholthorpe 10K.  If you read the report below you will recall I tried to hang on to the flying septuagenarian, Mr.Gibbs,  for the first couple of miles.

      But we also had a young man in tow.
 He had earphones in and his "device" was saying to him"........
  "YOU ARE AHEAD OF YOUR TARGET PACE! 
     YOU ARE AHEAD OF YOUR TARGET PACE!"
 Naturally I couldn't resist pointing out his dilemma.  Should he ignore the voice in his ear and try to hold on and beat 2 old wrinklies, risking failure.  Or should he listen to the voice in his ear and watch us slip away.
 No prizes for guessing ............when I spoke to him after and "ribbed him" about letting 2 old guys beat him he said he was still suffering a hangover from the copious (my word) amount of ale he had  consumed. ......on the Friday night. Lightweight,obviously!
 With the heat, the inclines and the strong breeze I doubt anyone hit their target or predicted  time.
My 53 seconds over compared pretty well with others based again on recent 5K times.
 FEMALE F40 RUNNER ....19.23 5K..........predicted 39.46..........ran 40.49...........1.03 mins over
 MALE     M50 RUNNER....19.17 5K..........predicted 39.34..........ran 41.05...........1.29 mins over
 MALE     M70 RUNNER....20.50 5K..........predicted 42.40..........ran 43.28...........0.48 secs over
 MALE    M50 RUNNER.....18.29 5K.........predicted  37.58..........ran 41.07 !!.......3.09 mins over
  Hardly surprising that the latter runner was very disappointed with his time.   He said he had been doing plenty of speedwork recently but had perhaps been neglecting endurance runs.  He concluded he had been caught out by lack of balance in his training.  Easily done at this time of year.
 In conclusion,  the event is not quite as fast as the organisers claim.....allow about a minute particularly if the sun's high in the sky!