Takashimadaira 20 km

On October 21st I took part in an elite road race in Takashimadaira.
The race was very well organized with volunteers blocking every corner to avoid the athletes from making wrong turns, kilometer marks, water stations, and some other necessary details to make it flawless.
They even pulled out a piece of garden (those gardens that run in the middle of a road) to make a passage for the runners, which was placed back once the race was over. It reminded me of the 1994 World Cup (for some reason) when a goal broke and they brought in a new one instantly.
The course, totally flat, consisted on 4 laps around a residential area running from Takashimadaira station to Nishi-Takashimadaira station. With Kilometer marks signaling the 2nd, 3rd and 4th kilometers.
Unfortunately the weather was not in our favor that day. It was a bit too sunny and very windy between the 4th kilometer mark and the finish line.
Like always, my physical condition was not optimal either. I still had my knee and back injuries, some lack of sleep and the worries of life we all carry on our shoulders. Not to mention the pain in my eyebrows, which had a direct effect on my bad result.
Now to the race performance, by that I mean the bad part.
Goal time was 70 minutes, running at an even pace of 17.30 per lap.
First lap was comfortable, cruising at 17.25 or so. Second lap, was not as wonderful, but still managed, going through the 10km mark at 35.15 (those hairs in my eyebrow were starting to hurt). From this point on, things began to crumble down. I slowed down to 3.50 per km and kept slowing finishing with a 3.55 pace.
Total time: 1.13.54. Four minutes off my target time.
Why did this happen? Who knows … I guess, let’s hope at least, it was just a bad race day. I felt pretty comfortable throughout and most importantly the 20km felt short and not long and tedious like my previous over 10km races.

Now I have 5 weeks with no races to prepare for Ageo, an even more elite race that takes place in Saitama.
(Hopefully my knee and nipple – had a major nipple injury – will feel better soon. Knee injury though seems bad. Had to take Monday off, maybe an easy jog today)