Coughing and cramping

While both Elin and Justin set impressive new PRs, neither William nor I got the races we had hoped for. William was first out, running a course shortened to 850 metres this year, up against some very fast young runners. Unfortunately, the cold he has been battling flared up again, with coughing as soon as he pushed the pace, so in the end the race was simply what it was. Still, he is already excited for Sunday, when he will line up for the 4 km junior edition of Gammliaterrängen alongside other runners his own age.

As for my race, I managed to chat briefly with Justin on the start line which is always nice. Coincidentally, he will be moving to the Gothenburg area this summer, so hopefully there will be future trail runs together. Even before the gun went off, I was struggling with heartburn (something I rarely experience), but I hoped it would settle once we got going.

The opening kilometre was crowded and slightly chaotic, yet Justin and I soon found our rhythm, covering the first kilometre in 4:22 – exactly the pace I needed for a new PR. As the splits show, I held that pace for another three kilometres before it all began to unravel. The acid reflux triggered intense cramps; my breathing felt shallow, my heart rate spiked, and for a moment I seriously considered stepping off the course.

For reasons I cannot quite explain, I carried on. Justin and Elin both passed me, and I eventually crossed the line in 45:32 (chip time), more with resignation than satisfaction. Like William, I am now looking forward to Gammliaterrängen on Sunday when I will be running 8 km on trails in my blue Salomon Ultra Glide.  Yesterday’s misery left little room for shoe analysis, but my overall impression is positive and I think that the Hoka Carbon X 3 will indeed be perfect for Tallinn Marathon in September.