Not much to say about yesterday’s Ben Nevis Race except that my time on a cold, wet and windy day was 3 mins 19 secs slower than my best and 3 mins 36 quicker than my worst. Think (running without a watch) I was probably on course for a PB at the top but just couldn’t find the pace to see it home over the easier ground and hated road below, so now wondering whether it’s time to call it a day when (with all my times within such a narrow band) I’m realistically never going to break two hours:
2012 2:11:41
2011 2:15:17
2010 -------
2009 -------
2008 2:08:35
2007 2:12:26
2006 2:08:22
2005 2:10:43
2004 2:13:55
With thanks to Noel Williams for the photos, invite to the LMRT barbecue and bed for the night! :-)
Pretty consistent timings, Pete! How do your placings compare over the years? Similar consistency, or more yoyo?
MtM
Comment by MtM — 2 September 2012 @ 11:03 pm
Hmmm, never really thought of judging consistency by placing, but (after looking it all up) newest first…
139th from 457 finishers, 164th from 480, 150th from 442, 162nd from 404, 120th from 377, 126th from 362 and 169th from 364. So guess 2012 maybe qualifies as my ‘relative placing PB’, with thanks for the rose-tinted specs! ;-)
Comment by admin — 2 September 2012 @ 11:36 pm
Have to say 2006 would be my ‘% over winner’s time PB’ as well as second-best ‘relative placing’ and quickest time, though!
Comment by admin — 2 September 2012 @ 11:39 pm
Maybe, by juggling with the statistics, every year can ~ in one way or another ~ be credited as a PB in some shape or form :-)
(If you have difficulty in managing this, just ask for help from a politician. Even when completely wiped out in an election they still manage to claim a win on some pretextual obscure basis that no one else can fathom!)
MtM
Comment by MtM — 3 September 2012 @ 9:31 am
Don’t forget about the conditions!! Sometimes even a bigger factor than fitness (though shouldn’t effect relative placing much). I know that you can wait a whole year for a particular race to come round and then have the conditions spoil what could have been a ’round-number-breaking’ achievement (2 hours at the Ben, 1 hour at Carnethy, 1 hour at Glamaig etc etc). Unless you are winning races (not me) then fast times are what you remember!
I wasn’t at the race this year but conditions didn’t sound great, though even last year it was ‘too’ hot to be ideal – not that I’m complaining!
Colin
Comment by colin — 3 September 2012 @ 3:34 pm
If you ask me that’s a very tough race and I think 2:11 is pretty darn good.
Comment by Thomas — 4 September 2012 @ 2:02 pm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/87569488@N00/7916352252/
Comment by admin — 4 September 2012 @ 7:10 pm