Fruit and Wine 10k

On Sunday I returned to Fruits Marathon convinced that I could improve on my time from last year. I felt that my knowledge of the course and consistent run volume would enable me to be both mentally and physically stronger and was eager to test where I am at right now.  Last year I clocked a time of 40:39, mentally struggling on early hills, allowing myself to succumb to negative and self-defeating inner-talk.  I had failed to anticipate that from 3.7-kilometers onward much of the course would be long downhill stretches that would allow for easier cruising as you can see in course profile here: 

   

Looking at my splits from 2016 here I see lots of room for improvement -- 

   

I started the race faster this year and feel like I attacked the course especially the tough 4th as best I could.  I was in the moment – pushing myself to the next .

Yet in the end my finishing time of 40:45 is actually SLOWER than last year! 

Here are my 2017 splits where it is apparent how I wimp out on the tough middle sections of the course:

You might think that this abject failure to achieve my goals would have left me shattered and broken as I shivered in the rain in the muddy finish area after the race. 

But in the battle to be on the podium I had improved dramatically.  Last year I had finished in 8th place.   

This year I was in 4th place with 200 meters to go, knowing that the top 3 finishers take home coveted local grapes and the bottle of vintage local wine.  I had been battling for 3rd place with another guy in my age group since the middle of the race, 

I unleash a ridiculously fast kick with only 100 meters to the finish line. I am not sure where all this  strength came from - why hadn't I run faster earlier?  I blow past my poor age-group friend and am ecstatic to capture 3rd place and the glorious prizes 
   

I know, like I’ve discussed in this blog previously - grown-up runners are supposed to be absorbed exclusively in the inner game - battling to improve against previous times not sitting behind someone else and out-kicking our compatriot runners at the finish line like some high school kid or like a triathlete. 

And lets face it - my colleagues who are knowledgeable about wine would not even be willing to drink wine from the vineyards of Yamanashi.   As for me personally, I don't even LIKE wine whether it is considered good wine or not.

But that's not the point.  I am not sure exactly what the point is, but in any case my mediocre time is quickly forgotten and my memory of 2017 Fruits Marathon is all good.