Troon 10k 08/05/13

This was my first trip to the Troon 10k in 4 years. I've always had a love / hate relationship with this race, having had some great runs (and some absolute stinkers) since I first ran it in 1990.That year ,aged 19, i hung on to Brian Craig and Colin Miller ,clocking 33.30, in what was my 2nd ever 10k.Over the years i gradually got my times down until the late 90s when  i clocked my pb of 30.48 ( finishing 6th in the year that the first 12 were under 32 mins!!!)The highest placing i ever got was 2nd in 2004 in 30.57, just holding off  Lee Richardson and Davy Millar who were just over 31 mins.
 It was 5 years before i raced Troon again in 2009 and i just wisnae fit plodding round in over 36 mins.Injuries and lack of motivation had taken their toll.... So fast forward another 4 years to this years race and i'm fitter and training harder than i have for years so was looking for a decent run.... The first kilometre was slow into the wind but as soon as we left the prom and out of the wind the race changed and spread out .I  was hanging onto Robert Gilroy for the first 4k but didn't feel that good and just before 5k my left calve ,that had been bothering me for the previous week, started to stiffen up. So from 5k to the finish i ran myself trying to consolidate what i had and hang on for 1st vet. Was really toiling by the finish but hung on to finish 4th in 33.42. All in all ,not a great run but not the worst I've had at Troon so can't complain