It was a lot closer than last year, but I won this month's Avon League 5000m in around 15.45, just ahead of Gary H. - we were both just getting practice in for the BMAF next weekend, when things will be totally different. Phil Lucker was a very decent third - already getting the team together for the Axa 5.

It was a steady start, my legs felt it was faster, but in fact the first few laps went 75,74,74,74 and then we finally hit 73. It was hot and windy, and I seem to remember the conditions were pretty good last year, but that's an excuse. The truth is that I've missed too many sessions, and have New York on my mind. I was leading and Gary was keeping up quite easily, but as the race went on a gap developed, and although I thought I kept going, there must have been some slow laps around the 4th K.

It was good to chat to Steve Hollier afterwards, who pointed out that the race would have been quicker if there had been more of a group at the front, I do tend to do my own thing when I want to run a reasonable time - especially before a bigger race.

So one more week and it will be time to start up-ing the miles, hopefully I'll have a better pre-race racing strategy than I did for London - of course one of those races is the Axa 5 - perhaps there's a really good work reason for Chris Upson or Louise Watson being in Filton that week, and then again perhaps not.

...and as for next weekend - nobody I know has had entry details, and indeed if the M45 5000m is on Sunday afternoon I might not run. I suspect Gary will be up against it being younger than me, my motivation for running is just in case I want to run the Home Cross Country - but that's two weeks after New York - I'm really not sure.