The Quest for 59.59

xebec

Best of luck on Sunday, have thoroughly enjoyed reading this log! Let us know how it goes

Racing Flat

xebec wrote: »

Best of luck on Sunday, have thoroughly enjoyed reading this log! Let us know how it goes

Thanks for that xebec. Can't wait now...

Tonight - 4.8miles 38mins.

Interesting - was absolutely bouncing in the legs but HR a little high - been busy in work, long hours last few days, little sleep, so that's probably why. Anyway, will hopefully get good rest between now and then.

Will give it a good lash.

Bobby04

Racing Flat wrote: »

Tonight - 4.8miles 38mins.

Coincidently, I did almost exactly that (distance & time) last night, only difference being for you it was easy, for me it near killed me

The very best of luck to you on Sunday, I hope all the tranining pays off.

Racing Flat

Bobby04 wrote: »

Coincidently, I did almost exactly that (distance & time) last night, only difference being for you it was easy, for me it near killed me

The very best of luck to you on Sunday, I hope all the tranining pays off.

Keep it up and for you it will also be easy one day (feel like I should finish that sentence with 'grasshopper'...)
When I started first a few years ago I had a route 4.9miles long. The dream was to do it in 35, but I couldn't break 38 IIRC. Then I moved house, so never did it:(. Maybe I should go back there some time to fulfil the dream...It's what I love about thsi sport - like Jerry Kiernan says, it's the purest of all - train and you improve, simple as that. No other variables like skill, or opposition or team mates to worry about/rely on. Love it!

PS - I too hope the training pays off!

SUNGOD

hi racing flat thanks for all the advice/support ,best of luck sunday really hope you do it. good luck again.
sungod

Abhainn

SUNGOD wrote: »

hi racing flat thanks for all the advice/support ,best of luck sunday really hope you do it. good luck again.
sungod

Same here Racing Flat best of luck on Sunday. Great reading the logs.
On Monday wait and see and you will have started a new one "Quest for 2:59:59"!
Good luck to you too SUNGOD

Racing Flat

Abhainn wrote: »

Same here Racing Flat best of luck on Sunday. Great reading the logs.
On Monday wait and see and you will have started a new one "Quest for 2:59:59"!
Good luck to you too SUNGOD

Thanks Abhainn.
On Monday I'll be vanished off the face of the running planet. will have a good month totally off, in a way really looking forward to this, but imagine that after a week or so I'll be dying to get back. But will resist. April 4th or so will be first run back, spend a month getting back into things before possibly embarking on a sub 3 marathon goal. Doing the log every night is a bit tiring, so not sure if I'll bother with this as the marathon training goes on for so long. At the same tuime it can be a good motivator, there was the odd night that I may have taken off if it wasn't for the fact that I didn't want to have to write in 'Rest' on an scheduled training day. The competitive streak... Would love to break the 3 hours, but don't really want to do the required training as I prefer shorter distances. But probably good timing and if I do something like Berlin I should still fit in a good bit of the cross country season. Sure I can decide in April.

First things first.
Sunday.
Will pin number to vest tonight to start the psyching up process. Eat well. Try to get to bed early (I', exhausted, busy work, bad timing) and have a good sleep. It's on.

Racing Flat

Today: Rest

Racing Flat

Waking HR - 38-40
Weight - 10'9"

Will do 20mins easy just to loosen the legs later.

Odysseus

Best of luck with it tomoorow mate, I hope you achieve you goal.

ike

Bet your chomping at the bit!

Picture the finish line, the time, your pace, running smooth - after your training its more about mental performance than anything...

Burn it up dude

Racing Flat

...Just Done It!!!!!! Absolutely delighted. Didn't leave much to spare, clocking 59.59 exactly!!!! Maybe the boards is psychic...Anyway, story of the day.
Felt good all morning, bursting to go. Good start - got very close to front. Went through 1mile in 5.45 or so. Was happy considering it was downhill. Was a little worried that a friend who ran 58 a few weeks ago was behind me, and he's a good pacer, but just listened to breathing, and happy with how it felt, so kept going. Mile 2 was 5.48, I was very surprised as thought I had slowed. Mile 3 6.11 or so, a little uphill and into the wind, so again, happy enough as I was feeling like I was still in a low gear. So went through 3 miles in about 17.40, nearly a minute up on last year. My mate caught up with me then, so the plan was to stay with him as long as possible. But then I started to struggle. It was strange really as my breathing was fine, my legs were fine, but I started to stitch. Mile 4 was 5.57, but the pain was building. So I had to let my friend go. Not sure whether it was becasue I had gone out too fast or I had eaten too much (couldn't resist some of the niceties at the hotel breakfast). At this stage I just wanted to hang on, felt if I slowed a little I might recover, but had never stitched so early in a race before so was concerned and having negative thoughts. Went through halfway in 29.50 and was thinking that with the pain and the rate I was slowing down I had no hope. Was thinking I'd be lucky with a 65 and how embarassing it would be having started a new training plan, seperate from my training partners, to do my worst time in years. But the pain started to dissipate - they say slowing down does that with a stitch, so I was coming in to my best part of the race - usually do really well on miles 6,7,8. So went through 6 in about 36 dead, 10k in 37.30 or so. But I was speeding up again, feeling strong but couldn't go too fast as the pain would raise it's ugly head. But started passing people again (about 50 went past me in my bad patch), went through 8 miles in just over 48, tough two miles to go, but was speeding up rather than slowing down going up the hill. Started racing aswell, didn't let anyone past me and tried to pick off those ahead one by one. Was thinking about my overdue top 100 t-shirt. Went through 9 in 54.24 so a quick calculation told me I needed a 5.36, I thought this was doubtful, but I'd give it a lash, wouldn't get another chance for a while, and anyway I got strength from somwhere to power home the last mile. Needed 2.40 for last 800, thought, I do that in training, needed 72 for last 400, and just after the 100m mark I saw the clock - 59.48 so pegged it and made it in 59.59. Awaiting the official results in trepidation now - BC have a habit of adding on a few secs. In any case the clock said 59.59 and it took me a few seconds to get to the start line from the gun, so I'm taking it!
Thanks to all for the support - sungod, xebec, bobby04, ike, zeppe, odyseuss, abhainn. Good luck in upcoming races. I'm having a month off now. See how much weight I can put on - starting with a steak and bottle of champagne tonight! - something to run off come April.
Absolutely delighted. Probably best run ever considering the wind. After a stagnant 2 years I needed it. Maybe an assault on a sub 3 marathon is now needed. And a sub 10mins 3k to complete the pack.
Onwards and upwards. Set your targets and train for them.
Keep on running.
Signing off,
Racing Flat.

SUNGOD

well done racing flat great stuff mission accomplished .all the hard work and training paid off. you must have be delighted ,its great motivation for someone like me to see what can be acheived with hard work and dedication well done again and best of luck with your next adventure

xebec

Brilliant! All the hard work paid off, enjoy your time off and bring on the next target. Hope you decide to continue with a log, thoroughly enjoyed following this one, it's been great encouragement!

Bobby04

Absolutely great, well done. This log has been a great and inspirational read, and thankfully now with a happy ending as well Enjoy the steak and champers in good health!

Abhainn

Ahh great, well done, well done Racing Flat. Fantastic result. A bit like a fairy tale ....59:59!
Great account of your race too. You must be trilled.
Thanks to you and your log.
Enjoy

ike

Well done man!

Patto

Well done RF. That was superb.

Did it in 79:56 myslef. My slowest of three attempts. I knew after the first mile it would be all about holding it together and finishing this year.

I've enjoyed reading your log. Well done again!