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3 hours and a baby - a low mileage marathon?
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RacoonQueen wrote: »Dunno where this '6th' and '9th' came from lads...
http://www.precisiontiming.net/result/racetimer?v=%252Fen%252Frace%252Fshow%252F1515%253Flayout%253Dprecision_timingthey've updated the results from yesterday, we were 6th in both men's and women's teams then...
You're right to question them RQ. That Bros Pearse shower can't even organise a table quiz, so their ability to interpret and read a set of results needs to put under the spot light
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Your paces for some of your runs still look a bit fast by the way, but I don't want to be accused of trying to slow you down so will say no more
Fair point. Dont worry, the best way to slow me down over time is to tell me to speed up on easy runs
The commutes are a little fast perhaps alright. I suppose those times dont paint the full picture - I run from pearse st, up dame st and though harolds cross to knocklyon, so there are lots of traffic lights, crossroards, f*ckwit cyclists on the path, feral teenagers and dogs to cause lots of stop-starts. I often would be stopped for 3-5 mins in total during a 10K run. So the heart rate never really gets up. Its annoying, but a time-efficient way to get runs in.
Will keep an eye on the other runs at home, where there are less stops. Im feeling ok aerobically at the moment but want to stay healthy.
Monday 30th
8.00 miles in 56:51 (7:06/mile)
Nice run home. Achilles a little sore at end, but not sharp.
Tuesday 1st
9.00 miles @ 7:05/mile
Same again. Achilles a little better than yesterday. There was a good club hill session on tonight and I was tempted, but thought better of it. One 5K race doesnt make me invincible. Enjoyed my aerobic substitute in the rain.0 -
Wednesday 2nd
8.00 miles
2 mile w/up: 7:09, 7:32
3 mile tempo: 6:02, 6:02, 5:59
3 mile c/d: 7:04, 7:07, 7:01
Tough run at lunchtime. When I headed out it was calm, so I ran to Sean Moore Pk. Met a clubmate (not planned) and was hoping he wanted a run along the sea so I could dodge my planned tempo, but no joy, he had to get back to work. As soon as I started the tempo part the wind HOWLED and the rain came down. I could tell that I was well past tempo effort levels and pulled the plug after 3 miles of the intended 4. Unlucky with the weather and perhaps needed another rest day after my first race in ages.
Thursday 3rd
9.00 miles in 1:04:40 (7:11/mile)
Very tiring day. Id been hosting since the night before and it had been a long day talking shop. Note: nobody talks shop like a german talks shop. Sehr intensiv. Anyway, they went back to the hotel, so I had 90 mins before pints and dinner, so I headed out, absolutely knackered, for an evening trot along the sea. Sometimes when you think a run will be awful it turns out to be fantastic. This was one of those times. Cruising along the sea with the fog coming, cool light wind and light rain. Felt like a new person by the time I got back.
Friday 4th
7.00 of the crappiest miles possible in 50:39 (7:14/mile)
Ugh, guest left in the evening, so I went home thinking id take a rest day. My wife went out to vote, and I relaxed. Then the mind began to click into OCD mode.......there was a streak of 32 days to think about....so when she got back I had the gear on and I got down to the poll station at 9:50 pm, just in time, covered in sweat, to cancel out my wife's votes in both referendums. Better comminication required. Struggled around the rest of my loop to bring it up to 7.
Saturday 5th
8.00 miles in 56:19 (7:02/mile)
Out with the little one in the morning, so it was after lunchtime by the time I got out. Pretty warm for this one, but I enjoyed it. Down to marlay, a couple of laps, and then back. Legs felt good.
Sunday 6th
12.00 miles in 1:26:24 (7:12/mile)
Headed out after Mrs BB was finished her run. Quite warm, humid and windy. Ive lost so much endurance. This used to be an easy run, wouldnt even count as long. Today, I didnt enjoy the last two, the achilles acted up a bit towards the end too. Still, longest run since june, and 61 for the week.
Monday 7th
8.00 miles in 56:41 (7:05/mile)
Run-mute. A bit windy, and warm/humid again but achilles felt good all the way. Was running at the same speed as a cyclist for 3 miles. Fairly bizarre to have an unspeaking cyclist companion for that long right beside you. Poor woman would not be bested, she was out of the saddle wheezing up the hills, perhaps the sight of my arse wasnt quite the treat youd expect 0 -
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Great to see you back running with some love of the thing in there. But keep that little bit of patience banked in the mind. There is not a lot on that you need to focus on just at the moment , so your focus should still be building blocks....( the coaching head is coming out ..sorry! )
Cheers P, yeah enjoying it but watching the achilles when I run. Its never far from my mind when im on the road.
Tuesday 8th
Lunchtime: 5.00 miles in 35:37 (7:07/mile)
PM: Club hilly fartlek session - 6.4 miles total (3+ miles fast)
Out at lunch for what was supposed to be a tempo run. Similar story to last week, forecasts let me down and it was quite windy. To add to the problem, the garmin was just taking the pi**, shuttling between 6:00 pace and 9:30 pace as I ran. Pulled up after one fast mile and jogged until 5 miles were up.
In the evening I decided Id try the club session. I was a little nervous with the achilles, but after the failed tempo I decided to give it a go. Glad I did, it consisted of running from roundabout to roundabout up and down the foothills around stocking lane, with 200 m jog recoveries. It was great to run with a group, and it was a nice evening. We did an out and back route, with a 5 min break in between. I was happy with how I was holding up against the faster lads, and towards the end of the 'back' run I even briefly deluded myself that I hadnt lost much strength as I was pushing the pace a bit. Then, with just 2 fast sections to go I realised my folly: id forgotten about the big hill that was coming, and the lads hadnt. I was promptly handed by ass by three of them up the big hill, I was at least 5 secs behind, heaving badly
A slow group 3 mile cool down to finish up....heavy-legged, but pleased. Its been a while since I worked that hard in training, and the achilles held up well.
As a small aside, during one of the short steeper downhill parts I was hurtling down at kipsang's marathon pace for all of 200 yards or so. Really makes you appreciate how fast they run.
Wednesday 9th
7.00 miles in 50:26 (7:12/mile)
Commute home. Legs still a little sore, but not too bad. A nice cool tailwind helped.0 -
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Krusty_Clown wrote: »Don't want to come across as a bit of a d1ck (way too late for that!), but are you sure your legs are up to this kind of punishment so soon after recovering from a pretty long injury hiatus? Based on your recent 5k time, your vdot is 57/58, your tempo pace should be 6:07/6:08 and easy runs should be 7:38/mile. Do you have the additional stress of a back-pack during your commutes? Just echoing PVincent's sentiments - there's no hurry.
No probs KC, all comments welcome. Its one of the reasons I log. Im perhaps not as unfit as all that. When I started logging again I was going to detail what I did after the injury (as it was a little unconventional in parts) but reckoned that it wouldnt be of interest to people so left it out. Basically, since this injury doesnt repair itself on its own, I took the acute phase off and then ran, with pain as my guide, all the time. I started with very short runs at 9 min miles and very slowly built it up. Not speedwork, save one tempo run, in all that time. Im currently on a 40 day streak - my longest ever. My mileage since the injury is below.
Aerobically, I feel as strong as ever when running, but the achilles does prevent me going long. You have a point about the easy runs, its always been a problem of mine. Im going a good bit slower than I was before the injury, and am crap at 5Ks, so id hope that time/VDOT isnt representative Will try to slow down, and the achilles has been at me a bit since the hill fartlek, so I wont be doing that again for a while.W.B. Yeats wrote: »Cant believe your group took a break- L usually just turns and heads back
Us poor suckers in group 2 just changed direction and came back the way we came......
That last hill is glorious- it's so steep and long- the enthusiastic/naive start it too quickly and then start dying half way up. It's like watching someone running in treacle right in front of you, you enjoy it for a few seconds thinking how smart you are to have paced it better only for the same thing to happen to you 100m further up the road.
Theres a really steep bit with about 200m to go that just breaks your heart. I was going up it at 5:54/mile pace, the lads must have been really flying up the thing because I looked like I was walking compared to themExcuuuuuuuse me? :eek::rolleyes:
That goes to show how fast you guys were running, the rest of us never even noticed!
Yeah, 5 mins for beer and cigarettes before the return leg.
I feel a small bit of training shame now. The 'faster' group wont stay 'faster' for long if we take breaks that the rest of ye dont 0 -
Thursday 10th
6.24 miles in 44:10 (7:04/mile)
Commute home, very stuck for time.
Friday 11th
9.00 miles in 1:04:59 (7:13/mile)
After a busy day I had a choice between watching the germany game with a quick run after or a decent run and no game. You didnt need to be clairvoyant to sense what was coming in cologne, so I headed out the door with off the ball on the ipod. I enjoyed this run, legs felt good.
Saturday 12th
7.00 miles in 50:18 (7:11/mile)
My wife is 40 next tuesday, but the dinner and booze were happening tonight. Lots to do all day so I just about squeezed this run in. Not great really, I was tired and counting down the miles from the minute I started.
Sunday 13th
10.00 miles in 1:12:04 (7:12/mile)
After a night of good food, too much novelty cake and a good few whiskeys, I got to bed past 2am on sat night. Then, at 4:51 am, little BB issued the dreaded early morning reveille. No getting her back to sleep. Its as if they sense that youre vulnerable Got out for the run late in the evening, but was pleasantly suprised to find myself enjoying it. I was going to go out to 12 miles, but the achilles hadnt turned sharp after 10, so I thought Id quit while I was ahead, given how tired id been all day. First run to 10 without any real increase in pain. 58.6 for the week. 0 -
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Long time no log
Wednesday 16th
6.29 miles in 45:15 (7:12/mile). wet and cold, achilles sore
Thursday 17th
8.31 miles with 4 miles tempo
2 miles w/up: 7:01, 7:11
4 miles tempo: 6:03, 6:01, 5:57, 5:54
2.31 miles c/d: 7:18, 7:17
Tough, but glad to get to 4.
Friday 18th
0 miles. Family weekend away in fancy hotel. didnt get out. 46 day streak comes to an end :cool:
Saturday 19th
7.00 miles in 48:58 (7:00/mile)Lumpy run in wickla. Stuck for time. Bizarrely, at the turning point for home, in the middle of nowhere, I stumbled across a pretty swanky looking running track.
Sunday 20th
10.31 miles in 1:13:25 (7:07/mile)late one when I got home
weekly miles: 54.01
Monday 21st
6.00 miles no watch
Tuesday 22nd
8.00 miles in 1:01:51 (7:44/mile)Club hill fartlek session up a hill. Very enjoyable, but my achilles didnt enjoy it quite so much.
Wednesday 23rd
8.00 miles in 59:27 (7:26/mile) windy lunchtime run with a clubmate
Thursday 24th
8.21 miles in 55:46 (6:47/mile). Club run, included a few faster miles. Achilles very sore.
Friday 25th
9.01 miles in 1:03:10 (7:01/mile) lunchtime out to blackrock and back
Saturday 26th
10.00 miles in 1:11:21 (7:08/mile) 10 windy miles.
Sunday 27th
12.00 miles in 1:25:43 (7:09/mile) 12 windy miles. Achilles good. Watched the DCM in envy. Actually clapped some skin off my hand.
weekly miles: 61.21
Monday 28th
8.00 miles in 57:38 (7:12/mile)windier than a FF ardfheis
Tuesday 29th
11.00 miles in 1:18:18 (7:07/miles) long commute. achilles good!
Wednesday 30th
6.04 miles in 42.01 (6:57/mile) windy lunchtime run. really stuck for time.
Thursday 31st
8.00 miles in 57:10 (7:09/mile) commute home, was tired at start but was ok on the run
Friday 1st
8.40 miles with 4 tempo
2 mile w/p: 7:07, 7:11
4 mile tempo: 5:54, 5:54, 5:53, 5:47 (5:52 av.)
2.40 mile c/d: 7:14, 7:01
Felt tired after a hectic morning in work. Tempo felt ok though. Easier than last time at a faster pace. Starting to feel a bit fitter at last.
I really enjoy the club sessions, but they wreck my fragile achilles. Going to have to stay away for a while and try to build back up some kind of LSR at the weekends. Tempos suit me better when it comes to speedwork it seems. Achilles feels the strongest this week since the injury though.0 -
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Solid stuff. Would you be better avoiding the hills if the Achilles is a little tender. In my experience hills do my Achilles and calf no favours if they are sore.
Cheers trr. Yeah ive decided no more club hill or sprint sessions until its completely healed. Ive been avoiding hills otherwise except that one in wicklow where they couldnt be avoided.tbb is that a couple of laps of the car park at the turn around to get up to seven miles exactly, a man after my own OCD heart it seems
Yeah. I do it so often id forgotten that to non runners it must seem nuts hope you are recovering well 0 -
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No love from the clubmates today.....I see you still haven't learned to slow down
Ray, this is me slowed down I have the posts and injury history to prove it.
As for you L, im not recognising that 'like' after the impromptu pre-marathon programme almost-double-leg-shutdown marathon last week
(well done by way)Don't mind the achilles, more importantly how're the sore hands? :rolleyes:;)
Wheres my sympathy? Were you talking to my wife by any chance??....:) I clapped some skin off my hands in support of the club (and TRR and the Clown I suppose, and a smaller amount of clapping for digger, balanced by an equal amount of abuse). I left a part if me out there on the fortfield road. Admittedly, it was a very small piece of me, but when it comes to skin, 100% coverage is what im used to.0 -
theboyblunder wrote: »and TRR and the Clown I suppose,
And definitely the biggest shout out of the day also but seriously slow the feck down now and again! 0 -
Monday 4th
Rest. Had to be in athlone for the day. Out early back late
Tuesday 5th
5.00 miles in 37:05 (7:25/mile)
Had little time for this. Had a bit of a cough for the last few days which was on its way out, so wanted to take it easy. Im nearly finished the first mile when I glance at the watch: 6:45/mile. It felt easy. Ive been here before: get fit, feel good, run too fast, get injured. Decided to slow the rest right down. I was bored and happy with the run at the same time. A pang of guilt (and received a bit of abuse) as I passed clubmates running hard in the other direction, but reps are not for me for a while......
Wednesday 6th
9.01 miles overall
2.00 mile w/up: 7:10, 7:18
5.00 mile tempo: 6.00, 5:55, 5:46, 5:46, 5:49 (5:51/mile av.)
2.00 mile c/d: 7:15, 7:16
I had good weather for this one: light rain, little wind, but all other prep was crap. I mentioned the work deadline on friday, so its been late nights slumped, bleary-eyed, over a laptop and wide awake at 5am planning, scheming, cursing....
I was knackered all morning, and only really stepped out at lunchtime because id told someone that I would. Was meeting a clubmate for this, he was a bit delayed so I started alone. He arrived 3/4 miles in, so I ran back to him and we trotted along together. He is fitter than me, so the pace crept up slowly, but after 2 miles he had a bit of trouble and sensibly decided to stop. I was pleased to find I could hold the pace without straining, and finished feeling better than last week. Definitely very tired and glad to be finished, but not banjaxed.
Jogged back to the office a happy man. i'm drawing a line under the injury recovery phase. Its still not 100% - ive to avoid sprinting etc, but I reckon if im careful for a few more weeks I can start setting goals, at the moment I dont trust it for ultra training (injury-time dream), but maybe a marathon...... 0 -
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I fell for the hype for a whileW.B. Yeats wrote: »Why would you waste all that fitness and speed on an Ultra.......? Seriously aren't they for when you're old, fat and slow?
Would like to run a few soon enough, before the body becomes too creaky.0 -
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Monday 11th
8.00 miles in 56:44 (7:05/mile).
Met a clubmate and a friend of his. Nice run up to poolbeg. A touch fast for what I wanted but chat was fine compensation.
Tuesday 12th
9.00 miles in 1:03:55 (7:04/mile). Commute, cant remember much about this other than which shoes I wore...:o
Wednesday 13th
7.00 miles in 50:44 (7:15/mile). Another commute. Stuck for tie but slowed it down in the wind.
Thursday 14th
8.00 miles in 57:19 (7:10/mile). Another commute. This is a gripping log.
Friday 15th
Overall: 8.01 miles
1.31 mile w/up: 7:02, 7:43/mile
5 mile tempo: 5:58, 5:57, 5:56, 5:56, 5:47
1.70 mile c/d:7:30, 7:30/mile
Very busy morning, and I was hungry throwing the gear on at 1:30pm. Headed down to Sean Moore park again, like last week. Windier than last week but still light enough. I knew once I started the faster stuff that I wasnt on a good day. Really tough, wanted to stop after 2. Mentally very challenging, but was then delighted at the end not to have quit. I ran 170+ yards more than last week, so I actually went faster this week (which must have had a mile measured short). Jogged back and rewarded myself with a takeout italian lunch.
Saturday 16th
8.01 miles in 57:21 (7:10/mile)
Out at 2pm after a morning out with the little one. Legs a touch heavy around marlay pk but ok.
Sunday 17th
15.00 miles in 1:46:39 (7:06/mile)
Had too many belgian beers (chimaaaaayy!) and a grotesquely large bag of crisps on saturday night and got the murphys law 6:20 am call from my daughter, so I was tired all day and was dreading going out at 6pm. Once I got my arse out the door I felt pretty good, lovely evening, not too cold and light wind. Achilles got sore again after 10, but not as bad as last week.
Going to do St Annes parkrun next week.
weekly mileage: 63.020 -
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W.B. Yeats wrote: »I feel like I am stalking you- I spotted you coming up butterfield ave around 7.30 last night, we were the ones beeping the horn at you- your gait is a giveaway even in the dark- yet again you looked like you were cruising.
Cheers, wondered who that was but the car was past me when I looked around. I love a good beep or shout when i'm out. Yeah I have the worst hopalong gait in the world alright, like quasimodo on a tempo run 0 -
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Ahem, where were you on Saturday?
I was all set to go but got last minute doubts about risking the achilles. Sounded like good craic. Its actually the downhills that are the problem for me
On the plus side, my wife was delighted I was able to drop the little one to ballet class as usual! Congrats on the meet and train performance, great running after a mountain run cake party the day before KielyUnusual wrote: »It's been a long road tbb but you seem to be back to the level that you were at before the injury. Good to see. I see you're lengthening out the tempo run a bit. Would the plan be to make these a little longer with the pace slightly slower as you progress?
Cheers KU, yeah aerobicallly its been going well, but the achilles is healing very slowly. Can go a tiny bit further each week. Will probably keep the tempos at 5 miles (can be done at lunchtime) and try to slowly get faster, would love to stretch them out as you said if the achilles gets better. A few of friends are going to connemara next april, ive signed up for the ultra (fit of enthusiasm while injured) but will have to decide on the ultra/mara/half later.
Monday 18th
7.00 miles in 50.21 (7:11/mile)
Legs a little heavy so I took it easy. Light winds, very cold. Was seriously under-dressed, could feel the blood leaving my arms and I think other parts of me retreated to places they hadnt been since I was a boy.0 -
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Tuesday 19th
10.00 miles in 1:10:48
Cold commute home. Legs felt good.
Wednesday 20th
8.00 miles. Watch ran out of power but was at 7:12/mile average when it stopped. Didnt feel great, very windy.
Thursday 21st
7.01 miles in 48:58 (6:59/mile)
Ran into work for the first time. Downhill all the way in the cold. This was crap. Really bad traffic and my knee was a bit sore, stop/start/stop/start....11 mins of standing around in a 48 min run is a bit ridiculous.
Friday 22nd
6.24 miles in 44:03 (7:04/mile)
Same as yesterday. Much better run though. Applying the brakes the whole way.
Saturday 23rd - St Anne's parkrun
Id run the Rathfarnham 5K at the end of september and have had a good tranche of running since, so I wanted to see how things were going. Arranged to do this with a few friends, and go on the beer after. Got to the park with only enough time to do 0.8 miles of a warmup and have a quick chat with the lads, meno and christeb. Conditions were perfect, no wind and cold.
Lined up in the second row and we headed off. Right up front Ive got to admit that im a bad racer, and im learning things now that most learn much earlier in their running life. Im used to running my own race and ignoring others until the last mile or so. Unfortunately this is not the way to win a local 5K race unless you are way fitter than everyone else, which I am unlikely ever to be. Mistake 1: I let a group of four away in the first mile by running at my own pace. Eventually realised id be better off burning a few candles to latch on to the back of them, so picked up the pace and caught them too quickly, leaving me panting (mistake 2). First mile was 5:35. Then just as I caught them, one of the lads went off the front and I wasnt well diposed to going with him (mistake 3 - should have just done it and hang the consequences). The raheny lad heading off broke the group up, and there was just myself and another raheny runner together for the next mile, with the leader slowly pulling away. Mile 2 was 5:36. My companion started to sound laboured, and soon I was on my own. I just kind of fell asleep after this. Ashamed a bit to say it, but I was happy to be moving away from him and to be no longer losing ground to the leader. Not exactly roy keane-esque. This was my final mistake, I was working hard, but perhaps not hard enough. Who wants to come second? When I turned the corner onto the long avenue with 0.6 miles to go the watch said 5:43/pace for that mile. I snapped out of it and tried to put the foot down and catch him, but there was not enough time left to really claw serious time back (mile 3 ended up as 5:36). I wasnt helped by having to slow to avoid a canine sexual assault between 2 large dogs watched over by some dumb owners Tried to bury myself as the line came in sight, running the last 0.11 at 4:39/pace. That says it all really, I shouldnt have had that in the tank at that stage.
Finished in 2nd place, 17:17. I was gaining on the leader but ran out of road - he was 10 secs ahead at the finish. Happy to have improved the PB (19 secs), but I need to learn how to run these shorter events. My judgement on how to dole out effort comes from longer races - where going out fast and hanging on is rarely successful. I went back up and jogged the rest with a mate who finished his first 5K, spent some time with my daughter in the park and then to the boozer in the afternoon watching the football. A good day.
Sunday 24th
I woke up to find myself barely alive I suppose i'll have to add afternoon drinking to the list of things I can no longer do.....The only running ive done today were reps to the bathroom.
Weekly mileage: 43.50 -
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Krusty_Clown wrote: »Great time. You won't be long breaking 17 mins. Jingle Bells?
cheers. Yeah would love a proper crack at it at the jingle bells but have a cant-dodge work commitment at 9:30 that day
Might try another parkrun before the year is out...0 -
theboyblunder wrote: »cheers. Yeah would love a proper crack at it at the jingle bells but have a cant-dodge work commitment at 9:30 that day
Might try another parkrun before the year is out...
Well done on the PB. Definitely try and fit a couple of 5ks in before the end of the year. Takes me a couple to find out/get use to running them. There is a bhaa 5k on the 15th in marlay and also a 5k in clonliffe. Parkruns are perfect for a tune up but if you want to give yourself the best chance of a PB you need a good group to pace off. Well that's just my thinking. Great stuff anyway.0 -
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Monday 25th
7.00 miles in 53:33 (7:39/mile)
Commute. Met meno and ED 2 miles from home. Good to have company for the last bit.
Tuesday 26th
9.00 miles in 1:09:09 (7:08/mile)
I can remember absolutely nothing about this commute. A senior moment.
Wednesday 27th
8.00 miles @ 7:09/mile
Yet another commute. Another watch malfunction.
Thursday 28th
11.00 miles in 1:17:31 (7:03/mile)
Went down to training but was a bit late and the brothers had headed off. Did a nice 11 on my own on a calm, windless night.
Friday 29th
5.02 miles in 36:43 (7:19/mile)
Out late. Race in morning. O. C. D.
Saturday 30th
Marlay Parkrun
Disclaimer: Marlay parkrun is a local 5k run organised by committed volunteers. In spite of what you may read below, it is not the 5000m olympic final. Its supposed to be a timed run. There are no prizes; nothing is at stake.
I had missed my chance to do a tempo run on thursday and the childminding gods had smiled on me on saturday morning so I took EC, TRR and KC's advice and had another go. Plan was to go out harder and hang on until the end and then get as close to sub 17 as possible.
Cold and almost windless conditions. Did my warmup as a jog from the house (2 miles) and lined up. Met a clubmate on the line. He'd come 2nd a few times (once beaten by some clown) and has been in good shape recently. We were soon off and he shot to the front. I didnt feel great from the start and after 100 yards I was in about 15th place. We did the short lap of the concert field, and as the harsh glycolytic realities started to bite for some of the more enthusiastic runners I had moved up to 7th.
Left the concert field and into the wooded path @5:30/mile average pace. This was feeling more difficult than last week. I caught the next three fairly quickly and then was on my own with a gap to 2nd and 3rd together, with about 40 yards to the leader. I seemed to have slowed a bit in the woods, first mile in 5:40. I was really starting to hurt and stopped gaining on them, as we reached the bottom of the hill I looked at the watch and it read 5:50 pace for the 2nd mile so far, with half of that mile to go. This was a real kick in the guts. I was breathing heavily, but couldnt believe I was going that slowly. Turns out the garmin missed a chunk of that mile, but I didnt know that then. Going up the hill was a low point. Im in pain now. Really thinking about dropping out - to the point of thinking about the excuses id use. Terrible!! Normally I handle hills better than others running at my pace, today the other three were pulling away. Reached the top and the watch says 6:12 av pace for mile 2, way slower than my 5 mile tempo runs.
Mile two was 6:07 (by the watch). I knew the rest of the race was a net downhll and could still see the first three ahead. As I recovered a little I thought I could try to run sub 18 and salvage some pride, maybe call it a tempo run. A 100 yards later I noticed I was gaining ever so slightly on 3rd place. I wasnt conscious of any decision point, but suddenly I really started to try. I basically sprinted all along the half mile downhill section. As we neared the concert field for the final little lap my clubmate was well ahead and wasnt going to be caught, and 2nd and third were just ahead. The watch was at 4:57 pace for that half-mile. I passed the third guy just as we entered the field and put a spurt in to keep him behind me and started after the next guy, who took a wrong turn. I know the course, and have run every inch of marlay, but in my confused state I started to follow him before a marshal gave a shout and I had to slow and turn at the very last moment. This had me in 2nd now. Felt sorry for the other guy who had to track back a few yards, but with the 4th place guy id just passed coming around the corner I didnt attempt any gallantry.
There is an ever so slight rise in the road now, and the lightest of breezes in my face. It felt like a gale up the death zone of everest. I am in kinds of distress I didnt think existed outside the marathon. I looked behind (I know, I know - to be honest it didnt matter, people on google earth could see I was in a jocker) and the two lads are right there. Im slowing. 500 yards to go - I tried to push it and get a gap, and got few metres. As I reach the bottom of the lap the course runs straight across, but im so bolloxed I followed the wide curve that I do on my 1K reps. I dont notice until I see them level with me and have to swerve across. Surge completely wasted. No confidence in having a sprint, 300 yards left I got in front of them and tried to go for the line. 4th guy is gone but im not shaking the 3rd placer. I am swimming in lactate. If metabolisms were ecomonies id be Greece: hopelessly overdrawn and in the throes of pointless, violent protest. Mile 3: 5:18. 170 yards to go. The young lad is nearly on my shoulder. I see my clubmate is crossing the line, I dont want him to turn around and see me get beaten. Head down, mouth closed, running out of fear, waiting for him to pull alongside, line getting closer, closer, closer...aaarrrrgggghhhhh made it. Ran the last bit at 4:15/mile.
2nd place: 17:22 (5:35/mile) Overall: another less than perfectly executed race. Way off my sub 17 target and 5 secs slower than last week. I wasnt on a good day, but with taking the wrong line twice and a tougher course than St Annes, its probably a better performance. Most of all I'm happy just not to have caved. Another 20 races and ill have the hang of it.
8.10 miles for the day.
Sunday 1st
8.00 miles in 57:21 (7:10/mile)
Was on the santa steam train in the morning. Did this run after the little one went to bed. Ive been tired all day so didnt risk anything longer. Lovely evening, legs felt ok.
Weekly mileage: 56.120 -
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Krusty_Clown wrote: »Ha! I made that mistake of believing the watch in a 5k before, and it cost me two places and my breakfast! Would you not have tried to hang onto your club mate for the race? At least he'd have been running the racing line.
haha Yeah wont be trusting it again on the short ones. Was pleased to see liam at the start and i changed my plan to hang onto him and get dragged around. I just wasnt at the races really, the legs wouldnt move fast enough in the first mile and the breathing was very laboured from the start. He was gone before I got going.That is some 5k report!
Ahh sure I just dont get these 5ks. I cant even judge the correct pace and lenght of the reports! 0 -
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