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Pushing my boundaries and making my physio rich...
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Race Series 5 Miler:
Random Background:
I had not started running yet two years ago, and last year I was injured for this race so this morning I broke my Race Series 5 Miler virginity. No race draws more venom on LSR's in terms of alleged bad organisation and large crowd numbers. So I was not sure what to expect, but I have only raced once since Paris [night race debacle] - so I wanted to get out and get a race under my belt for a number of reasons.
This was not a goal race at all, so jogged from home to the start line, 35 mins odd, of 6.10 min KM's
Race:
Waves were excellently done. I was targeting 35 Something, so went into Wave 1. As I was going in there, there was a large lady going in ahead of me, and the steward asked her what her goal time was, super politely, and she "only wanted to get around" so he explained the wave system to her, and she was perfectly happy to go back to wave 3. That's just how these things should work, and really put me in good form for some reason!
I met some folks from the club and had a chat. There were not a lot of the usual suspects from these parts around, which was odd. Until I saw them all over the course as marshals!
Started off and right away I was going a bit faster than I had planned [as usual!] but I stuck with it, thinking I was somewhat comfortable and I knew the first half of the race was flat or downhill, so I thought to bank a few seconds. First KM in 4.15, and the second in 4.12.
I hit a small bit of traffic in the 3rd K and also thought to pull back a tiny fraction, as things were starting to hurt a tad, so KM3 was 4.22.
I did not want to go crazy down the Kyber [as some folks clearly did] - but you cant help going a bit faster. But I knew the pain of the hill around the corner on the military road was coming up! But went thru half way with a 4.09 KM.
As predicted the Military road was indeed painful, and there was an inevitable slowdown, but I worked hard not to let things go too much, but that 5th KM was still 4.35. [Note: I think I was not far at all from a 5k PB for that first 5k, even if it was criminally net downhill!]
As we were going around the S Bends I knew we had a bit of downhill before the rise at the end, so I pushed on a bit as it would have been all too easy to settle into 4.30+KM's from then on. But KM6 was 4.18.
I think I clearly paid for that push, as while I knew there was only 2KM left, I was hurting like hell and starting to get that flashing empty light on the aul dashboard! Maybe it was the jogging to the start took too much out of me or maybe its just I was going too fast early, I dont know, but it hurt like hell is all I knew! KM7 was a painful 4.43.
When I knew it was the last KM I pushed on as much as I could, and pressed as much as possible. But that last 400m was as hard as anything I have done in ages, I was just short of stopping and curling in a ball and crying out for mommy :P - but I pushed on and mentally stronger than I used to be, I knew there was not long left and I only had to keep going and then I could rest and relax as long as I wanted. Last KM was 4.35 odd.
I had literally not a single thing left to give at the end, I missed saying hello to a couple of people as I recovered and got my head back together.
Overall - 35.43 :cool: - A PB by well over a minute, and one reflecting my goal times at other distances, so that's good
Yes the slow down in the last two KM's was bad
, but Im not built for speed in short distances - but Im well happy with the average pace of 4.23 tbh
Slow recovery jog home, so overall 18k done in around 100 mins0 -
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21K and change in 1.56
This is the reason I joined a club, had to get out of bed as I had arranged to meet club marathon group. While there they went a bit faster than I had planned to, so it was a great workout on tired legs. Would not have worked anything like as hard on my own.
That rounds off what has been [what I think is] my biggest & best ever training week! Not looked forward so much to a rest day in ages 0 -
I was clearly high writing this, as I did 79km last week, and have done a bunch of 80+ weeks, with 20 milers and what not.That rounds off what has been [what I think is] my biggest & best ever training week! Not looked forward so much to a rest day in ages
I still think its one of the best training weeks ever BTW
One of the big secrets I discovered early in the year by accident by the way is my cycle to work. Legs were in bits last night and this morning, and after 3 or 4 mile cycle to work Im brand new and good to go again 0 -
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Clontarf half marathon, amazing tropical sunshine where just last night it was raining cats and dogs and we had gale force wind! I did not know what to expect when I woke up, so packed for bleak winter
Start was a shambles organisation wise, but apart from that it was really well organised. I do loving running out by the coast like that, and for that reason I love this race. The beach sections give the race a bit of novelty, not many nicer courses around IMHO. We did a very similar run as a 20 mile LSR before Paris, and I will be doing it again before Berlin you can be sure.
Its an out and back course, and what little wind there was, happened to be in our face on way out, and therefore behind us on way back. It made the way out a bit hard. But its just a matter of having to work a fraction harder, no drama.
Was aiming for sub 1.40 but lost vital seconds on both beach sections, on way out I was running in a group and happy out and all of a sudden they slowed down and I did a 4.57 KM and on way back I was on my own and every KM split on beach was a second or two over 4.50 - and in those two sections I lost going sub-1.40. To be honest I knew with a few KM to go it was not really on, I was still pushing but knew I would not be able to make up the seconds. TBH it was a TINY bit disappointing but we move on, and I will get it next time.
Ran most of the race with a really nice gent who was 60 or 70 - and he easily out sprinted me at the end! Always humbling when that happens
So overall, 1.40.13 - A PB by 4 1/2 mins, cant be too unhappy with that, and I had said my goal was to run around 1.40 this year. But maybe it speaks for how far I have come that I am unhappy that I had a real chance to go under 1.3X.XX and blew it. If Im to have any chance of 3.30 in Berlin I have to stop loosing seconds at start and middle of races!
Perspective is given that I ran this same race [in very similar conditions] last year in 1.54, which was then a PB! So an improvement of over 14 mins in Half marathon in a year is good by any standards
Interesting observation - last week I was running average pace of 4.25 KM's and I was dead on my feet after 8k [the race distance thankfully!] -a single week later my average pace for a half marathon was 4.45, and while hard work, I could have continued on. Weird what a difference a few seconds per KM make! So therefore lets hope marathon pace of circa 5 min km's is therefore like an easy LSR in a couple of months 0 -
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18k in 1.45
Sunday LSR, on my own as I had to be done and could not wait for club session - also pretty slow as the race yesterday [and wine from last night, in the amazing 'Sabor Brazil' BTW- one of the best meals out we've had in Dublin in ages! Not cheap, but well worth it] very much still in legs
Another great weeks training - but looking forward to a bit of a step back week next week 0 -
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tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »
[Somewhat] Interestingly, checking the Garmin, last time we did this exact same run was in early march, and the pace was 6.05 min/KM, and today it was 5.50 min/KM - for the "same" conversational pace.
The last couple of K's felt like I had a dead right leg or something [so I cut short run a bit, as had intended doing 2 hours/20k], while its fine now, I think I need to go and visit my physio-terrorist.
I didn't notice that at all, it's a bit of a difference alright What a great start to the day! 0 -
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