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2012 4 Races for 4 PBs
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I'd set myself a little challenge with this session. I'd run some 800s in under 3:00mins last time out, so I thought let's try run all 5 800s in 2:XX.
Sunday morning I wake without any alarms at a glorious 8:15 am. The little one is busy being spoilt by her grandparents. Now this is a holiday. The sun was out and the sky was blue, couldn't spot any clouds. Pottered about the house grabbing a little bit of breakfast before getting the gear on and heading out. Chilly. Brought my gloves this time. Worryingly the short stretch of road to the park was very icy and very slippy in the shade. I was ready to cancel until later in the day but when I got to the park I did a warm-up lap and was happy that it was mostly fine, one or two spots to be careful on but mostly grand.
Warm-up out of the way and I fire into the first 800. Look at the watch after around 200ms and see 3:2X min/km [~5:30 min/mile] pace showing :eek: I put the brakes on for the rest of this 800, noting at the end that my lungs are working a little more than they normally would at the end of one 800. Hope I haven't compromised the session. Pace of the first interval is 3:38 min/km [5:51 min/mile].
There is the slightest of slightest of slightest of slopes in this park. Heading south you are running downhill, heading north you are running uphill. At anything slower than 5K pace you wouldn't even notice, and for all intents and purposes this park is snooker table flat. But I could feel the extra effort on the second 'uphill' 800. Passed lots of Sunday morning runners as I logged 3:41 min/km [5:56 min/mile] for my second 800. That's 2 out of 5 sub 3:00 min 800s.
The third 800 is also 'uphill'. Each time I check the Garmin the pace is in the high 3:30s or low 3:40s. I'm happy that I'll finish this interval on target but I'm starting to worry about intervals 4 and 5. Lungs are working now. I log a carbon copy of interval 2, 3:41 min/km [5:56 min/mile] another sub 3:00 min 800. I spend the first minute of recovery more or less gasping, and by the end of the second minute I've just about caught my breath.
Fourth 800 starts pretty much at the exact same spot as the first 800. Just as I noticed the extra effort on the 'uphill' I now notice a slightly better pace for the same effort on the 'downhill'. Love shooting past runners at sub 6:00 min/mile pace. The legs are feeling it now nearly as much as the lungs. I'm willing the last 200ms to end. Thanks to the slight downhill I log a 3:40 min/km [5:53 min/mile] paced interval. 4 out of 4, c'mon just one more effort.
The last 800 is again mostly 'uphill'. I start pretty fast in the mid 3:30s. I try to ever so slightly put on the brakes to drop it down to low 3:40s. After 400ms I'm really working and I'm wondering if I'm going to make it. Dig in. Legs are protesting, lungs are powering away. I check the Garmin with 170ms to go but I've slowed down too much, 3:44 min/km [6:00 min/mile] pace is showing. My legs and lungs are saying not today, leave it be, but my head decides otherwise and I raise the pace. Pick a point up ahead that looks around 100ms off and just power to that point. Garmin beeps and I'm thrilled to see another 3:41 min/km [5:56 min/mile] paced 800.
Target achieved, 5 sub 3:00min 800s off 2 mins recovery.
Gasping. I resist the urge to stop running at the end of my sprint finish and keep jogging the final recovery. Then a leisurely cool-down home with a little diversion to say ciao to the little one at the playground.
Very pleased with this session. Identical average recovery pace as last time out.
Warm-up 2.74M @ 8:31
Interval 1 2:54 (3:38 min/km, 5:51 min/mile)
Interval 2 2:57 (3:41 min/km, 5:56 min/mile)
Interval 3 2:57 (3:41 min/km, 5:56 min/mile)
Interval 4 2:55 (3:40 min/km, 5:53 min/mile)
Interval 5 2:57 (3:41 min/km, 5:56 min/mile)
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/411512162
Average interval = 2:56 (3:40 min/km, 5:54 min/mile)
Average recovery pace = (5:09 min/km, 8:17 min/mile)
Cool-down 1.37M @ 8:32
Week Beginning 25 November Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.03 | 9:17
General Aerobic 10M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | DNS | DNS
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 5.49 | 8:58
Intervals 5x800 off 2:00 mins recovery, aiming for 5 sub 3:00 splits | 7.81M | average interval 3:40 min/km [5:54 min/mile] all sub 3:00 mins, 2:56 average
LSR 14M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | |
WTD| MTD | YTD
17.33 | 7.81 | 1637.61|
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Prerace
Put on a long sleeved top and gloves and then stood alongside the radiator inside the front door for as long as possible this morning. I wanted to time this so that I'd finish my warm-up and arrive at the start line with no more than 10 minutes to spare. Rainy gales and gusts howling outside. I haven't eaten or trained well in the last 3 weeks, I wasn't feeling up for this, I knew the course was hilly and now storm conditions are thrown into the mix. This was going to be a fun morning's work.
My warm-up though was surprisingly comfortable. The legs felt good. I was in a frame of mind though where feeling good on my warm-up was greeted as a bad sign. Arrive as planned with 10 minutes to spare. Nice atmosphere at the starting line. People seemed to be embracing the bad conditions and were up for the race. It rubbed off a little. There was the mandatory Boot Camp warm-up, then a countdown from 10 and we were off. Last race of the year: targeting 3:57/3:58 min/km pace [6:21 - 6:23 min/mile] for a sub 40:00 finish.
Lap 1
That first moment of truth, the one where you set off at what you feel is race pace, went well. What felt like target pace was actually showing as 3:50 min/km [6:10 min/mile]. So the start was about easing off a little rather than pushing to hit target. Good, especially as the start was uphill. I reckoned the first descent down Ordnance would be pleasant. How wrong was I? A tremendous headwind was travelling up the road and into our faces. Head down. No need to apply the brakes the wind was doing that for me. The first K logged at 3:56.
I'm gradually overtaking runners, running from one little group to the next. It was great to turn out of the headwind for a minute or so at the end of Ordnance, I could hear myself breathing again. More wind up toward Knockmaroon Gate, I was anxious to turn down into the Glen. The average pace had dropped to 3:58 [6:23] with K2 logging at 4:01 [6:27]. I recovered on the descent down to the lake, passing quite a few runners here while the effort remained constant and the average pace increased to 3:56 [6:19]. The pull up out of the Glen wasn't as steep as I remembered it. Reminded myself that this was lap 1. The worst part was probably the 180 turn at the top of the hill. K3 is the fastest of the day at 3:48 [6:08].
Took a quick physical check as we headed back toward Furze Road. Legs were mostly good, lungs were mostly good. So far so good, despite my pre-race trepidation. Mostly uphill K4 is another 4:01 [6:28]. The run up Furze Road is wind assisted. The wind is against us on the downhill and with us on the uphill, makes it confusing to understand how to read effort versus pace. I'm happy to see 19:30s showing on the clock as we approach the gantry for the first time. I'm on target. On the Garmin the first 5K are covered in 19:42.
Lap 2
I was finding myself running mostly on my own now. One runner overtook me as we headed up Chesterfield. Part of me was thinking I should push on the ascent to bank some time before turning onto the descent down Ordnance, such was the wind. Back into the gales. K6 was the slowest so far at 4:03 [6:31]. I was starting to tire now and the first doubts were starting to creep in. If I could just get to Knockmaroon and out of this wind. The average pace crept up to 4:00 min/km
. I told myself that I'd make the time back on the second descent down to the Glen. Headwind K7 was the slowest K of the day at 4:12 [6:46]. Average pace was dragged back to 3:58 by the time I got down to the lake. But it was hard work now. K8 a respectable 3:50 [6:11].
More climbing now. I overtook some more runners coming out of the Glen. Again the 180 turn onto the Upper Glen Road disrupted my rhythm. I was losing confidence again. Just keep pushing. The slight incline continues. I have a bad habit on K9 of these races. Part of me wants to push but another part tells me that I don't need to because I'll compensate with a fast last 800. I listened to that second voice a little too much today and so K9 was a disappointing 4:10 [6:43]. With the hills and the wind my splits were all over the place. Average pace was flicking between 3:59 and 4:00. This was going to come down to how tight a racing line I'd run.
Final K is along the length of Furze Road. The wind at my back is a blessing. I up the effort. I'm overtaken by one runner and overtake another. I can see the finishing line but it's still a long way away. Head-up trying to power forward, pick a point and run to it, c'mon on. Squinting at the finishing clock. what's it saying. Disappointed to see 40:XX. Glance at the Garmin it shows 40:07, still an outside chance of a PB. I power forward some more and overtake one more runner over the last 20 metres. Cross the line with 40:18 on the watch. And a whooping big 10.14K covered.
Post Race
I'm not overly disappointed. To be honest I feel as though I've got more than I deserved. Poor prep plus challenging course plus challenging conditions: things could have could much worse this morning. I covered 10.00K on the Garmin faster (I think) than ever before at 39:48. I have to focus on my mental approach to the last 2K of these races, certainly if those last 2K are not downhill. I'm losing seconds here. I can't hope to rescue all races in the last 800. No dry-retching today either so I definitely left something out there.
An official Sub 40 will have to wait for next year (today's made me even more annoyed with last month's short and congested circuit).
A very well organized race. I encountered zero congestion on lap 2. This was a charity race that looked after all the runners it advertised to. I would recommend. Punctual, well measured, well marshalled.
As I started my cool-down a port-a-loo was blown over, joining three or four others that had already been tossed by the wind. :eek: Crazy conditions.
Warm-up 2.31M @ 9:13
KM01 3:56 [6:19]
KM02 4:01 [6:28]
KM03 3:48 [6:08]
KM04 4:01 [6:28]
KM05 3:56 [6:19]
KM06 4:03 [6:31]
KM07 4:12 [6:46]
KM08 3:50 [6:11]
KM09 4:10 [6:43]
KM10 3:50 [6:11]
Total 10.14 @ 3:59 [6.30M @ 6:24]
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/415543369
Cool-down 2.22M @ 9:01
Resisted running another 0.01M
Week Beginning 09 December Targets|Actual Distance|Actual Pace
LSR 12M @ 8:45 to 9:00 | 12.23 | 8:45
Recovery 4M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | 4.19 | 9:19
General Aerobic 5M @ 9:00 to 9:15 | 5.01 | 9:05
Aware 10K sub 40:00 attempt | 10.14K | 3:59 min/km [6:24 min/mile] 40:18
Recovery 5M @ 9:15 to 9:30 | |
WTD| MTD | YTD
32.26 | 70.18 | 1699.99|
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