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BQ or Bust!
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Thurs 4 Dec
Easy 3.1 miles (5 km).
Final leg loosener before Saturday, around Glasnevin and Whitehall.
Sat 6 Dec
Waterford Half Marathon
So finally a crack at racing a half marathon for the first time since Sept 2013. Didn't get a good night's sleep and was up at 6:30 for the usual breakfast before driving 2 hours down to the Waterford IT sports campus, which is a very impressive facility indeed. Got there just in time to get parked on site. Great facilities - got changed in one of the dressing rooms and stashed my bag there before doing a little 2 km warmup around one of the GAA pitches.
I thought today for a change I might try to run with the pace group. While 1:40 would likely be a bit hot for my current state of development, I thought I might stick with them and see how it went - if I couldn't keep up I could always drop off and still hit my 1:42:30-ish target. Of course this might mean going out too fast, but at the same time I feel I've had something left at the end of a few races this year so it was time to push it a little, perhaps. So I lined up a little behind the 1:40 balloons and we were off, after a few announcements about watching out for speed bumps and the poor state of the road between miles 7-9.
I usually feel comfortable during the first third of any race longer than 5k but right from the off today it felt tough, as the course climbs pretty sharply after a downhill start. I though I would feel better after that initial climb, but the undulating course made the pace difficult to judge. The pacers, fair play to them, seemed to be running even splits so I let them get ahead on the uphill and managed to catch them on the downhill but after about 3 miles the route took a narrow pedestrian entrance into an industrial estate, which slowed most of us to a walk for a few seconds and the pacers got away from me again (5k split - 23:59). I managed to reel them in again by about mile six but it was starting to do my head in, with the uphill/downhill and I decided to run my own race - besides I was feeling the pace and was starting to think the fast start might do me in, and I just tried to stay with a small group that looked to be at about the right pace for me (10k - 47:17).
We were well past half way (split 50:15) before we hit anything like a flattish stretch (at least that's the way if felt to me) and I knocked out a solid couple of miles here before the course started climb again for another couple of miles of drag, retracing an earlier downhill section in the opposite direction (15k - 1:11:54). My little group had dispersed, either dropping off or pulling away, and I joined another small one here, but it was moving a bit too slowly for my liking and after being boxed in for a while at the side of a busy main road I darted ahead. A wiry M60 gent wearing a St. Nicholas AC vest had passed me earlier and I decided I couldn't let him go so I focused on reeling him in, from about 20 places back at this stage. Caught him around the 10 mile mark but I was feeling pretty done at this point - the route kept climbing before finally getting to a nice, welcome downhill (20k - 1:36:13). The descent was needed - the watch was suggesting 1:42 was no gimme, but a couple of fast kms here put me back on track. A Kilcock lad I'd chatted too in the first mile passed me here and I couldn't stay with him, but by the turn for home (with one final little hill, before a narrow downhill final 160m) I was back on track for a decent time. Stopped the watch at 1:40:59 but the official chip time came back at 1:41:00.
Delighted with the time. I felt I gave it a good lash. I never felt at any point that I was cruising comfortably, and there were a few points where the wheels were in danger of coming off. Grand spread afterwards, where I chatted with a few Boardsies past and present (meno accused me of sandbagging, perhaps not unfairly). Good to meet overpronator for the first time, and to congratulate the artiste formerly known as claralara on her recent international heroics. Great times also from Ecolii and Joe (Bulmers, I think?)
Well organised race, well done to all concerned. Loud music and bad car singing all the way home.
Previous PB: 1:46:25 (Omagh 2013)
Target: 1:42:39
Actual time: 1:41:00
Verdict: Go on da Cru.
Oh yeah, through 2,000 kms for the year during this. That was my target for 2014 so good not to have to knock out a New Years Eve long run like in 2012.
WTD: 35 (57 km)
MTD: 35 (57 km)
YTD: 1,252 (2,015 km)0 -
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Thanks a lot, all. Only 1,250 miles done this year though - 2,000 kms.
2014 Goals Table update:
Distance|2013 PB|2014 Goal|2014 PB|Date
5k|22:05|21:59|22:09|1 Nov
5m|38:03|37:26|36:47|28 June
10k|50:51|46:53|46:28|20 July
10m|78:53|78:22|77:07|23 Aug
HM|1:46:25|1:44:32|1:41:00|6 Dec
M|3:46:15|3:39:59|3:36:17|28 Sept
Well worth going all the way to Waterford in search of that PB with time running out in 2014. But as yaboya1 reminds me, that 5k PB still hasn't been achieved. Maybe at a parkrun in a couple of weeks if I can keep in decent shape over the party season. :pac:0 -
Thanks a lot, all. Only 1,250 miles done this year though - 2,000 kms.
2014 Goals Table update:
Distance|2013 PB|2014 Goal|2014 PB|Date
5k|22:05|21:59|22:09|1 Nov
5m|38:03|37:26|36:47|28 June
10k|50:51|46:53|46:28|20 July
10m|78:53|78:22|77:07|23 Aug
HM|1:46:25|1:44:32|1:41:00|6 Dec
M|3:46:15|3:39:59|3:36:17|28 Sept
Well worth going all the way to Waterford in search of that PB with time running out in 2014. But as yaboya1 reminds me, that 5k PB still hasn't been achieved. Maybe at a parkrun in a couple of weeks if I can keep in decent shape over the party season. :pac:
Apologies Murph....I just assumed all us Auldfellas were still dealing in old money. Forgot you were so down with the kids. Miles v kms apart that is an impressive table of achievement YTD. Presume I will see you at St Anne's parkrun before the end of the year to give the full house a go. I will even buy the celebratory coffee afterwards:)
PS obviously if you don't get a PB you will be paying:D0 -
Presume I will see you at St Anne's parkrun before the end of the year to give the full house a go. I will even buy the celebratory coffee afterwards:)
PS obviously if you don't get a PB you will be paying:D
Murph better pick a day when you're not the parkrun director, so, just in case you're conflicted...
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Well you know me, no problem ordering, but could be well gone by the time the bill arrives.
By the way I'm sure you've hit PBs across the board yourself this year too?
Murph, I am ashamed to say that I haven't raced a 5k or a half all year:(
First two on the list for 2015 :pac: :pac:0 -
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Well done on the great result there D!
Put Saturday week in your diary for a parkrun down in St Annes on the 20th.
I'm in around your time at the moment (21:52 in Poppintree on Sat last) so I'll push you around to break that PB.
That is of course unless you tear off and grab a much faster time without the sandbags slowing you down!
Fair play, J - it's a date!
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Well done on the great result there D!
Put Saturday week in your diary for a parkrun down in St Annes on the 20th.
I'm in around your time at the moment (21:52 in Poppintree on Sat last) so I'll push you around to break that PB.
That is of course unless you tear off and grab a much faster time without the sandbags slowing you down!Fair play, J - it's a date!
I better get meself down as timekeeper so;)0 -
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