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Moraghan Training - Stevie G
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Quick LSR report before the Maidenhead reports come in
Much better temperature for running today (though mebbe still warm of a raced half!). 16.2 hilly miles, and the first 12 were very slow - a very sluggish 9:37. Somehow managed to pick up the pace for the last 4 to finish on a 9:13 average. Still slow, but with it all being off road, with over 2000ft of climbing and a dodgy knee on the steep ascents to slow me up, I'll take that.
I tried it out with a first mile around half effort but there wasn't much there and knew I'd be flogging a dead horse so ran it to marathon effort. I don't think I bumped into anyone other than Joe (everywhere on the course) who was kind enough to take a photo of me.on my England get up. Finished in 1.23.4x but still felt like a fair old effort.
Good session Matt H, if you can average sub 6 on that on your own no reason you can't on a race 10k which would bring you in comfortably low 37's
So onto Maidenhead HM and the England Age Group vest. Had been debating all week whether to a) bother running and b) wear the vest with my injuries not properly healed and training for a HM almost non-existent. Consensus on here and with running friends seemed to be to go for it as the right to run in England colours had been earned (and probably wouldn't come around again; thanks guys
First hassle issue then arose with no access to the special England start and having to put up with a start well back with the masses despite being at the start 15 mins before the 'off'. Took 20 secs from gun time to get over the line and even then hugely congested, so first k too over 4 mins, Still tried to start with my customer alacrity but even in the first 5k it didn't really feel a going day and knew it was going to be a long haul. Passed by Wool about 4k (he ramps it up impressively throughout so no surprise he took a little while to pass) but still through 5k just sub 20. Next plan was to try to get to 10k in about 40 which was achieved more or less (about 40'20) but it was hurting by now both injury wise and trying to keep the legs going. Had passed Joe's other half fairly early but she was now going by as well as several others I knew (and can usually beat). 10-15k was pretty solid on about 4'10k pace though and I was hoping to see it out like that.
No issues with the weather apart from it being pretty sunny (only about 18 degrees though) but the last 5k just took its toll on me; great support from Joe on his bike started to fade once Katie was by me (wonder why!) and no fun getting regularly passed. Decided to just try and aim for around 4'20's now and pretty much managed that to finish in 1'26'43. To be honest that's probably better than I hoped/dared expect and, though nearly 3 mins down on my Fleet time, is still a 6'37 or so av. so not too bad. Some great times recorded by others put it into perspective though and legs feel battered now (no way I could even do a warm down
Nice to see PMJ along the way (running backwards
Don't think I'd bother trying to qualify for England Age Group again, though it did feel a bit special to do it once. Far too busy a race and hassle at the start. Maybe just the fact I hate HM's as they are too hard and take too much out of me. Its ok if you are a 60k whippet but not suited to old guys lugging round 75k.
Bus - good long run that, esp with no long race pressure. I did 24m in 3.10 yday (so good time on feet) but have Abo on the horizon.
24 in 3:10 is a good pre-Abo booster I would say TR.
Pete - that's a pretty good time in the circumstances. Given the issues you've had and the lack of training for a half, coming well under 90 mins virtually on will-power alone is not to be sniffed at!
Likewise MF, coming back from that infection and all that entailed.
Really struggled today but pleased to just grit my teeth and get round. Better days will come. One thing I learned today is that I need the green shoes. They really do seem to make you go faster!
muddy - v4xs in England vests seemed to be everywhere, I must have passed you as you eased off but tbh I passed an awful lot of vests today so never would have picked you out!
nice to gets some shouts on the course from Phil and Joe. Might try it on a bike next time 😎.
Well done chaps - looked a good little day out from seeing a few pics.
"Looked" but didn't "feel" warm when I finished my 14 around 9, and I'm the first to feel the warmth or humidity, so I wondered if you guys would have luck conditions wise or not, certainly better than at the start of the week I guess.
But then again, racing is a different story, however people not racing like to talk about "perfect conditions"
Look a good set of times for you guys versus expectations, although Wool you sound abit underwhelmed. But you've trimmed that half pb fairly recently, and there's every chance you dropped off ever so little when analysing what pb pace would need.
That Ron guy wear the green shoes today? I couldn't tell if that was "banter" or not, but like a sharp eye like yours would pick up, he's been putting in lifetime animal training, 2nd in the Dasher strava table I noticed, 80mile weeks!
But a 5min pb as a V55 over a half for a runner with 4-5 years of racing is a tasty turnout!
Pete - I think getting a half in is always a lot more satisfying than the lower distances that you can knock a fair few off without thought. And there's no reason why you can't continually keep qualifying for these events - we had a guy of 70+ in the vest!!
ps what happened with the pens? Just rammed solid very early?
If there was an England vest section at the front, I guess the risk of having supervets getting stampeded might be a risk?
Matt - H - good work - it's time for you to get back to that 28:xx min 5mile racing this year young son. (and I think everyone forgets how young you are)
Bus - I bet that pace you quote is still pro rata to you actually overdoing it
Trying to hide it in extreme elevation is fooling no-one son
Almost missed this - that's a hell of a run!
I bet you eat and rest well after that!
Wool - you are under-selling yourself! Yours was a very solid time today, with a start that wouldn't have helped! The one and only time I've done Maidenhead there were no pens and I started about two rows back, so numbers must have gone up sharply.
SG - it was easy paced, but yes, i had a quiet couple of hours yday lunchtime.
SG - yes, all the masters went to the front in a separate pen. Then the sub 90 pacers decided to stand right, I mean right, behind them. Quite correctly everyone looking sub 90 was with them. I was about 20 rows back surrounded by guys wondering how they were going to run 75 mins from there!
SG - Rob Mac continually takes the piss out of me for running small PBs. Then he lumps in on Ron who has been 70 - 80 mpw for months now. I can’t take it any more. Next time he swings for me there’s a big bite coming! Yes, Ron was in the green shoes, as was Toby, but defo training effect in the moan for these boys imho.
Back to low key races put on by running clubs for me in future.
Cheers Bus, SG and TR; great training runs from you all today as usual.
Wool - he is a wind up merchant extraordinaire - harmless really, but likes to get a word in on every possible situation - can tell he's retired
I dare say like many people he's envious that you're still booting pbs fairly regularly well into experienced runner territory - as distinct from the first time improvers
It was good you pointed out the level Ron has put in! I expanded on that quoting mileage - I think that leaves people totally In no doubt the commitment required! 70-80miles is serious stuff.
It sounds like the organisers were a bit caught out by the surge of interest and quality from this whole England thing.
At most races you'll generally get the competitive women starting ahead of men who will beat them, but it normally sorts itself out.
But whopping a massive block of masters in front of the guys who are going to contest the win is madness. That Corney chip/run difference is hilariously mad.
Surely the obvious answer is 2 pens, left and right at the front? Masters one side, front runners on the other side?
At least in a half a slow start isn't going to ruin your race.
It was only a few weeks back I was a bit nervous at my dodgy starting position in that 1mile relay! Starting in row 3 for a 1miler is a bit more of a worry
Bizarre to then have the Masters pen, but not allow late access in?! Here's where the Great South Run was magnificent. Massive pen for the "fast" club runners, and you can wander in and out as you please, right to the start time!
I felt sorry for a guy who was behind me who not only was refused access where I went, but had to go to the back of the utterly packed pen behind!
The representative vest thing made a big difference to the appearance of the front end of the race. This year, 307 finished under 1:30 chip time compared to 189 last year. I'm not surprised the start was a bit chaotic: whatever you do will be wrong as you have a mix of age group runners who want fast gun times and you also have a load of regular runners who will beat 60+ year old age groups all the time.
Nice to catch up for a few minutes with Joe. An odd thing happened and I only just pulled the threads together later in the day. When I did the London marathon in 2016 I did it for Beat and also Tom Fairbrother did it too so I have been following him on twitter ever since. He was running Maidenhead so I was shouting out as he passed by but Joe was also cycling around with Coralie who was also shouting out for her husband Tom. Turns out it was the same Tom i.e. Coralie is married to Tom.
Oi! Dirty Boy
One off tbh. The father in law is team manager....what can I do?????
Good running BUS and MH, Thanks for the race updates Muddy, Wool and PeteM - still useful turn outs and you have the England vest at least - always good for running abroad etc etc..get people's heads turning.
I've said before, with the costs involved, the England masters vest is likely to be a tick box exercise due to the costs involved. At least in the Masters XC you get a free vest and hoody.
So the Southern masters final at Ashford. Bit tentative at the moment track wise..training OK but the Worthing 1500 was poor, the MK 5,000 was a near DNF and didn't feel great at the masters champs. 1500 first up, and my mate who recently did 3.53 and turned 35 on Saturday was running with me. No qualms about jumping in the masters stuff
Anyway, we went off, me in front, until about 300m when he came past me and kindly tried to pace me to a seasons best. We went through in 66 and 2.13 at 800 - not feeling too bad. As usual, slipped a bit to 3.05 at the bell, but was hanging on ok. My mate sped off with 100 to go to win in 4.10, I was just outside my SB with 4.13.9. Happy enough as the legs felt better.
The 3000 was 4.45pm - again went off infront, thought I'd do the usual masters 75 pace per lap and see who fancied the ride. Was generally about a couple of seconds under for most of the race, bit of an annoying breeze but not too bad. That was it really - heard the footsteps fading and the pace was decent, so went through the bell and thought I was on for a decent win....until 100m to go and suddenly I could hear the Southampton guy coming up behind me and past me..tried to respond but no good - he took the win in 9.13 to my 9.14. Bit annoying, but time was OK.
Decent afternoon's workout.
..anyway
On the canal again bothering the cyclists - but this morning I thought I'd go for 14 x 400 (well about 67-65 seconds) with 45 recovery, up and down the same stretch. Bit more knackering than normal because of racing Sunday.
Have I asked that before?
Sounds tidy though (as always)
Vaguely thought i might end a "bit" faster this time, after 2x straight 6m round Dorney Lake, so brought it back to the track.
Felt a little coldy when i went to sleep, so did entertain the idea of pushing it back a day, but waking up thought sod it, get it done, it comes out as it comes out.
Cooler than last week, but still sweaty. And obvs fairly windy for a stretch on the track. Ideal when aiming for 24 laps
Split it in my head by saying "just get 4miles, a mere 16 laps" done first, then we'll see.
1.30s to start, but kept ticking over once it dipped to 1.32s, ignoring that I have done this session in the sub to1.30 average before. But irrelevant as a different time, and different conditions.
Lasp 2 laps ramped to 1.29 and 1.28 and obligatory 12secs to cover off the extra metres to make the mile
for 37.00 for 6miles, a 6.10 job.
5secs a mile quicker than the road sounds about right, although today had the stretch of wind per lap, and I did do the last 2 laps slightly quicker.
Probably bang on for what was needed and the ending "harder" progresses things a bit.
She had a cracking run, 1:25:53, although I suspect there's some more to come there. Having watched 2 years ago, difference in depth of the field was noticeable. She ran over 3 minutes faster, but ended up 23rd this time vs. 8th 2 years ago.
Good to catch up with Phil also - Tom's a good friend, we were at his wedding a couple of weeks ago and are heading out to Frankfurt with them in October for the marathon. He had an absolute storming run (1:11!) off the back of a 5km PB on Wednesday night (15:42).
Nice racing at the masters Simon, and decent tempo session this morning SG.
I'm still having a pretty torrid time, enforced by an awful session this morning. 3 x 8 minutes at 'Tempo' pace. 6:08, 6:24, 6:19, which in all honesty was probably around half marathon pace if not slightly harder. It's mad when you think mere months ago I was running 13.1 @ 5:45mm. Oh well.
Joe, you definitely seem a bit of a "streaker" (oooh matron) rather than some of us who plod around a similar sort of level all year.
I dare say when you get the bit between your teeth for a new big target it'll come back
Those are the Next% Stevie. Much grippier than the 4% and much better cushioning for forefoot prancers like myself.
This many years into racing, I have to be honest, still not entirely sure what I am. For certain an underpronator, but foot fall, i would have thought mid foot, but then you get a few pics of serious heel striking, but then also some nimby pamby toe noncing.
No ambiguity for me, totally on the forefoot.
Muddy - my mate did tell me that the shorts were pretty short again
...and you know the quote about rats and your proximity to them - that's the same for a Serpies vest..
SG - Decent tempo there. My reps must be about 380m I suppose? Bound to be a bit less than 400 going on those times.
Joe - You'll get there.
Happy with my healthier low sugar consumption at the moment, less cravings too. Obviously making exceptions for race days! Weight going down a bit I think.
SG - you are the biggest, fattest heel crusher who should be banned from destroying gorgeous pairs of Nike in the way that you do! Get back to those plimsolls that you're more used to!!
It's pay day on the 6th. The greens are defo coming my way.
Wool - Rob McHarg? Just mention race numbers. Obviously you knew about him costing the GB V55 team the gold in the xc in Torun
That was a monumental cock up!