Moraghan Training - Stevie G

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  • DachsDachs ✭✭✭

    Nice work by Johnas and Seb, rescuing the weekend for the thread there.  Johnas, that's an excellent 5 miler off a race the day before, indicating a faster 10k time may be in the offing.  Seb, good to see you gallivanting around on the hills again, and a nice podium.

    SG, at least it's a course PB.  Must have been a pretty tough one if you aren't too unhappy with a high 36.

    Bus, nice at least to have a partner in misery today.  I guess a half marathon finds you out if things aren't right.  Still, well done on seeing it through.

  • DachsDachs ✭✭✭

    So, I promised a race report.

    Had been sick most of the week and hadn't run since Tuesday, but started to feel better on Saturday, and had a tester 5 miles in the evening.  Found it tough going, but I attributed that to having had a massive helping of the barbeque shortly before.  Deciced I was OK to run.  Definitely felt OK this morning, and was glad to see it was a bit overcast.  Decided the pace target was 5:50 at least at the start, which would have given me a faster time than last year but would be shy of what I was looking for at full fitness.

    There were 3 races all starting at the same time - a half, 10K and 5K - so had a bit of a look around to try to figure out who I was actually running against.  A load of people shot out of the blocks, and I reckoned there were 2 HM runners ahead of me, so try to rein it in to my target pace, but was a little too tasty with 5:44, but back on target with 5:52 for the next mile (which marked the end of the only flat bit of the race).  Started taking the odd 10K runner with a 5:46 next mile, but by this stage I started to feel much worse than I ought to at this pace after 3 miles. 

    Kept going at what I thought was a decent clip, but looked down at my watch and saw 6:11 for the mile.  WTF?  I haven't dropped a 6:xx into a race since last year's marathon.  I figured I'd just lost my concentration, so knuckled down a bit, and had a confidence builder when I overtook a 10K runner who was a bit of a Frome legend when I was a youth runner there, and was still putting in sub 35s in his late 40s a couple of years ago.  Next 2 miles were 5:52 and 5:48, so back on track, and I could see the two half marathon runners ahead.  But the pace got slower again on a long tough country stretch out to one of the villages with 6:06, and I was starting to really struggle.  As I entered the village, a bloke shouted "well done, you're 4th!".  What?!  Oh no, my pace is dropping and I don't even have a top 3 position! Arse!  I guess in that confusion at the start, I misjudged how many were in my race.

    Just outside that village, there was quite a long switchback, so I got to see those ahead coming past, and could confirm that, yes, indeed, I was 4th.  But, as I rounded the switchback, I could see 3rd place was walking.  I know him a bit (he is the aforementioned club legend's son, and is real quality when at his best - 31 minute 10K - but clearly not in that shape at the moment), so gave some words of encouragement, and he started running again, but I soon left him behind. 

    However, things were not right for me either, and I was starting to really struggle.  Mile 8 was 6:11, then 6:00, and then it pretty much hit me like a train, and I slowed to a jog, then a walk.  Only 5 steps, but a complete shock - I don't walk in races, dammit!  Ran again, and managed to get that mile done in 6:13 (it was downhill, so I could get some pace back).  The next mile was 6:03 but I was kissing goodbye to any respectable time at all - and the race's killer hill was rapidly approaching.  I gamely set about assaulting the hill, but again it reduced me to a walk.  Start again, but back to a walk.  Then the same again.  Finally managed to jog up the bastard, only to find that one of the race photographers was positioned at the top, snapping away.  Piss off!  Told him that it was an evil place to take photos.  He didn't laugh.  Neither did I. Look down at the watch ... 6:56.  6:56?! 6:56?!!?!

    1 mile to go and I have to salvage something.  Downhill into town centre was fast, uphill out less so, but a 5:58 at least made me feel like I was still a runner.  The end was in sight and, shocki

  • DachsDachs ✭✭✭

    1 mile to go and I have to salvage something.  Downhill into town centre was fast, uphill out less so, but a 5:58 at least made me feel like I was still a runner.  The end was in sight and, shockingly, had to push to get a sub 1:20.  Crossed the line in 1:19:58.

    So, a pretty disastrous time.  Bluenose is very kindly pointing out that it is very much a tough, hilly, non-PB course, and that's true, but I ran a 1:17:xx last year here in hotter conditions, and I'm faster now than I was then.  I think a 1:16 would have been realistic.  I kind of feel like I'm making excuses, but it's just so far away from what I should be capable of, that it must have had something to do with the illness.  Oh well, write it off and come back stronger next race.  Was good to see Bluenose, and had a good weekend with the folks out of it.  Got presented with a trophy by the local MP, a goverment minister, but that wasn't that exciting, as he's an old friend of my parents.

    Just realised my race report for a crap race is longer and more detailed than for a good one.  Anyone would think I was some kind of glass-half-empty type.

    OK, only positive of the day - I now have 8 top 3 positions in a row.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Like the report Dachs! Clearly you're so far clear of the massive majority in that race you can have a few walks, a few jogs, rant at a photographer, and still not be in any doubt of losing 3rd!

    And a trophy too...this thread is really getting a fair few of those now.

    And don't worry about the long race reports...I can find enough to fill a whole page even for an average race in an average place, where hardly anything happens.

    Sometimes an average/poor race is good to remind you that you need to keep working hard and it's not a given. That was the case for me yesterday, reminded me of being strictly small time!

  • WoolWool ✭✭✭

    just to say well done to Johnas on 2 outstanding results over the weekend. Lots of folks lost a few seconds (or more) in the last 2 km at Dorney on Saturday, it was a tough finish....I lost every one of my 45 min pace group down there.

    I was there on Sunday too and it was chaos - that's an excellent time on a course that I suspect was pretty ill-measured and largely consisted of a building site. Once it has taken me ~7:30 to get to the 1st mile marker I decided to enjoy it....

     

  • JohnasJohnas ✭✭✭

    thanks Wool.... Are you keeping those pacer shorts?!  image  Not sure they'd be legal near any schools mate...

  • WoolWool ✭✭✭

    I almost refused to wear them. They are in the washing pile. Wondering if I should shrink them out of existence or whether that will just make them more popular with the race organisers next year!

    I see that the 5 miler results are on Po10 / RB. For those that got a clear run (Johnas / Tom S) I reckon it will go in right to the top of the hcp pile. Really regretting my politeness in the starting pen now.

  • Bluenose74Bluenose74 ✭✭✭

    Dachs, good report mate... Your right about last year being a degree or two hotter, but that was after a lot of warm wet days... This year we've had weeks of hot to hotter conditions, and they seem to be a lot of heat about, which i felt made the conditions worse... 20th July 2014, the chance to redeem yourself!!!!

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    So, how has everyone recovered from the weekends excesses?

    Went out this morning for a two mile jog and ended up adding another ten. Very wary about the level of exertion and held the HR in the low 120's.

    The Garmin gave me well over 2000 feet of elevation for this one. I assume that must have been why I only averaged 9 min miling.

    🙂

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Misread your first line as "excuses" and was about to give you some cheek...excuses? it was the hardest conditons/course/run up ever type fare...

    then re-read and it was excesses. whoops.

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    SG, if I resorted to smug sarcasm (or even thought such a thing)  I will be guaranteed to suffer the most almighty injury going.

    Technically speaking what we all do is excessive, its simply a matter of degree.

    Never did 2000 feet elevation. Garmin must have been jolted by an underground electric cable or something. More like 300 feet.

    🙂

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    was gonna say...2000 feet is getting crazy! 300feet is more standard.

    Excuses? We've had a few.
    But then again, too few to mention
    We do what we have to do, and see it through without exemption
    We plan for each charted course, each careful step along the route byway
    And more, much more than this, we do it the Stevie G thread way!

     

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Reminds me, I've a bottle of wine somewhere that needs sorting out.

    🙂

  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭

    If I didn't know better Stevie, I'd say you'd been on that bottle of wine you won last week image (good lyrical transposition though!)

    Blimey, my legs have been sore today - what's that all about??

    Top report by the way Dachs!

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Bus, is that a rhetorical question or a genuine enquiry?

    🙂

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    yes, my slight leaning might be that it's something to do with doing a hilly half marathon on sunday image

    Doing the 10k, and obviously not flat out means I have none at all. Which is much more pleasing than 2-3days worth from the half!

  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭

    Rhetorical Ric image Not surprised they're sore - just slightly concerned about the intensity!

    The plan is no running until Saturday anyway this week and see how the hamstrings/prirformis react. The next decision is to whether that run should be the programmed LSR or something a bit shorter and do the LSR early next week....

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Bus, I'd hazard a guess that you've torn all the muscles in your legs clean off your bones. 

    But all will be fine in a day or two.

    Its the downhills that hurt.

    Once when in New Zealand I was challenged to run up and down something called Mount Maunganui. Its the core of a long extinct volcano and is 273m high.

    The path to the top sort of zig-zags, so after a recce and a chat to a local who reckoned 25 to 26 minutes was a good ascent/descent time I 'went for it'.

    Bearing in mind I was in 34 minute 10k shape, I really smashed it. Result, just under 20 minutes. Local runner was impressed whereas I couldn't run for another 4 days.

    That's a peak performance in more than one way.

    🙂

  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭

    Yep, its always the downhills that kill me after Marlow as well!

    Mind you, Fairfield horseshoe has a continuous downhill of about 4 miles in it, dropping 2500 ft! Luckily its mostly on grass so not quite as punishing as you might think...

    I bet 4 days of soreness was worth it though to impress the local guy image

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    The Bus wrote (see)

    Yep, its always the downhills that kill me after Marlow as well!

    Mind you, Fairfield horseshoe has a continuous downhill of about 4 miles in it, dropping 2500 ft! Luckily its mostly on grass so not quite as punishing as you might think...

    I bet 4 days of soreness was worth it though to impress the local guy image

    Bus, I won't be trying again. But then again, the last time I was there, the local authorities had seen fit to cover the paths with tons of loose stone chips.

    Trying to descend at speed is now impossible, you just skid and slide on every turn. Spoilsports!

    Noticed in the results of your last race a familiar name right behind you. In the 2011 Welwyn 10, I caught sight of him for the first time at around 7 miles, overtook him just after 8 miles and put 3 minutes plus between us by the finish.

    I don't believe he 'blew up'.

    Exploded more like.

    🙂

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    hot one at lunch, probably one of the hottest lunchtimes i can remember in fairness.

    Was hallucinating Ric chiding me with "you haven't hydrated enough you handsome devil", but I think i'd had enough on board, confirmed by 2 or 3 wazz breaks in the 30mins before!

    4miles tonight to come. Glad it's not a 10k race tonight!

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    SG, hydration for health reasons ok. Hydration for reasons of improved performance is another aspect.

    Check out the articles based on 'the effects of warm weather training on blood volume'.

    The scientists established that if you get it right, your performance could improve several %. The real pay off is when the temperatures cool down.

    🙂

  • Odd session with the club tonight.. Big 3.25 mile warm up and down. 6x800 off rd. mostly around 2:30.. Dead on the last one: 2:43. With getting to the voluble and back did 11 miles.. Feel exhausted now. 

  • ML84ML84 ✭✭✭

    My Thursday session for the last two weeks has had that warm up and down as its the distance to where my club trains Tim. The sessions are on grass and I've struggled on the way home afterwards. What's next for you race wise?

    i had a go on a treadmill in an altitude chamber tonight. I was informed that it was roughly set to the level what the air was like at 10000ft. Was a bit nervous beforehand but decided to do 5x 5 mins off 90 secs. First 2 @ 17.5kmph and then edged it up at halfway on the 3rd to 18kmph then did the last 2 mins of the last rep @ 20kmph. Could certainly feel it on the last two. Not sure what benefit the odd session would have but certainly enjoyed getting the chance to do it. 

  • Hi Matt... Altitude chamber? That sounds like fun! Did you notice a massive difference?

    Sale sizzler 5k for me next week then Great Warford 10 mile the following Sunday.

    You? 

  • ML84ML84 ✭✭✭

    I think I'm doing Lancaster on sat although it isn't PO10 then I'm also doing Sale Next week. I was expecting it here to be a massive difference from the start but I didn't notice it until about half way. Whether I was expectitoo there to be too much of a difference I don't know. The last two were hard work mind you. 

    Early start for work hence the ridiculous time. Ricf will no doubt be getting ready for his run at this time.image 

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Matt, Ric'll have done his run by now.

    Tim, 3miles of reps offroad at a pace which must be faster than your 3k pace seems amazing to me. I could feel my body twitching just reading it.

    Matt, you'll be off to training camps in Kenya next!

    Woke up today feeling quite tight hip flexored, I thought i'd got away from the hilly 10k scott free! Got one of those tickly throats you get with repeated hot weather too! Nothing too major so we press on.

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Correct on both counts Mattl & SG.

    🙂

  • Hadn't thought about it like that Stevie. Would explain the tiredness. 

    Ric.. Don't know how you get out so early! When I work early(7:30), there's no way I can run before.. Will do a steady 10 later. 

    Matt... See you at Sale!

  • Hi. Long time lurker, new poster. I’m just wondering if its ok to pull up a chair and say hello. I’m relatively new to running having taken it up over the past couple of years, but have really enjoyed it so far and just got into Vet 35 age group. I’ just coming off the back of a 2.54 at London (first marathon) and wanting to concentrate on the shorter distances for the rest of the year (up to Half marathon) before having  another go at London next year.

    I thought my base from London would carry me on to PBs at shorter distances this summer, but so far I have lost my mojo a bit and it hasn’t quite translated into decent times. Maybe slightly fatigued after the event. I’m feeling back to normalish with training at the moment and am training towards Cardiff half later this year at the moment. I’m still struggling to get the long runs done post London and currently topping out around 13/14 miles as opposed to the 16/17 I’d like to be knocking out. They are also being run a bit too fast and I know I need to slow them down, but I’m having problems with that too.

    The speed work seems to be improving though. Last night was 6x600’s and 6x 200’s. 1 min rest after 600, followed by 200’s, then 1 min rest etc…  Overall the 600’s came in around 1.54-1.58 and the 200’s 30 – 33 seconds. I’m still finding my feet with pacing on a track so still a bit of up’s and downs and not nailed on every time.

    Just interested to see how everyone else is getting on and would welcome any thoughts on whether I should be focusing on the Half marathon training for later in the year or focus in on speed work at the moment to try to get my 5k time down. Current P.B’s are: Marathon: 2.54.53. Half Marathon: 1.22.35. 10K:36.07 5k: 17.36.

    My 10k pb came in the build-up to London on heavy mileage and I want to reduce my half mara pb to sub 1.20 and get 5k down to nearer 17 mins, which I know is going to be challenging. From Marathon training I think the big mileage base helped with my lower end stuff so I’m going to have to up the mileage and stop being so lazy as currently only running 40-50 miles a week. Any thought would be welcome.

    P.S Sorry for the rambling gate-crashing of the thread, but I’ve long been impressed by the quality of training posted and hope joining in might give me the needed kick up the backside to push on a bit.

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