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Moraghan Training - Stevie G
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9am is late! Just get up earlier. Wimps
I was pacer for 34mins at parkrun yesterday. Not as easy as I thought and had to mark time at the funnel until a few people aiming for sub 34 got across. Followed it up wit a few faster kms. Certainly felt tough
Wonder how Dachs got on at Cardiff today.
Oops forgot to say good luck Dachs - sorry!
How did you and Philip manage to upset a farmer on the Marlow route SG?? Nice roads for running those, but yesterday morning wasn't hugely pleasant!
Right, so instead of racing the South Bucks 10 k
I went for a similar bike ride to last Sunday, only further and a bit faster. Very nice weather for it (once I'd warmed up!). My longest ride for many years - 40.7M, 2600ft of climbing @17.4mph. Happy enough with that, even if it wasn't a race! Took me to 126M for the week plus and OCD disturbing 14.6M of running.
ps - Philip, not sure my current elongated taper is going to stand me in good stead for CP !!
Any reports from today's racers yet?!
My 6th week now of 50+ miles, with 2 sessions and a good long run of 15+ I'm feeling really good at the moment. Finished the week with 15miles in 7:04 avg. The last 5KM were covered in 18:36.
XC starts next Saturday in the Manchester League!
That's a good block of training under the belt Stevie, and a damn quick end to the long run to boot!
Results for Cardiff are out - looking good for a forumite of this parish, but no doubt too busy celebrating to post a report just yet
So, in summary, aim was to take a decent chunk off my 1:14:46 PB, which is more than 18 months old now. Didn't want to put an exact time on it, just thought I'd hear out in the 5:30-5:35 pace zone and see what happened.
In the end what happened was I ran most of the race in a group containing the 3 Kenyan ladies leading the women's race. As well as helping me maintain the pace it also may have meant I got my mug on telly. Final result 1:12:39, so more than 2 minutes lopped off the PB, and a top 50 placing. Really good day. Met Colin Jackson afterwards, which I was pretty happy about cos he was always my hero as s kid (before I saw his punditry).
Good result Dachs, well done.
Bus, that's quite a ride. I beat you today by about 3km, but you win the speed and climbing prize (1210' & 16.6mph). I did follow it up with 1.74km or very very very easy running.
XC already SS? It's still summer (ish).
Great rides there Bus and Iron and a solid block of training too SS. Are you at the Abbeydash SS?
Ian Hodgson mountain relay for me today in the Lake District. It was 4 legs and a pairs race. Leg 2 for me wich was just over 7 miles with over 2800ft of ascent. Went off in 10th place and straight into a climb that lasted 35 minutes. My calves were screaming and lungs burning. Hill reps on Thursday weren't ideal!
Clag was down at the summit but luckily no navigational issues. Managed to hand over in 8th place which we ended up finishing in. 70 teams entered with some top, well established fell running clubs in containing internationals. Not bad for a club that's only existed for less than 2 years.
Great result Dachs, good group to run with I bet and low 5:30 miling is very nice! I did spy it earlier but was awaiting the report! Chuffed for you, as you recently had that cold but also a few jinxed HMs so a solid PB earned
Will look up the highlights when available
Good stuff that Matt - well done for your team is the IH relay is pretty keenly fought I understand!
Iron - I guess you need to be doing that jelly legs running after a big ride! I was pleased with the pace, as I've never managed that over that sort of distance before. Mind you, compared to last weeks ride I've been bloody tired after and can really feel it in the quads, especially as I was dragged out for a family walk after lunch!
Dachs - that is an absolutely fantastic time and well deserved. You should be well chuffed with yourself! You also beat one of our local legends by about 20secs as well, which was his PB despite turning V40 recently.
I'm looking forward to the full report!
superb Dachs
SS - really promising long run, finding 6mm pace at the end must fill you with confidence.
SG - likewise, 7mm pace is decent on a long run on a hilly course. Don't you want to run a wee bit faster with a number on though
. (and yes, I'm going to keep nudging until you race).
Great fell racing Matt. Sounds absolutely demented to the likes of me, but there are those who enjoy that kind of thing I guess. It's impressive to be able to run so well on the roads and the fells at once.
Iron - nice 34 minute parkrunning! You certainly looked to be concentrating hard, and then moving pretty swiftly for the fast bits afterwards.
Bus - nice riding, sounds like a lot of up!
Eastleigh 10K clashes with the Reading Half next year apparently, so I might have to miss out. I'm going to try to bagsy an 'elite' number Samir style.
Race report ...
Slightly worried during the build-up to this as my cold, which I thought had gone, had made something of a Custer's Last Stand on Thursday and Friday, and I felt pretty crappy Friday afternoon in particular. As I have alluded to before, I have had rotten luck with my last 4 half marathons (illness, injuries and cancellation), so I didn't want this one to go the same way.
Fortunately, my shake-out run from my hotel on Saturday night felt pretty good, so my mind was put at ease a little.
9 am start was a little on the early side, and it was a bit chilly out at that time in the morning, but perfect conditions for a Half - very little wind. Due to my PB being a little soft, I wasn't 100% sure where I stood, so decided to set out a bit conservatively at around 5:35 pace and see how it felt. Found myself almost right on the start line, as the elites were over the other side of the carriageway, so got away very smoothly.
Once I settled in, had a look at the watch and it was about 5:24 miling, so slowed myself down a little and letting people flood by. Quite pleased with myself for keeping the start under control. First mile in 5:34, which was about right, and groups were starting to form. Fortunately for me, the group forming around my pace included the three Kenyan women plus one British woman (Rebecca Robinson), and a handful of blokes towering over the dainty Kenyans like Easter Island statues. This was a very good group to be in, and it kept pretty much intact for most of the race.
Next couple of miles passed a bit quicker (5:32, 5:32), but the rise and then drop into Penarth Marina affected the pace a little (5:38). The run was enlivened by being filmed (or rather the leading ladies being filmed) by a bloke on a motorbike, so I tried to maintain my least gormless facial expression. The fifth mile goes across the barrage across Cardiff Bay, which i'm sure would be a nightmare when windy, but was fine yesterday. That mile came out in 5:31 to go through 5m in 27:47.
At the 5 mile point, some bloke was stationed on a PA. "You've reached the halfway point!" he was yelling - "Not far to go now!". "Lying bastard" I announced to no-one in particular. "We must be on world record pace then". Someone must have put him right because as his voice disappeared behind us I noted he had switched to calling it the 5 mile point.
Mile 6 is a long drag back towards the city centre, but it seemed to pass surprisingly quickly in 5:31. 10K point reached in about 34:25. Another 5:31 and then a 5:33 followed, and we were gradually passing some of those who were struggling on their own. I made a few bids to get a few steps ahead of the ladies, but they always came back to me.
Pace started to hurt now, so made a conscious decision to knuckle down, and result was a 5:30 and then a 5:33 (slight rise in that mile) to come through 10m in 55:29 (making a 55 target at Cabbage Patch an obvious next step). We were now running around Roath Park Lake, very familiar territory to me as we used to play here often as kids.
The group was now fragmenting and I was losing touch with the Kenyans. This was my biggest wobble of the race, and I definitely slowed with a 5:39. However, the 11 mile marker gave me confidence, and I tried to picture the 2m to go point on my usual training runs. Gritting my teeth resulted in a 5:30, and I knew a good time was on. The odd person was caught, but one or two (including Emma Stepto) overtook, so no longer running in a group. Slight rise at 12m caught me out a bit (even though I used to live about 400m away from it!), but then it was a case of a straight last mile to the finish at the universi
The group was now fragmenting and I was losing touch with the Kenyans. This was my biggest wobble of the race, and I definitely slowed with a 5:39. However, the 11 mile marker gave me confidence, and I tried to picture the 2m to go point on my usual training runs. Gritting my teeth resulted in a 5:30, and I knew a good time was on. The odd person was caught, but one or two (including Emma Stepto) overtook, so no longer running in a group. Slight rise at 12m caught me out a bit (even though I used to live about 400m away from it!), but then it was a case of a straight last mile to the finish at the university - a route I used to walk every day. Hit it hard, I told myself, and managed my fastest mile of the race (5:28) and then the 0.1 at what felt like a sprint but was actually 5:29 pace to cross the line in 1:12:39, a couple of seconds behind the third Kenyan (fourth lady). 47th overall. Last 5km in 17:10.
Rounded off the day by having my picture taken with Colin Jackson, who was my athletics hero as a kid. I told him so, which he seemed happy about, and he asked how I did. Then I left my bag next to him and wandered off. One of the helpers came running out with it. "Don't worry, I'm now blowing you up" I told Colin, and then walked off wondering why I'd said that.
Splits - 5:34, 5:32, 5:32, 5:38, 5:31, 5:31, 5:32, 5:34, 5:31, 5:34, 5:39, 5:30, 5:28, and 32 seconds for the 0.1 - that's damn good pacing by my standards. Overall average 5:33.
thats some mighty impressive splits Dachs. Get a 10k in pronto and that pb will tumble in a big way too.
I cant help but notice a distinct lack of showboating though.
After the amazing results by Phil and Dachs in recent weeks I have a feeling this even pacing might have some merits. Who would have guessed not hammering the first half a mile was a good idea
Impressive performance Dachs and well deserved.
That's mental, Dachs, congratulations!
I did not run that fast at the Great Scottish Run half in Glasgow yesterday but did manage to run with elites (while warming up beforehand. But I was too embarrassed to do my strides in that area so ducked down a side street), and also get a sizeable PB of 1:21:33 (previously 1:24:52 at Reading). It was a bit bloody windy, too, especially at the end. But not as windy as today, so I guess we were lucky(ish). We also probably won team silver in the Scottish national champs.
well done to all the cyclists, long runners and racer Matt but especially Dachs - those splits tell their own story. Massive congrats on a seriously good time mate.
x-post Lit... congrats to you too on the new PB
Lit - fantastic running! A big chunk was definitely due off that PB, but that's a mighty performance indeed. Must be something in the Scottish air making you run so quick.
Interesting looking at the results yesterday. I am given an identical gun and chip time - yet J Griffiths, who I was stood directly behind at the start has a difference of 3 seconds. ?!
We'll done too Lit.
Great results guys, especially Lit and Dachs. To take chunks off pb's is really something satisfying.
Ss, glad to see a block of consistent training has come your way. I predict pb's emerging from that.
🙂
Lit has cut the tail off her times so we best start the real training
I follow but don't post very often
Well done to both Dachs and Lit, seriously good times
I think Stevie it is time for you to pin that number on and race yourself fit!
Cheers for the comments all, much appreciated.
Dean - I did actually try engaging with the crowd at one point, clapping back at their cheers, hoping to raise the volume - but then I realised that it's not really me, plus it was unnecessary arm effort.
I don't think my dad gets the high-five. I took a fair old detour across the road in Berlin to touch, and he left me hanging.
Brilliant HMs from Dachs and Lit. Your respective training and form lately all pointed towards a couple of chunky PBs in the making but you still had to get out there and smash it.
Nice one Lit - that's a huge chunk taken off your PB. Sub 1:20 on a falt course with no wind I'd guess!
Dachs - that brings back some memories! Drinking cider in Roath Park and falling in the boating lake.....
Quality splits there - nearly PP style metronomic!
Must do Cardiff some time, sounds like a good course . Bloody big event though!
I remember watching Tish Jones finish a half on tv last year, closing hard but very narrowly coming 2nd to some Kenyan woman.
Had to check her po10, but yes that was Cardiff too.
Like Bus says, noted as a particularly fast crown jewels race, for some time in the future..possibly! Long way though.
ps Dachs, cracking report. Enjoyed joking around threatening Colin Jackson by accident! Don't make comments like that at Airports though!
Can't believe they've matched up Eastleigh and Reading on the same day. What's the matter with these people. Surely two well renowned events within say 50miles of each other (ish) can arrange better than that!
30 minutes on the indoor bike this morning. I'd banged my knee on some obstruction a few days back which made running awkward.
I'll assume that last paragraph of yours SG, was intended as a joke.
🙂
i think Eastleigh and Reading are races so those who are frightened of racing and just go for long runs week after week are unaffected
Lit. great PB and you are pulling on to the coat tails of a few on this thread now. great stuff