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Sunday 14th May The grass is greener but it's grown beneath my feet
The grass is greener but it's grown beneath my feet
Love inspiration is a message on a wing
Can I do these today
What nowt maybe a little walk
Why rest day
Last hard yesterday
Lyrics hope they'll do. 2nd and 3rd line opening is a giveaway
Love inspiration is a message on a wing
Can I do these today
What nowt maybe a little walk
Why rest day
Last hard yesterday
Lyrics hope they'll do. 2nd and 3rd line opening is a giveaway
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Thanks for the lyrics, Pammie! Great to have someone else setting them! Not that I know them!
What: fitness suite and short run
Why: Sunday routine
Some will remember my friendly battles with The Flying Pig; sadly he has lost his final battle. In October he was running 25 minutes for 5k, aged 74. He passed away yesterday after a struggle with asbestosis, having spent his life on building sites, mostly as site manager. I first met him in 1974 and in 1982 he ran the London marathon in 2:28...in my name as at the last moment I doubted I would break 2:30. He also supervised the building of both my extensions as well as being a club stalwart.
Very sad indeed but I will try to dwell on the happy times and use him as motivation.
What: fitness suite, 5.56k run
Why: good for the head today.
Sorry to hear about your friend Ale.
Hope travel went well OH and you somehow managed to find a way around the Etape. Good parkrunning too.
Good work on the track Dustin. Hope your preparations for summer didn't start it off raining again!
Nice duathlon yesterday Chicksta. Need to dust off my bike.
Will get on with a report..
What: recovery walk and some stretching
Why: breaking the streak and moving sore bits a bit
Last hard: yesterday
Last rest: today!
Lyrics: nope
Hazel what did you do yesterday!!! Tell us!!! And yes I am that sort of collector.....
Not sure if I said the other day but I'm doing my mile a day for May again so a mile this morning. Then marshalling at the local fun run with my little helper, then off to an outdoor inflatables Thing. Am knackered after all that. Not helped this morning with the realisation that none of my clothes fit and I've not got a scooby how that happened....
OH sounds like you're on the mend a bit at least with these excursions. I really hope so.
Have a fab evening all.
Thanks for the thoughts Hazel and Emz.
Here you go...
I DNFed at Zurich marathon 3 weeks ago and was pretty disappointed having invested some 4 and a half months of training. That went ok and two 10k races seemed to confirm I was doing the right thing. However I felt a bit achy and flat the week pre-race and I didn't feel good from the outset. The result was an initial HM which was at around goal pace but left me very drained already and after that I slowed and slowed to 20 miles, walked in to around 23.5 and stepped off of the course.
I decided that I had "only" done a progressively slower long run and wouldn't need the long recovery of a fully raced marathon so I signed up for the same 50k I did last year. Bit of a risk – I hadn't managed a marathon and hadn't otherwise run a long run for nearly 6 weeks.
I took it easy in the weeks between the two races rebuilding to an HM distance MLR the week before. I wasn't planning on racing the 50k – more important was to get to the finish. With as little walking as possible. Outside goal was a in a time faster than last year when I walked quite a bit on during the last 20km.
The 50k is a big contrast to a city marathon – small number of participants, mix of lakeside roads and paths, mixed traffic, no marshalling (follow the arrows on the ground and you can't go wrong) but with fairly regular aid stations. Short trip by moped and train and 5 minutes walk from the station – ideal. Did have a bit of stress as the roads on the first leg to the train station were already being closed for a bike race due to be held much later in the day – advantage of a moped is that you can sneak through and no-one was looking at that moment I needed to cross.
Got to race HQ in plenty of time for sorting my stuff out, packing my rucksack and doing a token warm-up to check that was sitting ok, shake my breakfast down a bit more and check out conditions. Those were ok – bit humid and around 11 degrees but last year was much warmer. Vest and lightweight shorts were sufficient. I decided to take my rucksack with water and some gels so that I could take on water in small amounts rather than rely on the aid stations as I drank too much at once last year and suffered for it. I also sent on a couple of gels to the 30k point to save a bit of weight (I use the hydro ones).
We set off promptly at 9am – goal pace was initially 5:25/km and no faster – I was very pleased that I managed to do exactly that and not set off too fast for once, a bit slower up the two minor hills and a bit faster back down but effort felt pretty easy and the km ticked past nicely – helped along with chatting to some other participants. It is also fun cheering on the HM participants who run the first 10.5k and then turn back.
Km 19 is the start of a 10k detour out onto St Peter's Island, connected by a causeway. Bit of a drag, especially the first and last straight 2-3k between wide reed beds, though the loop around the actual island is quite nice. I was running with one bloke at this point exchanging occasional chat but on the way back to the main shore he started to pull away – I was slowing rather than him speeding up. The sun also came out (grrr) and I started to remember last year in the heat.
Back to the aid station to pick up my gels and a couple of mouthfuls of sports drink and a few crisps. A HM left to do. I was running on my own at this point and being overtaken every now and then. The next 5km were a bit of a struggle, I could see my average pace dropping rapidly and really wanted to walk. I bullied myself into keeping jogging at least but finally gave in for half a km. After that I jogged and shuffled the remaining approximately 10 miles, with very brief walking spells for opening up gels or through the aid stations. The sun had fortunately gone back in, there were a few spits of rain and a light breeze to keep things bearable. The jog-shuffle was slow – I didn't previously think that I could that slowly but once I got into it I was fine. My legs were pretty shot but I'd got my energy levels sorted again at least. The anti-cycling gates and little bumps of 2-5 metres every now and then were tough as I needed to just keep going at a constant effort. My feet were threatening to cramp and I had to be careful to run with a precise footfall.
Over the line in 5:11. Each participant is announced and clapped in which is nice. Kept walking for a couple of minutes – stopping dead is not a good idea – and then hung around to watch more finishers and the prize ceremony while rehydrating and chewing my way through about half a tube of Pringles (oops – must have needed the salt).
I achieved my main goal – finishing, I walked less than last year but was slower overall (some 18 minutes).
Bit stiff today unsurprisingly but should wear off fairly quickly. I decided it would be a good day to stop the current streak and have just walked and stretched a bit.
Ale - Ahh I'm really sorry to hear your news but yes, always remember the good times.
Hazel - epic report, well done
Pammie - hope you had an enjoyable rest day
Emz - well done on the may mile challenge!
what - 13 miles (2h) easy trails with a club pal
why - LSR
last rest - 17/04
last hard - yesterday's track
lyric - not so sure
Sad news AH
Schiehallion summited after late (12:20) start albeit with help of poles and analgesics. Hope I won't regret it tomorrow.
Home on lunchtime boat tomorrow.
Lyrics no