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Shades Marathon Training
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Just about to go out for a bike ride (probably around 30-miles, all being well) and then there's a Tri nearby that I'm going to spectate at. We went for a walk yesterday evening and the organisers were setting everything up....there was loads of scaffolding in the transition area for people to rack their bikes. When I think how much prep/training goes into a run, I shudder to think what's involved in preparing properly for a Tri. I mean, I'm pretty sure I could get around a Sprint Tri if I had to (as long as it was a pool swim, which today's is), but to do well must take quite a bit of organisation! Quite looking forward to spectating and just hoping I can get close to the cycling track with the Covid restrictions etc. If not, I'll stand near the transition area and see them come off the bike and into the run.
Interesting document to see the lengths race organisers are having to go to,this was the reasons Boston UK got cancelled and the reasons Boston think it should have went ahead
I got my 30 miles done on quite a nice circular route. I had inadvertently picked some country lanes for my route, some of which weren’t great quality for a road bike, but I got through ok without a dreaded puncture.
Ian, that's crap, I feel bad for the organisers. They've obviously given everything careful consideration but to no avail.
Well done on the 30, Big G!
Whew, well that was a morning...I'm absolutely knackered.
I woke up at 3am and figured I might as well get up seeing as I had to be out at 5:30 - a bit of extra time would mean I could do some foam rolling and stuff. Which I did as my back/side/QL/whatever it is is still giving me some trouble.
It was dark when I went out - not used to that after months of running in daylight - so I was a bit tentative (read: very slow) for the first couple of miles. Managed to catch my toe on a paving stone at one point, too, and almost stacked it. How I stayed upright I have no idea as I was pitched well forward. I distinctly remember thinking "NO! Not on race day!"
Anyway, it was a bit lighter by the third mile so the rest of the journey was a straightforward, if not terribly exciting run along the good old South Circular.
Made it to Kew Green by 7am and they had a spare number for me, so that was no trouble.
The one problem I faced, running there, was that I couldn't eat beforehand. I do my training fasted but I usually like to have a small bowl of oats before a parkrun or race, given that they generally start a lot later than I go out to run. But I always need at least three hours between eating and running if I want to avoid puking in my mouth, so I just had to make do with a couple of gels.
Race organisation was very good under the circumstances - everything went very smoothly (no massive queues at bag drop or loos) and the staggered start worked well.
I realised that I wasn't going to be running a PB today - the early start and 8 mile run there were one thing (or two things) but I'm also race rusty. I was slower than I expected to be, though.
First mile, which passed through some lovely flower gardens, was 8:22 which is too slow if'd been after a PB, but not too bad otherwise. Then next mile was better at 8:13 and I started to feel more hopeful. But then I went back to 8:25 and it went downhill from there... 8:46, 8:31 (rallied slightly) then a pretty slow 9:03. Legs felt tired but I also didn't have the right mindset to push hard - my breathing never got into audible range, although it still felt like hard work.
Garmin satnav behaved today, thankfully, but the twisty, tree-lined course did cause some inaccuraces so the last bit took three minutes as it made it 6.35.
Final and official time was 54:16 which is my slowest 10K for a couple of years. I'd opted to wear the Peg Turbos on account of the run there, rather than the 4%, but I don't think Vaporflys would have helped that much.
I'd already decided that there was no way in hell that I was going to attempt to run home so I braved the tube (which was running by this time).
Dorney's only three weeks away now so hoping I will be in better shape for that. I'm also wondering if I should do another 5 or 10K before then - any opinions? (I'd normally want to do a half, but that's not an option unfortunately).
Nice 14 miler there - saw it on Strava. Good pace.
Ian - that's a really interesting read. Bureaucracy gone mad, no wonder the race organisers were frustrated.
Cal - great result considering you had to run 8 miles to get there and not able to have breakfast especially as you'd got up so early. I think you could easily count today as your long run.
Plym Trail marathon for me, my first race this year so pic of the medal, nice one with a bumble bee, he has different medals for each event always depicting the local wildlife.
Arrived early, unlike Cal I don't like walking any distance to the start and arriving early enabled me to park 10 metres from the start line. Some runners, mostly those that had run yesterday, were opting for an early start so I offered to start early too, as that makes it easier for the RO too with Covid rules. So started 45 minutes early, that was a good move as I was able to run up the steep hill from the start keeping my HR to 74%. Back down the hill and onto the Plym Trail, thought I'd be able to have a nice quiet run on my own but I've never seen so many cyclists and runners on the trail, all smiling and happy and speaking. Quite a few runners out from local clubs and others training for VLM virtual, I knew quite a few of them so ended up having a big social chit chat for the first 7 miles. As I'd started early the first drink station wasn't operating so first drink at 7 miles, I was a bit thirsty as starting early I hadn't maybe drunk as much prestart as I would usually. Needed 2 drinks at 7 miles, knew the marshals there, more chit chat. Turnaround then and back up to the start. I was running OK, and my legs didn't fall off once I'd got past 10 miles (my longest run in the last 4 months). I'd packed a lot into my bumbag, sweets, chocolate and cashew nuts as I knew I might struggle later and need sustenance but I struggled to really take on much at all. At 18 miles I started to tire and it became much harder, got to final turnaround at 20 miles and took a salt tablet here. Then it was a bit of a slog to do the last 6 miles, I developed a sore ankle for a couple of miles which didn't help. Quads and adductors were tired. Weather was perfect, had been a bit humid in places but that wore off and a pleasant 21 degrees when I finished. Finish time 5:04:07, which is actually my 4th best time out of 8 runnings of this event. Average HR a low 79% MHR. So not a bad day, up to 18 miles I think I was running well, just lack of long runs slowed me for the last 8 miles.
I went down to watch the Tri and really enjoyed it. Beautiful weather this afternoon and I was there in shorts and T-Shirt. They had a kiosk there so I had a coffee and cake - it would have been rude not to! There were a decent amount of spectators down there but it's very easy to social distance, with grass around the track, and on the inside of the track. I think some had made a day of it with picnics so it was a really great, relaxed atmosphere there. I knew a few people and it was nice to see what goes on having never really seen a Tri before. I saw them come into transition from the swim, get on the bike, and then watched the cycling mainly (the seniors were doing 15 laps of the track). Then I moved towards the run, but it was all cordoned off so not easy to get a good spot, so I walked home after that. I was umming and ahhing about whether to just stay in and watch the TdF earlier on, but I'm glad I went down and I'll watch the TdF highlights a bit later.
Cal - it's a lovely course and if I lived there I'd love it for training, but it feels like a very tough course when it comes to racing. My Garmin measured the climb today at 1894 feet, last time it measured it at 1797. I've not committed myself to running it again, but we'll see.
Big G - social distancing perfect, nothing to worry about. Mask on to go into the hall and if you wanted a coffee then it was made for you. I carried my mask but never saw a single person wearing one on the course. The lower part of the course has had the leaf debris cleared from the edges so the path was a decent width all the way. At the drink stations single use compostable cups. Jelly babies portioned out into cups if you wanted them.
Yes, Richard had a shocker yesterday and today even worse, he ended up teaming up with 3 girls and walking. Don't know what's wrong with him, he looked very unhappy.
Yes, Alice was there. Don't know what she ran yesterday but today she walked the half, she's carrying an injury.
The only runner today who was rude by not acknowledging me or others was the only Trotter there, CR. He set off fast, looking for the win, with MD (who had heat stroke here last year) some distance behind. After 3 times seeing CR and him blanking me every time, I said to MD you can catch him and I happened to be coming the other way just as MD cruised past at about 22 miles and he took the win.
Definitely more than a passing interest in the triathlon.
I'm 3 days behind on TdeF.
Cal- I think the wed before is definitely too close,a week before could be ok,debating one myself but unlikely I think at the minute.
Never say never about a Tri I suppose but it’s unlikely. It was great watching but it’s also so much faff with the transitions etc. I’d need more kit too - probably a Tri suit, a band to hold my race number, etc. And then it’s a very slippery slope to spending £££’s on carbon bike bits! I have been tempted with a run-bike-run event in the past so that is more likely to happen at some point. Or something like Dartmoor Classic on the bike has sparked my interest in the past. But I got into marathons and that took up my time in the pre-Covid days.
A duathlon might be a good start although I know you're a good swimmer, a lot less faffing to run/bike and cut out the water.
Cal - don't think I could ride a bike, last time I was 15. I have no intention of trying again.
I'd forgotten the restless night's sleep that I usually have after a marathon, so although I was tired, I hadn't slept well the night before either, I woke up about 8 times. But got up early and wasn't looking forward to my recovery run but I had a surprising good run. 5 miles, legs are only a little tired, hip flexors on both sides are tight and when I ran I could feel my heart and lungs were a little weary. But I felt a lot fresher when I'd finished the run that when I started. Early start as I have Pilates class.
Big G-If you know a decent swimmer,some events have a relay triathlon,I looked in to it when I had a semi-pro cyclist working with me,but never got round to fitting it in.
As for my lack of cycling prowess, I was dyspraxic as a kid (well, still am somewhat, given how often I fall over!) so I don't think my parents were keen to let me wobble about in London traffic. My friend had a big garden with a mound at one end and tried to teach me by letting me freewheel down the mound, but I ended up in a rose bush and got sent home covered in iodine (her mum had been a nurse at one point). Didn't get on one again.
Have you decided on your holiday destination now?
Forgot to mention yesterday that I spoke to the RED folk yesterday. They have applied to LA for their first events at the end of the year, which I think is planned to be 4 marathons in 4 days. Just in case you fancy a marathon catch up in numbers. 😉