Sub 3h15

1119811991201120312042104

Comments

  • Lorenzo, good chunk off the PB now. What is the next target, as you are sub 39 are you going straight for the jugular and sub 38?

    Gul, nice 20. Do you see today is the 100km champs on the same cycle course as your marathon. You can get some hints from Steve Way who was lapping at about 7.4x a lap but has stepped it up to 7:38 at lap 301

  • Leslie HLeslie H ✭✭✭

    Lorenzo-lets hope the chip time dips under 39 as well,good racing!

    Gul-you are flying now curry powered or not.

    Set out for a long run this morn, aim was 20-22 , wanted to take gels this time but couldn't find the belt to hold them so didn't bother in the end. It became a death march early on and my hip started playing up a bit at 12 so at 16 id ran out of steam and had enough so went home ....

    41 for the week , 1 race and 3 sick days image

  • GerardMGerardM ✭✭✭

    Lorenzo - image Great time and significant chunk off your previous. I'd be delighted with that as I am sure you are! Well done.

    Gul - Top notch 20 there, you will fly come the day. I know your thread name is not a reference to a bird but I am thinking you need to change your name to Falcon or Hawk or something to that effect!image

    Leslie - Tough run by the sound of it, take it easy.

    OO - 18:4X plodtastic, hmm, sounds quick to me. Congrats to young OO on the win, what age is your daughter? That's a decent time for a youngster.

  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭

    Well done Gul- so its your Birthday?

    We all have days like that Leslie, will soon be forgotten.

    Congrats Lorenzo, nice to get a 10k pb so soon after London.

    Junior OO is 16 GM. 

  • GerardMGerardM ✭✭✭

    Forgot to say Happy birthday Gul!

    OO - You must be proud of her.

    PMJ - We have no such thing as a road mile here but i would like to run one. Where are you seeing Steve Way's splits, are you there watching it?

  • JoolskaJoolska ✭✭✭

    Well done, Lorenzo - very good chunk to take off the pb!

    Happy birthday, Gul and a very nice celebratory 20M.

    Congrats to OO junior.

    GM: they are 2.1km splits and you can see his progress on Twitter.  Spoiler alert: British record!

  • GerardMGerardM ✭✭✭

    Jools - Thanks, I just saw that. He's truly remarkable.

  • Was listening to the first part of his MT interview this morning - sounds a great guy, but to do what he's done today just 3 weeks after his VLM performance is just extraordinary.

    PMJ - not sure what the next target is to be honest. Today's run gives me 3 PBs over 3 distances (5K, 10K and marathon) in the last month but with the Stockholm marafun at the end of the month, I need to get the next few weeks sorted and then hopefully I'll be spending more time on my bike over the summer. There's a fairly local 10K (where I set my previous PB) towards the end of the July but I doubt whether I'll be able to get close to 38 for that. 

    I suspect that there'll be some more shorter stuff - definitely a few more parkruns to see if I can get close to younger Lorenzito's time (18:28) and maybe one of the Battersea Park evening 2 mile races with the aim of sub 12 (I've never managed sub 6 min miles in a race!)

  • I like the idea of the 2 mile, may do one myself. I don't think I can face the longer races on the short course there.

  • PMJ - the next one is on 16 June. Perfect for me as I work just across the river from the park and can easily hop on the train afterwards. 4 laps wasn't too bad - all the different K markers kept you on your toes. Not sure I could cope with a 50 lap race though, let along the 24 hour track race that the Sri Chinmoy guys organise!!

     

  • BirchBirch ✭✭✭

    Hope your diagnosis is incorrect, Blisters . . . . .
    Gul - excellent 20 after Indian food (although if the dinner included rice & naan then plenty of fuel on board) -
    Lorenzo - many congrats on a big PB, particularly impressive just 3 weeks after VLM .
    well done to OO jnr - & not bad by dad, too  . . . . .

    12 very enjoyable miles here with a few pals on a crisp, cool, sunny, glorious morn . .

  • BadbarkBadbark ✭✭✭

    Sorry I haven’t read back yet but will do so tomorrow.

    I ran the Causeway Crossing 50k ultra marathon today which was my first race longer than a marathon. I’m running the Belfast marathon on Monday and both these races are just training runs towards my A goal of the 100k Portumna Ultra Marathon in 6 weeks time.

    The 50k started at 1 pm and there was also a 100k whose 2nd half was over the same route, which had started at 5:30 am. My plan was to run at about 8 minute/mile pace effort but with beaches, rocks, steps, steep hills to navigate I had no idea what pace I would maintain. I just wanted to feel like I did in my 30+ mile long training runs.

    Off we went and I was surprised to find myself slot into 4th place early on. After about a mile going down a steep hill I caught 3rd place and had a chat. His name was Robert and had finished 4th last year in about 4:31. This was around the time I had planned so I thought I would stay with him for a while.

    We ran down to the coast and went across a beach and I had pulled about 20m ahead of Robert with 1st and 2nd about 100m ahead of me. We then hit this incredible rocky area for few hundred metres and Robert flew past me. It was almost like rock climbing and I wouldn’t have walked across it never mind run if given a choice!

    Next up was a mile long beach which was quad sapping and it dawned on me just how hard the last few miles would be as it was an out and back course. The first 3 had bunched up a bit but still in sight so it was good to follow their route. After we left the beach and started climbing a hill another runner pulled along side me. His name was Mark and had run a few ultras before and was able to tell me that the first two guys were Marty and Noel. Noel had finished 2nd last year in the 100k and Marty had finished 2nd in the 50k.

    Going down a hill I pulled away from Mark and noticed that I was closing in on Robert again. The next section of the course was very hilly including lots of steps and stiles mainly on grass right along the top section of the Giants Causeway. The scenery was fantastic! I felt very comfortable and wasn’t pushing myself at all but caught and overtook Robert to go into to third place. After about 8 miles I caught Noel who didn’t want to chat. Marty was about 50 m ahead but I was closing in on him too.

    I knew Marty was a 2:35 marathon runner so was surprise when I caught him after about 9 miles. We had a good long chat and Marty was a really nice guy. He told me his kid has been very sick (thankfully fine now) and had missed a lot of training due to hospital visits. It was great running just behind him as he knew the course well and kept me right in many places were it would have been easy to go the wrong way.

    At about 12 miles we came to a flat bit and Marty told me it was flat until half way and the turn around. Noel had tucked in behind us at this stage. We went onto a road section and Marty started pulling away from me going up a long drag. Noel was hot on my heels. Going down a hill close to the turning point I caught up with Marty again. I’m always so much better going down hills compared to every else but poor going up.

    I reached the mid way turning point in just over 2 hours. I’d been looking forward to this part as I could see just how close everyone else was. As the other top 5 were all experienced ultra runners I felt they would be stronger than me over the second half.

    Noel was about 30 seconds behind with Mark and Robert running together about another minute or so back. I expected Marty and Noel to pull away from me but started dreaming of third place and a podium finish.

    I still felt very strong and actually took the lead going back down the long drag. At least now I knew what was coming and it was great getting lots of

  • BadbarkBadbark ✭✭✭

     continued - encouragement from the other competitors going the other way. Back along the curvy coast I was able to see that Marty was falling back and Noel wasn’t in sight. Holy smoke about 20 miles in and I started to dream I could win the thing!

    I started to have to work harder to maintain pace as the legs started tiring. There were probably about 10 places that had about 20 to 30 daunting steps so I decided just to walk them and conserve as much energy as possible. At every point I could I was looking back going around curves but couldn’t see anyone else behind.

    I kept thinking I could hear foot steps coming behind me but there was no one there when I checked. I reached the beach at about 25 miles and still couldn’t see anyone. I was really running scared now as I have never won a race at any distance in my life!

    The rocks were navigated successfully and then it was up a serious hill which slowed me to over 11 m/m pace climbing it. I was gritting my teeth now and kept thinking that if anyone was going to go pass me they would have to work feckin hard to do it!

    I finally reached the top of the hill and it was only about a mile to go. Run Badbark Run! I kept the effort up and nearly jumped for joy when I could hear the finish line music not too far away. I rounded the final bend with my wife, mother-in-law and baby cheering me on. I crossed the line in 4:07 and had finally won my first ever race in my first ever ultra! Happy feckin days.

    Three 100k runners who had been running since 5:30 am had finished before me and my family didn’t realise I had won the 50k. Their faces were priceless when I told them although the hugs and excitement set off my daughter into hysterics. Whoops!

    There were plenty of goodies to be had at the end including a beer which went down well. The official photographer asked me to finish again as he had missed me the first time. I then finished a third time so my wife could take a picture too.

    I couldn’t believe that it took over 20 minutes for Marty to finish in 2nd with Robert finishing 3rd another 5 or so minutes later. If I had known I was so far ahead I could have took it so much easier over the last ten miles.image

     I’m so chuffed to have finally won a race. Now I just need to recovery for the Belfast Marathon on Monday. Eek!

      

  • Leslie HLeslie H ✭✭✭
    Thats fantastic Badbark well done .
  • PoacherPoacher ✭✭✭

    Badbark - I wasn't joking when I predicted a podium for you based on your training and ability. Very good work and a day you won't forget.  The last 10 miles of a 50 is exactly the time to push it and think about placings

    Gul it looks like we shared a birthday yesterday - I spend mine working  image yuk

    Blisters, ouch, good luck

  • JoolskaJoolska ✭✭✭

    Badbark - that is brilliant!  So pleased for you and a really great report.  I love the triple finish!

    Off to Coventry for the first Midland League fixture of the year.

  • badbark, well done indeed, first ultra, first win! Do you retire now as undefeated champion? I must say that reading your report, even though the terrain looks tough, it looks a lot tougher from a mental viewpoint. You have all those normal doubts about completing a long distance (and a new longer distance) at speed combined with the gremlins that certainly start to come into my head when leading races. I have only won short races but even the last km of a 5km when you are out in front seems to last an eternity and every twinge feels like a pulled muscle and you can't understand why the rest of the field isn't pouring past.

    Well done, well done, well done: one for each finish.

  • Well done Badbark - great result! In your first ultra too!



    Lorenzo - brilliant, that's a good chunk off your PB. I quite fancy the idea of the 2miler in Bat Park. I used to live just round the corner so know the park very well.



    Jools - indeed, I was following the updates on Twitter too - to be honest I find Marigold a true inspiration and proof of what can be achieved if you focus and knuckle down to some serious hard work. I'm a bit behind on MT currently but looking forward to listening to his interview.



    Blisters - ah bu**er that doesn't sound great but unless they've amputated I'm hoping that a year off is on the pessimistic side!



    Gul - great confidence builder!



    For me today I'm hoping to get out at some point for a very slow tester at something a little longer that I've been running recently but still probably I the single figures, maybe push to 10 but seeing as I'm on a very long road back I need to be cautious.
  • BirchBirch ✭✭✭

    Incredible stuff, Badbark - many congratulations, and good luck for tomorrow !  

  • SlokeyJoeSlokeyJoe ✭✭✭

    Belated Happy Birthday Gul and Poacher image

    RICE and stay upbeat Blisters, it might not be quite so bad

    Cracking PB Lorenzo!

    Badbark! Big congratulations to you and sounds like your family were just as excited as you about a WIN!! Well deserved and like Poacher, I'm not surprised. More to come I hope image 

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    Badbark: Wow! And I like the way you just started to build the possibility that you might win gradually into the report. Nice use of suspense there. That Noel sounds like a right miserable bastard though.

  • GerardMGerardM ✭✭✭

    BB - Epic race & report there, all your hard work is paying off big time. It must have been wonderful to win your first ever race and have your family there to see it, even if you had to do a replay, that's a story for the grandchildren if I ever heard one. I can't believe you are running Belfast so soon as well, even if it is a training run it's still a marathon! Delightfully bonkers!

  • BadbarkBadbark ✭✭✭

    Thanks for all the kind words, support and laughs Leslie H, Poacher, Jools, PMJ, FIN, Birch, SJ, lit and GM!

    Unfortunately I was so excited about my win I didn’t get one minute of sleep last night. In bed at 11:30pm and I gave up and got out of bed by 5:30am this morning. Well at least I’ve no DOMS yet!image I would be worried apart the fact I didn’t get any sleep when my daughter was born last year and still PB’d the following day in a half marathon. 

  • GerardMGerardM ✭✭✭

    Just decided to pop out for a 4 mile tempo run in the glorious sunshine along the promenade and took a tumble with about 3/4 mile to go. I've never fallen before but was lucky to be able to dust myself off and finish the run. The laces on the shoes I was wearing are really far too long and I have to triple knot them and they came undone and my right foot got caught in the now single knot and I literally hit the ground running. A few grazes and no doubt the knee will feel tender but that was a lucky escape.image Oh, in case anyone is wondering, I did stop my garmin.image

  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    Badbark, amazing run

    Huge congrats, most impressive.



    I managed 1:25:14 at the Keswick half today. 13 th place in a big fiield- so happy with that. Felt comfortable and seemed to run well on the hills as usual.
  • Impressive stuff OO - 1:25 and a bit on a course like that shows you've carried your Paris and London form on.

    Huge belated congrats to Badbark - great run (and report) and brilliant to end up with not just a podium finish but top spot. Good luck tomorrow.

    Hope you're OK GM - sounds like a bit of a comedy moment to those that were also on the prom.

  • Woooohoo, great running Badbark, and a great report too! 

    No Midlands league for me today. I probably could have run but I'm still full of snot. Instead I plodded out 11 miles. Legs feel great, breathing is shocking.

  • Leslie HLeslie H ✭✭✭

    00-51- great time and finish placing soon be top 10 image

    GM-laces too long ? buy nike pegasus 30's, the laces on my latest ones are hardly long enough to get even a double knot, think they are going silly on weight saving.

    3 easy 9 min miles today felt far enough for me , think another rest day tomorra.image

  • JoolskaJoolska ✭✭✭

    Nice result and placing, OO.

    Hope you recover ok from the tumble, GM.

    Midland League (Div 2) for me today: started with the 3000m, and although I set off at pb pace, I slowed a bit - rather startled by finding myself alone at the front!  I worked out from the shouts for me and others that I was being closed and so kicked a bit at the start of the last lap and then again - getting as close to sprinting as I ever do! - with 100m to go to secure the win. 10.59, so a bit short of pb (10.46) but a respectable season opener.  Followed that up with the 1500m all of 30 minutes later.  I sat in the pack for a rather pedestrian 96s first lap, but then pushed on a bit more to do enough to finish 1st B string, although the time (5.35!) will not look flattering on Po10.  I went and did a 3M cool-down to try and loosen the calves off a bit and returned to find I'd been roped into the 4 x 400m.  Sadly, my legs were too shattered to manage better than 84s - and my final lap of the 3000m had been 82s!  Still, it got us a point and we apparently secured 2nd place in the match by 1 point, so I certainly did my bit today.

  • GerardMGerardM ✭✭✭

    Jools - Great racing and nice sub 11 for the 3000! You certainly did your bit for the team.

    OO - Another very good run from you today especially on a hilly course & after two back to back marathons!

    Poacher - Belated b-day wishes to you as well. Not long before you head south for the ultimate road ultra! I have no desire whatsoever to do it but in some ways I wish I had. Will be amazing I'm sure.

    Lorenzo et al- It was a funny tumble and a couple who we were coming up from the beach steps onto the promenade were certainly concerned. They saw me flying in mid air and were kind enough to come and ask if I was ok. Must admit that I was worried for a millisecond that I could be in big trouble, but I did a quick reccy and saw that I was only slightly scuffed and when I sprung back up I realised all was ok. I have to say it was a weird fall as I was running fairly fast but accidents are odd things and I was lucky not to come off far worse. Pretty much sums up my week in that quite a few things went wrong but should I be good to run tomorrow!image

Sign In or Register to comment.