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Mr v- I wouldn't say in any event that going for sub 3 off a 1.25 was overly reckless.
7 Mile at recovery effort last night. Planning 10ish at lunchtime as midweek long run. Trying to front load my week so I can taper to an extent for Sunday.
yesterdays 10 went well, 8.05 mm came out at 140bpm so top end recovery/bottom end easy.
Pushing my luck a bit but want to get 8 with 5 at mp in today as opposed tomorrow so that I have that extra recovery for sunday.
Morning all. Been a bit busy but have managed to have a bit of a quick catch up, looks to be some decent training going on from DT, Mr V, Pete and Muddy.
My training has been consistently inconsistent which isn't great but there we go. I did devise and enjoy a 15 mile route round Nottingham city centre which incorporated all of the city boulevards inspired by this article in the local paper
http://www.nottinghampost.com/news/history/many-boulevards-nottingham-187016
Well I usually work on half pace plus 30 seconds per mile and today was 6.22, so even on my relatively measured approach I'm in the game. Factor in 2 weeks more training and a full taper and that should give me the 6.48 to take account of over distance.
I'm working my way back into some sort of fitness. This week I managed a 4km run at 7s per km faster than my notional MP and without stopping for a breather. I finished the week with an 18km run, which felt much better than the weary trudge round the same route a fortnight ago. Total for the week was 63km: my best since March.
Excellent HMing DT - I agree that even if you ultimately failed at sub 3 it is the logical speed to set off at rather than a stupid aspirational pace.
i'm now blocked off this site at work (writing this on my iPhone) so TTT update will have to be done at home.
i also have my own health update but cnba to type that all on my phone.
Anyhow I ran 5 miles yesterday at 8:37 pace with a wedge in my right foot. Left foot hurt a bit after I'd finished but okay today. Will try again Thursday.
Good to see you got a decent run in Skinny. Hope the wedge wasn't made out of 50 quid notes ...
Great consistency Pete. Next race lined up ? Same question for you too Tommy - tends to focus the mind once you pay an entry fee.
Slight spanner in the domestic works meant no long run for me last week, so just a 35 mile week, when it should have been 50. I took a rest day instead of the long run, then tried to do the miles today, as a double, but could only fit 11 in. I'm unsure about having a taper for next Sunday's half.as that will make two low weeks on the bounce, and then post race recovery will bring another low week in the run up to Birmingham. On the other hand my numberwangs are looking better than ever and it's a flat course ...
btw, mace - how is the comeback progressing ?
I shall be running the Nottingham Boulevards on Sunday morning, strictly at mara pace however!
Yes, it does seem likely I should go at sub 3 pace.
Good news on the run and nominal reaction, Skinny.
Good mileage, Pete. That's circa 40 miles so decent stuff.
I suppose it depends on the target race Muddy. I was quite pleased to get a pb at Wolves even though it wasn't the target race as it took quite a lot of pressure off from Sunday. Despite the tapering for both and recovery, my mileage hasn't seemingly suffered this month. I've just done a bit more at recovery effort.
6 miles at recovery yesterday. Think i'll have a rest day today in anticipation of a big 5 days with a 15 planned for Thursday night and then Robin Hood at mp sunday.
In brief, I have been very busy. Also I did the Stirling 10k last weekend but was really slow, perhaps due to being knackered and having a really heavy period. I did get to go on a thrilling day trip to Alloa Tower and Castle Campbell afterwards though, so it was a nice day out. In a couple of weeks I am doing Glasgow half, in which I also confidently expect to be a bit shit, but I am looking forward to my giant Sunday roast.
Target race is actually Abbey Dash in November but I am being a bit greedy and hoping to push the boat out at Birmingham too. Ultimately I do want to keep a good training load going through this last bit of September and then October so will see how I feel going into Sunday and the week after.
Here's a giant finish line photo of me (I didn't realise it would come out on here quite so big!) looking like I've put a right old shift in! I thought I was feeling better than this.
Yes, that is partly why I went for it at Wolves. The conditions were good and for all I knew, Sunday gone could have been atrocious.
I wish I was as shit at running as lit.
Most uncharacteristically, I got involved in a conversation during today's run, which involved me slowing down to match the other guy's pace. It was worth it though. He assumed I was about the same age as him but he was 54
Worcester Half Marathon
This was the inaugural running of this event, to accompany the now established 10k, which I had run the previous 2 years.
It’s a no brainer for me to run this event being 20 minutes drive and 5 minute walk from my workplace and parking space. I entered this race as a targeted PB attack, though having achieved the same at Wolves 2 weeks earlier the pressure was largely off.
I arrived in Worcester for just after 8am. Conditions were perfect. The half started at 9am with the 10k going at 9.45. This meant that the 10k runners would not begin arriving until the half marathon runners were in their start area. Consequently toilet access was plentiful. As I arrived I was met with a bank of toilets. I pulled open the door of one to be met with a scream from a female in mid flow. I immediately shut the door and muttered to her that she needed to ensure it was properly locked as it was displaying as vacant.
I went off and dumped my bag and headed to the race course for a warm. Half way through nature called. I had toilet roll with me so I tucked myself into the exact same place I had gone the year previous. As I was doing this another runner came around the corner frantically looking for a ‘spot’. Assuming he would see me I jumped up, however he didn’t and squatted down himself about 10 foot away and did what he needed to.
That done, I made my way into the start pen and got to the front where a number of familiar local faces were present. The area was very sparsely populated and there appeared a complete reluctance for people to push forward. I had studied the route in advance and was aware that the first 6 miles essentially looped around the city centre and were largely flat. After that it would go out of town with miles 7-9.5 being of an uphill profile and then the last few miles coming back down.
At 9am we were sent on our way. I had a reasonably clear start. My plan was to run at 6.20 pace which wasn’t possible at Wolves. I could tell immediately that my body was in much better shape for it and the pace came without being forced too much. As we looped around the city the gps jumped up and down all over the place. I decided therefore to keep a close eye on the mile markers to gauge any over distance.
The first half seems a bit of a blur as we were simply looping around the city. There were a reasonable number around me in the early stages, however this thinned out as the first 6 miles passed by.
I don’t have too much comment on this stage and cannot remember anything of significance. The splits for these miles were 6.20, 6.18, 6.26, 6.14, 6.21, 6.18. At 6 miles we started leaving the city centre and the gradual climbing began. I went through 10k in 39.13 (SB by 40 seconds and my 3rd fastest 10k time) and was feeling pretty strong.
We then did some running around residential areas. The pace slowed a little at mile 7 coming in at 6.26 and the field was getting ever thinner. I could hear in the background the 10k race getting underway at this point.
The following 2 miles were to temporarily break me as we left residential areas to move into countryside. It was just climb after climb on uneven paths through fields. Thevaporflys, with their extremely bouncy manner did not take well to this uneven footing, throwing me all over the place. Mile 8 came in at 6.43. I even had to stop momentarily at the peak of a climb as I felt like I was going to vomit. My average pace had just been decimated, I was running unaccompanied and I was feeling beaten. It didn’t help then when mile 9 came in at 6.40. By this point my average pace was 6.27 which was the average at Wolves, however I was measuring longer and therefore knew 6.27 would get me nowhere.
At the end of mile 9, just to compound matters there was a switchback. Had I not been aware of the profile of the course I would have packed it in at this point. The climbing, whilst not unanticipated, was much more than it appeared on a map. However I noted that I had pulled in a couple of runners ahead.
Mile 10, whilst undulating, provided some relief, and the added incentive of people being within striking distance to pull in. This mile came in at 6.22 and I had pulled my average pace down to 6.26 so back in the game.
The following 3 miles then provided the promised downhill which was far more sweeping than the maps had suggested. Surprisingly other runners couldn’t respond to this. I took the two ahead of me (they ended up coming in over a minute behind me) and there were 2 more a reasonable distance ahead. Mile 11 came in at 6.12 and average pace was creeping down. At mile 12 I passed another runner. He came with me for a bit but then dropped off (finishing about 20 seconds behind me). Mile 12 came in at 6.17.
At this point average pace was 6.23 and I was very close to measuring in line with mile markers. At this point it was apparent that I didn’t need to do anything silly to go sub 84. The gradient was gently downhill and so I just took the edge off the effort and cruised in. The guy ahead of me was out of reach so I was on my own. As we entered the city centre I went through mile 13 (6.21). This area was extremely well supported and is the longest 200m or so ever. The run in was separated with 10k runners coming in on the otherside of the barrier. The organisers had timed so I was running with the 39.xx finishers so we were largely at the same pace.
I started to feel my finish line anxiety coming on so started using distractions such as singing and counting. As I rounded the bend I could see the finish line and the clock on 1.23.xx so I put my foot down. My stomach responded accordingly and so I engaged some high end roaring and shouting which held things at bay. Finally the line came (final bits in 43 seconds at 5.32mm). I stopped my watch and tucked myself out of the way to gag a bit more. Fortunately it passed without outcome and off I went to collect my medal and t’shirt, delighted with my time and average pace of 6.22. A quick catch up with some other finishers and a cool down and then got out of there before the masses came in.
A pleasing outcome which must leave me on the edge of a sub 3 mara attempt. Whether I do succeed or not, at least going out at 6.50 pace should not be considered completely reckless. My only bugbear with this race were the water pouches they were handing out. The only way I could get into them was by ripping them open with my teeth, however this resulted generally it the whole thing exploding in my face.
Onto Nottingham this weekend to run the Robin Hood at mp, followed next weekend with a 10k pb attempt down in Wiltshire.
I managed a 17.45 parkrun yesterday which is a lot better than I've been doing recently. Hopefully means whatever has been holding me back recently has passed.
Encouraging parkrun, Mr V, well done.
In more prosaic fashion, I managed 71km this week with just 1km at 10k pace. I seem to be settling into winter base period already.
DT, it doesn't sound like a fast course the way you describe it, with hills and a bit of off road.
Once again, good consistent running Pete. I prefer racing and the harder work in the colder months for some reason.
Speaking of which I was distinctly hot and bothered at the Isle of Axholme half marathon yesterday.
The day before had seen me rise with a headache and a parkrun marshalling stint where I was putting the fun into funnel management once more (one puker, and one lady sobbing when she crossed the line - I'm like marmite, me). The afternoon involved some napping and feeling hot. I had pretty much decided not to travel. However the next morning I woke early without the headache, changed my mind and thought I could make the start line.
The dawn trip up north yielded to a warm morning, a clear sky and a strong wind. While my original intent was to give it a good go aiming for half effort, I found myself pouring with sweat during the warmup taking in the fun run course with the kids. Lining up at the crossroads in the centre of town, off we went, and whilst it was a relatively sane start, and the heart rate wasn't excessive, it didn't feel like an effort I would be able to sustain. After I had settled into 3rd place after quarter of a mile in a group of 4, some mild undulations took us out of town. A chap sheltered behind me, before we shared the headwind for a while after some jokey weaving around. He took off and eventually finished 2nd in a very strong run, while I gave up and dropped to marathon effort after 7 miles. Even then I found it a major struggle to finish and was a hair's breadth from stepping out of the race at 9 miles. However I was still in 4th, couldn't see 3rd, but nor could I see 5th, so it made sense to jog it in at a reduced effort. However I was feeling like I was burning up, so it still turned out to be a fairly miserable plod home for 4th in 1.21.14 and probably an age category win (results to be posted up tomorrow with prizes in the post).
I checked back to the last time I did this race in 2015 when I finished in 1.21.10 and that felt like a good training run at the time, and I felt pretty fresh at the finish. I went on to have a horrible Birmingham half. Hopefully I've got the horrible race of the autumn out of my system - though in hindsight, I really shouldn't have done it.
Edit: Also there was a lot of quality last week, with approximately 15 miles sub 6.40 min/mile even before the race was included. So I overdid it too.
Well done, Mr V. Sounds like fitness hasn't deserted you.
Good mileage, Pete.
Sounds like the sensible decision would have been not to run, Muddy, however it is much easier said than done. Still no shame in a 1.21 and 4th place!!
I met up with my friend, Andy yesterday to utilise our free places at the Robin Hood and run it at mp together. The first 5k of this race is pretty brutal. I couldn't find Andy in the very crowded start pen, spotted him at about mile 1 but decided to wait for the downhill stage to catch him at 3.5 miles. We then had a reasonably pleasant morning and chatted the whole way round, though it did get pretty hot in the sunshine.
For the last few miles we took on an unofficial pacer role encouraging those we passed to sit in behind us. Some managed it whilst others dropped off, but by 12.5 miles we had 4 or 5 drafting behind us and another guy also on a mp session. Came in at 1.29.24 with average pace of 6.47 for what measured 13.19 miles.
My legs felt hammered throughout as last week was my highest training week and came straight off the Worcester half (51.5 miles, pump, press-ups and 2 x spin), but aerobically it felt good. Hopefully come marathon day I will be adequately tapered, have the fitness from the last 2 big weeks come through, have my vaporflys on and it wont be warm and sunny.
Hope you aren't feeling too drained after your HM, muddy. It's one of those "kill or cure" situations isn't it? I hope you are cured
In complete contradiction to what I said in my last post, I ran 3 x 1km off 2mins walking rest today. They averaged out at 4:26, which is a teeny bit faster than my 10k pb pace so that gives me confidence to do some more sessions.