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Moraghan Training - Stevie G
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At the next consultation I'll ask if it's a factor. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.
In the meantime, well done on all races and decent training efforts.
I tried some stuff myself on the indoor bike with a HR monitor. After a good twenty minutes I stopped for a couple of minutes and then tried some reps lasting two minutes, watching how the HR reacted.
What happened was that it took at least two minutes to get my HR to 150 bpm, but when I stopped, it dropped like a stone. The longest it took to drop below 100 bpm was 40 seconds. Once it was only 29 seconds.
After one minute of rest, the average was a low 70's bpm.
So, the recovery is good, but the 'pick up' is worse than useless. The rate isn't high enough and takes all day getting there.
Just a recipe for a great big oxygen debt. urrk!
🙂
However, hopefully it will be a bit of a jolly as, fingers crossed, I'll have the opportunity to get out and do a lot! Unfortunately I've also got a long report to write whilst I'm here, and prepare some stuff for a conference.
Good work on mile Pete. Always wanted to have a stab at a mile, and there's an opportunity on the track before the Devon County 10000m champs in June... A flat out mile is a suitable warm up, right?
Any pause for thought, no matter how minuscule, will be the deal breaker.
It's a question of priorities. Is the girl the priority, or does she have to compete with a load of blokes?
🙂
No posts since Saturday? Really is tumbleweed on here at the moment. Anyway, here is the weekends doings if anyone is interested/alive/bothered LOL.
So nice central hotel in Brum, nice saunter over to Aston Uni to the event village, meet a few friends, plus James from Haywards Heath, Justin from Hercules running for NI and a couple of others. England vest nice and light, but it's getting warm already, trying to strides in the cool. Decent warm up area in front of the start though, some water over my head and we're off. Thinking of 3.20's to get me round in 33.40 being sensible and all that. So it's a quick start and I miss the 1k marker. Not loads of shade but feeling ok and goihg through 2k in 6.20, thinking it's a little quicker than I wanted but i'll go with it. So down towards Edgbaston and through Canon Hill park and I'm through 5k in 16.29. Bit quick, but hoping I can hang on for low 33's. Heading back towards Brum I'm trying to keep hold of James but he's moving away again like he did at Chichester, can't quite catch up with Andy Leach either, trying not to get beaten by a V50!.
Can't remember any more splits, but in my mind I know the last 1.5k have been tough, warm, with some drags in them too, so no real surprise when I come through the finish in 33.34. Just behind Andy with the same chip time. So relatively happy with that, 3rd V45 after James and a Scottish guy. Just need to try and get a sub 33 at BUPA at the end of the month.
Did a 8 mile tempo yesterday to Woburn, then got picked up there and went to Bedford to watch the BUCS champs. Great weekend in all.
As there's not much going on here I will post a triathlon report. I decided to enter a local sprint triathlon in Fleet, just a few hundred entrants and a pool swim to start, only 400 metres then a 20 bike and 5k run, although the run was short due to a new housing development.
I'd done some hard biking this week and a year high 36 miles of running so this wasn't a serious race but I was still thinking of a podium finish. I spotted one guy I recognise who's a sub 10 Ironman finisher and came 2nd last year so there's some competition out there.
Due to a staggered start in the pool it's more of an individual time trial as you have no idea how anyone else is doing. Swim was fairly uneventful, not done much swimming so just cruised through it and was just 30 seconds slower than I'd hoped for.
On to the bike and it feels hard from the start, I'd averaged nearly 24 mph in a training ride the day before and I think that was a bit too much as I was struggling to go much faster today.
There's no chance of being passed in a race like this so it's just a question of keeping the hammer down and passing as many as possible. It's very different to running in that you have to hurt yourself, this kind of burn in running would bee more akin to middle distance on the legs and you wonder how you're going to run at the end of it.
The finish was on me before I realised and I didn't get time to get both feet out of the pedals so I dismount with one shoe in the cleat and one on my foot! It's not a big deal and after putting my running shoe on twice, to remove a stone, I am into the run.
I go off hard but my legs are not happy, I check my pace and it's over 6 minute miles,I was hoping to run around 17:45 pace but this course is crossing roads, going through housing estates, parks, roads and all sorts so I can't get a rhythm. First 1km is 3:45 which is ok but that included the initial over-enthusiastic start. It's followed with 3:55 which isn't ok. The course improve a bit and I pick up the pace as it goes on, 3:50 then 3:46. I'm passing lots of people but I know my competition is going fast than this. I pick it up for the last km but it turns out to be just 4.25km!
I cross the line feeling fresher than I started the run, I could have done 10k I reckon. I realised that I am either not used to the pain needed to run a hard 4.2k run or I am too old for this sprint business.
The good news was that despite losing time on the run I had the fastest bike of the day by 40 seconds which was enough to win the race. My first overall win (i've had a few age category wins). I stuck around for the prizes having not got a medal and the prize was membership to the leisure centre for a year. Not much use to me as it's 30 minutes away but it's worth £600!
I've offered it out and so far I've been offered £100 for charity so that would certainly make it a good days work.
Congrats Reg on the overall win and what sounds like an awesome bike section, hitting some tasty paces. I went on my bike this weekend but i was pissing about doing endo's and jumps trying to relive youth/impress my kids and achieving neither really.
Simon - nice work on the international 10k, good to pull on a "proper" england vest rather than those crappy start fitness ones for the XC. Good time considering the heat too. How many ran in the V45 category in total?
i had a midlands league 5000m on sunday and it was toasty warm. They even put out a water section in lane 4 to grab a drink such was the worry with the heat. with the heat i decided to go off conservatively and build and target a sub 16. Should be possible. settled in a group and went through 1k in 3.13. Felt like we were jogging. 2nd k in 3.15 and this felt hard. the heat had its grip on me. fighting to stay in the group with was now just 3 of us. but did a 3.15.
Struggling and i want out now. too hot and not fun. the leader breaks away and i track him for a lap or 2 thinking if i can hold on i probably can still put in a tasty last 400 to win and rescue this time. he ups the pace again but he drops me and opens a big lead. 4k in a sizzling 3.26.
now i am being caught by some behind me. so i try to work hard and make a note when i hit 800 to go i will pick up the pace and storm away. 2 laps on the board arrives and i raise the pace, but it lasts nearly 20m and im gasping. so i ease off and agree to to go at the bell instead. somebody is just off my shoulder, i raise at the bell but still im gasping and try to raise my knees on the back straight. Which i just about manage. down the final straight i kick and its decent enough to make sure im home safe in 2nd place, in a time of 16.16. Winner got 15.59. bearing in mind i ran 15.40 the other day and the winner has a 15.20 it shows just how bad we suffered in the heat. Still the Magnum ice cream was nice on the warm down.
Nice work chaps - eg, only done one Tri but do remember the off bike to running feeling, running like John Wayne! Decent prize though (unlike some!)
Solid enough Dean, esp after your exertions last week. The 5000 was tasty yesterday at Bedford in the BUCS race, 14.00 dead for the winner - unfortunately the winner just pipped Johnny D!
Simon - you hit your pre-race target, wore an England vest, and got on the podium. Sounds like a top-quality bit of work to me. Can't legislate for the kind of heat we had this weekend.
Dean, after no 5Ks for ages, 2 come along at once? Good racing, once again, difficult to know where you would be in better conditions, but main thing is the points.
Reg, huge win there, well done. Although, the purist in me tells me not to comment on triathlons, on the basis that if I ignore them they might go away.
2 days of nothing over the weekend, as away in the hellhole that is Brean Sands near Burnham on Sea, with the kids' rugby club tour. Drinking, bad eating, early starts and late nights and standing around for hours in the sun have all taken their toll. I had the exact same Pontins chalet I had last year, and they still haven't fixed the lock.
When a 16'16 5k and 33'34 10k in searing heat are regarded as nothing special you know the athletes' standards are pretty hot. Well done Simon and Dean.
Great Tri Reg; top in a field of over 300 pretty impressive and your bike times continue to amaze me. No wonder it hurts going at that speed for 20k
At least your parental duties are done now Dachs for a while. Sounds like a Haven place I was forced to take my older daughter too many years ago and vowed never again!
Did Bracknell parkrun at the weekend and 4th of about 300 in 20'10. Sounds nothing special but Run Britain liked it as they rated that course 6.0. Crazily high rating IMO and can never quite fathom how they come up with their algorithms but guess we've agreed (or PMJ's told us!) it's all related to what others do and open to manipulation. Anyway they rate 20'10 at Bracknell much better than 18'47 for the same distance up the road at Woodley 2 weeks earlier!
Sunday was cycling for me too; took my 12 year old daughter to do her first Sportive in the Isle of Wight. We did the shorter version which was supposed to be 55k but ended up 68k with me cocking up the route at one point and the ferries being down at Fishbourne and us being re-directed back up yet another hill to Ryde at the end (daughter loved that, not!). Think she will need a flatter route to be tempted to do another anytime soon.
Tried a couple of runs of 7k and 10k Monday and today but they felt crap and back/hip still giving gyp. Let's hope its just the heat and general tiredness.
Good to see you back amongst the parkruns, Pete. Also excellent to hear that you have discouraged your daughter from cycling for life.
Really think parkruns ought to be excluded from RB's handicap ranking. People are far more likely to be running at below their full capabilities in a parkrun than in an actual race, and that will always artificially inflate the score for those that are actually chasing a time there.
I was out near Whiteleaf Hill which has a few Strava KOM segments and as I turned onto the road there was a string of cyclists ahead and one by one I passed them all. Seems nonsense to try and cycle up such a slope if you are going slower than an old runner on a Sunday outing. Later I was on Green Hailey and a cyclist was behind me so I let him by but soon I had to pass him again. Seemed his technique was to cycle up things in a stupidly low gear and then get his wheel stuck and then just spin the wheels and dig himself deeper into the mud.
Agree with Dachs regarding Parkrun, it's all too random and not a race. Pete - feeling better since Monday?
Cycling is rubbish, lets face it. More time consuming, colder, expensive and dangerous than running. God knows why folk do it.
Plenty were scheduled, southern relays, nationals, vet relays and Maidenhead, but fate dictates otherwise, and all 4 didn't happen. Either cancelled, couldn't get a team in, or ill.
In the meantime have spent a few weeks getting hung up on strava segments, and racking some of those up, the peak of obsession being heading out to a local park clubmates have some segz on, and attempting 6.
Took 2, joint 1st on another (so doesn't count!), got the route wrong on 2, and idiotically left the one that needed 3.30 mile pace (ever so slight incline) until last, and funnily enough, couldn't produce fast enough
My segment hunting didn't go missed though, and it prompted a clubmate to have a little rant about how with my training levels, my pbs were pretty modest indeed! Wow!
No Mo Farah of course, or even some of the guys on here, but results versus potential/ability, I think i'm not a million miles off looking back
Anyway.... Windle pairs relays last night, 5x1km each. Turn out number 8 of 2018...
Signed up with Sean P from the club, and we had some decent teams in there from Datchet - Samson and Lee being the team to beat as always here.
Sean P pulled out, so I took on his partner from last year Steve I. They'd come 2nd last year, and I'm a bit ahead a of both currently, so we looked decent for a placing, dependent on any Windle or other random teams.
Arrived 45-50mins before the start, after a fair drive from Slough. 40mins worth, across some awkward roads!
Parking down the main road job, as the official carpark looked to hold about 30spaces! No problem though. Good organisation, with all the numbers on a sort of clothes line, you just unlock your own.
Found the club chaps, decent little gang, my partner hadn't turned up, and I'd already pinned my "B" on, so he was going first...if he turned up on time
Thinnest vest at the ready, forgetting that would rule me out of all the Datchet photos (probably a good thing!), and the gang went for what I would call an incredibly slow, short warm up!
They were telling me we weren't racing yet, with me checking to see a 9.30 pace logged and then interspersed with a communal wazz break.
Different schools of thought on warm ups me and the chaps have!
Nerves were off the scale by now. Even a low key relay, only having to produce for 1k! The months without a race didn't help!
First time I've done a pairs relay and been the leg 2 runner. Was expecting Steve to come back right up there, so was slightly surprised to see him in about 6th!
Hand over, and I'm off.... even more alarmed to see Chris H monster past me. We're in bloody 7th! I'm sure I saw my pace at 4.50 at that pace...so he was going some.
Couple of hundred metres he's eased off, i've re-captured 6th
The course is totally offroad, it starts slightly down on grass and firm path (bar some dodgy roots), a turn at a little pond, then the "climb", miniscule as it is, back to the other end of the field. This bit features a couple of slightly muddy patches, so a little bit more route picking needed. Nothing by XC standards of course. Later on you needed to be taking face fulls of tree to get round the 2-3 abresters on narrow parts.
This bit was probably double the length of the out bit, so I got into a thinking of 1 min to the pond, 2mins back, then whatever run in.
Just at the end of the "2min" stretch, you have the tightest little turn ever, requiring absolute downing of pace. This takes you to the finishing part of the field, round a cordoned off area, and then a 200-300metre or so run in.
It was too hard to look out for your runner, get a good position to start from (to not smash into some of the 130 teams waiting to go), handover, and take a split...so I binned that stage off.
Must have hoovered up most of the positions straight on my first km as by about leg 3 I think we were up to 2nd, with a decent lead over Chris and Wayne from Datchet, who we'd presumed were 3rd. Decent gap ahead to Samson and Lee too, though perhaps not as much as if it were a faster course.
My reps 1&2 felt tough, with "why did I sign up for this, and xx future races etc" going through my mind, but it settled by rep 3 to comfortably hard.
Impossible to judge pace, as I let the watch record the standing about time, and we were in a little woody area with tight turns!
All in, we came 2nd, something like 33.54, so that will do.
Lee and Samson just over a min ahead. Chris and Wayne maybe in 5/6th?
"Presume" it was a decent 5k each. Watch showed 3.06m, but that would have included a tiny bit of walking in between reps, but then again the trace is hard with the woody element.
One to record as a " good workout" with a race element I suppose.
Steve had gone home, so I went up to collect our bottles of wine...to chuckles from the team at my nonchalant manner, and lack of enthusiasm as a non drinker!
Noticed on the strava later, that I'd picked a couple of segments up.
3.11 for one loop apparently... but again, as per earlier, who knows!
And neither of the winners are on strava for starters! However, that will do for an evenings work!
Lots up in May, so will be back soon!
Good to see Pete there, whose club put a great show on.
Not much to add to such a fine report on the Windle relays SG and glad you like WV's efforts. As you say it is more of a fun event than a eyeballs out race, but the popularity comes from a bit of team camaraderie and all the free cakes at the end (a late spring version of XC then!)
I ran it with my daughter for the 2nd year and we did ok. She rattled off her k's in 5 mins each (1st couple about 4'55) which is pretty good for a 12 year old girl with the pacemen like SG and his teammates rampaging all around her and the out and out fun runners getting in her way! I did mine in around 3'40 each and so we came in about 43'30 I think and I would guess top half of the field. Problem for me was the format is about as bad as it can be for my hip; currently getting lots of pain as I start to run (especially if taking off fast) and obviously had to do that 5 times
Almost limping on my 400 metre walk back home but at least it feels a bit better today after ibuprofen gel and a hot bath. Not sure about Staines 10k on Sunday now. Are you doing that one Ric? No chance of matching my best but would have hoped for 38'xx if injury free and doubt I can go for that now.
Now on these reps last night, we are on the 2nd lane, so can't be sure it was the full mile - so I may have to add on the extra 2/3secs for the 9m if that is the case - if so, still happy as it was off quite a short recovery
Oh Pete I hope the hip calms down, must be extremely frustrating at the moment, nice to run it with your daughter. Great race report SG, relays are great events, hoping to do Stevenage again this year, last year it was the day we left for Denmark. That's 5 x 3k around Fairlands Valley pk. Did the 'Squeaky Bone' relays this year in Northants, that's a 5/6/k xc relay, quite tough actually..Yes you do have to carry a squeaky bone with you.
Nice weekend coming up - training tomorrow and then a long run on Sunday before going over to Grafham water. There is a Triathalon on (The Grafman) so it's good to watch. The off to Poole on Monday for my dads 70th birthday party. Proper old that is
Now on these reps last night, we are on the 2nd lane, so can't be sure it was the full mile - so I may have to add on the extra 2/3secs for the 9m if that is the case - if so, still happy as it was off quite a short recovery
Great mile reps there SC, regardless of the 9m formality! Liking the sound of the squeaky bone relay, haha. Awesome result at B'ham 10k too.
Dean, brilliant racing there - not easy with the sudden onset of summer-like heat, given the winter we've had.
Cracking tri Reg, kudos for the win - that's some speed on the bike! I always think it's amazing how much difference a slight change in seat height can make, glad you found the reason behind the effort.
Good to see you monstering some relay laps SG - taking the CR at the same time. What's the next race lined up? You need to pull your finger out and put in a decent performance
Pete, I hope your hip sorts itself out soon.
Been keeping the running up quite well out here.
Last Sunday was a long run, ended up being much higher in effort than planned due to the heat (came in much better than what was forecast) - suffering a little with some dehydration. Still, a long effort isn't something I've done for a while.
Two sessions this week - 4 x 800m on Wednesday, and 4 x 1mi today.
Wanted to get my teeth sunk in with some comparatively nippy running, but with a decent rep length - knew that I wouldn't be able to complete many, so 4 x 800m (3mins) was very much the right call. Reps came out at 3 x 2:51 (how's that for pacing??) and final at 2:48. Very pleased as I've not done any sub-6 running for a long time, but very much cooked come the end. Unfortunately on final recovery tripped over a dog on the lake front, with it diverting into my path and taking my leg out with it's dense skull. A couple bruises, but watch was okay!
Recovered pretty well from the speed, so opted for a bit more work this time round - 4 x 1mi (4mins). Weather today has varied from generally pants to biblical rain, so at least I could guarantee a quiet lakefront. Aiming for sub-lactate threshold, based only from my watch calculations at 6:20. Felt rather controlled and smooth for the first couple of reps, with the difficulty creeping in on the final two - indicating that I'd got the pacing right. The mile came out as 6:12, 6:11, 6:10 and 6:02 - couldn't quite muster the turnover for a sub-6.
I did also find a $5 note in a puddle in the second rep, so good day all round!
I'm in for an evening 5 mile race on 23rd June, so looking forward to see how this training period translates.
Simon, 2secs for 9metres sounds plenty. I usually just count 2secs when doing mile reps or tempos on track.
Next race is..tomorrow. Just woke up. The nerves are already wild!
Presume bus is on hols again as haven't heard for a week.or so. And phil presume you aren't in either
Saturday training with the group yesterday for a change, 8 x 1k with 80 on the grass at Wrest park. Averaged 3.09 for first 6 then 3.05 and 3.01. Not too far behind IK for a change! Lovely 3 pints after, what a professional LOL.
Right, we wait 2 1/2months for a race report from me, then we get 2in 4 days.
Marlow 5, for what is now my 10th time! Wowzers, how long have we been doing this!
Club champ event, that I'd signed up ages ago for, and as I hadn't done any tempos for ages, didn't really have an idea of what would come out. I knew I'd be sub 30 as an absolute minimum, but wanted a 28:something, on that vague 59sec spread!
No Bus or Phil this year, not heard from either for a while, but with 70+ Dashers signed up, plenty of company!
So wasn't feeling unduly confident, with the lack of tempos, and Thursdays relay being my only turnout in 2 1/2 months. Last year's Marlow 5 was pre-ceded by a 17.03 5k and the relays, which got the race mojo pumping.
However, a team day, local race, and plenty of nerves meant I'd be ok.
Grabbed Jill, our woman champ who was looking to defend her title today for a bit more of a proper warmup than the chaps do. 2.2miles for me in the end. Strides were binned in favour of bushes
Actually made the 9.15 photo call for the team snap (always miss these!), and it was time.
The big man EOG was back from Salisbury, and it was odds on that he'd still be pretty tidy, whatever the pre race disclaimers were!
Lots of Wycombe Phoenix blue at the start, while Mr Samson and me aside, the rest of our guys were positioning themselves a little more modestly!
Race starts, feels like it's a sensible start, but i'm ahead of a few decent runners! Slightly ahead of James S, who'd been feeling ill beforehand!
300-400metres and out the park, to make the slight incline up the high street. I remember from the pics last year that the order didn't really change from the roundabout to the end, but this year feels different.
Straight round the bend and a mile is clocked at 5.27. Probably a bit fast, but have started faster here before!
The field starts really stretching out, and I can tell EOG is away today, not worried about that, he was and is quality. Neck and neck with a Phoenix youngster. Can feel that this'll be a whole race thing already!
Mile 2 sees you through a throng of spectators at a crossroads, before you go out the other end, then back through them. I actually wondered if they'd changed the bit we normally come down
5.37 for the second mile is more like it, though probably an effort level I won't be maintaining!
Mile 3 takes you through a bit of the business park, and then the long drag up to the fire station. A small climb, would be nothing in a longer race, but you fel it a bit.
5.52 for the slowest mile of the race.
Have heard a few "go on Simon" calls when I've gone past supporters, so I know my clubmate Mr Long is in and around, but can't really tell how far.
Short slight down, and then a right hand turn for a straight, and I find out how far behind he is...not very!
He comes past myself and the Phoenix guy at what must be something like 3.5-3.8miles, and I invite him to lead us in.
A smaller stockier guy who I think I remember from the Wokingham half, and thought, cripes this guy doesn't look fast, am I struggling, comes past, and we're running in a bit of a block of 2 and 2.
The "4mile" mark is at a woefully inaccurately short 3.92m on the garmin, and I'm glad I've let the garmin take auto miles which I don't normally. That would really have messed the mindset up.
A 5.50 here, so I've not made up much on the previous split which had the slight climb. Just want it to be done by now, and I'm thinking I don't even care about the 3 very close to me! Winners mentality...not
I always remember the last mile as taking ages, but this time it seemed ok. Round a couple of bends, and got to the road off the high street, and it came over me - I put some beans on, left the 3 standing.
From past experience here, once you get into the slight down run in to the park the crowd and the adrenaline set off a massive lift, so I needed to be ahead of the 3 before that.
It worked, and had a comfortable but hard run in, to take 13th place.
Mile 5 for a 5.42, with a 14sec bit for the buttons.
Did 28.08 last year, which I remember being surprised and delighted about with the pb 27.44 and 4 years before it, so 28.43 sounds a bit of a chunk down. Other Dashers (Mr Samson 26.26 seemed to still smash it despite being a little ill) seemed to lose a similar chunk too, so maybe no real worries.
I think it definitely shows you need to be "Race fit", which doesn't come from your first proper one in a while, and for the 5m-10k distance you need to have done some tempos. The HR looked a bit higher than I'd maybe expect, averaging mid 170s? Maybe that is the level? Not sure.
Most of my stuff has been the shorter stuff. The strava seg hunting probably hasn't helped. That said, it was a 51mile taper week, but even this week had a Tue session and a Thur race.
Interested in any thoughts from you chaps?
We won the team prize too, cheeky little voucher included - 2 podiums in 2.
There was a slight confusion as our watching supporters clocked the guy in 5th coming in wearing a Reading vest! But he was in the results as Herne Hill(?).
However, no worries, as he collected his V40 prize as Herne Hill, so there hadn't been any error. Just a strange decision to wear your 2nd claim vest in a race you're turning out for someone else.
2nd claim is pretty useless I find outside of closed leagues (TVXC for instance), as you can't actually count in teams anyway, like I found once!
Anyway, an enjoyable little meet up with all the gang, was pleased I could produce a good finish, and and look forward to some more races to put in a bit harder!
Staines 10k for me today and won't dwell on it. Hip held up pretty well with pain only on 2 or 3 out of 10 scale. Unfortunately my running ability was at a similar level! Great conditions and a flat course but could only deliver a 39'32. 19'10 at half way and didn't feel too knackered so a bit disappointing I couldn't even do 4 mins k's thereafter. 2 mins behind my Jap club collegue (well ex as he has now joined AFD) this year vis a via 1 last but we were both beaten to 1st v50 this year so got 2nd and 3rd and I somehow won £20 voucher for my pretty crap effort.
Did Frimley parkrun with my daughter yesterday. Not done it for ages but cut my pr teeth there many moons ago and often ran with Mark Symes. He was there again (16'40) and told me how glad he is to be moving up to v50 soon now v45 tyros Messrs Coombes and Richardson keep coming up against him☺
Winning money when you think you've had a disappointing one. That's the vet class you are these days old son!
Shame you're not as you'd like to be right now. Early days for a long spring/summer though.
I see the Staines standard at upped at the front this year. My 3rd placed time last year would have been about 6th I think. Whereas last year's winner was 4th?
ps edit...I always mix our two club Simons up! It was Black, not Long ( so to speak!
Due to the larger entry they had a ludicrous staggered start this year whereby half the runners had to start a minute late. It was supposedly based on ability though no idea how as the lad Blake plus myself, my Jap colleague (both top 10 last year) and the two best Woking ladies were all allocated to the pen 2 group
Anyway yes 20th out of 656 for me not a disaster I suppose at my age, but the likes of you and me (and pretty much all on here) always aim for our very best and non serious runners usually underestimate what that is. Took my frustration out on the bike this afternoon with a fast (for me) 40k ride averaging almost 18mph so at least my riding isn't getting any worse (for now)!
BTW Simon, cycling is more time consuming, expensive and dangerous for sure (don't I know
Great race report SG, agree that you have the same problem as me regarding a lack of tempo runs and the 5m-10k race distances. Nice work Pete on the voucher, Mark's a top bloke, he'll do well in the V50's. Shame you didn't feel the race was as good as you hoped.
Cycling, well I'll give you more exhilarating...sociable though? Not having that
Bus, that photo needs some kind of theme music to it.
SG, well done at Marlow, good to see you're getting back in the racing. I assume your 5th placer there was Ben. I guess he has no choice but to enter as Herne Hill as that is what his EA affiliation (and therefore his discount) is recorded against, but he always runs in a RR vest in local races. I've been working on getting him to switch properly, but it hasn't worked so far.
Pete, you've had a long time out and you'll need to have some patience in getting yourself fully back on track, but winning prizes has to be some decent consolation.
Simon, nice reps as always.
Matt H, good reps too. Dogs are awful. They suddenly change direction for no reason at all and try to run between your legs. Why? It's not the pack running mentality. You don't see wolves trying to run between each others' legs. We must have bred in some abject stupidity somewhere along the line.
Nothing worth commenting on from me. Back doing reps now, but not worrying too much about pace. Longest run since the marathon yesterday, 15 miles. Made the mistake of going down the river at sunset, and must have eaten enough tiny flies to equate to a whole burger. Also caught a large spider in the process of creeping into one of my Adios in the porch yesterday morning. This was always one of my nightmares as a kid, discovering a spider in my shoes. Bastard.