The Middle Ground

1100010011003100510061077

Comments

  • Pretty successful 5 mile race today. I was hoping for somewhere between 35.00 and 35.30, so was delighted to cross the line on 34.52!
  • Well done, AD! Knew you could do it! Looking forward to reading the report!
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • Thanks Alehouse - even better, 34:49 chip time.

    Report later.
  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭
    edited September 2018
    Right, a brief report on the ‘Saffron Fast 5’.

    The course was around a largely flat airforce base in Essex, so there were no really horrible hills to contend with, but there was at least one long drag straight into a fairly strong breeze for about a mile, which was a bit annoying and made me think it would have been a tough slog on a very windy day.

    Anyway, having run 21.31 in a 5k a month ago, the calculators would suggest a time around 35.30, but I knew I’d had a decent 4 weeks training and felt pretty comfortable pushing out 3 miles at just over 7s recently, so I thought I’d target 7mm pace to start with and see how long I could hold it.

    As it turns out, I held it well! Spilts were 6.53, 6.56, 6.5x (can’t remember exactly) and 7.00 (into the worst of the headwind) for the first 4 miles. This would then imply a 7.00ish pace in the 5th mile, but my watch actually was reading around 6.45mm pace when I last looked at it around 4.8 miles and I didn’t slow down from that in the run in. I guess the ‘lost time’ comes from the fact my watch read 5.10 miles as I crossed the line!

    Anyway, 34.49 on chip time, which I was very happy with. A pb by over 2 minutes (although my last 5 mile race was about 3 and a half years ago, so not really a fair comparison!)

    30th position out of 187.

    Rough maths would suggest that maintaining something similar pace wise for an additional 1.2 miles, would see me close to my 10k pb of 43.53 when I do my 10k in November. Another good 7 weeks training first would help with that aim!
  • Good news Andrew!

    12 miles at 7:59/mi for me. At 11 miles I realised I needed a  7:40 final mile to make it back in 1:36 (8/mi), so I picked it up and did it comfortably in 7:25.
  • Well done, again, AD! Pretty even pacing and you sounded strong at the end. I would map out the training block up to the next race and run it past someone...or all of us! Would start with a few easy days, three weeks or so hard work, back off for a few days/week, push hard for a couple then back off again. Depends what else you have on, eg target a parkrun. You are doing well and there is obviously more to come!

    Last Tuesday was Dr. Hill's 80th birthday, and I ran in the trail race organised in his honour. Hadn't been very well so just ran around in 25:40 chip time: 342 ran on quite a narrow course. Took me 23 seconds to cross the line! 

    Had a brief chat with PRF's partner, Hannah, who ran away with the female first prize, leaving one of the uni girls that I gave a lift to in second place: she was very pleased with her run and the chance to get a prize from Ron. Hannah ran Berlin (2:46), then Northern 6 women's relays plus was first finisher, ahead of the males, at a parkrun. Now back in NZ, getting off the plane and going to y

    Pre race photo below, including a friend from Orkney who just happened to be in the area at the right time to enjoy the race! Ron and I used to be pretty much the same height and weight: he has obviously shrunk and lost weight whilst I have even more obviously taken his share of the latter. Unfortunately weight gain is one of the bi-products of hardly running for 15 months; action needs to be taken!

    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭

    I'll be having a few easy days with just a few shorter easy paced runs and then I'll get back into doing a session on Friday. I have a few things coming up that will interrupt training (or, at least, mean that I have to be a bit creative to get all the sessions in!) but hope to get at least enough miles and enough sessions in this month overall. Am planning a parkrun at the beginning of November (hoping to go sub 21) and then begin to taper for the 10k race 2 weeks later.

    I forgot to say, well done in the HM DT - sounds like it turned out as you planned.

    Also, well done on the parkrun Dan, your times are heading in the right direction!

  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    Alehouse, I saw Hannahs Berlin time previously, not sure where. She is certainly going well! Sounds like you had a reasonable run.

    Well done, Andrew. So that was just sub 7mm pace then assuming it was accurate distance?

    Nice session and parkrun, Dr Dan. You might just surprise yourself in Yorkshire!

    5 at recovery yesterday gave me 218 for the month which is my highest ever, beating Julys 217. This last 3 months is by far the highest 3 month cycle I have had posting 637 miles. Compare 475 Jan-March and 430 July-September 2017. Fingers crossed it delivers!

  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭

    Yep, 6.58 average pace. It certainly wasn't a short course (watch measured 5.10!) unless the Garmin was waaaay out.

    That's great mileage DT. Enjoy (!) the taper.

  • Dr.DanDr.Dan ✭✭✭
    DT ... not confident about Yorkshire as I've only run 636 miles since November 19th !!!

    A part of me is tempted to run Yorkshire at 9 min/mile to stay in one piece, and then continue training for Newcastle's Town Moor marathon (19th November). Bonus is I'd still be in one piece for Abbey Dash 10K on 4th November.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    Yes that is an option for you, Dr Dan. Though 26 miles at 9mm will still take a good week to recover i'd have thought.

    Some more mp practice yesterday on my usual 5 mile loop. Splits came out 6.45, 6.47, 6.47, 6.47 and 6.45. I don't think I'll have any excuse if I pace Yorkshire  poorly. The best thing was however how ridiculously comfortable the pace felt. HR was only at 154 average. Everything just felt good yesterday.

    My last long run tomorrow of 10 miles. Earlier than i'd like but it was Thursday or next Monday. Planning parkrun blast Saturday, though it's now looking a bit wet.

  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    Nice little interval set by my runclub today. 4x (3min threshold - 1 min recovery - 1 min fast - 90 sec recovery).  Ran the threshold bit at 6.34mm and the fast bit at 5.53mm.

    That pace is probably too fast to be my actual threshold but I was enjoying it out there.

  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭

    Well done JGav, sounds like the mojo is returning?

    DT - hope the last MLR went well. How's the long range forecast looking for race day?

    I've done 3 easy runs this week to recover from Sunday and, guess what? My knees have both felt really painful last night and this morning for some reason. Better this afternoon, but I'm not stupid enough to risk trying my planned tempo session on them tonight, so will have an additional rest day this week. Better to play the long game and hopefully be fit enough to do my long run on Sunday.

  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    nice session, jgav. 

    yes just take it easy, Andrew. mlr was fine yesterday. Did 11 miles. quite warm compared to recent weeks though. 4 with strides today. parkrun planned tomorrow. weather looks grim.

    current York forecast is reasonable but I won't pay any real attention to it until midweek. that of course doesn't mean I won't be looking each day!!
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    18.20 today. Best I've felt at parkrun in a while. that's a 1 second pb. Nominal but all progress! Very little planned now until York. 
  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    20.21 at Parkrun today, a 22 second pb. Hoping my next one is the same to break 20 mins. Came in 4th, the three ahead were all a minute or more ahead and the next person was over a minute behind. Very lonely run. 
  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭
    Great parkrunning you two!

    Had an easy couple of rest days and the knees feel much better- hoping to get through a long run tomorrow unscathed!
  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭
    Managed 6.5 miles for a long run today in 58:30, so bang on 9mm pace. Knees largely fine at the moment.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    Sounds promising, Andrew. 

    jgav, good work. Bizarrely on my parkrun whilst I was in 4th and would usually expect to be on my own the 2nd and 3rd placed runners were with me whole way with 2nd finishing 7 seconds ahead and 3rd a couple of seconds ahead of me. I found it much more helpful trying to stay in touch with them than battling away on my own.

    No running today and there won't be much this week really. 
  • Dr.DanDr.Dan ✭✭✭
    Good parkrunning and long running. For me it was no running (weekend away and too much ethanol and late nights). Manic week at work this week to cap things off.
  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    edited October 2018
    DT19 said:
    Sounds promising, Andrew. 

    jgav, good work. Bizarrely on my parkrun whilst I was in 4th and would usually expect to be on my own the 2nd and 3rd placed runners were with me whole way with 2nd finishing 7 seconds ahead and 3rd a couple of seconds ahead of me. I found it much more helpful trying to stay in touch with them than battling away on my own.

    No running today and there won't be much this week really. 
    Congrats on the 1 second PB.  I agree that it's easier running in a pack assuming that the pace is roughly right.
    @AndrewD keep it up, the long runs are progressing nicely.

    Nice 5 miles at lunch, lovely autumn running weather.  Hope it stays like this for Sunday.
  • AndrewDAndrewD ✭✭✭

    4th week in a row with an early morning 3 mile run on a Tuesday, and it is starting to feel a little less like a slog. You never know, I might extend it to 4 miles over time! Seriously though, I really don't think my body is designed for early morning running, no idea how people get out for a long run before work.

    There is supposed to be a little bit of an Indian summer over the next few days - hope it cools down again for the weekend racers.

  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    Advice please.

    So I've missed a couple of long runs recently (as you may well know).  I've got the Royal Parks half on Sunday and St Neots half on 18th November.

    I plan to run the HM on Sunday at PB pace of 95 mins (last year was 98.xx) and see how it goes.  I've done several 11/12k runs at 95min pace over the summer.

    1. Do I go for a long ish (9 mile) run tonight? or is that too close to the race? 
    2. How do I fit in long runs between the two races seeing as I'd like to get a 3 week training block in between the two races.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    Andrew, same here. I huff my way through morning runs. 

    I am increasingly concerned by this Indian summer. The heightened temps on the forecast have now extended into Saturday. 

    Jgav with it only being a half an easy 8 or 9 won't hurt tonight and will contribute to the later half. I guess it's a matter of what your body is used to but for a half I'd just long run as normal the weekends before up to about 13 miles. 
  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    DT19 said:
    Andrew, same here. I huff my way through morning runs. 

    I am increasingly concerned by this Indian summer. The heightened temps on the forecast have now extended into Saturday. 

    Jgav with it only being a half an easy 8 or 9 won't hurt tonight and will contribute to the later half. I guess it's a matter of what your body is used to but for a half I'd just long run as normal the weekends before up to about 13 miles. 
    I'm not great in the early morning, I can shift myself out on a weekend if I know I can go long but before work stuff is not my forte.

    On the weather, it's warm but not uncomfortably warm.  Hope it drops a few degrees by Sunday.

    Will skip my normal 30 mins easy lunch run and get an easy 9 miler in tonight.  More value in that really.  Last long one was 9.5 miles on 29/9 when I did it split up with a parkrun in the middle.
  • Dr.DanDr.Dan ✭✭✭
    I could live with this current prediction for York on Sunday...


    I did a pre-work 4.6 miles today but only after I's already cycled 5.2 miles into work, so the cobwebs were already gone. I'll do a few 400m intervals on Thursday before I start carb-loading.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    yes it's fine right now, Dr Dan. My concern is the warm weather forecast has extended to Saturday. one more nudge and Sunday becomes a 20c affair. 

    5k at mp tomorrow then 4 with strides Thursday or Friday. 
  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    DT19 said:
    yes it's fine right now, Dr Dan. My concern is the warm weather forecast has extended to Saturday. one more nudge and Sunday becomes a 20c affair. 

    5k at mp tomorrow then 4 with strides Thursday or Friday. 
    Will still be cooler than this year's VLM!  Enjoy the lighter week.

    I got 13.5k done last night in 75 mins, kept the pace nicely reigned in.  Still don't understand how I can go approx. 60 seconds per km quicker for a half on Sunday but it normally seems to happen on the day.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    It's magic, j-gav! It always amazes me when I do 4 or 5 miles at half pace and I am hammered then come race day I manage the first 10 at that pace without too much bother.

    Same with mp. I wouldn't fancy doing 13 at mp on my own, but doing it in a half and it becomes a very pleasant trot.

  • JGavJGav ✭✭✭
    Forgot to bring socks to work, ran without socks, flipping stupid idea.  5k in I felt blisters starting, had to nurse it home.  Hope they don't develop.
Sign In or Register to comment.