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The route does a lap around the park before heading off through the city centre to take in places of historical interest. Exhibit A: my old school yard (now a car park) where my shoes had to pass muster daily. In an amusing throwback one of the lady marshalls shouts 'I like yer trainers' (they were very bright) We then make a circuit through Hull's Old Town then a longer loop around to take us eastwards out of the city centre to encounter a renovated Drypool Bridge.
N.B This is my favourite running photo ever: serious air; decorated bridge; old man in flat cap gawping.
A bit further on DJ Dave is on the wheels of steel brightening up the entrance to a dodgy alley and slightly further along my best mates folks are spectating and hilariously capture their failure to high five me in mobile footage. I'm running to heart rate and joke to my friend's folks that I'm just warming up but we are at mile 5 already and it's time to take a gel.
So far heart rate has been sub-150 and pace is sitting nicely around 6.20 min/mile. We take a detour out of the docks and back onto one of the main arterial routes out of the city for a short while, before crossing into a park to reach the halfway point (1.22.30), where the shouts from all the waiting relay runners are genuinely thrilling.
At mile 18 I realise I forgot to take a gel at 15, such was my pre-occupation with my glute, so I take the gel on the Bridge and begin the out and back over the Humber. It feels grim as a lot of it is dragging uphill, then at each end there are these spiral ramps to whirl around, which play havoc around my hips and right IT band. The back across the Bridge section feels twice as long as the out section and it is with massive relief that I encounter the mile 20 marker and take my last gel. The exit ramp off the Bridge really aggravates my glute/hip area again and I approach the water station and decide to stop for a drink and a stretch, feeling a bit dejected in doing so, as my energy levels feel good and my pace hasn't actually dropped off dramatically, despite it feeling much like a Sunday morning run. The Platinum Blonde lady at the station says "Are you real tired love ?"
What did I learn this time around ? Strength work matters. I did loads through May/June/July. This undoubtedly helped me given my constrained build up. First I could ramp up mileage without side effects and then it probably prevented a huge collapse in the race. Also, maybe a shorter build up suits me ? I did just two runs that one would consider the archetypal marathon long runs - the 19m race and then a 20m two weeks later. The rest were more around the 15-16 mile level, with a recovery run following in the evening. The race felt consistent - glute aside - and there was no really big hit on pace as the race wore on. I didn't even experience a particularly long and difficult recovery. By the Tuesday afterwards I was moving freely and could manage a reasonable jog.
Race here: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3036917784
Cheers Pete. I had a programme of weights: single leg press, single leg stability ball hamstring curls, single leg raises and hamstring curls (machine), and calf raises for the ankle/achilles stiffness. I was doing that 3x15 mins each week. Also single leg glute bridges 3 days of 3x20 each leg building up to holding a weight and also with resistance band across the knees.
I had a tight right hip flexor and quad after the VoY half and I think that played a part in the glute issue on race day.
Have you got his finish line photo?
Since then I've had two weeks of running with 15 and 30 miles in each week respectively. I have an entry for Birmingham half on Sunday though, and was planning to get back up to normal-ish mileage this week.
Hope his wife didn't have a visual from behind as he crossed the line!
Obviously you will have known towards the end you were heading for almost exactly your PB - did you care in last mile and a quarter or did you just want to get to the finish and the time was the time?
Is the John Venn on the bridge the Venn of Venn diagrams? If so why is his name on the bridge?
Ah turns it his Dad was rector of the parish the bridge is located in too ...
http://www.weirdretro.org.uk/one-hull-of-a-story-venn-you-are-from-hull.html
I didn't have a clue as to where I was relative to pb. I knew I was finding it much easier than I did London in the later stages and just thought what will be, will be.
Nothing much happening my end. 5k at mp in the heat tomorrow.
Anyhow I appreciated the first effort and didn't notice it was wrong till reading your post this morning.
Well done on the 5k PB.
my second ever half marathon, back in 2002 was a hot day. I'd overdone the water and Lucozade tablets (!) before the race, and by about 8miles i had "that feeling"
Luckily being a very woody course, I ducked in and unleashed somewhere in the 10-11miles.
The point? My word, the stinging ring piece later on!
You don't forget.
From that I have my paces as follows:
Easy: 8:15 - 9:00
Steady: 7:35 - 8:00
Tempo: 7:15 - 7:35
5k: 6:40
HM target pace: 7:30
Does this seem about right? Please feel free to correct as you see fit.
Cheers
Oh my word I could fill pages with this subject.
Even this many years in, having done 220+ races, and tonnes of tough sessions, it's still the biggest thing to take care of beforehand.
Those sessions it "came on" midway, and having to go on the recoveries and still hit the next rep, those were tough!
Muddy - really enjoyed the marathon report. Sounds like you were in control throughout, great stuff. Sub 2:45 attack at London?
DT - fingers crossed that the everything comes together for you on Sunday, you definitely deserve a break with the weather!
David - I think your 'steady' pace is probably too quick and possibly too broad a range. I'd be tempted to have 08:00-08:15 as steady. Incidentally based on your 5K time, the McMillan running calculator predicts a 1:36 half and the Daniels calculator predicts 1:35....
Pete - excellent Venn. Looks like training is going well, any plans for a race or a free weekly timed run?
I'm still in Auckland, getting a few runs in, nothing of any real significance, apart from the fact all of my runs seem to involve a lot of elevation gain. I ran in the latest instalment of that bonkers 5K earlier this week; they've changed the route to take out the road crossings, although there is a couple of bits through 'shared' areas so you still have to keep your wits about you due to buses and people coming out of hotels/bars etc.
Good luck to DT and Mr V in York at the weekend. I'm doing Birmingham half and it's looking like it's going to be a wet one (we can break out the chafing tales to amuse Skinny next week
I got home last night to a cheque for £25 and this ...
That is a delightful plaque. It reminds me of the ones filling boxes at my parents from my childhood football days. Good luck in Brum, don't race too hard!
Weather looks as good as I could want for sunday. I am well rested also. The situation hit home today and I've gone from completely chilled by it all to completely self-absorbed in it.