Moraghan Training - Stevie G

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  • StevieWhStevieWh ✭✭✭

    Two Castles 10k:

    Was looking forward to this race as it happens to be the first race I ever did back in 2011 when I used to run an occasional 10k off football fitness. Fresh off my 5k PB on the track I was feeling fairly confident that I could get a PB. Got dropped off at Warwick castle and jogged out a 1.5m warm up before entering. There was a separate section for Warwickshire Road Race League runners with proper toilets and plenty of space for strides which was a pleasant surprise!

    Lined up around 6 rows back from the start as we were walked through an archway to the start line. Plan was to set off at around 6min/miles then see what happened from there. Gun goes off and we set off out of the castle and downhill, have to check the pace slightly when we hit the flat as the watch is saying 5.30s! Quickly settle into a little group with a guy from Solihull and Rachel from our club plus a couple of others. First mile comes up in 5.57 so pretty much bang on where I wanted to be. Didn't notice my watch go off for the 2nd mile but its exactly the same pace and I'm feeling in control. Rachel is tucked in behind me but sounds like she's working really hard, keep thinking sh.e will probably drop off soon.

    The hills start in the 3rd mile, this is when I realise I do absolutely zero hill training! Find it tough going but try to make the time back on the short downhills, on the limited flat sections I am still holding 5.55 pace so till quite confident. Come through 5k in 18.50 so a bit down from where I wanted to be but nothing too drastic. The next 2 miles are basically slowly uphill so 6.16 for mile 4 and then 6.06 for mile 5 as it flattens out a bit. Rachel came past me at around 6.5k and opened up a small gap, gave myself a mental kick up the arse to get back alongside her.

    Came into Kenilworth and tried to up the pace and kick for home, focused on reeling in runners in front of me. Managed to pick off a few Kenilworth runners which made me keep the effort up to make the move stick. Caught my final runner as we made the last turn into the castle so we were stride for stride at around 800 to go. There was a dead turn which I wasn't expecting so he stole a couple of meters on me, managed to get back alongside him. At the 200m sign I decided to launch my sprint finish to try and finally get past him he was wise to this and also kicked for home! I had opened up a small gap and thought it would be enough but he came back on my shoulder at around 75-100m, had to try and find another gear and just sprint as hard as I could! Never sprinted so hard in my life! He couldn't come with this move so I crossed the line in 37.46, two seconds away from a PB. Garmin had me at a max speed of 3.01/mile at the finish! Rachel came across the line around 20s after and was confirmed as 2nd lady so a good day for the club!

    5.54 for the last mile and 5.26 pace for the bits, I hadn't really looked at my watch for the last 2k so I had no idea I was so close to a PB. In hindsight I could have found the 3 seconds if I had known but I am not disappointed. Really happy with how I paced and executed it, plus it was good fun! 

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Sounds a nice setting Stevie - Warwick castle!
    Certainly noone can say you could have found those 2 secs with that finish then :)
    But deffo on another day on a better course.

    You've whetted my appetite to pen a turnout report of my own

    to follow....
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2019
    Wycombe 5k then - race 4 of the summer series of 7 local club only 5ks.

    There were always 6 for a huge amount of years, and they always followed the same order. 
    They eroded both traditions, by adding a 7th race, a ludicrous offroad XC even in Cookham, and then messing a bit with the order, hence Wycombe, which was always 2nd last, suddenly being midway.

    Anyway! Wycombe 5k then.
    Clashed with both the Gosport 5k and Rose Inn 4milers, but as I said previously, it'd be hard to justify choosing a 90, or 120mile drive over an 800metre walk! Especially the midweek before Endure.
    2more chances to get to those two, so will make plans post the weekend if all goes well!

    I'd put 3 5ks in so far this year, the Sutton Park relay, Burnham in the summer series, and then Battersea Park last week. Current fitness seems to be 1720ish for a fast course, and then high 17s for less than fast ones.

    I'd woken up a little throaty, but nothing too much to worry about, obligatory 4mile loosener in the morn. Moz used to have me doing these at lunchtime, and it never hurt the evening race - I suspect it gets the body readied in some way.

    Having said that, I must admit on getting home, I jumped into bed for a semi awake sleep for an hour. Felt a little better after.

    For the first time in 30 odd turns outs in this series, it was overcast and cool. Windy though, so you never totally win in this game!

    Pootle round the park wondering about the wind for a bit, and put a mile and a half or so in. Saw Phil and his distinctive "arm" style a mile off, and shared about 50metres before then changing directions!

    Blanked by one of our young runners, who'd decided her need to "drop weight" was more important than saying hello :D

    Start line fare then. Chatted to a Maidenhead vet who I think I'd beaten in some longer races this year, but generally lose to in this series. He mentioned he had his "clogs" back on, the noisiest shoes I've ever heard in a race in my life. At Marlow last year, I genuinely thought there was some sort of horse and trap behind us!

    Davenport of Maidenhead is here too.

    I always make sure Mad Dom is here, as he ensures you have to rampage off to get ahead of him, just in case you lose the botherment to later!

    Race geezers says something about a countdown, but then forgets and just sets us off.

    Davenport and Dom storm off, and there's a few early optimists trying their hand.
    The first km is basically a rectangle round a section of the park, ending up where you started in front of a kid's playground. 
    A Marlow vet is up with me and also a Wargrave chap, who I recognise from this race before, but not my usual sparring partner Ali P.

    The first km goes by in a strangely sharp 3.18, which when you compare that to 3.21 at the very fast Battersea Park, is quite a surprise.

    Back to where we started, and out we go again, but this time it's round the back of the dyke.
    Very short but incline at first, then it flattens out.

    I'm in a gang watching Davenport go down the road! 4 of us. 
    The second km has come up as a surprisingly slow 3.40, but i realise after the event, that the kms weren't quite spot on :)


    The key part of this race is at 3km, where there's a quite ridiculous tricky hairpin turn. Having jogged it earlier, and noticed the slippy muddy nature, I made sure It was etched to deal with sensibly!

    Marlow chap is a good few yards ahead, Wargrave matey a few yards ahead, as we go through 3k, and turn round.

    I'm hoping not to see anyone to my left, as you literally go past everyone behind you. I see a Burnham vet, and mad Dom there, but they'll be 30secs behind I'm sure, which over 5k is huge.

    Along the path next to the dyke, not getting too close to it, as we go past randoms out walking :D I am fighting off a bit of the "this'll do, top 5" position wise thought pattern".
    This is where the race gets real, a sweep of wind puts us off a bit, but I'm dead level with Wargrave and had a first go at sweeping past, but he responded.

    It's one of those scenarios where you know you'll be taking the place, but have to decide when is best.

    I make a move just before 4k, which is well timed, as you basically see a massive long straight coming up. I know he's not coming back from this one.

    Marlow chap is a small distance ahead, and while not coming back as such, certainly isn't getting away. I get just behind, as I know just sitting on him will guarantee no peep from behind.

    Past the kid's playground, with perhaps a 600metres straight line, finishing with about a 150m finishing straight.

    I know if you leave it to the finishing straight, you're bound to get a response, so put some monstering on with about 150metres of the straight to go instead. A slight risk if they still have something left, but like younger days, where I often finished hard, it worked, and stormed it into the finish - which was actually where it had been 2 years back , not the long version last year.


    3rd place, 17.41 on the watch, much better racing job than at Burnham where I saw the chance of 2nd become a 4th.

    I was arguably giving the Marlow chap a little too much respect earlier, checking his PO10. I think his 3 victories at XC in my average spell and getting him mixed up with a 73m HM Marlow have also played, as I hold a 6-3 overall (not counting this series which doesn't go onto po10)


    Enjoyed the revelling afterwards, again being pretty much the last non host club person still there as it ticked to 9pm.
    Plenty of Endure chat, a bit of trying my hand at a little bit of chatting up, and realising why I stick to the running, amazement at seeing one of our young women smoking by the trees (!), plus wondering how people justify cramming their plates full of cakes and chocs after running a 3miler, and all good fun :)

    So a decent turnout, and on we go to endure now.
    Will probs do 2x4mile today, an 8-10 tomorrow as a single, then rest up, as it's very likely to be a 25-30mile shift!

    Then post that we'll get the rest of the summer's racing and schedule sorted
  • I'll get mine in before SG ...

    Handy Cross Summer 5k. Well, as much as it is supposed to be a summer series it definitely is not summer at the moment. Passing down with rain on and off for days and temperatures well down. I was up at 5:30am for the commute to London and back by 5:30pm to change and just was not feeling the love for the race.

    Did a lazy warm up and started to feel a bit better and exchanged a few words with SG: boy does he moan about traffic and carparks but you can get more of that in his report.

    10 minutes short of start time the race organisers said we need to move to the start. The course loops around the park where Wycombe parkrun is but uses a different start to get a wide start and more space to allow runners to settle down before the narrow parts. Seems nobody wanted to toe the lien so rather than the usual pack, everyone was stood well back. 

    We were off and I'm still not feeling the love and that pretty much carried on. My frail male ego refused to let a lady I knew pass me and we pushed each other hard over the last mile and it shows in the splits: 6:28, 7:12 and 6:39. 21 seconds for the end bit so 20:42 overall. 

    Overall disappointed that my mind was not in it and probably neither was my body but the first and last mile splits were OKish and I'll try and take the positives away for the coming weeks. Blood donation tomorrow so it will be a week or so cutback and see if that returns the freshness.  
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    I'll get mine in before SG ...


    Unlucky :D
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭


    Did a lazy warm up and started to feel a bit better and exchanged a few words with SG: boy does he moan about traffic and carparks but you can get more of that in his report.

      
    Wasn't enough doing this gag on the warmup :)
  • Hello everyone. Hope you're well and enjoying the new series of Love Island  :* 

    Well done on the 5k pb and Two Castles race StevieWh. I'm looking to do Monty 5k in the WRRL end of July-ish. Speedway 10k this weekend. Jooligan, you in for it ?

    Nice 5k races StevieG, Philip and track stuff Simon even if hampered by this monsoon.

    A week last Sunday I did the Hull half, fairly slowly in 1.19.53 on a warm and humid day struggling with a UTI. I thought I'd blown chances of qualifying for England Half Marathon masters team with that, but turns out I didn't and got an email Friday evening to say I was in - Sept 1st, Maidenhead. Fits nicely with Hull Marathon preparations. Anyone done that one as I know a few of you are from round that way ?

  • Simon Coombes 2Simon Coombes 2 ✭✭✭
    edited June 2019

    Thanks SW - great race report, very gripping at the end, you won it?, Muddy - well done on the qualification, the course is supposed to be OK.

    Good reports SG & PMJ - Its been hard getting the motivation going this week hasn't it. Was talking to Ben P whist sheltering in the pitch dug outs before the 3000m on Monday - saying that I was looking forward to the race about as much as before the start of the Southern at Parly Hill.

    Supposed to be getting warmer next week though.

    Oh - SG. Make sure Rob M puts his numbers on properly at Endure eh. I'm sure he wouldn't want another 'Poland' :)

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2019
    Mudds - dare we ask about that..condition? Well done though :)
    May even see you there, though most likely I'll have bottled it, found it's way too soon after short race season, or have too many other races close up.

    Simon - can you really see the big man McH doing Endure?!
    Just had a quick coffee with him actually, picking the tent up. Stressed the need for pace on reps over duration, probs similar to Aley's advice. Top guys who did ferocious stuff in fairness, but I will try some fast - long recoveries the other side of Endure.
    Not sure i can do the "low 16s"big Rob reckons, but I dare say some big speed will blow the cobwebs off!
  • Oh I thought he was doing it from what I saw on Facebook. Good advice though, he knows what he's doing.

    SW - Just seen the results, didn't know it was a big race. I know Peter Lighting from Kent quite well who was 2nd. Top bloke and a 2.33 marathon guy too (maybe faster)

  • After lurking as always, I've got something to add. We're planning to be at Maidenhead. Not done it myself but rode the course next to Katie on a bike 2 years ago (jokez), fairly flat and fast, horrible little underpass at the end. 

    Enjoyed the reports chaps, nice work. 

    Still ill, doing some training, ironman in 3.5 weeks is going to be a struggle.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2019
    Love the footer advertising your blog Joe :)
    For a while on here, my username was StevieG www.miles4miles. whatever the end bit was.

    Then when it ended, some gimp had nicked my username. So I think i had to put a space after....

    true story!

    Difficultings with Maidenhead is how do you train for an early September half marathon? You'd have to allocate a lot of August - a month you're probably still blowing beans at short stuff, or accept it'll just a line in the sand job?


    SC - Rob is very casual with the paces he mentions. I swear he doesn't realise I wouldn't be capable of similar!
    27sec reps for 200. 64 reps for 400 for example.
    He is going for Scottish/world records for V55 at 800 and stuff though.
    Think he needs something like 2.02-2.04

    I wouldn't fancy an 800, but dare say I'd have to work to do even say a 2.16?

    He made me laugh saying another one of our very notable vets would come back to racing in a big way, once he'd had a "few years" securing his future to retire early!

    I'm somewhere like 5-7 years younger, and I recognise there's no time to lose, so I couldn't imagine saying, yeah i'll come back to it in 5-10 years!
    It's not like stamp collecting, where your level/potential won't decrease!
  • StevieG - I was peeing blood after a fairly routine easy run and then having painful squeeze a few drops out toilet trips. I know this is TMI but I'm saying it because I literally sat on it for a fortnight and it didn't get better so if it helps anyone here or lurkers, get to the docs sooner rather than later. 

    Re training for a half through summer, I'm making my summer be about vo2max and threshold runs and long marathon training runs. I rarely race well in the heat, so just see it as a good period for volume and hard-ish efforts, with heat adaptations thrown in. So I will knock out a trail half, a road half, 10k threshold efforts, parkruns etc. and run doubles as much as possible while the light permits it. The half fitness soon comes back.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2019
    Not good Muds. Always a worry seeing blood like that. Have had it a couple of times, but seems to be "runners hematura (sp?)".
    Browny sort of pee, a mix of slightly nicking your bladder, mixed with a lot of dehydration. Always goes with a lot of water drinking!

    ps just read through the 15 or so pages of Endure instructions! Roll on the actual running part!
  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    Nice to see you back Muddy. I'd just noted your absence from Strava/forums on my morning run & wondered why. Hopefully you're all OK now. I had something similar Sept 17 - not a pleasant experience. Unfortunately Speedway clashes with my other passion - drinking in a field til the wee small hours while 'dancing' to loud music before passing out under canvas so I shan't be there. The field is stacked with quality though.
    Good turnouts/reports from SW, SG & PMJ
    After only 1 run in 2 weeks since my impromptu fell race I've managed 5 in the last 7 days. Nothing fancy & HR has been woeful though I did manage to sustain 178 average at ParkRun Saturday with a final 200m at 184 - not seen the like since I was mid to late 30's. I was chuffed to max out around 175/6 on a few parkruns last summer.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    What happened Jools, we're used to 2-3 races on consec days, not just 1 run in 2 weeks! Just brutalised by the fell race?
  • StevieWhStevieWh ✭✭✭

    SC - Yes I won! I hadn't realised how big the race had got with 4000+ runners. Hoping the young lad who won it doesn't turn out for his club champs 10000 next week!

    SG - I think the short races and training for a half would work quite well together. Especially if you are racing midweek. The race gives you your Vo2 work then you've still got chance to get a tempo and long run in.

  • Stevie G said:


    Did a lazy warm up and started to feel a bit better and exchanged a few words with SG: boy does he moan about traffic and carparks but you can get more of that in his report.

      
    Wasn't enough doing this gag on the warmup :)
    Nope, the old ones are the best ones.

    I think Maidenhead Half is a bit too early in the autumn. Best time for an autumn half is maybe 4 to 6 weeks later so you can do the summer short and fast and then put in a spell of endurance and crack out a good half. Then reverse it all over the winter so you do you spring half of an endurance base with a short period of speed work.
  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Good grief - all happening on here today! Near PB's, outright wins, epic races reports and pissing blood!!!! That'll teach me to be busy at work!

    God work SW in particular for the tasty 10k and win, but also to SG and Philip for the 'winter' 5k series outing :smile:  How on Earth does it need a wider start than the parkrun though, which is the widest start anywhere?! Don't worry about the time Philip - you've done much faster recently, so its just a blip. I doubt the underfoot conditions made it anything other than sapping anyway!

    Good to hear you are getting back on it Jools. Which field are you getting drunk in?

    Joe - that's dragging on isn't it? Have you had a diagnosis?

    Muddy - well done on the English HM vets team qualification! presumably you'll get a vest?
    With the exception of that god-awful underpass strategically positioned to ruin you just before the end, Maidenhead is pretty quick I reckon, and if you've trained through the heat of summer, a fortunate cool day can pay dividends. Just a shame that when I did it, it wasn't on Po10 as it was my only half of 2014 and spoiled a nice run of 6 years of sub 80s in a row showing up :smile:

    Despite the manicness of work, I managed to get out at lunch today. With all of the rain, the usual canal route was a no-no for speed work, so just some random roads on the outskirts of Failsbury. Intention was either 4x1M or 2x2M. As it happened, I did neither and settled for a 5k tempo again. Reasonably happy with 19:23 (and NO vomiting this week!). Difficult to compare with the slower last two as it was all on tarmac, but mile 1 had a half mile incline so might balance it out.  Either way, it felt about the right effort level, even if its still 15 secs per mile slower than where I'd be happy with :neutral:
  • StevieWhStevieWh ✭✭✭
    Nice tempo Bus. It was grim out tonight! 

    Nice 5k races/reports SG & PMJ.

    8m tempo tonight, average just under 6.25 with only a 5second diff between fastest and slowest miles. Got absolutely drenched and had multiple thoughts of sacking it off as my legs really weren't feeling it early doors. Had to really concentrate to keep the effort up. Was very glad to get home and dry after!
  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Cracking tempo that SW. That's the sort of conditions that are definitely "character building"!!! I was lucky with mine - got out before the rain at lunch!
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Good un Stevie. Can't think of a session i'd less like to do right now.

    Well done Bus, a 5k solo timetrial is a right old slog.


    Spent the last 3 hours total obsession with endure.

    Geniusly thought trying the tent out was a good idea, but took about 45mins to get it back crammed into its case, using youtube vids, and a lot of flouncing and moaning :D

    Perfect to put it up though! We'll worry about the other stage late sunday!

    Been spending the last hour trying to encourage the team to get their tents to our keen lot who are going Friday morning!!
    Friday morning for a Saturday midday start!

    Protocol is that it's not "cool" to try and commandeer a whole massive area, but if you have the tents laid out, that's acceptable...

  • StevieWhStevieWh ✭✭✭
    Running round an 0.8m loop wasn't helping either! In my opinion these are the sessions that really count on marathon day though. 

    SG I am really chuckling at images of you trying to put the pop up tent down in your front room!
  • WoolWool ✭✭✭
    Chatting up?! After a 5k race?! Hope you splashed some Lynx on ahead of that SG!

    I’ve done the Mhd HM several times. What can I help with?
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Sw reminds me of my classic 0.9m loop i used to do tempos on.hope yours had a slight incline where you got a mental boost.

    My front room did not have enough room so ended up knocking all manner of stuff over too. Embarrassing scenes.



    Wool..it needed the phrase "by my standards" in there in fairness.

    But lesson certainly learnt!
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    SG - sounds like what i expected with tent, they are tough to get back in the bag !

    Stevie wh - good going to keep that tempo so even paced, but thats the beauty of that loop. I do my short mp sessions in a 6m section of my commute and its pretty rolling early on, but its the same route every time so i expect it, and its effort based rather than pace.
  • StevieWhStevieWh ✭✭✭
    The loop does have a slight decline/incline in it to keep it mildly interesting but I run it all to effort. Just try and keep the HR in the same place
  • Simon Coombes 2Simon Coombes 2 ✭✭✭
    edited June 2019

    Bus - Muddy will get a vest - but have to pay £30 for it too. So you are 'allowed' to wear it training after, to get some bloody use out of the thing! (that's my excuse when I wear it down the track ;)). I suspect that my experience may be the same for a lot of folk who do the masters national events-they'll do it once as a 'tick off' exercise and not do it again. It was pricey last year with the race entry, the vest and the accommodation.

    SG - RM will have to get on it to get down to 2.02-2.04 won't he! Good luck to him tho. Good bloke.

    Jools should take the thread 'caner' crown now - I've only had 2 shandies in the last 10 days! Also building my non alcoholic beer league table. Currently..

    1. San Miguel - New entry!!

    2. Erdinger

    3. Budweiser

    4. Heineken

    5. Becks...ugh.

    I think I get a beer buzz after training the same as normal lager tbh

  • Good session StevieWh.

    Wool - yes, if you have a Strava link to the route that would be helpful. And hotel recommendations !

    As Simon sez, you pay for and keep the vest/kit. I'm never likely to wear it again on any normal training sesh though. Far too ostentatious ! It's a hugely expensive outing and likely a one-off but will be a nice little motivating race on the way to Hull Marathon. Vaguely debating whether I can fit in marathon training over the summer. However I agreed to do it with a mate who had a shocker at last years event. Wondering whether it's worth trying to use it as an intermediate target/training run and stretch out fitness to Valencia Marathon in early December, with a target half/10 miler in October.

    I saw a little link on Fastrunning last night for a coaching project for 30 applicants, so on a whim, I applied for that, having never been coached or done anything remotely structured.
  • WoolWool ✭✭✭

    Muddy, I think that this should work for a link to the route. It's pancake flat, 2 loops. As Joe pointed out the only issue is that you go through a subway at the end of the run (12.8 miles?). Think the kind of subway that smells of wee, is covered in graffiti and has silly twisty inclines in and out. It's not what you need at that point but the rest of the course is really very quick as long as it's not too hot, of course.

    https://www.strava.com/activities/1813822766

    I can't really recommend a hotel, being local means I've never stayed in them, sorry. There are good high end options in Windsor for sure (Oakley Court is really nice) or Monkey Island in Bray but if you're not looking for a luxury weekend away then you could even stay in one of the big ones on the edge of Slough right on the M4 junction (Copthorne?). Driving to the race in the morning, parking all that kind of stuff is super easy so you don't need to worry about that. There may also be some hotels in Mhd itself but your google would be as good as mine for those, apologies.

    Alternatively, PMJ may have room in the Butler's quarters that weekend. Bit of a drive on the morning of the race though :-)

    One of our Dasher friends will also be in an England vest having finished just ahead of you in Hull. I enjoyed his story of the winner at the Hull HM.....a young Kenyan (?) student who just goes around local races mopping up the prize money. I'm told he ran off at the start of the race but then slowed down when nobody could really keep up with him and then only pushed on at the end to make sure of the win in a comfy 68. Love it!!

    Let me know if there any other q's. I'm planning to be there as I'll be getting ready for Abingdon by then.


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