Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
I like this race its local (12 minutes in the car) and normally run in the blazing heat of August with great post-race chat between the runners when the bar opens. It normally attracts 750+ but 300 this year. Its the longest running half in Cornwall, 38 years and the new RD was determined it was going to run albeit on a tougher hillier course this year (I had previously run it in 83 minutes in both 2019 and 2018).
Conditions were good, 8C, sunshine and showers and at 10 am all masked we were off. My expectations were c1.27 as been ticking over with easy miles so slightly surprised with miles 3 coming-up 17.35! - first sub 6 miles I've run in months. Mile 5 came at 30.02, and saw my daughter out on the course supporting (it went past her road!). Then the long up-hills and fast descents began, just long and gradual with sharp slightly slippery downhills. At this stage running solo with a 2 man group 150 metres ahead and no-one close behind. So a question of making sure you kept to the route (the Cornish love a misleading sign), keeping the duo in sight and plugging on. Mile 10 came in 65 minutes so ahead of target, enjoying the run/ views and not pushing it. Felt I sped up a little on the run for home gaining on the duo and counting down the miles. A small sprint for home and crossed the line in 1.25.18. Some pretty decent running on display with the winner 1.12 and second 1.13! but both at least 30 years younger than me. Happy only 2 minutes down on last year, the course maybe a minute and the lack of racing another.
Back home, shower and off to the pub for Sunday lunch for a few Christmas Ales. A surprisingly normal day amidst all of the growing mayhem and a decent way to bring the sparse 2020 running year to an end.
Sounds like a very well managed race from you and to be slightly up on your prediction shows the racing instincts are still intact.
It must have been great to unwind with lunch and refreshments. I can just about remember what that feels like.
Edit: congrats on the age grp top step too
10m absolute drenching after work today
I treated myself to a full training marathon across Exmoor Sunday & can confirm the weather & scenery were a joy.
OO - Sounds like a very sensibly run race, probably getting close to the maximum out of yourself. Similarly jealous by just how close it is. My biggest worry for 2021 racing wise is that it's a fair distance to most marathons. They seem to be anti-marathon in the West Midlands. Hopefully you can enjoy taking it easy for the rest of 2020 now.
6 miles or so yesterday. Aiming for reasonable mileage this week to start building it up. The 5k isn't going to happen now but the running club have a virtual 10k open until Christmas Eve so I may have a run around that route tomorrow.
OO: that was a very well paced race, and congratulations again on a great result.
I did a 5,000m time-trial on Saturday organised by my club (the privileges tier 2 life brings!) and my time was so-so, although highly appropriate for the year: 20.20. I felt aerobically strong, but being in the middle of base-building does not produce great 5k times! Obviously we were lucky to have any sort of an event put on, but this racing in tiny groups being set off at 5 second intervals doesn't really do it for me: it just felt like a tempo run on the track with a few people yelling at me! (From a Covid-secure distance, obviously...) A local XC race scheduled for early January has unsurprisingly been postponed, although I had already decided that a mass event right after half the country had travelled about spreading Covid variants wasn't for me. I seem to be more risk averse than many, but then so does my partner, and he's a medic.
17 on Sunday and a rest day yesterday (although I did some strength stuff in the evening). A steady 10 over an undulating route today.
Jools - we're equally risk averse. Unfortunately it's an attitude not shared by many (including my kids' mum who travels between tier 4 and 2 on a whim, much to their chagrin) which is partially why we're in this mess. Appropriately timed 5k! Solid in base too; well done!
TR - sorry to hear the SPO is still suffering. Nice mileage from you!
rjr - eventful run!!
CC2 - ouch. Glad to read you're getting back to it now though. I wear a buff quite often on my runs, just in case I need a face covering.
Jooligan - great pics! Beautiful scenery!
Week before last I'd hit 49 in 4 days, intending to do an 11 on the Saturday or Sunday for consecutive 60m weeks. Unfortunately a tweaked knee (messing around on a beach of all things!) and a fibro flare put paid to that. Back to it the last few days though so all good!
Jooligan.. it always helps if the scenery/weather are pleasant during a very long run, nice work getting the marathon distance done.
Enjoyed the report OO, a fine result too. You will be the envy of many runners around the country now!
Jools.. it almost feels like a privilege being in Tier 2 ATM! Nice effort on the track but I agree about 5k pace. I usually need 4 or 5 Parkruns to get up to 5k speed. Well done on the 10m done today, hope you had the weather we had up here.
7m+4m today. Included in the 7m this morning I paced Mrs Wardi around her club 4m time trial. We had the benefit of a sunny and windless racecourse (the windsock was hanging vertically!). I thought circa 8:30 pace would be about right for her, in the event my splits of 8:30, 8:30, 8:30, 8:25 added up to 34.00 for 4.01 miles. No complaints from the Mrs!
Jools - as others appropriate 5,000m time. Agree re socially distant racing. My club are filling in XC fixtures with 2- man laps of a park. I can't bring myself to do it.
TR - I was moaning at Mrs SJ about the persistent rain fall in the north west of the country. It doesnt sound too much better down on the coast. Either that or you have really upset the weather gods in a previous existence
TT - glad to read the blip hasn't derailed you for long.
Joe - good luck in the virtual 10k if you do it.
Wardi - top pacing duties and on a perfect day by sounds of it too. Enjoy the plaudits that I am sure have been coming your way.
Running for time rather than distance just to mix things up a bit. In fact dug out my old RW half plan. 3 x 1 mile today in 6:06, 5:57, 5:48. I almost did it as 3 x 6 mins but had the session programmed into my watch. I'm quite looking forward to the Tue/Thur sessions. The runs in that program generally aren't too time consuming which I need after all the longer stuff of the autumn.
Nice to get the legs turning over. I still feel reasonably strong so have recovered well from the training load of past 3 months.
Totally see the benefits of having not raced now but banked all the training. Maybe some faster stuff will stand me in good stead for another crack at a full distance come the summer.
TT - your running is always a rollercoaster
Top pacing job wardi
SJ - its always raining here lately. Good going on the mile reps, sharp pace. Anything thats a change of stimulus will give you a boost.
I put some strides into ydays 10m, which flared up the niggles a bit, but similar yo SJ id like to get some quicker runs and less miles in if poss, depends ow the body holds up.
10 more rainy miles here tonight.
My plasma was tested, i have antbodies but not enough to be a regular donator i thought that would be the case as i only had a very mild dose.
SJ - Great paces for the 3*1m. Just need to keep ticking over to retain that fitness.
Jools - That's a cracking few days of training, speedy enough 5K.
TR - Good mileage and not a bad 18m considering you haven't been feeling 100%.
TT - Glad your back going again.
Joe - Hope the 10K goes ahead as think you will do well.
Wardi - Nice looking double and good pacing duties.
Breaking News: The whole of Cornwall has been placed into tier 4 lockdown after hundreds of pirates returned home to Penzance to celebrate Christmas with their families. Apparently the Arrrrr rate has increased dramatically.
These have become known as the pie-rats of Penzance.
Wardi - quality pacing for Mrs Wardi!
TR - I agree. Luckily I like rollercoasters though
I looked back at Amsterdam '13 and saw that I naturally fell into a higher week followed by a slightly lower week, so maybe aiming for that might be what counts as consistency for me. Looking further back I think the fibro was always there which would explain why I'd make autumn marathons but rarely a spring one. Good on you for getting tested, but shame you can't donate.
sj - nice mile reps.
Monday saw 3m @ Mara effort as part of an 8m (6:18 for those interested). Yesterday evening saw 4 x 15s sprints (not strides) which averaged 4:13.7 pace. My paces across all distances are down by roughly the same, so at least I can manage consistency in something I guess!
9m run back in inc last 5m av mp+10%. Tough work, i didnt have many CV symptoms but im not back where i was yet. However im managing my niggles a bit more, and starting to build miles and a little bit of pace.
Tough runs count double; well done on getting it done.
10m earlier with almost 3.5m of continous rolling hills in the middle of it at 6:22 avg. Hill loop is about 1,400m with a big hill, 2 small hills, and only 150m of flat in total. Ran it each way (so all the hills were run both up and down), twice. Loads of fun!
TR.. I guess your lingering covid symptoms will slowly ebb away. Good 5m section at the end of that run, the pace should come back gradually.
Something of a contrast to yesterday's crisp sunfest, grey & dreary today with steady heavy drizzle this morning. Got out for 10m, quite enjoyed it but was grateful for the rain jacket. Surprised to see a family out cycling in it!
Jooligan - great photos, sounds like a nice run
Joolska - not easy to push as hard outside of race conditions is it. Nice effort regardless.
All of Hants is tier 4 now which was needed as there were tier 2 with much higher levels than a 4. Home was 4, work was 4 and id run through a 2 on the way. The local lidl was 1/2 in 2 and 1/2 in 4.
Cant see my Goodwood mara going on in Feb, but i can hipefully still plan for Dorney.
Merry Christmas folks
Aye a merry christmas from me too, hope you all have a good day.
Have a great Christmas fellow runners.
OO - enjoy the beers. I'm having to console myself with our local offy's rather excellent selection. I'm a big fan of a Tanglefoot, but they also had a new Wychwood in stock which seems to have fallen into my basket.
Wardi - nice training!
Rest day today (which coincided with my boy's 15th) to ease my post hill access, but will be running at least once tomorrow. Happy Christmas all.
TT hope your son had a good day. I always felt sorry for kids who's bday was so close to the 25 dec. Enjoy those beers.
OO - hope the last night in the pub was enjoyable. Hopefully a fair few make it out the other side.
TR - its the uncertainty of it all isn't it? I confess to blindly carrying on towards the Oulton Park goal thinking all the while it would probably happen. Fingers crossed Dorney can happen for you.
Wardi - I've seen pics of the snow up in the NE. No signs of it here but cold as you say.
JH - enjoy the calories. I made a chocolate log this evening. I'm going to have to share some with the neighbours as it's too much for me and my son.
Still no treadmill set up, shed floor still curing, so have been enjoying the wind and rain. 20 minute tempo Christmas eve was mostly controlled and covered just over 5km so 1.21.xx pace for the HM. Something to work on at least.
I will get out for 30 mins trot in the morning. My calves are wondering what's with all this fast stuff ?
Speedy - sounds like you enjoyed yourself, which is the main thing. Nice getting back up to distance. Hows the ankle after more mileage?
Got out yesterday for 30 minutes easy. Had a massive lunch (food) but not much else so pretty much avoided all the bad stuff. Didn't even drink that much. Evening family zoom quiz was harder than usual so max concentration required.
40 mins today with 25 mins Fartlek. Calves definitely grumbling but I'm really enjoying the shorter mileage and also mixed pace running.
Continued best wishes to all as the Tier's change. For once we're staying as we are/have been since August!
North-west now lowest cases rate in the country... for now
Joe - good that yr wife tested negatiive, if you had to pick one day that you had to stay in isolating then Christmas day is the day esp this yr when we cant go visiting.
CC - the gym is open Christmas day!
Im with jools on the 12m today.