Sub 3h15

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  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    Race report. Haven't done one for a while so forgive the indulgence. 2 weeks ago I won 3 golds at the North East masters champs, but in truth only the 5k felt like a proper win, with small numbers and limited competition in the 1500 and 800. Last night was the 3000m and had a strong turnout with 17 runners in my track race, 9 of them V55s and the rest V60s. I didn't know half of them so had little idea what the standard would be like. But the strategy was simple. Assuming the V55s would be faster it followed that the gold for V55 would also be the winner of the race. So basically I had to finish first.
    I was a bit wary after yesterday's 5k race but my legs felt fine thanks to an easy week in a base of high mileage. I decided to follow the leaders and see how it went from there. 
    First 2 laps were led out by a V60 guy and I followed in 3rd then 2nd not letting him get too far ahead. By lap 3 I felt the pace drop so had to decide whether to stick in 2nd or take on the lead. I took the lead and kept the pace up. After a 12.5 lap race the day before it's amazing how much shorter a 7.5 lap race felt. In no time it was 800 to go and a comfortable lead. It felt hard going but not too punishing and I picked up the pace for the last lap with blast on the home straight. It's a rare treat to finish 1st in a track race.
    Official time was 10:15, decent but below my best of 2 years ago (9:58). V60 guy came second about 15 seconds back. So in the end a comfortable win. It's a shame there was nobody with me to push the pace a bit but I came through without injury and feeling fresh enough to train today. Time to get back to marathon training 😉
     
  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭
    I understand the needing to live with it thing, I hate masks but always comply but this all seems a bit counter-intuitive with escalating infection rates albeit with low hospitalisations and deaths. A big gamble that the young getting infected don't get seriously ill, will achieve some level of herd immunity as well as receive the jab(s). It's a horrible situation, damned if they do, damned if they don't as so many are suffering on the employment front and untreated illnesses. What a mess!

    On the bright side (and not to trivialise the above), just back from a cracking lunchtime 10 miler.
    Wanted to do some form of structured intervals or progressions but it's blowing a gale and showers are going on and off like a broken hose.

    So, decided to test where my fitness is and see if I could maintain 10 x 6.4x miles as the first mile flew past with ease.

    Managed to hit every one of them and finish with a 6.04 final split to average 6.39 overall. 
    Felt very good indeed and a great confidence booster. Training approach seems to be working thus far.

  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭
    Sorry, OO, somehow missed your post. Congratulations, absolutely brilliant! Well done, Squire.
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    DT - not feeling overly confident for the 10k - usually I would be doing more specific sessions.
    OO - congrats - seems like you got the tactics spot on.
    GD - excellent work - you are in great form.
    6 mile recovery run today.
  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭
    8 miles on the trails this morning. Plenty of mud and flooded areas about. Could feel yesterday's session in the legs.
    Annoying GPS issue where it was out of sync. I had to run an extra half mile to make sure I scored 8 miles. Maybe the rubbish weather is causing issues?
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    Great racing, OO and congrats on the win.

    Gul, you do enough miles and tempo type stuff to put in a decent shift in a 10k.

    Nice tempo session, GDawg. I usually find that my gps corrects itself to an extent by suddenly having me 7mm pace when I am plodding.

    Tough session yesterday of 2k (90s), 1k (3 Min)x  3. The 2k reps came in around 5.55 and the 1k around 5.40 paces. Felt harder than I was expecting given 5.55 is HMP. Followed up with a very low effort 10m over lunch today. Manged to time it so I left the house as It started raining, then absolutely smashed it down for 20 mins, then just rained then as I got in it stopped and the sun came out.

    Off out in a few hours to make sure I've secured a good seat for the game.

    Did anyone catch the BBC doc on Monday night, Gold Rush? Part 1 of 3 and in iplayer. If you missed it I highly recommend catching up.

  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    SBD the good news from Germanty has made me reconsider and we booked a shorter trip to Berlin. Cheap flights a budget hotel and just 3 nights. The dream is back on.....
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    GD. - good muddy miles. Bet you're excited about Sunday?! Should be a great night :)
    DT - that sounds a really tough session, so great effort.
    OO - good news :)
    13 slow miles this morning 
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    edited July 2021
    D'oh - sorry, GD, it's DT who has the tickets for the final on Sunday, isn't it? 
    SBD - how's it going? Just looked at next week's schedule, so that's roughly your current week, and it's pretty heavy!
    10 steady miles with strides this morning.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    Gul, that is correct, it's me and I am getting quite excited. Watching Atomic Kitten perform their wonderful new hit this morning on BBC breakfast has really got the mood up! I did a myheritage DNA thing last year, says I am 23.6% English, that's enough to get on the gravy train, surely??

    Tickets for my seat cat are currently going for about 3.5k. I'd want a lot more than that to give up my seat!

    Nice work on the MLR and steady 10. I have an 8m tempo over lunch followed by 5 x 1 min strides so with wu and cd, will be pushing 12m.

  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    Hilarious DT. My grandfather was Italian so by the same token I've got an England defeat covered 😂 enjoy the game.
    I'm looking to get around 60 miles this week with at least 18 on Sunday. With 3 swims too that's quite a heave week.
    It's looking like a big total for you too Gul 👍
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    DT - yes, after waiting 55 years, it must be worth more than that!
    OO - somehow I've ended up with back to back recovery runs lined up this weekend to make a total of 68 miles for my cut-back week. Undecided whether to push back next week's LT run from Monday to Tuesday given that it will probably be a late night on Sunday!
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    So the first one is done - 6 miles mostly off-road.
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    And 7 this morning. I tried to map out St George's flag with my route. Hope England have more success tonight than I did!
  • SBD.SBD. ✭✭✭
    edited July 2021
    Good work on the flag Gul.  Pushing the tempo to Tuesday sounds like a good plan particularly if it goes beyond full time.

    Nice report on the track 3,000m victory OO and well done on booking the Berlin flights.  I was a bit late off the the mark and the prices have now gone back up.  It's hard not see the third wave getting in the way come September particularly once the Schools return.  So I shall have to procrastinate a little longer.

    Hope the tempo went well DT and enjoy Wembley.

    22 miles at 8.00 am this morning in 2:48.  It was quite hot in the sun despite the breeze so a good one just to get through.  Had 2/3 of a LS at half way which was needed.  Pushed the pace up for the last 5 miles to 6:58/m but glad to get to the 22 mile marker.  83 miles for the week and just need to get the beers cooled for tonight.
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    SBD - great long run to finish a cracking week. Shame the beers weren't drunk in celebration at the end. Really feel for the England team; must be so hard to take.
    Decided to go for the tempo run this morning. Did 7 w/u, which may have been a mistake, then 5 LT effort, which turned out as 6:25, 6:23, 6:33, 6:34, 6:42. Plus 1 w/d to make 13 in all 
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    15 slow miles this morning.
  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    SBD we found Luton to be the cheapest option with Easyjet. Impressive long run there in the heat. Don't think I've ever done 83 in a week. My body is creaking at 60.
    I had a down day yesterday. No exercise and no social media. I think the footie affected me and I couldn't be arsed with anything. 
    Good effort Gul. I'm back to it today. Swim this morning, then track this evening after a good nights sleep.


  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    Decent 22, SBD. Will you taper back at all for Bedford?

    We are due to go to Lanzarote in just over 2 weeks and whilst our rules allow it, I am increasingly concerned that by then we will be posting 60000 cases a day or so and Spain may not want us there!

    Some good runs there, Gul, getting the miles in and the tempo.

    I had a pleasing tempo on Friday. Whilst not hot it was 20c and I like to compare these runs to what I was doing in January and February when it was 3c. Usual application of first 4m a bit easier coming in at 6.28, 6.28, 6.23 and 6.25. My this point my HR was pretty low and I had quite  a bit of drift to the targeted 160 average so did a bit more pick up second half than usual with a 6.16, 6.12, 6.10 and 6.10, for a 6.19 average and 158 BPM. Heart rate and pace very comparable to February when it was much cooler.

    Easy runs since then and a 10k race tomorrow night. Not a fast course unfortunately but as it's county champs as well, it's all about v40 positioning!

    I also found myself doing a match report from Sunday if anyone wants a first hand report of the carnage being completely under stated in the media!

    The footy was not quite the experience I hoped for. We travelled across London through Charring cross etc on tube and big groups of lads were all getting on and off around there. We'd already heard about 2pm that Wembley way was rammed and mainly with very drunk people. We got to Wembley about 4.30 and my mate had a text off a mate of his already there who goes to all England games to advise us to keep away from the area as it wasn't a safe or pleasant environment. He had managed to get into a hotel bar just by Wembley which was safe and so we blagged ourselves in there also and stayed until about 6pm. As soon as we got off the train at Wembley central you could feel the edgy atmosphere.

    What we witnessed, all whilst avoiding Wembley way, was atrocious. There was a nominal police presence outside the ground, mainly keeping the road clear for team buses to enter etc. There were huge volumes of people there without tickets, mainly in the 15-25 age group. They were scaling the walls to get onto the main concourse, which means that once there they had bypassed covid checks, bag checks and ticket checks. If a marshal left his post to give chase another 10 just scaled the wall.

    We then entered the concourse and skirmishes were breaking out. As we approached our gate it became a complete bottle neck a there was also a disabled gate close by. The many without tickets cottoned on to the fact that, that was a nice big space to enter, so every time it was opened to allow a wheelchair user in, a mini riot broke out with large organised groups charging the door, trampling anyone in their way. The queue to get in the turnstiles was turning into a crush and people were getting panicked (my kids would have petrified and in   tears at this point had they been there). The turnstile was unmanned and the reason fir the delay was people without tickets were all congregating around there waiting for us with tickets to open swipe ours then they would squeeze into the turnstile with you. A lad did just that to me despite me trying to stop him. I went straight to a marshal and told him and he just shrugged shoulders and said he couldn't help. We got to our seats and two very young lads were sat in the seats right next to us and immediately told us they didn't have tickets. Id also unwittingly managed to carry a full can of lager in as checks were non existent. my one mate stayed in seats and me and the other went to get some food. We came back 20 minutes later and there was no room anywhere. The aisles were rammed, shoulder to shoulder to shoulder with ticketless lads. Some had taken genuine ticket holders seats and when asked to move completely refused, quite aggressively. Luckily, we were the back row of our tier and so I was able to stand on my seat to watch the game. My two mates were a bit heavy to do that and one has a hip replacement operation in November that he has been waiting 2 years for and had to stand for 3 hours, which when you have paid £850 for top cat tickets is not great. There was a guy in front of me with a full sized rucksack on, you weren't allowed to bring bags in. All the people that got in bypassed security and covid checks. Not great when two heirs to the throne were 200m away! If there was an incident like a fire it would have been carnage. Afterwards we stayed in the ground as long as we could to allow the idiots to disperse.

    So whilst it was a great experience being at an event of that level, i'll stick with rugby in the future, and if I have tickets like that again and England are playing i'll just sell them and pocket the profit. I gathered evidence via photos before kick off and I will be making a s.75 claim on my credit card for ticket costs.

  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    DT - that is dreadfully shocking, just appalling. What with this and the racist abuse, losing the match seems quite inconsequential...  But another great tempo run for you. Good luck with the race.
  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    Sorry to hear that DT. We do let ourselves down....such a shame for genuine fans. The racist abuse is much the same thing, a shameful minority that our culture allows to thrive.
  • JoolskaJoolska ✭✭✭
    Wow, DT, that sounds so badly organised.

    Sorry I've been AWOL: I got a bit down about my running after a bad run at the Cotswold Way Relay just over a week ago, and then this morning I sprained my ankle again, pretty badly, so I'll probably go AWOL again (in terms of posting - I have been lurking).  Glad to see running is going well for most.
  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭
    That's a shocking football experience DT, a real shame there are so many idiots about.

    I do exactly the same when I'm injured or ill, Jools. Hope you're better soon, plenty of ice.
  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭
    edited July 2021
    10 miles tonight of absolute garbage. Hit a few good splits to average 6.54 but in terms of perceived effort it should have felt easier. Possibly a combo of recent football anxiety, crazy workload stress, stomach cramps and warmer weather were contributory factors.
    They can't all be good. At least I'm able to run unlike some on the bench around here, so mustn't complain. Onwards!
  • SBD.SBD. ✭✭✭
    They can't all be good G-D - one to log in the diary and move on.

    Bad news on the ankle Jools - you were just coming in to good form.  Hope it's not as bad as you describe and you can get back training within a few days.

    Not a good Wembley experience DT.  Sadly, there's a world of difference between rugby and football fans.  A good tempo session from you on Friday.  No taper planned for Bedford and it'll be an MP run after an 8 mile warm up.  It will be interesting to see if they remove the social distancing measures.

    Luton is an option OO although mid-day from Heathrow works better as you can get the morning run in before departing!

    Excellent tempo run Gul (7 w/u sounds a little excessive!), followed by the steady 15.

    Tempo session for me early evening.  The legs were feeling a bit creaky on yesterday's 7.5 mile recovery but thankfully they were good to go today.  10K tempo with paces decreasing from 6:44 to 6:20 to give an average of 6:34 and a couple of miles w/u and w/d to give 11 miles in total.  Getting faster, but still a bit of work to do.
  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭
    So sorry to hear that Jools I hope you don't lose too much.
    I had a similar day yesterday GD. I was down and depressed and couldn't face it. Much better today after a good sleep.
  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭
    Jools - sorry to hear that, hope it heals up quickly.
    GD - one to write off but nothing to worry about.
    SBD - that tempo run sounds excellent to me.
    OO - sleep, what's that ;)
    8 easy miles this morning.
  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    Jools, sorry to hear about the sprain. Hope it repairs quickly for you.

    GD- I think summer tempo running is very much at risk to the conditions. Even when it's not seemingly that hot, 20c is enough to zap you if you aren't fully on it with fluids etc.

    Good you're feeling better today, OO.

    Gul, showing some great consistency now.

    SBD- You'll be warming  up then as we set off. I did message the organisers yesterday just to query whether there were more than a handful of runners doing the 20m race, given it'd be way down the list of choices for most and if not, whether we could start with the marathon or the half. I got a pretty abrupt response basically saying if you are in the 20m race you must start in the 20m start. I'll be a little irritated if I get there and there's 8 of us!

    VMLM along with the mass organised race group they are a member of along with the likes of Brighton, GNR etc, published a social media post last night saying they are delighted that full scale normal events are back for them this Autumn. Of course, that could all still change if the Government lose their nerve and/or this all backfires, but it was good to see such an affirmative post.

    I'm taking a lateral flow test every morning this week just to be safe. If I survived Sunday without catching Covid, I struggle to see how I would be placed in a more dangerous situation for so long.

    10K tonight, hoping the sun disappears before it.


  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    I'm not in your league, but for me it's the humidity that can be a big problem in hitting splits.  I know a disappointing evening run was mentioned above, but BBC often reports 95%+ humidity this time of year for morning runs, although the temperature at the time is good for running.  As I say, I'm not in your league, but my splits for easy morning runs (I run to HR so the effort is consistent) are disappointing compared to just a few short weeks ago.  Since I've been keeping a closer eye on these things over the last couple of years, it's become very noticeable that humidity impacts me greatly, but I suppose we're all different.
  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭
    Very good point, Big_G. I was sweating way more last night than more recent cooler runs. I am definitely not a hot weather runner. :D 

    6 easy miles on the trails before work this morning to shake it off.
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