So I went out for my 13 mile run this morning. All my runs this week had been pretty tough as I still have my races in my legs, but this one was particularly hard. It's Easter today, and last year Easter weekend was the last time I spent with my dad before he was taken into hospital for his final days, just on the Wednesday after. It was a wonderful day, we had all sorts of family visiting us, and we all watched a very memorable boat race together - almost everyone else was cheering Cambridge because they had closer family that went there or lived there, so I was almost all alone cheering Oxford, and well they didn't win, but for a magical couple of hours we all forgot that dad had cancer. 6 days later he was gone.
This morning I went out for my run, and this was all I could think about. The boat race is on today and I'm scared to watch it. About 2 miles in, I sat on a bench and just cried. My calf was hurting too. I walked back home, had a bath... Hopefully I'll pull myself together and can go out later today instead..
Sunday, 31 March 2013
Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Recovery is tough
In the last couple of weeks, I've done 2 races 2 weekends in a row. A Half marathon with a pb, and a 15 mile XC. In between the two I barely managed to run, and certainly was not recovered going into the XC.
Now I'm suffering the consequences. Yesterday, I went out for a 5 mile recovery run. Usually with my RRs, it takes me 2-3 miles to start feeling like normal again. Yesterday, the run was difficult the whole way. My legs were just sore, and wouldn't do what I wanted. Added to that my shin tightness is back. Looking forward to another sports massage in a few days to release that, along with some easy running.
Let's see how tonight's 5 miler goes.
Now I'm suffering the consequences. Yesterday, I went out for a 5 mile recovery run. Usually with my RRs, it takes me 2-3 miles to start feeling like normal again. Yesterday, the run was difficult the whole way. My legs were just sore, and wouldn't do what I wanted. Added to that my shin tightness is back. Looking forward to another sports massage in a few days to release that, along with some easy running.
Let's see how tonight's 5 miler goes.
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Planning week 12
Well I've done two races in the last two weeks, but have also been a bit lax on the other training. The Orion 15 has left me with a minor groin strain, but am hoping when all my other muscles have loosened up I'll no longer notice it. I've just slathered my legs with deep heat to help them- smells a bit medical around me now. The prescribed plan ends with a 13 mile long run- I should have been upto 18 already- did the 15 mile XC with 3 hours on my feet count? Anyway, perhaps since it's a long weekend I could consider doing the 20 miler this week instead of next?
Anyway, the plan says this:
Monday: cross train (I WILL do weights and core- been lax on this too)
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Wednesday: 5 mile run
Thursday: 5 mile run
Friday: rest
Saturday: 8 miles pace
Sunday: 13 mile LSR
Total: 36 miles
I'm looking forward to seeing what marathon race pace feels like after my recent races. Hopefully they will have contributed to making a 9:44 min mile pace seem easy. The success of my half marathon has had me questioning my marathon time aim. Double the time and you get 3:52. Most race calculators say 4:02 and common sense tells me to ad another 10 mins to that, making it 4:12, which over 26.2 miles isn't all that different to 4:15. I should stick to my guns and pace a good race, with the goal of running throughout. I know what this feels like from my half, and in the past, it's stopping to walk that has really really held me back. Now all I need is some weather that will be more like race day. At least I have a semi training camp in France, with some mountains nearby-hopefully that would give me a good training kicker as well :-)
Anyway, the plan says this:
Monday: cross train (I WILL do weights and core- been lax on this too)
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Wednesday: 5 mile run
Thursday: 5 mile run
Friday: rest
Saturday: 8 miles pace
Sunday: 13 mile LSR
Total: 36 miles
I'm looking forward to seeing what marathon race pace feels like after my recent races. Hopefully they will have contributed to making a 9:44 min mile pace seem easy. The success of my half marathon has had me questioning my marathon time aim. Double the time and you get 3:52. Most race calculators say 4:02 and common sense tells me to ad another 10 mins to that, making it 4:12, which over 26.2 miles isn't all that different to 4:15. I should stick to my guns and pace a good race, with the goal of running throughout. I know what this feels like from my half, and in the past, it's stopping to walk that has really really held me back. Now all I need is some weather that will be more like race day. At least I have a semi training camp in France, with some mountains nearby-hopefully that would give me a good training kicker as well :-)
Saturday, 23 March 2013
Orion 15
Today was one of those days where I was seriously questioning my sanity. Did my usual race day prep, waking up early enough to eat and drink. Unfortunately this was accompanied by uncertainty as to whether to actually do the race. Heavy snow had been forecast, but as usual, I didn't expect it to amount to much; I toyed with ideas of going to do a park run instead, or sticking to my training plan whic would have put 8 miles today and 18 miles tomorrow.
Finally about 30 minutes before needing to leave I decided yup, im gonna do it. So I woke my driver up and had a mad rush to get everything together. The drive was a bit treacherous around Chelmsford, but otherwise was fine. Epping forest looked beautiful, an idyllic winter scene.
When I started the race, I assumed I'd be middle of the pack and so tried to keep up with those around me. A couple of 9 minute miles followed; this was way too fast-not particularly slower than my half marathon pb. I tried to ease off, but every time the terrain got easier I wanted to take the speed, to save me for later. It took me almost 30 minutes to get throu the first 3 miles, and from then on, the race felt like hell. Steep muddy uphill and downhills. There was even a particularly steep downhill section where I witnessed someone spectacularly fall over. Luckily I stayed on my feet. after about 5 miles I couldn't handle the hills any more and resorted to walking on them. N there were some real tough ones and in the next few miles I was just thinking I probably won't make the cut off point, which was at 8miles within 90 minutes. I had also convinced myself I was last at this point. I did make it, and the next section was a steep uphill where I saw runners way ahead of me on their eay toward the end. They were a lovely bunch, all so encouraging, and saying well done. One even encouraged me to keep going when I had stopped to walk, and got me running again (for about 20 steps)
At 11.5 miles I got to the time I expected to finish the race. It's amazing, last week when I had 3 miles left, I was energised and picked up pace. Today I stopped to txt my fiancé I really wanted to stop, I had a strain in my groin and I just had no energy. The gels clearly weren't having an effect.
I these last few miles I was told a few lies by the marshals... 'Its all downhill from herr' 'it's flat and firm to the finish' and the other is the length of the course. Ms. Garmin had it come up shorter. 14.76 miles. But it had taken me a while to start it, ad. I thunk the hills could affect the measurement somewhat.
What really shocked me about today's race is I have done a lot of training but I was completely unprepared for just how difficult it was. It was like my first half marathon, when I hadn't trained hard enough. I'm not sure I'd do it again, unless i'mm going for a super hilly marathon, but I want to get my road speed up, much faster first.
Finally about 30 minutes before needing to leave I decided yup, im gonna do it. So I woke my driver up and had a mad rush to get everything together. The drive was a bit treacherous around Chelmsford, but otherwise was fine. Epping forest looked beautiful, an idyllic winter scene.
When I started the race, I assumed I'd be middle of the pack and so tried to keep up with those around me. A couple of 9 minute miles followed; this was way too fast-not particularly slower than my half marathon pb. I tried to ease off, but every time the terrain got easier I wanted to take the speed, to save me for later. It took me almost 30 minutes to get throu the first 3 miles, and from then on, the race felt like hell. Steep muddy uphill and downhills. There was even a particularly steep downhill section where I witnessed someone spectacularly fall over. Luckily I stayed on my feet. after about 5 miles I couldn't handle the hills any more and resorted to walking on them. N there were some real tough ones and in the next few miles I was just thinking I probably won't make the cut off point, which was at 8miles within 90 minutes. I had also convinced myself I was last at this point. I did make it, and the next section was a steep uphill where I saw runners way ahead of me on their eay toward the end. They were a lovely bunch, all so encouraging, and saying well done. One even encouraged me to keep going when I had stopped to walk, and got me running again (for about 20 steps)
At 11.5 miles I got to the time I expected to finish the race. It's amazing, last week when I had 3 miles left, I was energised and picked up pace. Today I stopped to txt my fiancé I really wanted to stop, I had a strain in my groin and I just had no energy. The gels clearly weren't having an effect.
I these last few miles I was told a few lies by the marshals... 'Its all downhill from herr' 'it's flat and firm to the finish' and the other is the length of the course. Ms. Garmin had it come up shorter. 14.76 miles. But it had taken me a while to start it, ad. I thunk the hills could affect the measurement somewhat.
What really shocked me about today's race is I have done a lot of training but I was completely unprepared for just how difficult it was. It was like my first half marathon, when I hadn't trained hard enough. I'm not sure I'd do it again, unless i'mm going for a super hilly marathon, but I want to get my road speed up, much faster first.
Sunday, 17 March 2013
Colchester Half Marathon, a new pb and beeple blister!
So today was the Colchester half marathon, I knew I was in shape for a pb and as a result nerves and excitement meant I was wide awake at 4am. I managed to doze for another couple of hours and was up again at 630. I must say, having the race in your home town is ideal- didn't need to leave home until 40 mins before the race start and still had plenty of time to go to the toilet before racing.
Breakfast: oats so simple porridge, cup of tea, glass of beeple (beetroot and apple) juice and 500ml SiS go electrolyte. A lot of liquid, but had perhaps kept the bedroom a bit war m overnight, so needed to rehydrate.
I didn't do a warm up for this race, so I struggled in the first mile, even though it was mainly down hill. My aim was 8:50-8:56 for the first five miles, 8:45 for the next 5, and then speed up for the las t 3. The reason being the course was supposed to be flat after mile 5. I reality, the effects of the tough climb up north hill early in mile 3 lasted well into the race, and I think we saw our last significant energy sapping hill around mile 7. Whilst for the most part I remained below 8:56, I struggled to speed up to 8:45, as these were the miles I was taking on water and gels and it w windy in the country part of the course. I did draft to protect me from the wind, but I found I was overtaking throughout the race so couldn't find a drafting runner for long.
Pacing was as follows:
Mile 1: 8:58
Mile 2: 8:42
Mile 3: 9:00
Mile 4: 8:58
Mile 5: 8:54
Mile 6: 9:04
Mile 7: 8:48
Mile 8: 8:51
Mile 9: 8:51
Mile 10: 8:54
Mile 11: 8:51
Mile 12: 8:47
Mile 13: 8:34
0.1: 7:03 avg pace.
Chip time: 1:56:06.6
Pb by 3 minutes. I'm really pleased with this record. On the whole I felt properly trained and fuelled. What has held me back is probably a tiring week at work, the wind. There was a psychological issue at miles 6 and 7 where I wasn't expecting any hills, yet there were, and again at mile 9. In addition, I didn't realise that even without stopping to walk, taking on fluid and gels still slowed me. All in all a great first race of the year, and very happy with a well executed race plan.
Negative? The giant blood blister...
Breakfast: oats so simple porridge, cup of tea, glass of beeple (beetroot and apple) juice and 500ml SiS go electrolyte. A lot of liquid, but had perhaps kept the bedroom a bit war m overnight, so needed to rehydrate.
I didn't do a warm up for this race, so I struggled in the first mile, even though it was mainly down hill. My aim was 8:50-8:56 for the first five miles, 8:45 for the next 5, and then speed up for the las t 3. The reason being the course was supposed to be flat after mile 5. I reality, the effects of the tough climb up north hill early in mile 3 lasted well into the race, and I think we saw our last significant energy sapping hill around mile 7. Whilst for the most part I remained below 8:56, I struggled to speed up to 8:45, as these were the miles I was taking on water and gels and it w windy in the country part of the course. I did draft to protect me from the wind, but I found I was overtaking throughout the race so couldn't find a drafting runner for long.
Pacing was as follows:
Mile 1: 8:58
Mile 2: 8:42
Mile 3: 9:00
Mile 4: 8:58
Mile 5: 8:54
Mile 6: 9:04
Mile 7: 8:48
Mile 8: 8:51
Mile 9: 8:51
Mile 10: 8:54
Mile 11: 8:51
Mile 12: 8:47
Mile 13: 8:34
0.1: 7:03 avg pace.
Chip time: 1:56:06.6
Pb by 3 minutes. I'm really pleased with this record. On the whole I felt properly trained and fuelled. What has held me back is probably a tiring week at work, the wind. There was a psychological issue at miles 6 and 7 where I wasn't expecting any hills, yet there were, and again at mile 9. In addition, I didn't realise that even without stopping to walk, taking on fluid and gels still slowed me. All in all a great first race of the year, and very happy with a well executed race plan.
Negative? The giant blood blister...
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Middle of the taper
Well I've done virtually no running, but I wouldn't say this is an easy week. I was away from home 16 hours yesterday for work, so didn't do my recovery run. Today I worked from home- I decided to finish at 4 to go for a run, and the weather gods were mean to me, even though I've already done a weeks worth of work in 3 days. It started pelting me with snow, but hard round snow, so I got to the end of the road and turned back.
I went out again an hour later and wow, this run took away all my stress. I did a couple of half miles at half marathon pace, and it felt good. I'm looking forward to the race this Sunday.
So 5 miles avg pace 9:47
I went out again an hour later and wow, this run took away all my stress. I did a couple of half miles at half marathon pace, and it felt good. I'm looking forward to the race this Sunday.
So 5 miles avg pace 9:47
Monday, 11 March 2013
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