Whew! That blew away a few cobwebs! I had been nursing a couple of minor injuries so hadn't run at all since the Tenby 10k on 31 July. It's funny how even a small break can knock your confidence. While I had managed to get in some cycling and swimming over recent days, I really wasn't sure what to expect from my body.
This was actually my first ever 5k race. My running 'career' has all been a bit backwards. My first ever race was a 10-miler and I ran a marathon before I ran my first half. Going into this race, my 5k time was 19:16 (set unofficially in training, last year). I wanted to come in under 19 minutes but wasn't 100% sure I could. My strategy was to start at target pace and then hold on for dear life!
In the pre-race briefing, the organiser said the course was a good one for PBs. 'Mildly undulating' were his chosen words. The race was an out-and-back along a coastal path, so we were running into a headwind to start with (although oddly, there was no tailwind on the way back). I nestled in at the front of the pack and waited for the hooter, then we were away.
A young runner (16, it turned out) set the pace for the first couple of kilometers, and to begin with I was quite comfortable sitting in with the leading pack. We wound uphill to a bridge and then hit the tarmac path out to the sea front. The headwind was quite strong and I struggled to find cover. Approaching 1 mile, I was still sat in with the leaders (not something I'm used to!). My Garmin chirped. Split time for mile 1: 5:59. Body check: panting a little, perhaps going into oxygen debt. Oh well! Crack on!
A few hundred yards on and the lactic acid was definitely starting to creep into my legs. The halfway point was a welcome sight, even if the 180-degree turn did break my stride. I was overtaken for the first time. I knew he was coming, but I didn't fancy stepping up a gear just yet. And besides, I'd passed a few people myself. The leading pack started to pull away from me and a gap also opened up behind me. Bleep! Mile 2: 6:10. Body check: flagging, but close enough by now to kick my own arse to the finish.
We climbed the gentle slope back towards the bridge and my pace dropped noticeably for the first time. Only one kilometer to go. My Garmin showed 15 minutes and a few seconds. All I had to do was manage the final stretch at 10k pace and I was on for a PB.
On the other side of the bridge, I lost sight of the runner in front of me. "Which way is that arrow pointing?", I thought. Straight on, I decided. Still couldn't see anyone. "Is this the right way?!" I shouted to an old lady with a dog. She motioned to the right. Argh! I had gone the wrong way! What an absolute muppet! Turns out the arrow was for the way out, not the way back. I shouldn't even have been able to see it! The next runner had closed the gap on me (obviously!). I cursed under my breath (probably out loud, actually!) and rejoined the path. I was determined not to lose a place. Mile 3: 6:09.
Right, now go! Sprint! As I hit the final strait, I saw the big clock: 18:56, 18:57, 18:58... Arrrgghhh! Push!! And over the line in 18:59! Woo hooooooooooooo!!! Making my target time by the smallest possible margin somehow made it all the more enjoyable. I was absolutely thrilled.
Distance: 5k
Time: 18:59
Avg pace: 6:07/mile
Position: 7 of 89
Friday, 12 August 2011
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Tenby 10k - Race Report
This race had been in my crosshairs for quite a while. All the signs pointed towards a sub-40 minute 10k: I had run my PB of 40:17 two months before and come close to that time again in training; I felt strong, notwithstanding a couple of niggles; the course was coastal, so it had to be flat, right? Well, not quite: it actually rose by almost 400ft, but my PB had been on a pretty hilly course too. So on balance, my target seemed realistic.
The start was crowded and there was no timing mat, so official results would be from the gun. With that in mind, I jostled for position. When the horn sounded I got pretty annoyed with a few dawdlers, but the field soon opened out.
The first mile consisted of a gentle half-mile climb (80ft or so) followed immediately by a descent of about the same distance and gradient. I resisted the temptation to let fly, unlike half of the 30 or so runners ahead of me. However, making the most of the downhill stretch, I clocked the first mile in 6:18. I felt well within my limits at that point.
The modest downward slope continued and by the end of mile 2, we were about 60ft closer to sea level than the starting area. So I wasn't concerned to hear my Garmin chirp after another 6:15. I was still happy with my running. Yes, this was a quick pace for me, but I hadn't gone like a greyhound out of the traps!
But from here on in, things started to get a bit more challenging. Mile 3 entailed a short but steep climb, just enough to make my quads burn. My split time fell to 6:36 for mile 3 and I passed the 5k mark in 19:48. Still on course. No cause for concern. All I had to do was hold it together.
Mile 4 involved yet more climbing. Not a particularly challenging gradient, but enough to take the edge off my pace. I had steadily moved my way up the pack by this point, gaining at least 10 places since the start. One runner in front of me had now started to walk, but as soon as I overtook him he sprinted past me again at a ridiculous pace. A few hundred yards later he was walking again. Then he took off again. This game of cat and mouse continued until the climb intensified a little, then he disappeared. Just as well, because I was finding it bloody distracting! I clocked 6:36 for mile 4. My average pace was bang on for a 40-minute 10k, but I had lost the benefit of my quick start.
We carried on climbing gently until about half way through mile 5, when we were greeted with a relatively steep downhill stretch. I managed to win back some time, posting 6:28 for the mile. I was hanging in there, just!
Still feeling pretty strong, I sat in with a couple of other runners for a few hundred yards. I knew the final mile was uphill, so I wanted to conserve as much energy as possible. But these guys were going too slowly, so I pulled ahead of them. I had unwittingly volunteered to be their windbreak. There had been barely a breath of wind all day and now I was running head on into a stern breeze. Then I got a stitch. 'Please, not now!', I thought. My spirits were momentarily lifted when I saw the 9k marker and realised I had a few seconds to spare, but I could see a steep climb ahead.
The hill rose by only 80ft, but it was 'all in one go'. I slowed to what felt like a shuffle and the two runners I had just overtaken came back past me. I wasn't going to let them get away. Mile 6 took me 6:50 and the sub-40 minute dream was slipping away. I had to do something.
The ground levelled off and a sign indicated that there were 400 metres to go. Knackered and not sure if I could sustain anything more than the pace I was already at, I found a kick from somewhere and overtook the last guy to have passed me on the hill. The course followed an 'S' bend, so I couldn't see the finish. Just when I thought I was there, the course took another turn. I looked down at my Garmin: time: 39:xx; pace: 4:40/mile! I was closing in fast on the next two runners, who were already battling it out between themselves. Face contorted, legs burning, lungs bursting, heart pounding, I powered over the finish line in 39:41. My mum and sister immediately ran over and congratulated me. As soon as the world stopped spinning, I thanked them both and we wandered off for a well-deserved pub lunch.
Distance: 10k
Time: 39m 41s
Avg pace: 6m 23s / mile
Position: 26 of 338 (putting me in the top 8%)
Official results here and GPS data here.
The start was crowded and there was no timing mat, so official results would be from the gun. With that in mind, I jostled for position. When the horn sounded I got pretty annoyed with a few dawdlers, but the field soon opened out.
The first mile consisted of a gentle half-mile climb (80ft or so) followed immediately by a descent of about the same distance and gradient. I resisted the temptation to let fly, unlike half of the 30 or so runners ahead of me. However, making the most of the downhill stretch, I clocked the first mile in 6:18. I felt well within my limits at that point.
The modest downward slope continued and by the end of mile 2, we were about 60ft closer to sea level than the starting area. So I wasn't concerned to hear my Garmin chirp after another 6:15. I was still happy with my running. Yes, this was a quick pace for me, but I hadn't gone like a greyhound out of the traps!
But from here on in, things started to get a bit more challenging. Mile 3 entailed a short but steep climb, just enough to make my quads burn. My split time fell to 6:36 for mile 3 and I passed the 5k mark in 19:48. Still on course. No cause for concern. All I had to do was hold it together.
Mile 4 involved yet more climbing. Not a particularly challenging gradient, but enough to take the edge off my pace. I had steadily moved my way up the pack by this point, gaining at least 10 places since the start. One runner in front of me had now started to walk, but as soon as I overtook him he sprinted past me again at a ridiculous pace. A few hundred yards later he was walking again. Then he took off again. This game of cat and mouse continued until the climb intensified a little, then he disappeared. Just as well, because I was finding it bloody distracting! I clocked 6:36 for mile 4. My average pace was bang on for a 40-minute 10k, but I had lost the benefit of my quick start.
We carried on climbing gently until about half way through mile 5, when we were greeted with a relatively steep downhill stretch. I managed to win back some time, posting 6:28 for the mile. I was hanging in there, just!
Still feeling pretty strong, I sat in with a couple of other runners for a few hundred yards. I knew the final mile was uphill, so I wanted to conserve as much energy as possible. But these guys were going too slowly, so I pulled ahead of them. I had unwittingly volunteered to be their windbreak. There had been barely a breath of wind all day and now I was running head on into a stern breeze. Then I got a stitch. 'Please, not now!', I thought. My spirits were momentarily lifted when I saw the 9k marker and realised I had a few seconds to spare, but I could see a steep climb ahead.
The hill rose by only 80ft, but it was 'all in one go'. I slowed to what felt like a shuffle and the two runners I had just overtaken came back past me. I wasn't going to let them get away. Mile 6 took me 6:50 and the sub-40 minute dream was slipping away. I had to do something.
The ground levelled off and a sign indicated that there were 400 metres to go. Knackered and not sure if I could sustain anything more than the pace I was already at, I found a kick from somewhere and overtook the last guy to have passed me on the hill. The course followed an 'S' bend, so I couldn't see the finish. Just when I thought I was there, the course took another turn. I looked down at my Garmin: time: 39:xx; pace: 4:40/mile! I was closing in fast on the next two runners, who were already battling it out between themselves. Face contorted, legs burning, lungs bursting, heart pounding, I powered over the finish line in 39:41. My mum and sister immediately ran over and congratulated me. As soon as the world stopped spinning, I thanked them both and we wandered off for a well-deserved pub lunch.
Distance: 10k
Time: 39m 41s
Avg pace: 6m 23s / mile
Position: 26 of 338 (putting me in the top 8%)
Official results here and GPS data here.
Sunday, 10 July 2011
Week beginning 4 July
Nose back to the grindstone this week: just short of 43 miles covered, with a bit of swimming thrown in for good measure. Sluggish at times; more spritely at others. Looked like I'd been in the wars by Sunday evening!
Highlights of the week:
- Highest-mileage week to date
- Averaged target 10k pace over a 4-mile run without initially intending to - gotta be a good sign!
- Felt fresher than ever on an 8-mile marathon-pace run
Friday
Rest (phew!)
Saturday
8 miles at bang on target marathon pace. Fresh as a daisy :-)
Distance: 8.03 miles
Avg pace: 7m 20s / mile
Avg HR: 159 bpm
Sunday
Long slow run which involved climbing over 1,700ft, being repeatedly stung by nettles and cut by brambles, trudging up to my ankles through mud and getting lost both in a potato field and on a 4x4 off-road course. I think I'll limit myself to one of these kind of runs per month!
Distance: 15.71 miles
Avg pace: 9m 12s / mile
Avg HR: 151 bpm
Highlights of the week:
- Highest-mileage week to date
- Averaged target 10k pace over a 4-mile run without initially intending to - gotta be a good sign!
- Felt fresher than ever on an 8-mile marathon-pace run
- Spent Sunday's LSR discovering new footpaths. Just call me Columbus.
Monday
3-mile recovery run
Distance: 2.93 miles
Avg pace: 8m 56s / mile
Avg HR: 137 bpm
Tuesday
A sluggish 8-miler first thing in the morning. Barely got under 8-minute mile pace until halfway through. But it's all miles under the belt ;-)
Monday
3-mile recovery run
Distance: 2.93 miles
Avg pace: 8m 56s / mile
Avg HR: 137 bpm
Tuesday
A sluggish 8-miler first thing in the morning. Barely got under 8-minute mile pace until halfway through. But it's all miles under the belt ;-)
Distance: 7.98 miles
Avg pace: 7m 41s / mile
Avg HR: 151 bpm
Wednesday
AM: 1km swim (getting a bit quicker: 40 lengths in 26 minutes, but still swimming breast stroke like an old woman).
PM: 4-mile easy run. Plenty in the tank this time. Felt pretty fresh.
Distance: 4.00 miles
Avg pace: 8m 30s / mile
Avg HR: 139 bpm
Avg pace: 7m 41s / mile
Avg HR: 151 bpm
Wednesday
AM: 1km swim (getting a bit quicker: 40 lengths in 26 minutes, but still swimming breast stroke like an old woman).
PM: 4-mile easy run. Plenty in the tank this time. Felt pretty fresh.
Distance: 4.00 miles
Avg pace: 8m 30s / mile
Avg HR: 139 bpm
Thursday
What was supposed to be a 5-mile tempo run turned into a 4-mile slog after I got giddy during miles 2 and 3 (split times: 6m 44s; 6m 13s; 6m 06s; 6m 47s). On the plus side, that's an average of 6m 27s per mile -- my target 10k pace.
Distance: 3.97 miles
Avg pace: 6m 27s / mile
Avg HR: 168 bpm
Avg pace: 6m 27s / mile
Avg HR: 168 bpm
Friday
Rest (phew!)
Saturday
8 miles at bang on target marathon pace. Fresh as a daisy :-)
Distance: 8.03 miles
Avg pace: 7m 20s / mile
Avg HR: 159 bpm
Sunday
Long slow run which involved climbing over 1,700ft, being repeatedly stung by nettles and cut by brambles, trudging up to my ankles through mud and getting lost both in a potato field and on a 4x4 off-road course. I think I'll limit myself to one of these kind of runs per month!
Distance: 15.71 miles
Avg pace: 9m 12s / mile
Avg HR: 151 bpm
Monday, 4 July 2011
27/6 - 3/7 - A week of rest?
After three consecutive weeks of building distance from around 28 to 38 miles, 27 June - 3 July was scheduled as an 'off week'. I ran 33 miles in all, but perhaps overdid it here and there (at least, I didn't feel particularly rested by Sunday!).
- Running injury free (nothing more than tightness/niggles)
- Had a really quick, successful interval session
- Slotted in another 1km swim -- variety is good!
- Managed to stay disciplined on my long run
Monday
Monday
3-mile easy/steady run finishing with a small spurt.
Distance: 3.07 miles
Avg pace: 7m 38s / mile
Avg HR: 149 bpm
Tuesday
Distance: 3.07 miles
Avg pace: 7m 38s / mile
Avg HR: 149 bpm
Tuesday
Really pleased with this session! 4x 1km intervals with 2-minute recovery jogs -- check out the split times:
Km 1: 3:54 (6:16/mile)
Km 2: 3:43 (5:59/mile)
Km 3: 3:32 (5:41/mile)
Km 4: 3:38 (5:51/mile)
Distance: 3.34 miles
Avg pace: 6m 48s / mile
Avg HR: 163 bpm
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Thursday
AM: 1km swim (my technique is still horrible, but I might be getting some lessons in September!).
PM: 7 miles steady, finishing at 10k pace. Experimented with cadence: increased turnover during the last couple of miles and felt I could run faster with less effort.
Distance: 7.03 miles
Avg pace: 6m 59s / mile
Avg HR: 158 bpm
Friday
Distance: 7.03 miles
Avg pace: 6m 59s / mile
Avg HR: 158 bpm
Friday
5k recovery run with Annie. Nice to have company once in a while! :-)
Distance: 3.09 miles
Avg pace: 10m 06s / mile
Avg HR: 127 bpm
Saturday
Did my long(ish) run today instead of Sunday, just to suit circumstances. Stayed disciplined and hovered around 8 mins/mile. Tiring, but in a different way to the quicker sessions earlier in the week.
Distance: 9.86 miles
Avg pace: 7m 57s / mile
Avg HR: 151 bpm
Sunday
7 miles at marathon pace -- heavy legged! Don't think I refuelled soon enough after my long run yesterday. My Garmin also went crazy and lied to me about my first two split times, so I ran too hard for the remaining 5 miles (in fact, I stopped about one-third of a mile short of 7 miles because I knew something wasn't right). Ate within half an hour of getting back this time!
Distance: 6.71 miles
Avg pace: 7m 10s / mile
Avg HR: 157 bpm
Avg pace: 7m 10s / mile
Avg HR: 157 bpm
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Week beginning 20 June
Highlights of the week:
- Ran 38.33 miles (highest weekly mileage this year!) in 4h 48m 36s
- Started to inject a bit more speed into my training
- Completed my longest training run since Paris (13.98 miles)
- Ran 38.33 miles (highest weekly mileage this year!) in 4h 48m 36s
- Started to inject a bit more speed into my training
- Completed my longest training run since Paris (13.98 miles)
- Experimented with foot plant, with some interesting results
Monday: 3-mile recovery run finishing with a small spurt
Distance: 3.05 miles
Avg pace: 8m 21s / mile
Avg HR: 142 bpm
Tuesday: 1 mile easy, 5 miles tempo, 1 mile easy. Felt uncomfortable, like the first speed session in a while, but I think I got the intensity just about right.
Distance: 7.00 miles
Avg pace: 7m 14s / mile
Avg HR: 165 bpm
Wednesday: 3-mile easy/recovery run
Distance: 3.03 miles
Avg pace: 8m 19s / mile
Avg HR: 149 bpm
Thursday: 5 miles starting at half marathon pace and ending at 10k pace. Felt it!
Distance: 4.97 miles
Avg pace: 6m 56s / mile
Avg HR: 165 bpm
Friday: Rest.
Saturday: 10km averaging target marathon pace. Before my run today I read a decent piece of advice in a triathlon book: imagine you're running with a string attached to your head, holding your body in place. In other words: run tall. So, I started off easy and slowly built up to 10k pace, concentrating on form: mid- to forefoot striking and good, tall posture. The result? I still had plenty left in the tank at 6:40/mile. I can't believe how much less energy I used when I didn't slouch. Looks like I may have turned over a new leaf!
Distance: 6.15 miles
Avg pace: 7m 19s / mile
Avg HR: 156 bpm
Sunday: Long slow run. Concentrated on form again, results similar. My heart rate remained relatively low and I didn't feel like I was running hard, yet I posted some decent mile times. Bit hot out there, mind!
Distance: 13.98 miles
Avg pace: 7m 40s / mile
Avg HR: 154 bpm
Monday: 3-mile recovery run finishing with a small spurt
Distance: 3.05 miles
Avg pace: 8m 21s / mile
Avg HR: 142 bpm
Tuesday: 1 mile easy, 5 miles tempo, 1 mile easy. Felt uncomfortable, like the first speed session in a while, but I think I got the intensity just about right.
Distance: 7.00 miles
Avg pace: 7m 14s / mile
Avg HR: 165 bpm
Wednesday: 3-mile easy/recovery run
Distance: 3.03 miles
Avg pace: 8m 19s / mile
Avg HR: 149 bpm
Thursday: 5 miles starting at half marathon pace and ending at 10k pace. Felt it!
Distance: 4.97 miles
Avg pace: 6m 56s / mile
Avg HR: 165 bpm
Friday: Rest.
Saturday: 10km averaging target marathon pace. Before my run today I read a decent piece of advice in a triathlon book: imagine you're running with a string attached to your head, holding your body in place. In other words: run tall. So, I started off easy and slowly built up to 10k pace, concentrating on form: mid- to forefoot striking and good, tall posture. The result? I still had plenty left in the tank at 6:40/mile. I can't believe how much less energy I used when I didn't slouch. Looks like I may have turned over a new leaf!
Distance: 6.15 miles
Avg pace: 7m 19s / mile
Avg HR: 156 bpm
Sunday: Long slow run. Concentrated on form again, results similar. My heart rate remained relatively low and I didn't feel like I was running hard, yet I posted some decent mile times. Bit hot out there, mind!
Distance: 13.98 miles
Avg pace: 7m 40s / mile
Avg HR: 154 bpm
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Week beginning 13 June
Highlights of the week:
- Upped my weekly mileage by just short of 10% to 32 miles
- Ran my third 10k race in 10 days
- Ran my third 10k race in 10 days
- Completed my longest training run since Paris (13.1 miles)
- Went running somewhere completely new
Distance: 3.07 miles
Avg pace: 9m 09s / mile
Avg HR: Forgot HR monitor
Tuesday: Rest before Wednesday's race
Wednesday: Malvern Joggers 10k
Distance: 10km
Avg pace: 7m 18s / mile
Avg HR: No HR monitor
Thursday: Slow run in a bid to shake off the aches of Wednesday's race. Very heavy legged!
Distance: 4.79 miles
Avg pace: 8m 36s / mile
Avg HR: 145 bpm
Friday: Rest.
Saturday: Long slow run, finishing around marathon pace.
Distance: 13.05 miles
Avg pace: 8m 08s / mile
Avg HR: 155 bpm
Sunday: Easy 5-mile run out on the common at Llantrisant while we were staying with Annie's cousin. Saw lots of horses and foals and very few cars. A bit hilly here and there, but most enjoyable!
Distance: 4.96 miles
Avg pace: 8m 26s / mile
Avg HR: 148 bpm
Avg pace: 8m 08s / mile
Avg HR: 155 bpm
Sunday: Easy 5-mile run out on the common at Llantrisant while we were staying with Annie's cousin. Saw lots of horses and foals and very few cars. A bit hilly here and there, but most enjoyable!
Distance: 4.96 miles
Avg pace: 8m 26s / mile
Avg HR: 148 bpm
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Malvern Joggers 10k - Race Report
Boy, was this tough! The Malvern Joggers 10k was my third race over that distance in 10 days, and felt like it! The event was relatively local but nonetheless well attended, with 271 runners competing in all. It was also very well organised, I must say: no veering off in the wrong direction this time! All I knew about the course beforehand was that it was 'undulating', which of course left a lot of room for interpretation. Not knowing what to expect, it was difficult to set a target. I thought 45 minutes might be realistic, but I really wasn't sure.
The starting area afforded everybody plenty of space (oddly, we were counted in by a pair of Chuckle Brother lookalikes!). From the off, I nestled in among a few runners just behind the leading pack and made my way along a remote tarmac road. Mile 1 passed by in 6m 49s -- pretty respectable, I thought, given the gentle incline.
We branched left onto a woodland trail and the hills got a little steeper, just enough so that I could feel them. After another few hundred yards we emerged onto a grassy knoll, climbing all the while. I clocked mile 2 in 7m 44s. By this point I was pretty puffed but could finally see the brow of a hill. Over the first 2.25 miles, the course rose from 175 to 510ft. By no stretch of the imagination was it a fell run, but to an unsuspecting road runner like me it was a challenge!
As we reached that first peak, I thought I recognised one of my fellow runners (though there's a limit to how familiar the back of a person's head can be!). I pulled alongside him and sure enough, it was the guy I had spent the entire Ross 10k behind. We had a brief exchange and, knowing that he had finished a good few seconds ahead of me last time, I sat in just behind him. Ultimately, he would finish some 22 places ahead of me. I guess either he was more accustomed to the hills or his legs were fresher than mine! We coasted downhill for about two-thirds of a mile before beginning another brief climb just before the next mile marker. Mile 3: 7m 32s.
The next three-quarters of a mile were quite emphatically downhill, mostly on tarmac. I was tired, but I picked up my pace as best I could. At the foot of the hill was a water station. I grabbed a cup of water and, faced with another climb, I used the excuse to walk for a couple of paces. Mile 4 took me 6m 53s, thanks largely to gravity.
The hill set in just after the drinks station and seemed to go on forever. In reality, it rose by about 225ft over three-quarters of a mile. My quads were burning. I was slowing to a crawl. I wasn't going to stop, was I? Where had all my will power gone? Sure, I was tired, but what was new? Why should I stop here? Eventually, my legs conceded defeat. I walked. I was immediately disappointed in myself. I thought about my injury and the lack of speed and hills in my training. It had all knocked my confidence. I may still have been climbing, but in every other sense I had hit a trough. As ever, the other runners offered me a few words of encouragement, I picked myself up and slogged my way to the top. Mile 5: 8m 37s. If Garmins could laugh, mine would have been cackling like a hyena.
The remaining 1.2 miles or so were entirely downhill. I tried for a bit of a spurt and was hit by a stitch almost straight away. Probably all that stooping up the last hill! Gradually, the pain increased and my breath grew short and sharp. I felt like I was functioning on half my lung capacity. With the end almost in sight, I slowed to a walk again. I was no longer disappointed: I was angry. This was pathetic. I had to pull myself together. There goes mile 6: 6m 35s. A few hundred yards to go. I picked up the pace again, taking in what air I could. Another runner passed me by but I had no response. The finish line had never felt so empty. I think I'm going to have to exorcise this performance next year.
I'll be back
Time: 45m 55s (total ascent: 705ft)
Avg pace: 7m 18s / mile
Position: 43 of 271 (putting me in the top 16%)
GPS data here and official results here
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