Sorry it`s a bit late..and it`s a bit of a catch up
Last week was a bit of a odd week really..I did not run for 5 days, I missed my last `scheduled` long run with a sore throat & an annoying cough so it was an early start to my tampering. I didn`t want to rush back so I planned a long, slow run on Friday afternoon – I knew just the place – Caesars Camp – on the course of my 1st ultra - a 10 mile off road loop up & downs hills, because of the terrain it did give me an excuse to walk a bit too. I thought it was fitting that I would run this route in my build up to my `1st marathon`. And yes I did go past the place where I celebrated my `26.2` mile line. :-) It looked so different it the daylight, and yes I got lost a couple of times. The upshot was that I think I broke the back of my cough & cold.....either that or it was the beers and curry that followed later.
I had planned to take it a bit easy during Saturday`s parkrun but I was given my `50 parkrun` top so I thought it would be rude if I didn`t give it a bit of blast plus the sun & the shades were out..... ran in with 22.48 – I think within a minute of my pb is always good. Loads of photos afterwards too.
On Sunday I was running in my comeback event - Frimley Park 10Km. Like a lot of races recently I wasn`t planning on racing it, I did plan on a long warm beforehand & to run back home afterwards. Plus it was first 10 Km of the year & the course wasn`t really flat. So after a short 5 mile run there (8.34 m/m) – yes my planning was a bit off. Saw the fun runners and met up with the parkrun crowd for a bit of chat. Before we knew it we rammed down the side road to the hospital waiting for the starter`s hooter. And off we went. I decided I would start off steady and despite the lumps in the course try to carry on at the same pace. So to a steady 1st mile steady, moving through the pack quite nicely – said hello to a lot of Sandhurst runners – I was wearing my Cove Joggers vest so always nice see local club runners and saw a couple of Fetchies too.
Please with pace and how I felt, the only weird thing was that I had my garmin set on miles so when the `km`s` markers came around it didn`t mean take much. Pushed on during the last mile and through the finish.
Splits - 7:43, 7:32, 7:30, 7:35, 7:28, 7:16, 1:13 (0.16m)
Garmin time – 46.17 (just a minute over my pb)
Stayed around to watch Colin & Elaine come in – both had cracking times. And jogged home with Alan. Total miles for the day – just over 13 miles.
Pretty pleased with that seeing as the race head was not on, felt ok afterwards & after the `warm up` so looking good for after the marathon – maybe I can get under 43.30 this year. A big, huge ask that.
Next race – ok two clues;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N99xeRXItyI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-41pzjSM1Ac
My training tells me I can run it in roughly 3 hrs 40 mins. But it is London and my `1st marathon` (if I can say that but you know what I mean), hopefully I can get close to that but more importantly I will have a hoot, enjoy the day and have some fun along the way. If you see me don`t point and laugh cos it`s rude ;-)
Good luck if you are running at Brighton this weekend - hopefully I shall be down there cheering away, giving out the jelly babies, yelling abuse er I meant encouragement etc etc.
Friday, 16 April 2010
Monday, 5 April 2010
Definitely a Good Friday
Good Friday - Maidenhead 10
Everyone has a favourite distance and mine is 10 miles – don`t really know why but I do.
So an early start but still a cracking way to start a long weekend, along the M4 & A404 and into the business park – so easy to find. Ample close car parking. Got there and met up with loads of folks – WTS, Excitabubble, Corona, Ruth, Sue, Jon, IC, HOD, Jock, Gymfreak, Caterpillar, RFJ.... to name just a few....let`s say it`s quite a social gathering. Maybe that`s another reason why I like this particular event plus it`s in the Berkshire Race Championships so the fast boys & girls pop make the switchbacks interesting viewing (amazingly fast)..
Anyway I forgot I would run in a 1:20:00 bus and got reminded of this whilst in the starting `grid` - moved up into position and we were off.....no, we weren`t – taking up the slack....and off we went.
So one loop, which was near enough a mile around the business park, then down and around the switchback part of the course (I love this part - yelling out names of runners coming the other way) and then back into the business park for another lap (about 3 and half miles when you emerge from the park and over the bridge again)
By this stage we had put some time into the bank, which was quite lucky as the first 3 mile markers were long – only by 0.1M at the 3 mile marker but l had learnt from pacing in the Reading Half we would prefer to be under than over the target time – we were inside the target by about 40 odd seconds so all good there. Through 5Km in an estimated 22:40 but we had dropped two passengers from the bus....we would find out later on they were closer to pacing 1:20:00 than we were – opps.
Onto the open part of the course – no protection from the wind but kept it steady and past the half way marker (5M = 38:55) and into the second half :-)
Past some rather nice houses – I will not repeat one of the comments Ruth said but it kept us busy till the 10Km point (through in an estimated 47:15). The mile markers had worked themselves out which made it easy to work out (+0.03M). Pace was easing through miles 6 & 7 – always good to ease the pace before the next section I think – still ahead thou.
I remembered from last year that there was a slow section – narrow footpath, so easy to drop the pace. Along the footpath & up into a track, passed a cheering point (thanks) and over the footpath – the only missed paced mile of the race. Just before the final mile (over the track across the field we were passed (and I hope he doesn`t mind but) by an elderly gent – fantastic stuff – I looked it up M71
Final mile push – there was no way we were going to let this one go...from the end of the field to the bridge is about half mile – I was keeping just in front. Then from the bridge / roundabout I broke it down into three part – first part towards to the corner of the business park. Second part – 90 degrees to the finish arch - getting ready of the final sprint in. Then past the final corner and into the finishing straight – pushing it harder - hearing the cheers, trying to get past our `look a like` target runner and through the line.....
And for some reason Ruth decided to rest on the floor !!!!
Mile Splits - 7:44, 7:49, 7:40, 7:55, 7:47, 7:47, 7:54, 7:56, 8:15, 7:34, 0:16 (0.05m)
Garmin time 1:18:39
Ok more under the 1:20:00 than I think Ruth had thought we would have gone, as we were recovering the others came in (1:19:48 & 1:20:07) – everyone we talked to seemed to have had a cracker of a run. Watched Corona come in with a massive PB too and then watched the prize giving.
Just as I was leaving the predicted rain came down – felt for the organisers taking down the marquee in the rain.
Next event – Frimley Park 10Km next Sunday...as part of a 10+ mile run....my final long-ish run
Everyone has a favourite distance and mine is 10 miles – don`t really know why but I do.
So an early start but still a cracking way to start a long weekend, along the M4 & A404 and into the business park – so easy to find. Ample close car parking. Got there and met up with loads of folks – WTS, Excitabubble, Corona, Ruth, Sue, Jon, IC, HOD, Jock, Gymfreak, Caterpillar, RFJ.... to name just a few....let`s say it`s quite a social gathering. Maybe that`s another reason why I like this particular event plus it`s in the Berkshire Race Championships so the fast boys & girls pop make the switchbacks interesting viewing (amazingly fast)..
Anyway I forgot I would run in a 1:20:00 bus and got reminded of this whilst in the starting `grid` - moved up into position and we were off.....no, we weren`t – taking up the slack....and off we went.
So one loop, which was near enough a mile around the business park, then down and around the switchback part of the course (I love this part - yelling out names of runners coming the other way) and then back into the business park for another lap (about 3 and half miles when you emerge from the park and over the bridge again)
By this stage we had put some time into the bank, which was quite lucky as the first 3 mile markers were long – only by 0.1M at the 3 mile marker but l had learnt from pacing in the Reading Half we would prefer to be under than over the target time – we were inside the target by about 40 odd seconds so all good there. Through 5Km in an estimated 22:40 but we had dropped two passengers from the bus....we would find out later on they were closer to pacing 1:20:00 than we were – opps.
Onto the open part of the course – no protection from the wind but kept it steady and past the half way marker (5M = 38:55) and into the second half :-)
Past some rather nice houses – I will not repeat one of the comments Ruth said but it kept us busy till the 10Km point (through in an estimated 47:15). The mile markers had worked themselves out which made it easy to work out (+0.03M). Pace was easing through miles 6 & 7 – always good to ease the pace before the next section I think – still ahead thou.
I remembered from last year that there was a slow section – narrow footpath, so easy to drop the pace. Along the footpath & up into a track, passed a cheering point (thanks) and over the footpath – the only missed paced mile of the race. Just before the final mile (over the track across the field we were passed (and I hope he doesn`t mind but) by an elderly gent – fantastic stuff – I looked it up M71
Final mile push – there was no way we were going to let this one go...from the end of the field to the bridge is about half mile – I was keeping just in front. Then from the bridge / roundabout I broke it down into three part – first part towards to the corner of the business park. Second part – 90 degrees to the finish arch - getting ready of the final sprint in. Then past the final corner and into the finishing straight – pushing it harder - hearing the cheers, trying to get past our `look a like` target runner and through the line.....
And for some reason Ruth decided to rest on the floor !!!!
Mile Splits - 7:44, 7:49, 7:40, 7:55, 7:47, 7:47, 7:54, 7:56, 8:15, 7:34, 0:16 (0.05m)
Garmin time 1:18:39
Ok more under the 1:20:00 than I think Ruth had thought we would have gone, as we were recovering the others came in (1:19:48 & 1:20:07) – everyone we talked to seemed to have had a cracker of a run. Watched Corona come in with a massive PB too and then watched the prize giving.
Just as I was leaving the predicted rain came down – felt for the organisers taking down the marquee in the rain.
Next event – Frimley Park 10Km next Sunday...as part of a 10+ mile run....my final long-ish run
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