Thursday 6 October 2011

Where RIGHT is RIGHT & LEFT is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG......

A delayed race report from my little trip down the canal at the JW Ultra.

Like most ultras, it`s a small event but don`t let that put you off entering because you will miss out on a real gem of an event, full of very nice runners, marshals, helpers & spot on organisers (& a bit like who`s who in running).

We start at Stratford Upon Avon and start at the same time as the relay runners. The first section is quite nice except the steps and then work along the Canal - again very nice except where the food fair is (smells of bacon butty etc) and then through Stratford. After that it`s Canal all the way. I had aimed for around the 5hr / 5hr 10min mark. A nice pace nothing too fast like last year (1st 16M at sub 9.00/m pace), and again I had planned to stop along the way to update folks on FB (*). As you can see from the photos it is such a nice route especially if the weather is kind.

I covered the 1st 6.57M in 63 mins (1st Gel)   & then the first checkpoint & relay change over point (approx 10 miles) at around 1:34, a quick grab of drink and off I went again. I stop for my 2nd gel at 12.75M (2hrs 4mins) and my 3rd at 17.63M (3hrs 2mins) – I went through the 2nd & final checkpoint / change over (approx 20M) at 3hrs 31mins. For info 26.2M in 4hrs 41 mins.

Now I had planned to take the latter part very easy but I was listening to Tony Audenshaw @ Marathon Talk talking about “*** your Legs” (show 88) on the ipod so I decided to sped up a bit.......this, however was my downfall as I was not paying attention to the route instructions (what bridges to cross, which canal to take at a intersection).....and I followed another runner (who I think was just out for a jog) and took the wrong turn at mile 28.4M.

I knew it was wrong when I ran out of canal (!!!!) & ended going up (always up) a steep slope into a housing estate.....I only went a mile the wrong way (which meant 2 miles extra of course). Nothing worse than being out on the course when the Garmin clicks over the event distance and you can`t see the finish...!!! As I neared the correct course I took a call from Yeti, who asked where I was, I replied “Where are you?” She said “she was at the finish” ....and I thought “I wish I was at the finish” Apparently I was spotted heading in the wrong direction....

That error cost me at least 25 mins – eventually I saw the finish and crossed the line (in a sheepish manner) in 5:45:20 having run 32:59 Miles (Last year I was 4:54) – I wonder if there is such a thing as `over, over distance training`???

Great event – I must do the short course again :-)



Split Summary
====
1) - 1m - 10:12(10:12/m) - 127cal
2) - 1m - 10:44(10:44/m) - 123cal
3) - 1m - 9:16(9:16/m) - 131cal
4) - 1m - 9:12(9:12/m) - 130cal
5) - 1m - 9:30(9:30/m) - 129cal
6) - 1m - 9:44(9:44/m) - 131cal
7) - 1m - 11:19(11:19/m) - 128cal *
8) - 1m - 9:38(9:38/m) - 130cal
9) - 1m - 9:39(9:39/m) - 130cal
10) - 1m - 9:07(9:07/m) - 129cal
11) - 1m - 9:57(9:57/m) - 128cal
12) - 1m - 9:31(9:31/m) - 126cal
13) - 1m - 16:03(16:03/m) - 129cal *
14) - 1m - 9:47(9:47/m) - 127cal
15) - 1m - 9:47(9:47/m) - 131cal
16) - 1m - 11:07(11:07/m) - 124cal
17) - 1m - 10:38(10:38/m) - 126cal
18) - 1m - 12:50(12:50/m) - 121cal *
19) - 1m - 10:09(10:09/m) - 127cal
20) - 1m - 10:54(10:54/m) - 126cal
21) - 1m - 12:17(12:17/m) - 130cal
22) - 1m - 11:22(11:22/m) - 124cal
23) - 1m - 12:24(12:24/m) - 119cal
24) - 1m - 15:30(15:30/m) - 122cal *
25) - 1m - 9:49(9:49/m) - 128cal
26) - 1m - 9:28(9:28/m) - 130cal
27) - 1m - 12:39(12:39/m) - 130cal **
28) - 1m - 10:24(10:24/m) - 129cal
29) - 1m - 10:25(10:25/m) - 119cal
30) - 1m - 14:36(14:36/m) - 119cal - opps
31) - 1m - 11:28(11:28/m) - 120cal
32) - 0.59m - 5:53(9:55/m) - 75cal

* Updating FB along the way

Result Link

Race Photos Link

Other stuff.

FETCH Mile (Friday 30th September)

I`ve been on one of those running tracks :-O A FETCH Mile - I know it was not going to be a PB attempt seeing as it was 6 days after the JW Ultra but I was pleased how I went about running 4 and a bit laps. I went in the sub 7:30 group with 3 others :-) After seeing so much of GO MO GO Farah over the summer I thought I would try to same game...no not a his pace but to run at the back, which I did for the 1st two laps increasing the pace but still at the back running my own race. In the 3rd lap I picked up the pace even more but still didn`t feel flat out, come the 4th lap I thought I was moving nicely. With half a lap to go I still wasn`t pushing it and almost `cruised` (5:30 - 5:15 pace) through the line. I was a little surprised when I heard I ran 06:33 (I did forget to stop the Garmin) - which was only 5 seconds away from PB - so again it`s all about pacing. Nice place Palmer Park in Reading too & good company too.

Connect Garmin Link

Julian Farrell 10Km (Sunday 2nd October)

Again never a PB attempt, for two good reasons. 1. A hilly course. 2. I wanted this 6 miles to be the second section of a medium run (it was as I ran 9 miles by myself beforehand). Despite being a local race I had never run it. So I thought it was about time I ran. I got there early & said hello to club mates & park runners. So enough we made our way to the starting area and without much of a fuss we were off. I thought steady 50 mins would be a good time all things considered. A small loop first then down past the start area and out unto the familiar Frimley Park 10Km route. Instead of turning left around the 6Km mark we carried on straight - well up would be the better word...what a killer drag up the incline..my pace had really slowed down. I thanked the helpers at the water station there & slowed down a bit for a soaking by hose. I was counting down the Kms here, thinking there must be one more hill before the finish - it never came. I came through the line in 50:52 (however the race results says 50:06) so not a bad result really.

Connect Garmin Link

This week I`ve entered the fabulous named event......"Frozen Fat Ass 50Km" race in November - how cool is that :-) I really cannot wait to finish that one to say I`ve done that.

Other news - I`ll rather not go into but I never like giving up on anything or doing something I don`t want to do especially when my mind is made up but when do you decide to call it day?? :-(

Next up - the Salisbury Half on Sunday (easy / steady run), then the Amsterdam Marathon where I`m thinking a sub 3:45 would be good, then 6 days later the Caesars Camp Midnight 30 :-O I am glad of these long runs at the moment.

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