A Blarney to forget...

Firstly, sorry but this is going to be a 'negative' post but I've been kind of frustrated all day.

Today's race in Blarney is certainly one for me to forget! It started well enough. The sun was shining, I got up early, parked near race HQ registered and went for a 3 mile warmup. All good so far....

Then the race started. My plan was to head out at 6:20 to 6:30 pace for the first half and assuming that I'd have something left in the tank push on to the finish hopefully finishing 1:24 or better. That was the plan anyway....unfortunately things didn't quite work out as I'd planned.

I was on target for the first 8 miles or so but then it all seemed to fall apart. My splits up to mile 8 were 6:12, 6:19, 6:25, 6:29, 6:45 (big uphill), 7:18 (beast of an uphill section!!), 6:33 and 6:33. All OK so far...

I don't know if it was the heat (it was very hot 20+degC); the fact that the first 6+ miles were uphill; my lack of endurance training; a hangover from last weeks virus or the lack of sleep during the past week but suddenly if there was a shortcut to the finish I'd have taken it. The rest of my 'journey to the finish' (it could no longer be called a 'race') was decidedly ugly comprising jelly legs, lack of motivation and bouts of walking. Uncharateristically, I even got frustrated (annoyed) by the suporters encouraging calls of "it's all downhill to the finish" and "only just one mile to go" etc...

I could do nothing as runner after runner seemed to cruise past. I think I must have lost 50+ places over the last 5 miles. If it hadn't been for the fact that Pamela and the kids were at the finish I'd have been quite happy to record a DNF but the thought that they might see me struggling pushed my to run most of the last mile at sub 6:10 pace. Unfortunately, the damage was done and I eventually crossed the finish line in 1:31:30 (102nd place out of 550 runners). The official results are here.

Although the time was disappointing I was more frustrated with the manner in which I gave in to the pain. But now that I've had a few hours to compose myself, rehydrate and take on some salts I think that I was 'probably' suffering from dehydration. Although I tried to take on water at each waterstop (2 mile intervals) I think that I spilt much more from the plastic water cups than I drank until I eventually I walked through the last couple of water stations (too little too late!). I also underestimated the impact of the initial uphill section - last year I was much more conservative during the initial miles and I then had reserve energy for the later miles.

I guess I'll just have to put today's 'effort' down to experience...

One last dash to the finish....

The painful truth...

Recovered??

I was still a bit wiped yesterday so I took another day off running but I'm glad to report that the trials of the weekend have now passed and it was business as usual today.

I wasn't too sure how to approach today's run. I wanted to do a bit more than an 'easy' run as I feel that I haven't really tested my current fitness ahead of Sunday's race. I probably should have taken it easy just to make sure that there were now carryover effects from the weekend but alas I didn't. Instead I choose to go for 2 mile intervals over my usual 5.5mile route at sub 7 minute pace. At least that was the plan anyway....

The first mile was steady enough at 6:56 pace (150bpm) over a combination of grass and track in Ballincollig park. On target I was feeling good so I picked up the pace over the second mile 6:36 min (162bpm). At this stage I was still feeling OK, albeit a bit heavy legged (probably from a sleepless night last night) and I thought to myself maybe I should change my original plan and keep this pace going over 5 miles instead of breaking it into intervals. And that's just what I did. The third mile was an uphill one which I covered in a relaxed 6:42min (165bpm). I was still not stressing so I increased the pace over the last 2 miles taking advantage of the downhill terrain 6:14min (173bpm) and 6:03min (177bpm). In all I passed through 5 miles in 32:29 (average 6:29min) which is respectable enough as I wasn't really trying too hard (although I must admit I did work a bit over the last mile!!) and that a couple of seasons ago I was happy with that time in a race!! After a 0.66mile recover I made it back to the office after 5.66miles in 38:02mins. A nice blow out run!!

So what did today's run tell me? Probably not much except that there don't appear to be any ill effects from last Sundays illness and I'm in reasonable shape over 5 miles. Just before this HM race last year I did the same run completing the 5 miles in 32:16 and splits of 6:57(150bpm), 6:40(163bpm), 6:37(166bpm), 6:06(174bpm) and 5:57(178bpm). I actually remember that run last year and despite what the numbers say I don't think I was working as hard today. So I think I'm probably in a similar shape to where I was at this time last year put not yet back to where I was last March.

But what I haven't been able to gauge is whether I have the endurance required to keep a sub 6:45min pace going for 13+ miles. I suppose I'll find out on Sunday!!

Today's run...

ps... I just realised that today is the anniversary of my first ever blog post. Where has that year gone and how things have changed!!

.....

Lately I've realised that I'm getting into a bit of a rut in running terms. Looking back though my diary it seems that I think I'm too regularly running about 5.5 miles at lunchtime at 6:30 to 7:10min/mile pace. This programme has served my quite well this year but I think that it's time for a change. I plan to introduce some longer 'easy' runs as well as some long intervals to compliment my regular progression 'tempo' runs and maybe some double sessions also.

So, last Tuesday I thought I'd break the cycle and extend my midday run. I've found that 8 miles is about as much as I can get in during a 'slightly' extended one hour lunch break. So that was the target. As it turned out it was 8.06miles @ 7:00min/mile (160bpm) in 56:21mins. The plan was to run at an even 'steady' pace which worked out quite well (fastest 6:43; slowest 7:09) given the terrain etc.

Surprisingly though my legs were a bit on the tired side on Wednesday so an easy 5.63 miles at 7:08 was all that I had the appetite for - rut firmly established again!! :)

On Thursday and Friday I had to take an early lunch to pick the girls up from school. So no time for running. If only I was as dedicated as some others I could mention and could get up at 5am for a run!!

On Saturday all three kids got sick so nursing duties prevented me from running. It seemed to be a 24 hour thing and by Sunday they were physically exhausted but feeling much better. I wasn't feeling great either on Sunday morning but I put that down to lack of sleep. The forecasted 'sunny day' never materialised (typical!!) so by 4pm I headed out for my long run. This week I decided to take the route around Monkstown - I thought that the run along the waters edge would help take my mind off the relentless rain!! It's a 12.5mile route and the plan was to cover the first 10 miles in 70-71mins and keep it steady to the end. But..... I was feeling good until I got to the 8 mile mark 57:02 at Passage West. Then my body gave in.... I wasn't sick but from that point onwards every step was like hell. My first thought was my lack of fitness and that if I felt like this after 8 miles at 7min pace how will I feel during next weeks half marathon where I'm hoping to run much faster. By mile 12 I was practically crawling all I wanted to do was for it to end and get home. In all I completed 12.63miles in 1:38:05. That's an overall average of 7:46 min/mile @ 158bpm (first 10 miles in 72:09min).

Once home it was clear to my that something else was happening. I'll spare you the details but suffice it to say that I spent much of the evening praying at the toilet bowl. Obviously what the children got was contagious and I didn't avoid it. Now, I'm sure that my work colleagues wouldn't appreciate getting what I got so I'm staying at home today (first sick day in 10 years I think)!! And besides I feel like a train rolled over me so concentration would be nil. As for running I think I'll take today off too!! Hopefully I'll recover before the race next weekend....

Week Total (31/08/09 to 06/09/09) - 4 runs
31.96 miles - 3:53:51 - avg 7:19min/mile - 158bpm - 75.4rpm