Back to it tomorrow after a few days break. Toes appear to be well on the mend so I'll plaster-up and do a double run tomorrow to/from work.
Meanwhile, I've signed up for the Tewkesbury Half Marathon on 9 May. Eager to rid the ghosts of 2008, I'm aiming at going for a personal best this year. If I can build up on the form & fitness I have now, it gives me 5 weeks to get ready for giving the PB a crack. Tewkesbury is flat so gravity should not be against me too much.
Also looking further ahead, June is the month of the Cheltenham Circular Challenge Marathon. A couple of us are planning on running this year, will need to put a few miles of trail/hill running in before that one!
Wednesday 31 March 2010
Monday 29 March 2010
Forest of Dean Half Marathon
The day didn't start particularly well. Left home and turned on my Garmin to acquire whirly satellite things and the battery was flat. Too late to do anything about it so drove to the Forest thinking about a) how I would time myself and b) what I would do without knowing my pace and therefore losing my ability to pace myself sensibly. Anyway, I then spilled coffee down the front of my fleece.
The race itself was not only GPS-less, it was hilly, muddy and much tougher than I thought it would be. Back to pacing myself well the plan was to hit about 6.45 pace for the first 5 miles, then up a gear to 6.30 pace for miles 5-10 and then as fast as possible for the final 3. At mile 3 I met up with Dave and asked what mile pace we were at, the answer was 6.20 / 5.45 / 6.30 for the first 3 miles. Ok mile 2 was a bit downhill but 5.45! Crazy pace. I got into a reasonable rhythm until about mile 7 when I started flagging a bit. A second wind at mile 9 saw a reasonable few miles but final mile to the finish was a killer. I already knew my toes were a mess and it was becoming really painful to run. The final mile was straight, muddy and uphill.
Broke the tape in 1hr 29 which, considering everything was pretty pleasing (anything under 1hr 30 is fine with me). On closer inspection of my feet I had a blood blister the size of a 2pence piece and two cut toes where the nail had been cut a bit too short.
All in all a pretty good run, I know I can go faster than that though - need some better training!
The race itself was not only GPS-less, it was hilly, muddy and much tougher than I thought it would be. Back to pacing myself well the plan was to hit about 6.45 pace for the first 5 miles, then up a gear to 6.30 pace for miles 5-10 and then as fast as possible for the final 3. At mile 3 I met up with Dave and asked what mile pace we were at, the answer was 6.20 / 5.45 / 6.30 for the first 3 miles. Ok mile 2 was a bit downhill but 5.45! Crazy pace. I got into a reasonable rhythm until about mile 7 when I started flagging a bit. A second wind at mile 9 saw a reasonable few miles but final mile to the finish was a killer. I already knew my toes were a mess and it was becoming really painful to run. The final mile was straight, muddy and uphill.
Broke the tape in 1hr 29 which, considering everything was pretty pleasing (anything under 1hr 30 is fine with me). On closer inspection of my feet I had a blood blister the size of a 2pence piece and two cut toes where the nail had been cut a bit too short.
All in all a pretty good run, I know I can go faster than that though - need some better training!
Thursday 25 March 2010
Rest!
Decided to rest completely for the next couple of days before the Half on Sunday. I ran last Thursday (almost 18 miles), then 7 Sunday, 6 Tuesday and another 6 Wednesday. I was going to venture out today for a short waddle today but legs are tired and I think a complete rest (apart from cycling) would be more beneficial.
So I'm quite confident about putting in a good time on Sunday, anything sub 1hr 30 would be quite alright. I reckon the weather might have a fair influence on the conditions but hopefully it won't be too muddy. Mud is ok, when you're expecting it and ready!
R.
So I'm quite confident about putting in a good time on Sunday, anything sub 1hr 30 would be quite alright. I reckon the weather might have a fair influence on the conditions but hopefully it won't be too muddy. Mud is ok, when you're expecting it and ready!
R.
Sunday 21 March 2010
Bloody Toes
Literally.
What is it about running and my toes? I have two black nails, a big toe with a new nail growing after the old one came off and after a 7 miler today, I cut two toes the result was messy socks. It's obviously very attractive and not at all painful, but probably something many runners suffer with.
One week until the Forest Half. I'm feeling pretty comfortable with my form at the moment and hopefully will get 20-odd miles in this week whilst giving myself a couple days of rest before next Sunday.
Not sure about a target time for the race. Not sure a PB is on the cards given it's a trail race and probably contains a few slopes. But sub 1hr30 is the minimum and I'd be gutted with anything slower than that.
What is it about running and my toes? I have two black nails, a big toe with a new nail growing after the old one came off and after a 7 miler today, I cut two toes the result was messy socks. It's obviously very attractive and not at all painful, but probably something many runners suffer with.
One week until the Forest Half. I'm feeling pretty comfortable with my form at the moment and hopefully will get 20-odd miles in this week whilst giving myself a couple days of rest before next Sunday.
Not sure about a target time for the race. Not sure a PB is on the cards given it's a trail race and probably contains a few slopes. But sub 1hr30 is the minimum and I'd be gutted with anything slower than that.
Thursday 18 March 2010
Long Run Home
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Long Run Home
From work to home is a smudge under 6 miles but today I decided to go the long way round. 17.5 miles later, I skipped through the gate. Ok, hardly skipping but pretty pleased to get those miles under my water belt. Pace was nothing to write home about, but today was about distance. The downside was having to wait for 15 mins at the train crossing while 6 trains whizzed by (not all at once obviously) and that was at 14 miles so I got a bit chilly and stiff waiting around. I also got a wolf-whistle from a passing female driver - can't say that happens very often.
My legs were a little sore before today following hill reps on Tuesday - goodness knows how they'll be tomorrow!
From work to home is a smudge under 6 miles but today I decided to go the long way round. 17.5 miles later, I skipped through the gate. Ok, hardly skipping but pretty pleased to get those miles under my water belt. Pace was nothing to write home about, but today was about distance. The downside was having to wait for 15 mins at the train crossing while 6 trains whizzed by (not all at once obviously) and that was at 14 miles so I got a bit chilly and stiff waiting around. I also got a wolf-whistle from a passing female driver - can't say that happens very often.
My legs were a little sore before today following hill reps on Tuesday - goodness knows how they'll be tomorrow!
Sunday 14 March 2010
Bushcombe Hill
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Untitled
Interesting route this one. It has a couple of miles of road to start, then the challenging uphill followed by a rolling downhill past the Rising Sun. Then it's off-road back down to Bishops Cleeve and finally, a mile or so back on the road. Doing it will a tummy full of Sunday lunch isn't advisable though! Lovely day for an afternoon run!
Interesting route this one. It has a couple of miles of road to start, then the challenging uphill followed by a rolling downhill past the Rising Sun. Then it's off-road back down to Bishops Cleeve and finally, a mile or so back on the road. Doing it will a tummy full of Sunday lunch isn't advisable though! Lovely day for an afternoon run!
Howard County Running
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Columbia Run
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Wilde Lake
Couple of runs in and around Columbia MD last week. The first was an attempt to resync my body clock and overcome jet lag, the second was to offset the amount of food I ate in the few days I was there. I don't think either run really delivered what was expected.
Still the conditions were near perfect and it was nice to get out on the paths and see some deer, fox and noisy red-winged blackbirds. The first run was a small loop of Columbia, the second was an out-and-back around Wilde Lake.
Hopefully they both kept some kind of form ticking over, off out this afternoon for a 6/7 mile run, then Harriers on Tuesday before looking ahead to the Forest of Dean Half Marathon in two weeks.
Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Wilde Lake
Couple of runs in and around Columbia MD last week. The first was an attempt to resync my body clock and overcome jet lag, the second was to offset the amount of food I ate in the few days I was there. I don't think either run really delivered what was expected.
Still the conditions were near perfect and it was nice to get out on the paths and see some deer, fox and noisy red-winged blackbirds. The first run was a small loop of Columbia, the second was an out-and-back around Wilde Lake.
Hopefully they both kept some kind of form ticking over, off out this afternoon for a 6/7 mile run, then Harriers on Tuesday before looking ahead to the Forest of Dean Half Marathon in two weeks.
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