After last weeks stomach issues, of which I am sure was a bad attack of IBS rather than a bug, I had a great week of training, missing out interval training just as a precaution. So my first run of the week was the double run to work and back, as my training for the VLM progresses some weeks I will be doing this run Monday, Wednesday and Fridays!
Thursday nights run with the group I lead at RRR was great, the pace was bob-on 12 minute miles, the distance just right of 4.6 miles the only issue... my trusty Garmin forerunner 405. The battery died after 33 minutes even though when I left the house there was over 50% battery left. The conundrum is that I have to replenish my trainers before the VLM and the cost of replacing the Garmin is too much to think about. The watch has been erratic for the last few weeks and has now clocked over 250 hours of usage!
On Friday I had the day off work and worked on my coaching assignments and had a hill blast, my legs just seem to get stronger and stronger. I finished the run on a high and got home to get the equipment ready for the two parkrun's I support (Heaton and Oldham).
Saturday morning was cold, rainy and just a bit miserable. Stephen and I got to Alexandra park for 8:30am and met Michelle and Bill at the Lions Den. Bill set off to put the signs out and I got to work organising the volunteers, Jason from Sweatshop was on hand to distribute £15 off vouchers so we had a brief chat and I set off to warm up. Michelle was race director this week so I had the opportunity to run in the event for a change, 28 runners lined up and the start was delayed so that my Garmin could finally lock on.
The start was frantic and on the first turn I slipped on a metal grid, one hand on the floor I managed to control the fall and not get trampled by the ensuing pack. On the first lap second placed Brian Jobe harried me and I kid hear his feet crunching on the stones that make up the road surface of the park. The watch bleeped at 1 mile and had hit 5:40, a touch fast but I felt OK so carried on regardless.
Second lap I had pulled a 20 metre gap from Brian and was puzzled to see a 6:40 minute mile (watch is getting crazy) as Oldham is a 3 lapper up and down hill getting similar pace per mile is hard but 1 minute is way out.
By the final lap the lead was growing so I enjoyed the breathing space and the scenery of the woodland walk, the finish is a gentle down hill and I once again focused on the running form for sprinting and made for the finish. Reviewing the GPS data afterwards I was pleased to see that my finish although felt really fast, actually was moderately fast. Pleased, why? because it meant that I had put some effort in during the race and was not at my fastest at the end!
Today being Sunday is my Long Slow Run day and I set off on a 12 miler at a reasonable pace and chilled out. As I descended into Middleton I caught site of John O'Reilly from Middleton Harriers and exchanged "Good Morning" with him. I was going well until 9 miles when my stomach went wobbly again and my heart sank, last weeks trouble that cost me quality training time was set to ruin another week! I took time to walk it off and rang my wife to let her now my expected arrival time and that I was felling a bit sick.
Miraculously I picked up the pace and finished feeling great, weird but reassuring all same!
Next week is the end of this mesocycle and by no co-incidence the Great North West Half Marathon. Last years 95 minutes is set to be smashed, by how much who knows, I am aiming for 85 which is a big ask. If a 3:10 VLM is the target then the GNW half will tell me where I am at! The week after is the Silverstone half and my plan is to run that at Marathon pace... whatever that will be :s
Next weeks blog entry will be all about the GNW I am sure.
Laters
Mark
No comments:
Post a Comment