Well, Leeds 10k was yesterday and I am recovering nicely now.
I arrived early to soak up the atmosphere that had made it such a good race last year... only to be told I wasn't allowed in Millenium Gardens where the warm up was because I had a green number. So the atmosphere wasn't nearly as good as last year. I had taken an energy drink to have just before the race started, but the distinct lack of toilets meant that I had to dump it virtually untouched. I put myself in the sub 45 starting pen in the hope that I would achieve my target time.
The start was much faster this year, but I set off too quickly - again! Not as fast as usual, but still too fast. There were no km markers too so I was glad for my Garmin. Meanwood Road was more undulating than I remembered and the little hills sapped my energy. By about 7km I was starting to struggle and the hill back up to the Headrow was baaaad. I managed to choke on some water and spill it all down myself too.
As I approached the last km I knew I didn't have the energy to achieve my time and the wind through the centre of town was awful. I finished in about 47 mins and grabbed my t-shirt. Totally forgot to hand my chip in and had to go back!
Little madam was there to watch which was nice as she hasn't seen the beginning and end of a race before.
My official time was 47:09 which is one second slower than my pb. But I was 19th woman in the open category (18-40) and 323rd overall out of 11000 runners so I am pleased about that! The course was also long (10.36km). I did overtake Tracey Morris too!!
Splits and heart rates:
1. 4:13:22 160 bpm
2. 4:25:72 172 bpm
3. 4:34:61 177 bpm
4. 4:17:64 176 bpm
5. 4:38:88 180 bpm
6. 4:33:87 180 bpm
7. 4:35:51 179 bpm
8. 4:37:18 179 bpm
9. 4:57:54 178 bpm
10. 4:42:10 181 bpm
+ 1:34:83 182 bpm
Monday, June 23, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Calm down, calm down!
Just a tad excited about tomorrow :)
Tapering has been well and truly done this week. Only 23 miles. At least my legs will be fresh for tomorrow. I have been making sure I eat properly the last few days and drinking ridiculous amounts of water too! Pasta party tonight.
So what training have I been doing this week then?
Sunday - about 7 miles in bits in between watching little madam in her piano concert. It was meant to be an increasing speed, but I just couldn't get into it properly.
Tuesday - 3 x 0.75 miles intervals. Pretty pleased with my pace and heart rate too (6.40, 6.45, 6:36 avg pace). It felt very comfortable too. This was my last interval session before Sunday.
Wednesday - ran home from school. Too impatient to wait for Garmin to locate satellites and had done about 2 miles before it found them. Got back in about an hour which I was pretty pleased with. The hill up York Road was good. I found it fairly easy - my pace didn't drop much and I felt fine when I got to the top.
Saturday - Just over 4 miles easy pace. This felt very comfortable. I just needed to remind my legs how to move after two days rest.
Now I just have to get there tomorrow, eat early enough, not get too cold in the lovely June weather, drink plenty, not ned to go to the loo half way through the race, not run out of energy, not set off too quickly. Oh yeah - RUN FAST and ENJOY IT!!!
Tapering has been well and truly done this week. Only 23 miles. At least my legs will be fresh for tomorrow. I have been making sure I eat properly the last few days and drinking ridiculous amounts of water too! Pasta party tonight.
So what training have I been doing this week then?
Sunday - about 7 miles in bits in between watching little madam in her piano concert. It was meant to be an increasing speed, but I just couldn't get into it properly.
Tuesday - 3 x 0.75 miles intervals. Pretty pleased with my pace and heart rate too (6.40, 6.45, 6:36 avg pace). It felt very comfortable too. This was my last interval session before Sunday.
Wednesday - ran home from school. Too impatient to wait for Garmin to locate satellites and had done about 2 miles before it found them. Got back in about an hour which I was pretty pleased with. The hill up York Road was good. I found it fairly easy - my pace didn't drop much and I felt fine when I got to the top.
Saturday - Just over 4 miles easy pace. This felt very comfortable. I just needed to remind my legs how to move after two days rest.
Now I just have to get there tomorrow, eat early enough, not get too cold in the lovely June weather, drink plenty, not ned to go to the loo half way through the race, not run out of energy, not set off too quickly. Oh yeah - RUN FAST and ENJOY IT!!!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
A Green Number
Got my number for the race this week. I will be in the green starting pen. 11 000 people is an awful lot of people. I wonder how difficult it will be to get going this year?
This was a fairly low mileage week due to not being able to run as much as I would have liked.
Tuesday went up to the track with a bottle of water for the heat so that I could do lots of 400m intervals. Did 5 at a reasonable pace (6:40, 6:41, 6:47, 6:48, 6:18) then needed a drink. Madam had drunk it all!!! I couldn't do any more in the heat so had to come home again.
Wednesday went out and did LSR - 13 miles - last long one before the race.
Friday did 20 min tempo, but it was too slow. Average 7:26 for the 20 mins. Still not eating or drinking enough to keep the pace up and the hills are wiping me out. I am going to have to do more hill sessions before September.
Saturday evening went out and did 5 miles at an easy pace. Average 7:55. Felt good.
Total mileage for this week only 32.98, but it could be seen as a taper for next week.
This was a fairly low mileage week due to not being able to run as much as I would have liked.
Tuesday went up to the track with a bottle of water for the heat so that I could do lots of 400m intervals. Did 5 at a reasonable pace (6:40, 6:41, 6:47, 6:48, 6:18) then needed a drink. Madam had drunk it all!!! I couldn't do any more in the heat so had to come home again.
Wednesday went out and did LSR - 13 miles - last long one before the race.
Friday did 20 min tempo, but it was too slow. Average 7:26 for the 20 mins. Still not eating or drinking enough to keep the pace up and the hills are wiping me out. I am going to have to do more hill sessions before September.
Saturday evening went out and did 5 miles at an easy pace. Average 7:55. Felt good.
Total mileage for this week only 32.98, but it could be seen as a taper for next week.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Heat
Well the weather seems to have been good this week. I do wonder if this is it for the summer though.
Sunday I did an interval session, but on the road not on the track which made it much harder. I managed 6 x 0.4 mile intervals at around 7 min pace although I did have to cut a couple short (not by much though!) as the hills wiped me out and I was very tired.
Monday I had a rest day as it was the first day of inspection.
Tuesday was a club night and we ran up to the Abbey to do a relay. I was supposed to do 3 x 0.5 mile circuits, but after the first I was so wheezy and the second was awful so I didn't do the third and ran back just in time to catch the bus back home.
Wednesday was long run day and I managed 10 miles for the first time in a while at avg 8:46 min/mile which wasn't too bad I supposed.
Thursday was my normal rest day (two rest days in a week!!!).
Friday I did a 10k time trial on the roads. The aim was to do 5 or 6 1km intervals with 3 min recovery at target race pace. I really must hydrate myself better - I just fade so fast in the heat. I managed 6 of them. The first four were way way too fast:
Sunday I did an interval session, but on the road not on the track which made it much harder. I managed 6 x 0.4 mile intervals at around 7 min pace although I did have to cut a couple short (not by much though!) as the hills wiped me out and I was very tired.
Monday I had a rest day as it was the first day of inspection.
Tuesday was a club night and we ran up to the Abbey to do a relay. I was supposed to do 3 x 0.5 mile circuits, but after the first I was so wheezy and the second was awful so I didn't do the third and ran back just in time to catch the bus back home.
Wednesday was long run day and I managed 10 miles for the first time in a while at avg 8:46 min/mile which wasn't too bad I supposed.
Thursday was my normal rest day (two rest days in a week!!!).
Friday I did a 10k time trial on the roads. The aim was to do 5 or 6 1km intervals with 3 min recovery at target race pace. I really must hydrate myself better - I just fade so fast in the heat. I managed 6 of them. The first four were way way too fast:
- 6:56
- 6:52
- 6:47
- 7:05
- 7:21
- 7:24
Because I went off too fast the last two were just too slow. I suppose the average would be ok for my target time, but I really have to get the hang of going slower at the start in order to maintain my pace.
Saturday I did 8.5 miles around Garforth while madam was at a party. Reasonable pace.
Sunday I tried to run in the heat when I really hadn't eaten or drank enough and been cutting the hedge. They were supposed to be 5 x 1 mile intervals with 4 min recovery and I just couldn't do it. I gave up after two and just ran at a reasonable pace and drank what felt like an entire bath full of water when I got home.
What have I learned? Drink more before running in the heat and don't go off too quickly.
Miles for 1/6 to 7/6 = 37.75
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