With a long run with some of my fellow PWRs and Marathon trainers planned for tomorrow morning, it was an ideal opportunity to continue getting my kids involved in parkrun. My son did his first last week but didn't really fancy it this week but at 5, there's plenty of time available to him. My daughter is on her way to reaching her first parkrun milestone of 10. She is really positive about wanting to come along but can sometimes be ready to stop on the way around. Time for a proposal! Let's do parkrun together and later we can all go swimming. It worked, and not only did it get her out, she bagged herself an all time PB! Some delicious cakes afterwards, courtesy of some runners reaching their own parkrun milestones of 100 and 250 runs, and it was time to head off to the track for a coaching session. The title mentions two proposals, and for a short while, I thought my proposal was a pretty good effort at enticing a little lady around this morning's 5K. However, at around 9:00am, I was royally trumped! Run Director David took to the mic to conduct the pre-run briefing, all the usual stuff of thanking the volunteers, showing courtesy to other park users, etc. He then moved on to talk about how he had met his girlfriend as a result of a pile of logs he had shown interest in, and how he had contacted the local council about perhaps taking some of them. A quirk of fate later, and the person he had originally spoken to wasn't the person he eventually met! How different things could have been! He then went on to talk about various things in the park and of his girlfriend's involvement in some of the ongoing work. I initially wondered what other new work could be about to take place, but as he continued, it became apparent he wasn't really interested in the park at all, but his own next milestone. It was easy to sense the anticipation around the 565 runners in attendance as he called Pherenice forward, and as she reached him, he climbed down from his platform and proposed to her! The perfect environment for two lovely people who love their parkruns and even more fitting that it took place alongside what used to be the pile of logs which were the original the object of David's desires! All in all, the perfect start to the weekend.
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It was round 8 of our club Grand Prix competition and today's race was a 10K, or 6.2 miles. That was a little short of the intended mileage for today and so it required a run to the start of approximately 9.5 miles. There was a race number to collect too so I had to make sure there was sufficient time to collect and attach that so there was the risk of muscles tightening up in between runs. After last week's blow out, I needed to try something to get the extra miles in. I had come to the conclusion it must be down to energy levels as I had felt OK until near the end last week and then went straight to empty. I was hoping a large pasta meal for dinner last night will help do the job, plus I had a couple of gels for later, one being a reserve. I set off in conditions which couldn't have felt any more different compared to the previous Sunday which had been cold and overcast with a damp atmosphere. Today was bright sunshine and a pleasant temperature for running. A little chilly to start with but it didn't take too long to get warm. The main concerns in my mind for this run was the total distance for the morning with last week still in my mind, a couple of long straight roads which had potential to get quite boring, a couple of hills, one particularly steep, and lastly the regular passing of the bus which could have taken me all the way to the start line! I hadn't thought of that until the first one passed me! The first couple of miles seemed to go slow. I don't know why because I was fresh so when that first bus did pass, and then waited at the bus stop ahead for the clock to tick around, it was so tempting to push ahead and jump on! That would have been pointless though. I may as well have had another hour in bed. So I pushed on, taking on the first hill, a shortish hill out of Beckenham. The luxury of knowing a nice downhill was to follow made it fairly straightforward although I had warmed up properly by now and so the slog of the first two miles had passed. Next was the longest straight towards Lewisham. As I turned the corner to begin on my way, all I could visualise ahead was a long drag. As it turned out, it was anything but! The distance seemed to be broken up nicely and I soon got my mind thinking of each short stretch being the next target distance. Then came Lewisham and a little zig zagging because of the roadworks - a bonus half a mile maybe! Soon afterwards came the first real test of the morning with a drag of a hill up to Blackheath. Anyone looking on would struggle to describe my movement as a run but technically I suppose it could be called that. Positive thought and it was soon over and onto the last stretch across Blackheath and into Greenwich Park to get ready for the next 10K. It was nice to bump into some fellow Petts Wood Runners soon after I arrived. A couple of them realised I had run to the start and after asking how far, quickly followed up with a look of anguish and asked if I was running home too! Fortunately not. I had managed to arrange a lift home from a PWR who lives nearby. Not only a lift, but he also brought along a top to keep me warm after the race! There was the risk of my legs stiffening up in the 45 minutes or so between arriving at the park and starting the race so keeping moving was key, however basic the movement. I had also decided to start on the energy gels today for the first time on this training plan in an attempt to overcome the sudden fatigue I had experienced in recent weeks. It was quite helpful to find out that the start line was a short jog from the main meeting point so that helped to get the legs going again. The route was three laps of Greenwich Park, including another hill! Nice! On the plus side, it was nice and bright and the location itself great. There was a temptation to head off too quick knowing that in three laps I would be done, but the purpose of this was not getting a time, but more about maintaining a disciplined run to see what was left at the end. There were a number of other Petts Wood Runners there too, a handful of us started together, some drifted off ahead while one or two others who had started behind caught up, chatted and went on their way. It was even quite nice to pass a couple of others as I dragged myself up the hill for the last time on lap three! It isn't often I can say that! That final hill presented another challenge in my mind, not just getting to the top. There is a straight of around 100 yards and so I wanted to see if I could put in a finish. It wouldn't look particularly quick to anyone looking on, but I knew in my mind it would feel quick on the back of the morning's work. As I got there I knew I had it in me and so I headed off, overtaking a few on my way to the finish line. Even better, I felt as though I had another mile, maybe two, in reserve had I needed to do more! The pasta and gel must have done the trick! The choice today was whether to run in the morning before flying home from Dublin, or to join the Petts Wood Runners' Tuesday night run. Looking at my plan, today's session was 8 miles. The first and last at 9:35 per mile with the 6 in the middle at 8:40. A quick check with the PWR Group 8 leader and the decision was easy. 6 miles at 8:45 per mile worked perfectly.
So, on arriving home, I worked out a single mile from PWR and parked up before jogging to the club. As the group leaders called out their planned distances and paces, I confirmed I would go with Group 8. What I didn't realise at this point was the route we would follow but on joining my fellow group runners for the night, we were informed we would be heading up Old Hill in Chislehurst. I haven't had personal experience of this hill before but I have taken a mental note of the comments others have made about it. I knew I was in for a hard night! We headed off and with the thought of the hill in my mind. However, that thought disappeared quickly as the second turn took us onto a gentle incline towards Petts Wood. The pace was faster than I am used to on a Tuesday night - this was my debut appearance in Group 8. I soon settled into the pace although the question in my mind was whether or not I could sustain it to the finish, especially with that hill somewhere around the mid section of our route. A brief stop at around 3 miles and the hill was explained. We'd be going down and then up. Oh, and when you think you're at the top, keep going as there's another little bit around the corner! Nice! At least there was a downhill bit to look forward to! Off we went, reaching the downhill section in what seemed like no time at all. We reached the bottom even quicker and then the test. A shortening of the stride should help make this easier, and it did.........until about half way, and then the pain kicked in! A couple of the group decided it was easier to walk. There have been times in the past when that would have been a cue for me to do the same, but I was determined I would beat this hill. For the watching spectator, it probably looked more like a walk than a run, but I persevered and eventually reached the top and the regroup point. Thankfully, there were 3 or 4 others behind me which gave me time to recover. The hill had taken its toll and my legs felt shot. Yet we still had about 2 miles to go! The leader informed us that the remainder of the route was flat, music to my ears. The brief recovery was just enough to give me the energy to for a good finish. A good steady pace with a quicker last mile and we were done, as a group that is. I still had the last mile back to the car to do. In a way, that was the toughest. The legs had become used to the pace of the night and so slowing by nearly a minute per mile was hard to do. Eventually I managed to slow enough and on reaching the car, it was nie to reflect on a good choice and a good run. After a pleasant 5K run the previous day, and a good journey up to Laois, I prepared myself for a long run on the Sunday. There were no time constraints for today's run and so no requirement to be up early. I decided that I'd have breakfast and then laze around for a couple of hours before heading out. Breakfast today was porridge, followed by toast. I really feel like I need to be getting closer to 20 miles having done 15, 15 and 16 over the last three weekends. I set off shortly after midday. I had a good idea of the intended route and approximate distance, and the opportunity of an approximate one mile loop at the end meant I had option N's to extend if I wanted, and if I was able. The route itself was predominantly country lanes so nice and quiet, certainly for the majority of the route. The weather was grey and the air very cold and damp. There was definitely rain in the air, although luckily it stayed away until long after I had finished. The run itself started well but didn't finish as well! The first 9 miles went by without problem. The highlights being forced to stop briefly to allow a tractor to pass in the opposite direction at approaching 3 miles, and then being asked for directions at around 8 miles by a man whose accent suggested he was much more local than me! I had factored in a little out and back section at Abbeyleix town to get an easy to log extra half a mile in and that brought me to 9 miles. As I headed away from the main street and back towards the start/finish, I could sense all was about to change. I was still well short of my intended distance and was now wondering whether it would be possible. A couple of brief photo stops probably didn't help and I felt my legs becoming noticeably heavier with each step. As I passed 12 miles, I decided that the extra miles to get me nearer to my target would be the one mile loops. I knew that would make it easier to complete because I was very familiar with the area and in my mind was the sense of the loop being short and manageable. It didn't quite work out that way. As I headed up the gentle incline, passing the huge dog I'd seen earlier, I knew this was about to become the last stretch of this run. Even the downhill that followed when I turned the corner was a struggle. There was no way I could squeeze another lap out of my tired legs and so I called it a day at 13.5 miles. It wasn't a bad effort really but with higher mileage being the target, it was disappointing to not reach at least the levels of the previous three weeks. CategoriesA weekend in Ireland meant a bit of parkrun tourism and I usually look for somewhere I haven't run at previously. Leading up to this trip, I decided Bere Island, off the southern coast, would be the place to go, but sadly not this time. My flight time coupled with the winter ferry timetable meant I would be too late for the last after on Friday night and the first ferry on Saturday morning didn't leave early enough, not even for the later 9:30am starts seen in Ireland! So, a new search and a location nearer to Cork took me to Ballincollig. I had left behind some quite miserable weather in London and was preparing for much of the same in Cork. However, although the temperature was cold, the sun shone and made for a pleasant visit on the Saturday morning. What I hadn't bargained for was forgetting to take my parkrun barcode with me! Even more annoying was that not only had I brought my wristband barcode to Ireland, I'd also brought my back up credit card type, but then left both in my room at the B&B! Had I been near home, I'd have just lived with it and accepted being listed as "Unknown" on the results page, but with a return visit not likely to happen for some time, I had to ask that I be added manually to this week's results. Luckily for me, I had stumbled upon a friendly bunch and they agreed to discreetly get me added when the results were uploaded. The run itself was great. A lovely mainly scenic woodland route with some trail and some tarmac paths. Even the short section through the football field was made pleasant by the path lined with young trees. I had a very warm welcome and introduction from this week's Run Director along with a couple of other tourists, and this was echoed by some of those stood by me at the start. The objective of today was really to log another parkrun venue and enjoy the event. Time wasn't too important with a longer run planned for the next day. With the paths being relatively narrow for the number of runners, it was easy not to get carried away and go off too fast early on, and once the field had spread out a little, I was able to settle into a nice pace. Marshals at the various points along the way were the usual expected friendly type, encouraging all as they passed, and capped with a personal shout out from the Run Director at the end of each of the two laps! I passed through the finish line in 25:22 feeling good all the way without over exertion. A pleasant chat with a couple more locals after handing in my finish token and it was back to the B&B for a full Irish breakfast. Overall, a gear start to the weekend with a welcoming B&B and a very friendly bunch at parkrun. I've deliberately planned my long runs to be on Saturdays up until now. The main reason is the mental challenge of running solo for so long. With parkrun available to break it up, I have used the opportunity of running with people to my advantage to get me through those miles.
This week was different. I'd arranged to go out for a Chinese meal on Friday night and didn't think that would work the following morning, and so the long run was moved to Sunday. Luckily, Petts Wood Runners are out most Sundays, especially this time of year, and so when I saw that James Wong had advertised he would lead a group for up to 13 miles at 10 minutes per mile, my mind was made up. The run was made up of a 10 mile loop and on returning to our start point, the option of up to 3 additional one mile laps. I had factored in a likely run home adding another 5-6 miles. When I arrived at the meeting point, I suddenly remember James has a tendency to go a little faster than advertised, not that I can criticise anyone for doing that! Off we went and immediately I could see this was going to be quick! I was OK with the pace at this stage, it was more how long I would last when the miles were in double figures! The first 5 miles felt hard though, even if they were in my range. A very welcome breather at around 5 miles and a Premier Inn. Sadly, this was just a quick toilet break for some rather than a bed for a rest! We continued back towards base via Chislehurst and the delightful Summer Hill - just what is needed at 8 miles! As we plodded the last couple of miles, my thoughts turned to what to do about the extras. I concluded I would draw a line at 10 miles and then run home. There is the option of an extra 2 miles when I get there. As most of the group headed off on the first of their 1 mile laps, I headed off in the opposite direction. Even though my stop at 10 miles was brief, I could already feel my legs stiffening. They were working properly again shortly after although tiredness was getting itself established now. Pace wise, I was able to dictate my own and so I dropped back a little in an effort to get in as many miles as I could. A brief stop at 12 and off I went again. The decision now was to head straight through Norman Park or do a couple of laps, approximately 1 mile each. I chose the latter and a lap and a half later exited the park at the other end to head home. The last 2 miles were a real struggle. Another stop at 15 and then 16 was split into two, either side of an uphill. At 16, I decided that was it. As I stopped, I could feel the cramp just waiting to show itself. It didn't quite come but was quite uncomfortable nonetheless. A trip to Starbucks followed, and luckily for me, I was able to sit down and wait for my coffee to be ordered and delivered to my table! The 50 yard walk to the car afterwards was a long one but it meant a proper rest was imminent. This week's track was listed as a 15 minute warm up/tempo run followed by 3x1600m with a 90 second recovery between each. I've recently rediscovered the workout feature on my watch so I went through the set up of tonight's session to make it easier to focus on the running.
Our coach is known for the odd surprise, like adding an extra 200m onto the last rep of a session. Tonight, he decided to change the session! To be fair, he did post on Facebook a couple of hours before but I hadn't got around to looking until after the session! Anyway, we were now looking at a session of 10 minutes warm up/tempo followed by 3x7 minutes with a 2 minute recovery. Today had been a long day at work and so I was feeling less than energetic when the time came to head out. A stiff breeze had shown itself and with rain maybe making an appearance, I could have easily stayed indoors. In days gone by, I would have done! I kept my target pace the same as 7 minutes should allow me to get fairly close to the 1600m advertised. 7:34 per mile was the required pace in my book so I had set a range of 7:29-7:39. Of course, the change in session meant having to revert to the traditional method of pressing the lap button at each interval rather than letting the watch do that work. These sessions always feel hard but enjoyable, with a good bunch of varying paces. The rain did make an appearance too so it was a delight to be running half of each lap into a stiff breeze with cold rain thrown into the mix. For me, I felt seriously lacking in energy and so had to dig deep, but came out of it with success. Average pace per mile for each interval was 7:23, 7:22 and 7:21! Quicker than it should have been! Where did that come from? My official personal best over a mile is 7:23! |
ABOUT MEHaving completed 5 marathons between 1999 and 2016, I decided this year, I would try to do it properly and plan my training! Alongside, I wanted to keep a blog as it went along, partly to look back on, and partly to help anyone else who may benefit from my own experiences. Archives
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