An Annoying Bum(p) on the road to the GSR

[UpTheStanley]

Today's objective was to increase my "race pace" run distance to 11k, with a target pace of 6 min/k and a stretch target of 5'30". This was to be the final piece in my May quest jigsaw. The chosen course was round the Farlington Marshes nature reserve, which offers a lap of just under 4k on varied terrain. As I'd run the Bristol 10k at 5'08" pace a couple of weeks ago, and had an easy long slow 14k and a sub-25 Parkrun last week, I was feeling fairly cocky - so served me right to fail to hit my stretch target for the first time since I committed to this lunacy. I came in on just over 62 minutes at an average 5'39" pace, so not a disaster and well within the 6 min/k target, but compared with Bristol, that extra k took 10 minutes

I started off to discover a nagging right glute, not a problem I usually associate with running. This disappeared after about a k, probably done too fast in 5'19", as my splits were subsequently relentlessly positive. At 6k I was bang on the stretch target (33 mins) but then steadily lost ground, with the last 4ks all between 5'50" and 5'55". For excuses to myself, I can offer negotiating 8 kissing gates, 40% of the run on bumpy tracks (nearly producing a face-plant within the last k), and choosing to run anti-clockwise, meaning the few hundred metres of tarmac on each of the first two laps, which helped to sort my rhythm out after the bumps, were gently uphill rather than down.

So - I only do one of these a month, aiming to increase by 1k each time. What will 12k in June bring, I wonder?

Onwards and Upwards!!

P.S. Nature note - I did spot a pair of lapwings through the red mist

[Coddfish Graduate10]

I know Farlington Marshes, have not run there because I can imagine it would be very easy to do a face plant, so I think your best plan is to blame it on the rather difficult set of surfaces there. It was nice to be in taper ahead of Monday’s event and not have to do a long run today!

[UpTheStanley Graduate10 in reply to Coddfish]

Mmm - trouble is I just discovered I did 11k there at 5’30” pace before Christmas 🙄

[Coddfish Graduate10 in reply to UpTheStanley]

That’s the problem with looking at data.

[JonathanP Graduate10]

Annoying! Would clockwise next time help?

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

I don’t know, I go off to London for the day and look what you get up to. What happened to Dexy5 pace at the beginning of the run?

See you later.🏃‍♂️😘

[UpTheStanley Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

This is the one shorter long one a month where I'm trying to go further without going (much) slower, so didn't intend to do any Dexy pace - had a good walk and stretch before starting though

[UnfitNoMore Graduate10]

Marshes infers some soft but energy sapping surfaces... and I note your reply above. Not sure what the weather has been like down there, but here April and May have been wetter than November last year and the trails are not as quick. I don’t think all is in the gps tracked stats, there’s also the “going” as they call it in horse racing, and I’m just guessing it was considerably hotter today than last November?!

[UpTheStanley Graduate10 in reply to UnfitNoMore]

Thanks, but the trail goes round the perimeter of the marsh, and the going would be best described as “firm to rocky”. And the day was pleasantly warm ......

Just a (relatively) bad day at the office 😀

[ArthurJG Graduate10]

Have I read this right? Target pace of 6', achieved average of 5'39" and slowest k of 5'55"?

I think I'm missing what the problem is

[UpTheStanley Graduate10 in reply to ArthurJG]

The problem is mostly vanity ☹️ - the 6’ target is eminently sensible, but I’ve been doing better and expected to keep doing better 🤔

[ArthurJG Graduate10 in reply to UpTheStanley]

That’s not how it works though is it? Progress in running is never a straight line graph.

[UpTheStanley Graduate10 in reply to ArthurJG]

✅☹️

[Katnap Graduate10]

I heard a cuckoo on my 11k run the other day. Which was nice.

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to Katnap]

Yes it’s amazing what I see and hear while running that UpTheStanley is completely oblivious to. 😂😂

[grumpyoldgirl]

Ah these are the bad runs I can only dream of... Very entertaining post, Stanley, you poor thing 😁

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to grumpyoldgirl]

It just goes to show that no matter how good you are , you always have a target to reach 🎯

[grumpyoldgirl in reply to Dexy5]

Very true, we all need a challenge. I'm quite happy to watch in a state of awe and amazement as other people clock up amazing times over lunar terrain. And then write really entertaining posts about it. Makes my day sometimes, and always inspires me to keep trying 😊