Not on the bucket list : New life experiences... - Bridge to 10K

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Not on the bucket list

UpTheStanley profile image
UpTheStanleyGraduate10
โ€ข31 Replies

New life experiences at age 68 should probably be treasured, but hitting the wall for the first time was definitely not on my list ๐Ÿ˜•

Aiming for a new longest run at my hoped-for Great South race pace (13k at 5โ€™30โ€/k, I knew Iโ€™d started too fast doing the first 4k in 21 mins๐Ÿ™„, but hung on and still had the best part of that minute in hand with 3k to go, so 3 * 5โ€™50โ€ would have done it. And I was trotting along reasonably happily at 5โ€™40โ€ or so coming up to 11k, when ........... I just came to a stop! Walked a few paces, tried to come back to a jog - nothing there, nothing to do but stop the watch and walk home๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿผโ€โ™‚๏ธ

Have to try that one again, then ๐Ÿ˜€. No problems with the legs, or with my breathing - just ran out of juice ๐Ÿค”

Onwards and upwards ๐Ÿ‘

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UpTheStanley profile image
UpTheStanley
Graduate10
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31 Replies
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Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate10

Gosh!

That sounds like me..but that's after a day with small runner in training :)

Seriously... have you any ideas.. was it humid or really hot? Hydration.. ?

How weird.... ?

I hope your next run is what you want it to be xx

UpTheStanley profile image
UpTheStanleyGraduate10โ€ข in reply toOldfloss

It was a little warm and Dexy always says I donโ€™t drink enough (water ๐Ÿ˜€). But I think Iโ€™ve just got to start marginally more slowly - but how??? Legs wonโ€™t play!

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate10โ€ข in reply toUpTheStanley

Have you a really long steep hill anywhere... Not that I am fast compared with you.......but I do use a long slow hill here, to keep my speed down on a longer run :)

Hydration can play more of a part in this than we think... I am always reminding Mr OF too drink more water, he is now, and has remarked on the effects of that... and no, not just more visits to the loo :) x

cheekychipmunks profile image
cheekychipmunksGraduate10

Oh wow UTS, how bizarre. Can you pinpoint why that might have happened? Simply too fast do you think? I have no doubt youโ€™ll bounce right backโ€™ ๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿƒ

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate10

Definately sounds like an empty tank there, UTS! ๐Ÿ˜ฎ Never mind, good luck with keeping that pace down a little next time out - that target pace is still waiting to be claimed. And remember, it will be cooler in October for the Great South Run! ๐Ÿ™‚

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10โ€ข in reply toSandraj39

I think Equi-geek might dispute that Sandra. Last year was the hottest GSR I can remember. However, it was probably the least windy too , which is usually the killer on the homeward leg. I am hoping for cool, cloudy, and a tail wind for the last few Kms.

Sandraj39 profile image
Sandraj39Graduate10โ€ข in reply toDexy5

Very true...it was a hot one! Got to be cooler this year surely!

Beachcomber66 profile image
Beachcomber66Graduate10

How weird UTS. Sounds like Popeye in need of his spinach. Guess that makes Dexy Olive Oil! Reading your post has convinced me that today's purchase of a drinks bottle for use on long runs wasn't such a mad idea. At least you didn't suffer any injury.

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10โ€ข in reply toBeachcomber66

That made me laugh ๐Ÿ˜‚ ๐Ÿ˜‚

A very short olive oil BC.

Methinks : maybe a little more fuel, a little more hydration, and not going out at the hottest part of the day may have helped. Not to mention the phrase โ€˜start off slow and then do negative splits โ€˜. But thereโ€™s nothing worse than a converted runner to give advice.

๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

Beachcomber66 profile image
Beachcomber66Graduate10โ€ข in reply toDexy5

๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚. It does sound like the constitutional equivalent of an engine running out of petrol and radiator water and thus overheating and grinding to a halt at the same time.....but I mustn't add to UTS' woes by agreeing with you; wouldn't be polite ๐Ÿ˜‡

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10โ€ข in reply toBeachcomber66

๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate10

Did you get any warning? My hat is off to you for getting to that wall... Iโ€™m looking forward to finding it myself! Iโ€™m pretty sure I wonโ€™t be running sub 6/km when I hit it too! Youโ€™re really 68 and not just saying that for better parkrun grading???

Today the run was impossible... next time you try it it wonโ€™t be.

UpTheStanley profile image
UpTheStanleyGraduate10โ€ข in reply toUnfitNoMore

Iโ€™ve been 68 for 4 whole weeks ๐Ÿ˜€, honest! No, no warning - happy plod ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธto stop ๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿผโ€โ™‚๏ธin 10 paces. Thanks for your last sentence - I certainly hope youโ€™re right ๐Ÿ‘

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate10โ€ข in reply toUpTheStanley

Itโ€™s warm out there... I pride myself on my hydration, but this morning the urine colour test was a massive fail (tmi, sorry). After drinking 4 litres yesterday, and going to bed acing the same test. Itโ€™s tough out there right now, but I think every run we do in the heat helps us acclimatise a little more.

Are you trialing in run snacks/gels? The instant wall thing interests me as you know where it is... if it was gradual that would be less helpful... Iโ€™d like to know where the wall is to then plan carb boosts accordingly.

Couchpotato2 profile image
Couchpotato2

Hmm likely to be a combination of things but Iโ€™m sure you will manage next time you try it. I wish I could run like you!

MadDave profile image
MadDave

Definitely hydration and especially a lack of electrolyte- give it a try? I found the same issue when trying to up my distance- legs just stopped working. Electrolyte does the trick for me.

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10โ€ข in reply toMadDave

Thanks MadDave - zero tablets rock.

Irishprincess profile image
IrishprincessGraduate10

Oooh Iโ€™ve never hit the wall and donโ€™t really want to. Sounds horrible.

Youโ€™re very fast and the weather is energy sapping atm. I ran a very slow 5K the other day and every step was hard. But I also know I didnโ€™t drink enough water the day before ......

alisonx profile image
alisonxGraduate10

Oooh wow UTS! what a strange thing. Hope you are feeling great now and have topped up the tank! Sorry to side with Dexy here, i know this could cause trouble, but maybe you need to rethink the time you go out for this run? Better luck next time, I am sure you will achieve your goals!

ps. your speed/pace is truly impressive, i can only dream of that currently and i'm a few years younger! What a legend you are!

JonathanP profile image
JonathanPGraduate10

Very disappointing and surprising UTS! I'm sure the next one will be a return to form ๐Ÿ‘

Bluebirdrunner profile image
BluebirdrunnerGraduate10

Very disappointing for you UTS. Remember you did run 11k though๐Ÿ‘Put it behind you, next time you go for distance will be a different day.

You are such a strong runner, yes, onwards and upwards! ๐Ÿ˜Šxx

over61andstilltrying profile image
over61andstilltryingGraduate10

You are a whizz! It is a mystery that some folk have difficulties slowing down! But onwards and upwards ๐Ÿ‘ seems a good way to go.

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10โ€ข in reply toover61andstilltrying

Yes , I slowed down so much on Monday that UTS had to resort to walking so he didnโ€™t overtake me. ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿšถโ€โ™‚๏ธ

Katnap profile image
KatnapGraduate10

Maybe start at 6min/km pace for the first km or 2 and build your pace and rhythm . Good luck with your next target pace run!

๐Ÿ˜บ Katnap ๐Ÿฑ

over61andstilltrying profile image
over61andstilltryingGraduate10

I should have added that I do hope that you hope your next run has no wall hitting!

UpTheStanley profile image
UpTheStanleyGraduate10

Hello again running friends (fiends?)

Thanks for all the interest, support, ideas, advice etc so far received in this thread - instead of individual replies I'll just tag you all so you know I've just done this single supplementary - so that's Oldfloss , cheekychipmunks , Sandraj39 , Beachcomber66 , UnfitNoMore , Couchpotato2 , MadDave , Irishprincess , alisonx , JonathanP , Bluebirdrunner , over61andstilltrying and Katnap , not to mention Dexy5 .

In trying to work out what happened, I looked back at all my race-pace runs of 10k or more, but particularly at last month's successful 12k. That was done at the same time of day (midday!! :-( ), with similar wind, temperature 1 degree cooler (19 v 20), no difference in (lack of :-) ) particular preparations that I can recall. This time, I started about 6 secs/k faster for the first 4k and was still 6 secs ahead of the previous time at 10k. But that said, I was 2 mins 35 behind my time for the Bristol 10k back in May, where I'd done a slower start, picked things up such that the 5k times were very similar, and had a much stronger second half. So to me it looks like poor pace judgement :-( at the start.

You're all shouting "hydration" at me, and although as I say I don't think I did things any differently than usual this time, it has never been something I've worried about. I will try ahead of the next run, though, and when I get arrested for indecent exposure (there are no handy bushes to facilitate wild pees on Southsea prom) I'll blame you all :-) . But I find the taste of Dexy's electrolytic additions absolutely horrid โ€ฆ..

Some of you asked how it happened - it was literally 10 paces from trotting along, confidently working out how much I could afford to slow down if I had to, while still making my target time, to having to come to a dead stop. It really was, as they say, like hitting a wall, except for a lack of bruises. Not recommended if you can possibly avoid it :-) .

I also worked out that taking just 1 more second over each 100 metres at the start would ease the initial pace off to what seems to be survivable. But if my legs want to go, they want to go at their pace โ€ฆ.. it's different when I'm doing a deliberately slow longer run, especially if my pacemaker is with me, but this one was meant to be testing. If I do start a bit slower on my own, I don't find it easy to pick things up at a fixed point later on. Maybe I should set up the dreadmill at 5'30" pace and churn away for an hour and a quarter - what a horrible thought that is!

Anyway, enough moaning and introspection for now, I'm volunteering instead of parkrunning tomorrow, and Sunday is always a day off, so let's see what Monday brings with fresh legs and a bladder well-filled until final pre-run preps. O & U rules :-) , thanks again for your support.

UnfitNoMore profile image
UnfitNoMoreGraduate10โ€ข in reply toUpTheStanley

Good to see you found some reasoning... I guess a couple of seconds per km can make a difference, but I have no clue how to run that accurately, Iโ€™m happy if Iโ€™m within 20 seconds of target pace tbh.

Could you run up the Eastney end to avoid the boys in blue on a pee stop? Assuming thereโ€™s still a nudist beach there... boy did I get a surprise the first time I took a walk from my new house behind the yomper! ๐Ÿคฃ

Couchpotato2 profile image
Couchpotato2โ€ข in reply toUnfitNoMore

๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚

Couchpotato2 profile image
Couchpotato2โ€ข in reply toUpTheStanley

Interesting, let us know how you get on Monday. Iโ€™m also not sure why my leg seized up on my last 10km I was really relaxed at the time but maybe itโ€™s one of those things or maybe I hadnt warmed up quite sufficiently despite feeling v warm. Enjoy volunteering tomorrow

MadDave profile image
MadDaveโ€ข in reply toUpTheStanley

Good luck! The weird thing I find about electrolyte is that it doesnโ€™t make me want to pee any more than usual - it does encourages my body to sweat a lot more, which I guess helps with cooling, reduced fatigue, etc. and in my case Iโ€™m convinced the magnesium stops my muscles from cramping up, so the old legs keep on moving.

Something else that worked on my last HM was to take an energy gel with caffeine in it at around 18k - that really hit the spot. The caffeine really seemed to make a difference, as the energy gel I took at around 11k without caffeine had no effect at all.

Canโ€™t wait to get off the IC and trotting again, but I promised the physio Iโ€™d stick to the plan to get this damned hamstring up to strength.

๐Ÿ˜Ž

Irishprincess profile image
IrishprincessGraduate10โ€ข in reply toUpTheStanley

You don't want your bladder too full though.....๐Ÿ˜ฉ

Good luck for Monday ๐Ÿ€

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