Having decided three weeks ago to do my local “10k ish multi terrain”run, The Crediton Crunch, I have been on a crash training plan, adapted from the Runkeeper sub 55 minute 10kplan. Well this week was tapering, to very little from, frankly, not a lot and today was just their recommended “day before” gentle 3k with strides. For once I managed to run slowly enough. I have discovered the Runners World Training pace calculator at runnersworld.co.uk/general/... which is a really useful reference as to how fast you should be running when doing intervals.
Two days ago my pace was so leisurely that I stopped to take the photo above, looking from my 5k route to the hill in the middle distance, next to the rainbow, which is the main climb of my 10k route, here in bootifull Devon. I never fail to realise how lucky I am to run from home, in such a lovely spot. I have done my last few runs on exactly the route that I started C25k on, eleven months ago, before I had to add a loop at the start to keep me running for 30 minutes. This made me curious about how my times might have changed over the time. My best kilometre time on the first run I recorded on Endomondo, on July 20th last year was 5.53m/k (which happened to be downhill) whereas my fastest kilometre of the last month, as recorded by my now favoured Runkeeper, was 5.07m/k (and yes that was downhill too, but was kilometre seven of a long run). Probably more telling though, is the fact that last year my average pace for this 3k run was 6.32m/k, while I recently completed my whole 5k run at an average of 5.50k/m including the the final run up Long Slog Hill.
None of this may help me tomorrow, when the temperature is estimated to be between 16 to 18 degrees and bright sunshine will make me ooze from every pore of my body and I will be battling along with about 300 others. Why do they have to start at 10.30am, when I am used to running at 6.30am, in the cool of the morn? Don't they know anything?
All I know is, that I can run 10k in under an hour, on similar terrain, so am hoping to do the same tomorrow. Anything under the hour will be deemed to show that I have indeed progressed since last year and I will enjoy the scenery, anyway. Maybe next time I need to train for more than three weeks.
Wish me luck.
Off to do a rain dance!!!
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IannodaTruffe
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Wow... That's great progress.. And seeing the pic and reading has made me tearful missing Devon and my gorgeous cousin... All the very best I so wish I was doing it too... Good luck and just enjoy it...
Thanks, Julia. You keep setting the standard that we all have to match, especially with your 10k time last week. I don't think I'll get close to that. Well done!
Just enjoy it...you know how important that is more than any of us, and , and all the very best to lovely Jenny if she is doing it too....I think you will nail it Truffe....
Mme Truffe promises to be on the finish line, if she can be that patient, to capture it all for posterity. So long as I am not nailed in my coffin, I'll be happy.
Thanks misswobble, I will be thinking of you all.....through the mirages......then again I may just be thinking.....WATER!!
Good luck for your 10K tomorrow and I am already dancing around, beating a drum and going whoo, hoo, hoo for rain. Have a good run tomorrow and best wishes.
Good luck! My commiserations for the weather; I do hope there's a bit of rain and a nice cool breeze to help encolden you a bit. I had a nice brisk, about a mile and a half's walk today in the afternoon sun and that was hot enough with just walking in it. I agree with you, the earlier the better in the warmer months!
Enjoy the Crediton Crunch, what great names we have for local races having joined 192 others on the Holywood Stroll earlier this week (only 5 miles and we got delayed 15 mins due to the number of entrants so was still running at 8.15pm on Tuesday evening)
Best of luck with the race. I'm sure you'll be amazing
I do agree about start times: I've never understood why races start relatively so late:- a 9am start time would make better sense as most runners will be finished by the time it gets really hot. I went for a run at 7am this morning and felt like a vampire melting into dust. Popping out to the shops at 1pm (25c), I saw several runners out. The very strange people that they were didn't even have water with them! Eek! Never mind, entirely whatever works for them. That said, a colleague at work did the marathon des sables last year. Total respect that man. Not surprisingly, he said it wasn't an experience he'd be repeating in a hurry.
Ooh, marathon des sables, I saw that on the box the other week, that was something else (though I think they mucked up Cracknell's fueling regime, only 'allowing' him 2500 calories a day?!?!, I reckon he was burning way more than that during the shorter runs and there's no flab on him to give any leeway). Yup, total respect anyone who even seriously considers it!
I suppose the rationale for start times is to accommodate those who travel some distance to take part. I can't understand folks who choose to start their run in the heat of the day, but then again you do see people running with layers of clothing, so I suppose we all feel the heat in different ways. Marathon des Sables here I come....unless I get lost on the way. Oh look, there I am in that bar with a cool beer!
Good luck, if you get any rain send it our way, a little north and a fair bit east, we're starting our 10k 'race' at eleven! Much too late for me, though when I did the tri the other week we had to leave home at about 5am to get there on time for a 8am start (the one I didn't enter would have been a silly o'clock start), not sure which way round I prefer it.
Good luck for today and hope you are taking some fluids out there with you. It will be awful battling against the heat when you are a cool runner (me too!). Enjoy the run and hope to do this one next year. I have a feeling you will have a new pb today! Go for it!
Well I did it, with the help of all you lot. Congratulations on your Parkrun PB. The dual reporting of the same event is great and prevents Dan from too many flights of fancy.
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Finished in my head before my first stretch. W9R3
Saltash half marathon training.
ouch! & training for a 10k
myAsics training plans...
Finished with a Flourish! 😀😀😀👍
