I'm still standing!!

[Bazza1234]

--so sang Sir Elton John -- and so am I ( but only just) after running my longest training run yet this morning - 15 klm. I am running out of time until 10 August - and I want to get another one of these in before I go to the "race" itself.

The pic above is the topography of today's run and the pacing of it - the peak of the terrain is around 80 metres

I seem to have 2 paces when I run - my 5K Parkrun pace is around 7 mins per K ( a little faster for my PB) and I managed to do that pace in the 8.3Klm funrun that I did last Sunday. My slow, conversational longrun pace is around 8 minutes per Klm. I have only ever wanted to finish this upcoming 14K race in an upright position - last year there were 83,000 runners and walkers, of them 14,000 DNF!! There were 1685 entrants in the male 60-70 age group - and an 8 minute pace will land me right in the centre of the finishers of that lot. (about 240 of them DNF)

Runkeeper does not give a very good graph of pace - it would be good if it was more "analyzable" but it seems that my pace across the whole distance is fairly constant , even up and down hills!! I think it makes me look like an Army Tank - slow and steady

There was a time after I signed up for this race that I wondered could I even walk the 14ks??? So it looks like I can - and I think I will be able to dance again within 24 hours. Right now - I think it is time for a couple of beers.

[emmalouise80 Graduate]

Think those beers will be well deserved! I'm envious of your ability! Will hopefully get there one day!

[AncientMum Graduate]

Wow! Bazza, you running machine! There's hardly any difference in pace between running up and running down those mega hills. I'm very impressed! Now for goodness sake, get yourself a cold beer and put your feet up.

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

That's only because I am running so slowly!!

[no-excuse Graduate]

Woo! Looks like you will be fine on the day Bazza if that's anything to go by. Steady all the way! You deserve those beers alright x

[Rob_and_his_westie Graduate]

Slow and steady is definitely they way to go. Don't know about you but I now find longer, slower runs to be much more enjoyable than a dash to 5k.

Good luck with the race. Of course beyond that 15k, I found that once I could do 10k confidently, if not particularly quickly, the longer distances became a matter of keeping it going. Which by the look of your data, you are far better at than me!

[FlyingScot Graduate]

There's a lot to be said for army tanks!!! Enjoy the beer! Nowt wrong with the pace - so another beer to line up!!!!

[misswobble Graduate]

The climb at the end will be the fly in the ointment! Like you say, slow and steady will get you to the finish post. I would go steady down the hills too. When you allow yourself to run free downhill, you inadvertently twist at the waist. After a while this gives you stitch! Thankfully I find this out before my hilly race.

Good luck with the rest of the training. I'm sure you'll be fine though Baz

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

Ah - that explains something I couldn't work out the other day... quick sprint down a big downhill and I had a massive stitch... BOTH laps... THANK YOU MissW...

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Yes - although this race has a huge climb halfway through the race, it also has a steepish 3 klm downhill right to the finish line at Bondi Beach. I am told that MANY people come to grief on this long downhill final section. ,

[Hidden]

Wow - just wow! Well done Bazza... you'll be in top shape for 10th August...

That beer must have tasted great though!