H - 5 Inauspicious start

[Rignold]

So, five weeks tomorrow till the Half. Which will be my first road race.

Spurred on by a 16k last weekend I rashly committed to the thing, and plunged into a crash training schedule...

... which has not started very well. I got in an easy 8.5 with some hills on Monday, but Wednesday's speed session and Thursday's Trail/Hills were lost to crises with bees and ducks respectively. I hate missing training sessions an two in a row really grinds my gears. I got two spin sessions, Insanity and kettlebells in so my overall fitness is not suffering but I am very aware that it is time on my feet I need to be logging with such a short timeframe.

Anyway, did Kettles this morning while #1 son was fencing, then this afternoon we went out for a long run. N1S on his bike, me a pied.

I really felt the lack of midweek runs. It took me a good 3k to vaguely find my stride and 5 to feel comfortable. was okay then till about 11k, when I really could happily have given up for the day, but the Trial of Miles does not allow for wussing out. Having a pacer is a great boon I find. When he is not crashing his bike into my ankles, terrorising dogwalkers or moaning about his saddle bottom, his ability to transport large quantities of water, jellybabies and bananas makes a long run much more managable than solo.

from 11 to 15 I was no longer a happy bunny. The folly of this whole running lark loomed large in my mind, and pain loomed large in my feet, knees, thighs. Somehow the discomfort sort of faded then. Didn't go away, but receded to somewhere I didn't have to think about it with every step. Possibly because the end was in sight and thoughts of ice packs, paracetamol, mountains of rice, RICE treatment and GIN filled my every thought. The last km was a bit more akin to stumbling than running but I made it to 18.06 in 2.03. Ave pace 6.49.

Not going to set the world on fire with the pace. Wilson Kipyang ran a full marathon in that time. But then he is a lot younger, leaner and has been running a lot longer than me. Still 3km short of the Half distance and already over the 2 hr, but 10 sec/km faster than last week's 16k. I am not going to be running my Half for a time, just for a finish. I keep telling myself. But now that 2hr mark keeps tempting me like a ... well, best not say what it keeps tempting me like, this being mixed company n' all.

I was tired, dear reader. I was tired when I set off, I was tireder than I thought possible at the end and but for a few golden km in the middle I was tired all the way. My thigh muscles were really tired. I am actively considering cutting back on my inter-run workouts to give my legs more recovery time. I have had ice packs on both knees, between my thighs and ankles, paracetamol, a Reese's peanut butter bar and positively INHALED a huge plate of wild rice and peaches. I actually don't feel too bad right now. Not about to go out for another cheeky 5 but not suffering more than expected (although it's tomorrow morning that will tell). I am going to sleep the sleep of the dead tonight and have a complete rest day (as much as is possible while marshalling 3 children on my own).

H-4 beckons next week. Hills. Intervals. Rock n' Roll.

[ju-ju- Graduate]

Thats great progress and some weeks are so hard to get out there. You did it with a good pace and doing that distance has shown you that you are more than capable of the HM...well done and happy panthering

[Irishprincess Graduate]

Gawd that sounds painful Rignold, but brilliant that you completed it. I've often thought if Martians came down and saw what we put ourselves through running, they'd ask a single question, "why?".

But we know the answer to that don't we?

All the best for next week. Blimey.