10 to Two Oceans

With just 10 weeks to go before the infamous Two Oceans Ultra Marathon in Cape Town, Josh, Leon and Jonathan trade tactics, workouts and plenty of banter on the fated journey to the start line of the ensuing 56km of purgatory. Tanja, Barbara, Anne, William, Aleks and Cathy muscle in, showing us how to do battle with the concurrent half marathon along the very same shores. And/or other marathon related battles.

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TwoOceansUltraMarathon

35.23 mi • 6:19:10 • 10:46 min/mi • 5.6 mph • 2,690 ft

Mission accomplished.

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Evening Run - Jonathan Bosch's 8.2 kilometers run

Jonathan ran 8.2 kilometers and achieved his 2nd best 400m time.

A poor effort this evening at some hill sprints. More like 4 quick jogs and a slow loop around Geneva. Fatigued from the weekend, but at least I got out!

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So having felt like I'd finally started to overcome injury and with 2 half marathons approaching in the next 2/3 weeks, I've managed to cripple myself whilst mountain biking.

Currently experiencing pain in the shoulder and ribs. I can't see me running again for a couple of weeks perhaps which is a real pain!

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Lunch Run - Jonathan Bosch's 45.7 kilometers run

Jonathan ran 45.7 kilometers and achieved his 3rd best 30k time.

Long Slow Distance run today. The number of kilometres was TOO DAMNED HIGH. (meme reference..)

Overall, a solid GAP performance, but still work to do on these hilly runs - was reduced to WALKING on a big chunk of the ascent (It was 1000m of climbing though :/ ). Feeling pretty pummelled at the moment. 

T minus 8 weeks to get in better shape!

 A recovery ski tomorrow hors piste at Morzine :p

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Evening Run - Jonathan Bosch's 10.1 kilometers run

Jonathan ran 10.1 kilometers and set a PR on his 10k time.

a 10km tempo run on the flat today. A few minutes slower than my PR from last week. A bit of fatigue setting in perhaps, and some adverse effects from a heavy weekend (....)

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Evening Run - Jonathan Bosch's 7.8 kilometers run

Jonathan ran 7.8 kilometers and achieved his 3rd best 400m time.

Another Tuesday of sprints. 6 x 800 meters, with 25 breaths (who can count seconds while puffing and panting??) between each.

Felt good... 7 next week

[10totwooceans]

Evening Run - Jonathan Bosch's 10.1 kilometers run

Jonathan ran 10.1 kilometers and set a PR on his 10k time.

--Thursday tempo run-- It's becoming a 10km time trial, trying to outdo last weeks me, and gunning for as many Strava records as possible... 

Overall a comfortable effort, could have pushed harder in the middle section. A rest weekend coming up, so a push for a PB next thursday shouldn't go amiss...

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Evening Run 800m sprints - Jonathan Bosch's 8.2 kilometers run

Jonathan ran 8.2 kilometers and achieved his 2nd best 400m time.

Felt good. 5 sprints, good warm up and cool down jogs.

niggly knee coming back slightly. Well rolled afterwards though, hopefully nothing serious.

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Morning Run - Jonathan Bosch's 31.2 kilometers run

Jonathan ran 31.2 kilometers and set a PR on his 30k time.

2nd consecutive 30 something km weekend run. (easy run next week!)

A few decent hills this time, and some horribly cold and gusty conditions.

A few muscle and knee twinges post run. One feels that my running technique is not yet settled for this long and slow gait style.

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Night Run - Jonathan Bosch's 5.8 kilometers run

So as a special treat, tonight I ran a tempo run. But not any old tempo run. This time I ran less far and less hills than I planned, just to mix it up a bit. Still, made 12 records for the Tring Strava community to get their teeth in to. Enjoy:

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Richmond Half Marathon

13.10 mi • 1:47:37 • 8:13 min/mi • 7.3 mph • 577 ft

This is my PB half marathon and is the pace I'm looking to get back to at some point soon.

This was set 1 week after running my first half marathon of 2013 and 4 days after I joined Tring Running Club.

I think that given I spent the next 4 months with the running club, I was probably a little quicker prior to heading to the States as my running improved enormously in this period.

I have a pancake flat (so I'm told) half marathon on 2 March 2014 and hope I can get somewhere near this time, though I think I'm a little too far behind in my training for that to be a realistic possibility.

I do have another half marathon the following Sunday, but this has a few large hills in, so I don't anticipate any PB hunting will take place. 

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Getting back to fitness

5.33 mi • 47:54 • 8:59 min/mi • 6.7 mph • 135 ft

So I'm slowly but surely getting back to fitness after suffering a 2 month lapse in my running whilst in the States.

I set myself back upon my return after ill-advisedly running a half marathon and a 10 mile trail run the week I got back, resulting in a badly pulled right calf.

After a number of false starts, I'm back on the wagon and re-building my distance and pace.

One step at a time...!

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[10totwooceans]

Run until it hurts. So next time it will hurt less

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Post by Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon.

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1. Checked in for the Watford Half Marathon - 2 February, 2014

2. The medal. 

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WatfordHalfMarathon - Leon does what was meant to be a recovery run, but ends up chasing a PB, and getting it. Official time: 01:52:45

13.22 mi • 1:53:10 • 8:34 min/mi • 7.0 mph • 570 ft

A few hills…..but not quite the mountain I need to climb.

[10totwooceans]

WatfordHalfMarathon - Leon does what was meant to be a recovery run, but ends up chasing a PB, and getting it. Official time: 01:52:45

13.22 mi • 1:53:10 • 8:34 min/mi • 7.0 mph • 570 ft

A few hills.....but not quite the mountain I need to climb.