Since my last update I had an amazing 5 weeks during which I:
Ran my first Sub 40 10k - 39:25
Ran my first Ultra - coming 9th (6:10 ish)
Ran my first sub 1:30 HM - actually sub 1:29 !!! (1:28:51)
I’ve been writing this post since the first race and now just collected it all together into a MEGA POST due to being slack at updating!
The main goal and the goal for all my training essentially since Aprils Marathon was the Ultra - coping with the both 35 mile distance and the hills. I discussed this prep last time and coming towards tapering I felt that my training had gone really really well. The only thing I would have changed if time would have permitted would be some longer (probably slower) runs - perhaps up towards 40 km or something like that. This would have got me a bit more used to the time on my feet.
For some reason I booked a 10 km race the week before and ultra with an eye on a PB and a secret goal of sub 40. I say secret goal because I wouldn't have even admitted it to myself before hand and also I had to focus on not getting injured first and foremost. On the day I felt fantastic though - I never have felt so comfortable in a race before. I was chugging along at 4:00 /km and it felt almost easy. Looking back its hard to believe this was the pace I struggled to get under for 5 km for so long. I kept glancing at my watch and my pace was steady at 4:00 and my average was steady at 4 km. I felt so comfortable at 8 km I decided to drop the hammer and push. At 9 km I knew I’d made it under 40min so I really gave it some and enjoyed a sprint finish to come in at 39:25 - cue a fist pump after crossing the line !!
I’ve done a few of the Sports Tours events now (Tour of Tameside, We Love Manchester, City of Salford, and Grand Aintree) and I really like them - great organisation, great medals and swag and not too busy - they're good for taking the family to as well.
Recovery after this was merged with a necessary taper for the big one !
Gritstone Grind Ultra (35 miles)
Just 1 weeks later was the complete other end of the spectrum with an ultra! Preparation was 3 days rest and a really good nights sleep the night before. The family left me alone for the night so I could sleep well and wouldn't wake them in the morning which helped a lot.
Camelback - I borrowed a camelback from Chris for the race and very glad I did - filled with water and a pinch of salt. This was refilled twice during the race
Food - I took with me some grapes, nuts and a chocolate mint cake and thats it food-wise because there were 3 feed stations.
Bodyglide - not packed but applied EVERYWHERE ! (Bodyglide has been a revelation of recent note - put it on my feet too)
PRO TIP - BODYGLIDE YOUR FEET
There is quite a lot of navigation involved - its all signposted for wakers but looking back at previous runners there were some obvious wrong turns and missed check points. The check points were manual clip so I made a note of the approximate distance of each one and some notes so I didn’t miss them.
Check points! ( - = Food, C = cooker hill, R = Ryles Arms, T = Teggs Nose, W = White nancy, L = Lyme Park!)
As can be seen above, I was up at the crack of dawn! - The race started at 8am but I had to drive to the finish then be driven on a coach to the start!.
I set off fairly steady and there was quite a bunch of people together at the start while things settled. I skipped the first food checkpoint entirely - seemed a bit unnecessary at 15 km ! The race then flattened out for a bit and I found myself with a sherpa of sorts who was quicker than me but knew the route so I took the opportunity to get my average pace down and followed him a bit. After about 15 miles (and then right to the end) I then ran pretty much on my own other than a few walkers. There was a huge element of the unknown going in to the race but I had an idea that i might be able to average under 7 min/km so I had set this as a rough target. I also knew the second half was tougher (both hillier and due to fatigue) so at the half way point when I saw I had averaged 6:19 / km I worked out I could ‘afford’ to do 7:41/ km in the second half. Yes I was doing maths the whole 6 hours lol - I think it kept me sane!
Most of the actual race is kind of a blur now but I certainly remember feeling really bad at about 20 miles. It was right after a really big hill (the big red bit below in the profile!) and was probably not the best time to take stock of how I was doing and whether I thought I could finish. 3 or 4 miles later I felt a bit better and when I got to the final food station and was told I was “8 or 9th” I got re-motivated a lot. There was one more hill to go at this point which I mostly ‘power-walked’ up and at the top of this I was still just a shade under 7min/ km (Avg). It was mostly down hill now too so I just kept it steady. During the last 1 km I got cramp in both legs which didn’t easy with walking/ stopping so I just ran with cramp which wasn't pretty or fun! I finished in 6 hrs 10 min (6:44 pace) and came 9th! - very pleased. It felt a little weird running a point to point race for a change but I was glad to get to my car! Looking back I averaged 168 bpm heart rate - this is higher than my standard general aerobic training runs but I ran that for 6+ hours !
Afterwards I was stiff, starving and dehydrated. The last gave me the nicest tasting pie I’ve ever had and a lovely brew! The following week I was pretty stiff. but surprisingly I was less knackered than my marathon, which I am assuming is the difference between constant tarmac and mixed terrain.
No medal but the race is exceptional value at £19
Think I hit my step goal today !
Congleton Sting in the tail half marathon
So 3 weeks later I had booked a half marathon. Probably not smart and I wasn’t feeling 100% on the day but going in I was really hoping to finally go under 1:30. They had changed the course since the year before but I was still hoping to get some good insight as how much I have improved 1 year later, particularly going into another marathon plan to race Manchester marathon again in 2016 (again 1 year later). I risked racing in my racing flats - something I haven’t done for a HM but have done for 5 km and 10 km and I love how fast and light they are. I ran this with my run buddy Chris as we are pretty much on a par now running wise and we set off at 4:15 pace with the plan to maintain this and get under 1:30. After 10 km I felt more fatigued than I felt in my recent 10 km race which was ran at sub 4:00 /km pace so I think I was still feeling a little ultra-tired. We pretty much nailed perfect pacing throughout and running with someone really helped me I think. I struggled a little in the marathon being on my own for long stretches so if I’m anything near 3:00 shape come April 2016 I’ll consider pushing the pace and following the 3:00 pace group even if it means dropping off later.
During the race I certainly felt hill strong - hills are one of my strengths, probably due to weighing nothing and having ran hills a lot in prep for the ultra
Monthly elevation totals - notice the massive increase this year!
After blitzing the last (sting in the tail) hill, my final time was 1:28:51 ! Really really please with that - a 4:36 min improvement over last years time and good confidence booster going into my second marathon training plan.
Knackered but happy on the finish strait!
So thats it - I had 5 great weeks! A belated post but its been good to look back on what I achieved during this time. Its been a really good end to a great summer of training with just winter runs to look forward to now :(