Thursday, March 31, 2011
First MTB ride of the year!!
Think the lack of alcoholic beverages being sunk is negatively impacting the old blogging output. But that's another story. Last 5 weeks before Flying Pig and so focus still is on the road running. Weather has been lousy, cold and freakin' miserable which has made it impossible on some of these early mornings to drag my sorry arse out of bed to run in the dark and cold. Work a bit crazy so lunch running has also been curtailed, not a Rosy picture if 180 is to be attempted. But them's the breaks. Manage a few 5 and 7 milers during the week - dropped the 5 miler time to 34.13 which is a fastest for the year but still 45 secs from where I need to be. Last Sat was the local track club 30 k run (18.6 miles for all the metrically challenged amongst you). Well sounds kinda like fun to me, so 9 am Sat morning and I am in Mason with a group of 20 or so like minded souls. Weather is almost perfect (bout 20 oF too cold, but still as a still thing and sunny). Course is two laps of rolling country lanes. Straight from the gate I run with what looks like it will be the lead pack, feelin' good so not too bothered, after a mile one other runner (Jeremy) and I hit the front and push the pace. Nice uphill from 1 to 2.5 miles and life is good - cold hands but the hill helps generate some body warmth. Before you know it and 4 mile is done - spot on 7 min/mile pace (that'll do). We settle in and enjoy the countryside. At 8 miles there is a short out and back section and as we emerge we see the guys running behind us, we have about 2 min on them at this point. Long gradual hill to just before 9 miles then back into Mason for the end of lap one. Pushed the last 3 miles and go through 15 k at approx 1.03. Second lap and feelin' spritely. THink about pushing it up first hill but Jeremy isn't too into that idea so we settle in and cruise. Again before I know it we pas the 2.5 mile marker, "only about 6.5 to go" I think - hum! Must be tired the math is a bit dodgy but what the heck. Before we know it we are back at the out and back - bit further in front of the guys behind us and it's looking good. The hill does for Jeremy though, I shout encouragement but the poor guy is knackered. At top of hill I look back and we are being chased down hard! Into mason and I feel great actually, finish in 2:10:30, almost spot on 7 min/mile - I'll take that a slightly positive split but the second loop was taken fairly easy. Will need to step it up slightly for the Pig. Sunday and daughter #2 and I catch up with Ski-ing Eric and his eldest daughter for the first MTB of 2011 (maybe). Temp is still hovering about freezing so trails are O.K. We hit Harris and do both upper and lower loops, lower loop is a bit soggy and we have to pick bikes up on occasion but we make it round. Short trip to the pump track, but that is a bit soggy so we don;t ride that more than once round. Short ride, only 3 miles but the girls have fun and that's the point. Coffee, hot chocolate and home. More early morning runs, but Mr Mark is home for this weekend so hopefully I can get a fastish 15 in with him on Saturday. Finally caved a bought some new runners - moved away from NB this time to Asics - looked cool and were in the sale. Wearing them as I type to break the in, will be their inaugural run tomorrow am (a steady 7), did same route this morning in 47;29 (sub 7 so that's O.K. (pictures to come) Till next time DB
Friday, March 25, 2011
Run that got away!
Well holy moley wot's goin' on?
Referred to a run in the last post that I had not even mentioned previously - wot gives my man? Well the story goes like this, Mr Marky Mark headed west for a while - reckons he's working across there but from the extensive pictorial accounts of the mountain bike adventures he's having with his mate Gus I have my doubts. Anyway he was back in good old MI for a week. Wanted to run at weekend but the Bollux-clan went North doing that slidy down a hill thing. So a date was made for the Wednesday night. 5:30 and Mr Mark is at the Bollux household and we are on our way.
Runs a bit fast does our Mark. I feel darn good for the first bit - down Okemos, right onto Bennett. By time we hit the crossroads and turn onto Hulett I am feeling on a roll. Through a neighborhood and we head up Jolly. The undulating terrain is actually quite refreshing and I am digging the up hills. After Okemos the bigger hills feel even better, even pull away from Mark for a short time - he's just being kind. On Dobie the work starts but we are moving at a fair clip (I think). Grand River beckons and although there are bits when Mark is pulling away from me I still feel like I am relatively flowing. At American Home Fitness we turn onto Hamilton and up the final hill. We are talking and I mention that I want to try and run around 6:30 min/mile pace, Mark reckons we have been at around that pace and that is encouraging. At the Travellers Club Mark suggests we take it down a notch and cruise in. Finish at the Bollux House with a clock at 67 min and change. Bit soddin sore that night, next day find out why.......... Mr Mark has clocked the route at 10.7 miles. Means the run was at well under 6:30 pace - bloody soddin hell. fastest 10 mile run I've ever done (again).
Pace appears to be there - need to work on the distance and need to keep the training mileage up, and that has been a bit of an issue the past three weeks.
Ho Hum
DB
Referred to a run in the last post that I had not even mentioned previously - wot gives my man? Well the story goes like this, Mr Marky Mark headed west for a while - reckons he's working across there but from the extensive pictorial accounts of the mountain bike adventures he's having with his mate Gus I have my doubts. Anyway he was back in good old MI for a week. Wanted to run at weekend but the Bollux-clan went North doing that slidy down a hill thing. So a date was made for the Wednesday night. 5:30 and Mr Mark is at the Bollux household and we are on our way.
Runs a bit fast does our Mark. I feel darn good for the first bit - down Okemos, right onto Bennett. By time we hit the crossroads and turn onto Hulett I am feeling on a roll. Through a neighborhood and we head up Jolly. The undulating terrain is actually quite refreshing and I am digging the up hills. After Okemos the bigger hills feel even better, even pull away from Mark for a short time - he's just being kind. On Dobie the work starts but we are moving at a fair clip (I think). Grand River beckons and although there are bits when Mark is pulling away from me I still feel like I am relatively flowing. At American Home Fitness we turn onto Hamilton and up the final hill. We are talking and I mention that I want to try and run around 6:30 min/mile pace, Mark reckons we have been at around that pace and that is encouraging. At the Travellers Club Mark suggests we take it down a notch and cruise in. Finish at the Bollux House with a clock at 67 min and change. Bit soddin sore that night, next day find out why.......... Mr Mark has clocked the route at 10.7 miles. Means the run was at well under 6:30 pace - bloody soddin hell. fastest 10 mile run I've ever done (again).
Pace appears to be there - need to work on the distance and need to keep the training mileage up, and that has been a bit of an issue the past three weeks.
Ho Hum
DB
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Runnin', Runnin', Runnin!!
Bin runnin' a bunch and that's about it really.
Weather as mad as a box of frogs. Warm.....winter's over. Snow and bloody frozen, no it isn't. Warm as a warm thing, yep it's over. Soddin ice storm! Nope it ain't. Over 60 oF, well that's deffo it now. Running in the morning and it's below 20 oF!!!!!
Most runs have been 5 or 7 mile efforts. Couple of 5's under 35 min but nothing under 34 min yet, even when I am running pretty hard. Condition shave been nasty - ice and mud - but even so.
Managed a couple of decent efforts, 12 miles a couple of weeks back. First 5 with MLW and then 7 more on my lonesome at a bit more of a stretch. Last weekend, after a very lazy week - had a chesty cough and thought better of running too much - I was desperate to get a reasonable run in. Saturday came and the weather was pretty soddin' miserable. Low 30's and windy. Worst running weather ever! I was (in the words of the immortal Randy Jackson) "not feelin' it dawg!" Didn't want to run, but heck life ain't supposed to be fun is it? So a 15(ish) route sketched out, initial 10 mile loop (of the Mark fast run fame - see last post) and then a 5 mile smaller loop. By the first light (0.8 miles form home) I am suffering. Nearly just turn round and go home, but hang a right and off we go. Three miles in and still not feeling great - decide it's not going to be fun or fast but shite lets just get miles done. At 8 miles I am 50/50 on just taking a short cut home for a 8 mile total. Few firm words to myself and I battle on. Hot now, over dressed. Decide that at 10 miles I drop by home and divest somewhat - risky move as I might quit but a test of my will power. Hit home at 70 min so the pace isn't that bad! Chuck down my over vest, gloves and even my outer long sleeve layer. Lighter and cooler I head out for the final five - bit looser and happier. Last couple are a struggle but I finish in 1:45 and change. The old iphone (mapmyrun app) gives up after 12.39 miles, but the time is 1:34:30 (6min 50 sec miles). So in the end it appears I have manages about 15.5 miles at 3 hour marathon pace. Initially feels kind of cool. But then I feel sick for rest of day - almost throw up in the library and have to sit down to gather myself. Hhhm, maybe pushed a bit too hard.
Either way fastest 15 miler I've ever done in training and a good sign. Clearly can push myself. And without water or aid stations maybe that explains the nausea afterwards. Legs as sore as F the next day. And chesty cough back with avengence. Oh well. Flying Pig is only 6 weeks away
Later.
DB
Weather as mad as a box of frogs. Warm.....winter's over. Snow and bloody frozen, no it isn't. Warm as a warm thing, yep it's over. Soddin ice storm! Nope it ain't. Over 60 oF, well that's deffo it now. Running in the morning and it's below 20 oF!!!!!
Most runs have been 5 or 7 mile efforts. Couple of 5's under 35 min but nothing under 34 min yet, even when I am running pretty hard. Condition shave been nasty - ice and mud - but even so.
Managed a couple of decent efforts, 12 miles a couple of weeks back. First 5 with MLW and then 7 more on my lonesome at a bit more of a stretch. Last weekend, after a very lazy week - had a chesty cough and thought better of running too much - I was desperate to get a reasonable run in. Saturday came and the weather was pretty soddin' miserable. Low 30's and windy. Worst running weather ever! I was (in the words of the immortal Randy Jackson) "not feelin' it dawg!" Didn't want to run, but heck life ain't supposed to be fun is it? So a 15(ish) route sketched out, initial 10 mile loop (of the Mark fast run fame - see last post) and then a 5 mile smaller loop. By the first light (0.8 miles form home) I am suffering. Nearly just turn round and go home, but hang a right and off we go. Three miles in and still not feeling great - decide it's not going to be fun or fast but shite lets just get miles done. At 8 miles I am 50/50 on just taking a short cut home for a 8 mile total. Few firm words to myself and I battle on. Hot now, over dressed. Decide that at 10 miles I drop by home and divest somewhat - risky move as I might quit but a test of my will power. Hit home at 70 min so the pace isn't that bad! Chuck down my over vest, gloves and even my outer long sleeve layer. Lighter and cooler I head out for the final five - bit looser and happier. Last couple are a struggle but I finish in 1:45 and change. The old iphone (mapmyrun app) gives up after 12.39 miles, but the time is 1:34:30 (6min 50 sec miles). So in the end it appears I have manages about 15.5 miles at 3 hour marathon pace. Initially feels kind of cool. But then I feel sick for rest of day - almost throw up in the library and have to sit down to gather myself. Hhhm, maybe pushed a bit too hard.
Either way fastest 15 miler I've ever done in training and a good sign. Clearly can push myself. And without water or aid stations maybe that explains the nausea afterwards. Legs as sore as F the next day. And chesty cough back with avengence. Oh well. Flying Pig is only 6 weeks away
Later.
DB
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
