Well, with a stroke of luck, the Rocky Road Runners club held a half marathon last weekend, and the family and I were able to make the trip up there the night before and compete in the event. Julie did the 10k (the second of her life) and the boys did the 5l (go lads). I did the half marathon, and did a time of 1.34.56 (on my Garmin). I think the course was a few hundred metres short, but hey, it was a great run, the time was way better than I expected, and the time was an average of 4.5 minute ks over the whole distance.
Looking back through the Garmin results, the first k was one of the slowest (about 4.47, then they got progressively quicker, down to 4.20 for most of the rest of the run. At the 16k mark, I struggled, and 17, 18 and 19ks were back up around the 4.50. The last k was 4.23, so finished strong. The half marathon started and hour earlier than Julie and the boys run. I knew the boys would do about 35 minutes for 5k, so I was trying to beat them home, and I just made it before Toby crossed the finishing line. Zac has some stomach issues, so was a little slower on the day.
For me, the half marathon was not really an event, but it was just part of my 100ks for that week. No real taper or change, just another run on a Sunday morning, with a bike ride with the cycling club on the Saturday morning. During the week, up to the Friday, I had run 78.9ks, with Thursday and Friday both being double sessions.
I pulled up a bit shabby, though.
I had Monday off running, then was back into it on Tuesday morning, with 15k in about 4.40 minute ks. I really should not have backed up like that, and I will learn for next time, as I was very sore on Tuesday after that run. From a sore Achilles Tendon, to more hamstring tightness, even the knees were a bit dusty. Walking was a struggle.
There is a lesson in that. But, since then, this week has been OK. By tomorrow night, I will have done another 100k this week, on sore legs (building endurance). It is funny, but my legs seemed to be getting used to the torturous schedule. If you include the North Face 100 as a 100k week (mid May), this will be the fifth week in a row that I have run 100k. Big job. I am aiming for 11, as that will take me through the Kokoda Challenge, then through the Relay for Life, which are 96k and over 100k respectively.
Then it will be triathlon training for the half and full ironmans. Bring that on.
What I am finding at the moment, is that:
* you can run through injuries
* maybe you shouldn't
* the secret is to run slowly, when you are tired, sore, stiff or injured
* just use the runs as low intensity cardio sessions while you recover to a state of being able to run fast again (that takes up to a week - depending on how much time you take off running to recover after a fast run)
Maybe this is the wrong attitude, but at the moment, it is about putting ks in the legs.
This week, each day it is 8.5ks morning and night.
Next week will be more of the same, up to the 100k mark.
Keep running.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
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