Lots of speed, not enough endurance
I finished the Tervuren 16k, a hilly run in the forest, in just under 1:30 (my target was 1:32). Average per kilometer is 5:38, against 5:57 during the Paris half marathon two weeks ago. So that's a major jump.
It could have been even majorer. After 10k I was at 52:15. That speed would have taken me to a time of about 1:23:30. But I could not keep going. A steep climb, followed by a steeper climb, killed my pace and after 11k I had to walk bits.
So what do I learn from this? That I am not back yet to the shape I was in three years ago, in my marathon year. That I need to train for mileage, before looking at speed again. And that I started too optimistically, maybe.
But then, the weather was great (my first short-sleeves run of the season!), the forest was magnificent, the roads and paths, mostly unpaved, were grand, and the crowd was superb (race volunteers, runners and spectators). I should be forgiven for getting carried away - before dropping like a brick.
Next up: the 12k in Kortenberg on Easter Monday. Aim: under one hour.
Sunday 20 March 2011
Sunday 13 March 2011
Warming up
It's not so cold any more. This morning I only wore two shirts, one long-sleeved and one short, and was not shivering for a moment.
Ran my 11k circuit in 1:01:12. That's 5:34 per kilometer. It indicates that I am getting closer to the shape I was in in 2007/2008.
But my calf keeps hurting. That's a bit of a concern. No football then today (had been hoping to play a game in the park during the St Patrick's Day celebrations). At least I can indulge in a Guinness or two then.
And my weight has come down firmly now to 80 kilos. Would like it to drop further to around 75. Without dieting, ideally...
It's not so cold any more. This morning I only wore two shirts, one long-sleeved and one short, and was not shivering for a moment.
Ran my 11k circuit in 1:01:12. That's 5:34 per kilometer. It indicates that I am getting closer to the shape I was in in 2007/2008.
But my calf keeps hurting. That's a bit of a concern. No football then today (had been hoping to play a game in the park during the St Patrick's Day celebrations). At least I can indulge in a Guinness or two then.
And my weight has come down firmly now to 80 kilos. Would like it to drop further to around 75. Without dieting, ideally...
Monday 7 March 2011
2:05:33
Not bad at all. Great weather, fantastic organisation, nice route.
I started with a slow kilometer (6:40), as I had to dive into the bushes to take a leak. After that, for a long time my k's were 5:40 and occasionally 5:30. My calf hurt a bit, but I managed to ignore it. At 5k: 29:26 (half a minute too slow). At 10k: 57:16 (three-quarters of a minute under my target). At 15k: 1:25:57 (two minutes faster than foreseen). When I passed the 16k point in under 1:32, I was doing an average that would have brought me very close to two hours flat at the finish.
But then it hit. First, the pain. My calf decided that this was enough and that I had to stop now. From here on, almost every step hurt. Then, the fatigue. I could hardly breathe and all my muscles went on strike. So I struggled on for another five kilometers, bits of walking alternated with slow jogs.
Yet, I finished well inside my target time (2:08) and have reason to be happy. It was the first race since August. No trace any more of the hernia. I can build on this.
Next up, in two weeks, a 16k run in nearby Tervuren. Almost entirely through the forest and very hilly. A good one for testing my strength.
Not bad at all. Great weather, fantastic organisation, nice route.
I started with a slow kilometer (6:40), as I had to dive into the bushes to take a leak. After that, for a long time my k's were 5:40 and occasionally 5:30. My calf hurt a bit, but I managed to ignore it. At 5k: 29:26 (half a minute too slow). At 10k: 57:16 (three-quarters of a minute under my target). At 15k: 1:25:57 (two minutes faster than foreseen). When I passed the 16k point in under 1:32, I was doing an average that would have brought me very close to two hours flat at the finish.
But then it hit. First, the pain. My calf decided that this was enough and that I had to stop now. From here on, almost every step hurt. Then, the fatigue. I could hardly breathe and all my muscles went on strike. So I struggled on for another five kilometers, bits of walking alternated with slow jogs.
Yet, I finished well inside my target time (2:08) and have reason to be happy. It was the first race since August. No trace any more of the hernia. I can build on this.
Next up, in two weeks, a 16k run in nearby Tervuren. Almost entirely through the forest and very hilly. A good one for testing my strength.
Saturday 5 March 2011
This is it
I have not run one single step since Sunday. The sharp pain in my left calf was less sharp by Monday and gone by Thursday, but I did not want to risk bringing it back with an innocent training run.
What must have caused it is the increased mobility in my ankle. My osteopath had been manipulating it with great success. But this meant that during my very hilly run the calf muscle got stretched significantly further than it had been in years. Not surprisingly, the pain hit when I started the steepest descent of my training course.
So we'll have to see what tomorrow brings.
My body already felt completely charged this morning when I woke up, ready to go for it. But it needs carbs; tonight I'll find myself a good Italian place in Paris and stock up.
For the race itself, assuming my calfs holds, I expect to be cruising for the first 11 kilometers (up to the first passage of the Bastille) at a speed of 5:40 to 6:00 per minute. After that, along the Seine, I'll hit the first wall but the carb intake should get me through that. Then, at 16 kilometers it will get hard, as I have not been training any further. Also, the last bit has the steepest climbs. By then, my kilometer times will have gone up to 6:30 or 6:40. But back in the Bois de Vincennes, at around k19, I'll know I'm almost there.
Predicted finish time: 2:05 - 2:15.
My target: 2:08.
There's time measurement at different points, so here's what I aim for:
05k: 29:00
10k: 58:00
15k: 1:28:00
21k: 2:08:00
I'd be very happy with that, for my first race after recovering from injury. It'll give me something to build on in months ahead.
I have not run one single step since Sunday. The sharp pain in my left calf was less sharp by Monday and gone by Thursday, but I did not want to risk bringing it back with an innocent training run.
What must have caused it is the increased mobility in my ankle. My osteopath had been manipulating it with great success. But this meant that during my very hilly run the calf muscle got stretched significantly further than it had been in years. Not surprisingly, the pain hit when I started the steepest descent of my training course.
So we'll have to see what tomorrow brings.
My body already felt completely charged this morning when I woke up, ready to go for it. But it needs carbs; tonight I'll find myself a good Italian place in Paris and stock up.
For the race itself, assuming my calfs holds, I expect to be cruising for the first 11 kilometers (up to the first passage of the Bastille) at a speed of 5:40 to 6:00 per minute. After that, along the Seine, I'll hit the first wall but the carb intake should get me through that. Then, at 16 kilometers it will get hard, as I have not been training any further. Also, the last bit has the steepest climbs. By then, my kilometer times will have gone up to 6:30 or 6:40. But back in the Bois de Vincennes, at around k19, I'll know I'm almost there.
Predicted finish time: 2:05 - 2:15.
My target: 2:08.
There's time measurement at different points, so here's what I aim for:
05k: 29:00
10k: 58:00
15k: 1:28:00
21k: 2:08:00
I'd be very happy with that, for my first race after recovering from injury. It'll give me something to build on in months ahead.
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