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Festina lente
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17.5 miles in 2.52.11 (9.47pace)
This was supposed to be a 16 mile run, and was on track for most of the way - up to the Park, round the edge, little loop near ParkGate street, and a stop into the shop for water. Ran back up behind the zoo but somehow managed to miss the turn for the Phoenix monument
so ended up back at the other end of the park and too far from home. Felt good though, the bottle of water and gel had really perked me up. Coming down the Kyber road I let myself get faster and - since I got in trouble last time I was late home 
- tried to keep that speed up the rest of the way home. Splits for the first 13 miles were all 9.30- 10 mins/mile (except for the 11 at the shop), but the next few miles were 9.20, 9.01, 9.17, 9.18.
So I'm very happy with that run - I didn't just survive the planned 16 slow miles, I went longer and faster than planned, and felt fine at the end. Roll on October...
Total this week: 32.64 miles
Month|Miles
January|38.8|
February|35.5|
March|53.2|
April|72|
May|75.9|
June|90.2|
July|118.1|
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8 miles in 1.10.50 (8.51 pace)
Running Mon/Tues/Wed this week to get an extra recovery day for the race on Saturday. Which means one less recovery day after the weekend, which means more tired today. Managed to keep to PMP though, and finish with an 8 minute mile (and a sprint at the end)
Looking forward to Saturday now...
Total this week: 12.11 miles0 -
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1.20.55
I was getting worried before this race because my legs seemed to be falling apart - lots of niggly aches and pains, and as I was jogging up to the start line my legs felt very tight. Didn't have any trouble at all though once the race started, so I must remember this for the next time I get pre-race nerves.
I decided to start at the front of the second wave this time. I was near the back of the first wave at the 5 mile and it was just mental, so I figured the front of the next wave would give me space to run into, and I wouldn't be getting in anyone's way. (There was some confusion about the waves - all the race material said wave two was for 85+, but the placards were from last year and had 70+, 80+ etc)
They let a big gap open up between the waves, back of the first wave was up around the phoenix monument, maybe further, by the time we were let go. It was great at the front of the wave - though I wasn't at the front for long, even at about 7.00 pace for the first 1/4 mile, slowing down to 7.34 overall for that mile, plenty of people were passing me. I think I saw most of them again...
First couple of miles were easy anyway. Not too crowded, nice wide roads, I was mainly concentrating on keeping at a reasonable pace - 7.52 for the second mile. Saw my first casualty just after mile 2, some young guy running in full-length running tights and a rain jacket :eek:, the sweat was dripping off him and he'd slowed to a walk. Told him to take the jacket off and ran on.
Mile 3 was 8.01, still a little faster than planned, but feeling comfortable. Got to the first water station and didn't even try drinking most of it, just poured it over my head. The road started getting busier from this point, we were obviously catching up with the back of the first wave. Great to be passing people out consistently - on the other hand, it means you have to swerve around people, muttering under your breath about people running four abreast, right beside a different group of people also running four abreast :rolleyes: Got to mile four in 8.12, which is about the pace I'd planned to run from the start.
Fifth mile was back by the start line, and then down Acres (?) road as if we were going down the Kyber, before we turned left again. The mile marker was just on the corner, 8.05 for that mile, which meant I was a few seconds faster in those five than I'd been in the Sportsworld 5 mile back in May. I wasn't trying to keep my pace low any more, I was trying to stop myself from slowing down, but mile 6 was easy enough. The boost from being ahead of target, and the fact that it was flat or downhill meant I had a time of 7.59.
Mile 7 though... I felt good as we started running up the hill, easing past the other runners, but it just went on too long. By the top my breathing was heavy, and I was really feeling the miles. All the rest of that mile was slow - 8.15 - and the next one - 8.18 - and the next - 8.28. The hill just knocked the easy running out of me, and I couldn't recover. Everyone else was feeling it too, which just made it too easy to slow down - when you're still moving up through the field it's easy to assume you're doing okay, but it's just everyone slowing down together.
Getting past the hills though, I had to pull it together. No excuses at this point, either I ran or I didn't. It was time to start picking people off and push the pace. So the last mile is kind of a blur - pass these people out, pass those people out, she's pushing a buggy! have to pass her out! and refusing to let myself ease up on the pace. Didn't have a flashy sprint finish, but I was under 8 for all that last mile, 7.47 in the end, my second fastest mile.
Not disappointed at all over missing the 80, I really didn't expect to do better than 81-83 on this, and I know it's there for my next race. The main thing is I'm still on target for the 1.50 half, and the sub-4 marathon...0 -
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A small holder that straps to your arm, usually for a phone or ipod, will hold at least 3 gels. 
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