Run Forrest

gramar

Sunday 7th August San Llorente de la Vega

The race was due off at 11 and I arrived about 20 minutes before. Picked up the number for the modicum sum of 2€.
There was a coach to bring the runners down to the start line 5km back down the canal. It wasn't quite full so I'd say
there were about 40 altogether going to start including the driver. Of course I had the village oddball sit beside me for the
10 minute trip telling me among other things how he had arrived at 8 in the morning and seeing no-one around went off for a 10km run.
Not a bad warm up for a fella approaching his 74th year.

A pleasant day running into a strongish enough breeze but not as much of a factor as the track was lined by trees that
blocked most of it and also gave plenty of shade. The route was 4km along the track and the last km up the road into the village.

I didn't get much of a warm up run only a few hundred yards but I had a good stretch and was feeling up for it anyway.
My plan was the usual, keep it steady at 4:25 or so for the first km and try to increase the pace progressively from there.

I started off in the middle of the pack and more or less kept my position as the faster racers stretched away and I passed
5 or 6 over the first 1km. Among those were a couple of teenagers who I passed only to be passed by them after a few hundred metres.
I kept my pace steady and passed them soon enough again and I'm fairly sure I heard a couple of noises of surprise as if to say they wouldn't be
long leaving that auld fella for dead but the next time I saw them I was finished a few minutes and one of them was puking as he crossed the line!

After that I had a group of 3 ahead I was making steady inroads into and after passing them I felt them give
brief chase but had shaken them off in couple of hundred metres. The next group ahead were a good 200 metres away and though
I kept pace with them never made an impression.

The main difficulty I found was upping the pace and keeping it there. A few times I upped it to 4:10/4:15 only to see it drop to
around 4:30 within a few hundred metres. I didn't want to be too dependent on the watch for pace but it did keep my pushing
a bit today.

The last km out onto the road felt tough as I was on my own and the road felt wide and lonely. That said I got the pace up to 4min/km
and kept it going to the line for 21:16 which may have been a few seconds more as there was no line and I didn't know where I had to stop!

Splits:
4:24
4:27
4:17
4:17
3:59

A lovely run for a Sunday morning if a bit straight as you could see a km ahead and the low numbers meant for the most part I was running on my own.

The run down to start alongside the canal.

gramar

I started off with two easy km's at 6:30 for the benefit of the older dog who is in season. That said she still has a
decent turn of pace and when she raced off towards where a local farmer keeps his hunting dogs to spread the good
news I had to give chase making good use of the intervals I've been doing.

After she was safely back in the house I set off up the hill towards the windmills where I haven't gone for a while.
The first km was mostly uphill, climbing about 40 metres in the first 700metres. I had no plan other than to take
it easy and do maybe 7/8 km. In the end I did 12 stopping a couple of times for a few photos and a drink from the
spring. The pace was mostly around 5:40 with the last 4 a bit quicker as they were downhill, a descent of about 70
metres on the route I took back.

I felt ok for the most part but did notice a bit of fatigue in the legs and feet over the last 2 or 3 km and I was glad
to be finishing up.

HigginsJ

Great time in the 5k. I honestly dont know how you run in the heat. Managed 2 runs at 7am while in Spain this week and it was 22c. If I had to run at 30c id evaporate!!

HigginsJ

Great time in the 5k. I honestly dont know how you run in the heat. Managed 2 runs at 7am while in Spain this week and it was 22c. If I had to run at 30c id evaporate!!

gramar

HigginsJ wrote: »

Great time in the 5k. I honestly dont know how you run in the heat. Managed 2 runs at 7am while in Spain this week and it was 22c. If I had to run at 30c id evaporate!!

It wasn't really that warm, low 20's I'd say and a lot of it was shaded. The heat is different here to at home at least where I am which is about 200 kilometres inland from the north coast at about 900 metres above sea level.

The air is fairly dry and with low humidity it doesn't feel really warm until it's up around 30º and beyond. If we take Sunday when it was low 20's here I'd say the equivalent temperature would have been 15/16 in Ireland.

Running at 30º here like I did the 10km in was tough but in Ireland at 30º it would be absolute lunacy. I wouldn't put an arab out in that heat.

gramar

After a long run yesterday I wanted to do some 1km intervals. I'm beginning to feel a sub 20min 5km might actually be achievable. I had sub 21 in me the other day even if I was 20 seconds outside it.

After a 2km slow warm up I set off. Again it was windy and the km's back into a strong headwind were tough.
The last especially as the legs were feeling the effort of the previous km's and the wind was gusting quite strongly
so it felt like I was running on the spot at times and wasn't too far from just saying to hell with it.

Back into the wind it feels like my stride, posture and breathing are all over the place and when the wind is with me
it's not quite effortless but so much more comfortable by comparison.

The splits:

4:09 - into the wind
4:00 - tail wind
3:48 - tail wind
3:58 - into the wind
4:18 - into a hurricane

Total time 20:13 only a minute faster than the 5Km the other day and taking 2-3 minutes to recover although the conditions
were a lot more favourable in the race. I don't know if that means I ran a decent race or I wasn't quite at the races this morning.

gramar

Out at 9 this morning to do 8km. The plan was 1 slowish @5.15min/km and the next @4:30min/km and so on.
Windy again and I thought it felt like a little more effort than it should have been.
I pushed on the last km for 4:02min/km which was good considering the legs were a bit tired and it
was into the wind.

On Saturday at 9.30pm there's an 11.5km run not too far away. I'm thinking of doing it but would need
one of those running headlights although it would be no harm to have in the winter. There are no street lights
out on those country lanes.

gramar

i went to ask about the run tomorrow evening. It's on in a village about 5 miles away. It's informal to say the least, there's a list in the
bar and you sign up, turn up and away you go. 12 signed up so far and probably won't be many more by tomorrow.
Getting hot again so fortunately it's on at 9.30pm. On the downside it's about 12km and
the first 3 are all uphill, a 120m climb over 3km. Then fairly flat for 5km and the last 4km are all downhill back to the village.
Best thing for it is take it as a training run and go easy and try and not get lost up on the plains in the dark.

gramar

Saturday 13/08/2106 Isar

As expected the numbers were low and 12 took to the start line for the off at 9.30pm. The route took us
out of the village and then left for about 1.5km along a fairly flat track. I had 5 behind and 6 ahead as
the small group began to stretch out and even more so as we started uphill. It was a gradual climb but
not knowing what was ahead I didn't push hard and felt comfortable on the way up.

After climbing about 100m which brought us to km6 we reached a flat stretch of about 2km at which point
I was in 4th position watching the headlights bobbing along ahead of me. The closest was about 100m and that
was as close as I would get.

After that it was downhill for the most part down to the village. It was tricky on the way down, pretty much in the
dark running at a good pace and while the track was easily visible with the light you couldn't see exactly where you
were stepping.

I finished in 4th in 55:24. The watch measured 11.69km for a 4:44min/km pace.
Enjoyable run and I could have knocked a minute or two off the time if I hadn't
started out so easy.

gramar

I hadn't been out since Saturday's night only three days ago but there's been late nights and too much booze and fags since then
made worse by the heat today at 11.30 and that all added up to it feeling like hard work. I had the easy run easy/hard run hard in
my mind but being the spa I am ended up doing neither. 5km in 23:55. In fairness due to the heat it did feel hard especially after
the turn with the sun in my face. In keeping with the last few days I was down in the bar again by a quarter past one slugging bottles
of San Miguel and feeling the effects now but end of fiestas dinner is on now so going for more. A run tomorrow is unlikely.

gramar

2km warm up at 5:30 with a few short bursts as I wanted to do a few 400m metre repeats.

I only did 4 so it was a short enough mainly because I went way too fast for the first and
that left me fairly fcuked for the rest.

Splits were

1:15
1:22
1:25
1:03 - a bit over 300 metres before succumbing to an almighty stitch.

A bit of a warm down and that was it.

I should have been aiming for something like 3:45 pace instead of averaging 3:20.

HigginsJ

Absolutely flying it Grammar, well done Please try a slow run or two though (properly slow)

gramar

Warm day today but lovely once the sun was nearly gone down so I went out at
nearly 9 to do 8km. As always it was neither slow nor fast and took me 39:18 but
it was very enjoyable, ideal conditions really and I could have stayed going quite happily.

The only downside was a slight niggle in my right heel that I've noticed the last few weeks. Today was the first day it kind of persisted as it's usually gone within a km or so although it wasn't painful. Still though, in two or so years it's the first niggle so hope it's not the start of the slide down the slippery slope.

I'll head out Saturday morning and and do a longer slower run. Yes J...you read correctly...longer and slower:pac:

I'll be home then for a week so might do the parkrun in Kilkenny Castle the following Saturday and maybe Newgrange on Sunday.

HigginsJ

gramar wrote: »

I'll head out Saturday morning and and do a longer slower run. Yes J...you read correctly...longer and slower:pac:

Lol, looking forward to seeing the odd sub 4 minute km thrown in!!

gramar

HigginsJ wrote: »

Lol, looking forward to seeing the odd sub 4 minute km thrown in!!

12km 1:09:33 5:47min/km :pac:

6:17 for the first km and 5:38 for the last and all the rest were somewhere in between. There were plenty of hills, the polar tells me 105m ascent 50m descent and I ran across a few harvested fields too so it was very much a cross country run. All in all it was quite comfortable bar the heel which is still slightly sore.

gramar

I'm back on the auld sod and went for a run yesterday evening up the back in a field shorn down to its roots by grazing sheep.

A few warm up laps told me it was 370m around with a few short sharp inclines and one steep drop in the corner. I did a mix of fast and recovery laps about 12 in all and while the effort was there the times for the faster laps were slow enough probably a mix of the inclines, the corners and general sluggishness.

I met the farmer who told me he's going to reseed the field in a few days and not to run a track into it on him. He need not worry.

gramar

Back up to the same field for a few warm up laps and a few faster laps at around 4min/km pace.
Find it harder going than normal. Mentally short laps are more difficult too. I prefer a longer loop than round and round. Was soaking after, partly sweat and partly the morning fog.

I'll do the Park run in Kilkenny on Saturday. I don't seem to be running very well though and anything under 22 would be very good seeing as even a 4.30min/km pace sees me labouring if for any longer than a couple of laps.

HigginsJ

gramar wrote: »

Back up to the same field for a few warm up laps and a few faster laps at around 4min/km pace.
Find it harder going than normal. Mentally short laps are more difficult too. I prefer a longer loop than round and round. Was soaking after, partly sweat and partly the morning fog.

I'll do the Park run in Kilkenny on Saturday. I don't seem to be running very well though and anything under 22 would be very good seeing as even a 4.30min/km pace sees me labouring if for any longer than a couple of laps.

Best of luck on Sunday

gramar

Thanks J. No run today. I did the KK parkrun yesterday, spent most of the day concreting at home and then a few well
earned pints last night so a two hour drive to Newgrange was always going to be a bridge too far. Pity as I was keen to do it but there'll be other days.

Lovely morning and a great spot for the parkrun in the castle park. The course is more or less flat except for the last 400 metres or so when it starts to wind it's way uphill to the finish. Two full loops and one half loop which is the second half of the park so you get the uphill stretch 3 times.

I did a half loop to get warmed up so had an inkling of what was to come and after a few words from the organisers it was down to the start and off we went. About 200 metres in a contact lense came out which was a bit annoying as I was now running half blind in one eye. As for the run I don't remember a huge amount. I'm always amazed by the detail of peoples race reports as I never seem to recall a whole lot.

I could see (just about) I had about 10 in front of me so more less tracked them on the flat but found I was really making up ground on the uphill part so maybe the bit of hill training and repeats is actually working? The watch was telling me 4.30min/km pace so I thought I wasn't going to get near 22mins but it was struggling with the distance because of the tree cover and I felt I was going a little quicker a point proven by my finishing time of 21:17 which was 4th place.

I was pleased with the time seeing as over a km of the course is uphill and it's pretty much an identical time to the 5km
a month ago so at hopefully I can make the next step and get below 21.

gramar

Back into the castle park today at lunchtime.
Lovely sunny day and and enjoyable run.
2Km to start to get me going and I did the second 1.4km loop with the uphill finish 4 times plus 400 metres to make up a 6km tempo run at about 4.30min/km then a 2km cool down making it about 10km.

gramar

There's a mile race on Saturday evening that I'll do for the hell of it even though it's a long while since I've tried a mile so I've no idea how I'll go. I have to run 3:43min/km pace to get home in under 6mins and I don't think I have it in me.

I also need new runners as I decided to leave my ones in KK. I'm wondering whether to get the same ones again or upgrade a bit. I'll get something today anyway and give them a whirl later. I'm think of doing a few 800m repeats to give my body some bit of preparation for Saturday, then an few easy km on Friday evening.

gramar

I wanted to do some faster intervals this evening with Saturday in mind so after a 2km warm up is it was to be 800mx5 at about a 3:45min/km pace.

I stuck on the new runners but they didn't feel right, the heel was slipping a bit on the right one so no point in running if they don't feel right when just walking around in them so I'll change them tomorrow for a size less and possibly model as I tried the 43 and that was a bit tight in light socks.

The first 800 repeat actually turned out to be a km. I started off way too quickly at 3:15 and I progressively slowed but it took me about 500m to get to 3:45min/km pace. Then when I checked the watch I was at 900 metres so I went and did a full km at 3:39min/km.
I'm not too bad pacing slower runs but for faster ones I'm absolutely hopeless and without the watch I'd be all over the place.

The second back into the wind was spot on at 3:45min/km over 800 and the rest were 3:41, 3:55 into the wind with a stitch and the last one 3:45 again into the wind. I would have been happy with around 4 for that one but I felt good throughout and pleased I kept up the pace.
Moreover this evening have me hope that I might have a chance at a sub 6min mile Saturday.

gramar

Got the runners changed anyway for a different brand after about 45 mins in the shop deliberating.
Did a few easy km's a walked a bit in them yesterday and they feel ok.

This evening was warm enough and with the mile tomorrow evening I wanted to keep it slow.
I did 6.5km at about 5:30min/km pace and then a fast 500 metres to finish in about 3:40 pace.

I'm not sure I'll get around below 6min tomorrow.
On the plus side I've had a good week of running, a solid 5km in the parkrun, a good tempo run Monday
and the 800 intervals went well on Wednesday. The circuit will be flat and on tarmac/concrete so a bit faster
than the track I'm usually on. I've done 6:14 on the track about 6 weeks ago so 15 seconds isn't a huge ask
and I think I've improved since then. It's at 8pm so the temperature should be ideal plus the touch of race
adrenalin to spur me on. Of the 4 mile races in the series it might be the only one I do as I mightn't be around
for next week's and the other two involve a 100mile round trip which seems a bit much for the sake of running
a mile and trailing in at the arse end of the field so a bit of extra motivation to get the job done tomorrow.

On the downside I need to average a 3:40 pace more or less for 1609m which I haven't ever done
so I need a bit of improvement.

As for strategy I think I'll start around a 3:50 pace and try hold that for a km then try to kick on from there for
the last 600 and endure the hurt.

gramar

Melgar 3/9/2016

I arrived about 20 minutes before the race was due off and had a good warm up of 5 or 6 minutes slow jogging followed by a few strides and stretches.

The course was 3 and a bit loops in the centre of the town and was perfectly flat. The downside was that on each loop there were two turns around cones where you had to do pretty much a full 360 turn and meant slowing down almost to a stop before trying to get back up to pace again after getting around and all in that's 7 times your pace is disrupted.

24 took to the start and I went off fairly quickly at somewhere around a 3:45min/km. The watch was a bit off on the distance which meant the pace it was giving me was too so it was more running on feel than anything. I was last for the first lap then overtook one fella and tracked the person in front to the last turn with about 200 metres to go when I streaked past him showing a blinding turn of pace that surprised even myself.
I could see the clock as I approached the finish..5:42...5:43..5.44....and I crossed in 22nd position in an official time of 5:52 (3:38min/km).

I was happy with the run as it was sub 6 but felt there were a few more seconds I could have shaved off not accounting for the time lost on the turns. The main reason I think I could do it faster is that it didn't hurt as much as it should have. My lightning finish also reminded me of this thread

Anyway, job done. I'm now tempted to have a go again in few weeks even if it means an 80mile round trip.

Incidentally, the winner was home in 4:26 with the top 6 all finishing in 5min or under and only one finisher outside of 6mins.


Sunday morning:

I was out by about half 9 as it was gonna be a hot one. 2km easy warm up and then 400m intervals.

3:32min/km
3:35min/km
3:25min/km
3:29min/km
3:22min/km

While I was doing a 1km warm down I began wondering how fast I could run the 100 metres so for the hell of it measured out a 100metres on the track, checked it 4 times until I was happy it was more or less right and then gave it socks a couple of times. 15 seconds as it happens there or there abouts. I was never anyway fast even as kid so I'm not going to be now and there were some distant rumblings in the groin area telling me that flat out sprinting is best off left alone so I'll leave it at that.

HigginsJ

Well done Grammar, you'd knock a decent bit off that time on a straighter course as the effort required to get back up to pace would be huge

gramar

HigginsJ wrote: »

Well done Grammar, you'd knock a decent bit off that time on a straighter course as the effort required to get back up to pace would be huge

No point getting into ifs and buts but....:pac: probably losing 2 seconds on every turn and then could have ran a bit harder so could conceivably get close to 5:30.
The one I'd like to do is on the 17th as it's one turn, 800m out and 800m back but mightn't be able to that day. Otherwise the 1st of October.

There's a few races coming up the next few weeks, a possible 8km on the 17th, 5km the 18th, a 7.5km the following Saturday 24th, a 6km on the 25th, the mile possibly on the 1st and then a 10km on the 8th of October.

The 8km on the 17th mightn't be the best idea as I'd like to give the 5km a good old rattle the day after.

gramar

The distant rumblings of discontent I felt in the groins as I tried to relive my youth by sprinting the 100metres have now become very loud protests. My groins aren't happy and they aren't shy about telling me. As the day is going on the soreness is increasing and at this rate I'll have to sleep on the couch tonight as the stairs will be too much for me.

gramar

The quads got a bit sore too as the day went on and there was still a bit of soreness again today. 2 feckin' sprints and I'm banjaxed.
Nonetheless I went for an easy trot of 6.5km after the sun went down as it was scorching out this evening. The first 4.5 were at a steady pace of about 5:45min/km and then I upped it to 5min/km for the last 2. Noticed slight discomfort but nothing much and hopefully the few miles will have
helped.

HigginsJ

Old age is a killer!!!! Glad there doesnt seem to be any lasting effects

gramar

HigginsJ wrote: »

Old age is a killer!!!! Glad there doesnt seem to be any lasting effects

Despite the old age I went out again this evening. The main target is a 5km Sunday week so I did some speed work. After about a 2km warm up it was
10x400metres at 4min/km pace off a 2 min recovery to help me get used to a 4min/km pace. I found these very comfortable and very enjoyable. I averaged about 3.55 for the first 8 then 3:41 for the second last and decided to go all out for the last doing it in 3:10.
I could have shortened the recovery by 30 seconds as at that pace and that recovery I was cruising over 400 metres and I'll probably do that the next time.