Send in the Clowns - BAC 10K Challenge

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Easy 7 miles out to the Lucan Harriers cinder track for a goosey. Definitely flatter than the track out in Kilbogget (no hills on the track!) but still not something you could wear spikes on.

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

I was beginning to think that all tracks had 'hills'. Can anyone just hop onto the track and have a go? Pity it's three miles away. It's a grand warm-up, but three miles after a track session is a bit much. Didn't see any 'lung-bits' but there was some dog-poop. Was that yours?

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Today: 4.5 mile recovery run
Short recovery run, as I'm heading to Dunshaughlin tomorrow. Not in the shape for an assault on the PB, so just going out for a good workout, and because it's such a high caliber race. Hopefully get into the low 36:xx anyway, if the wind is kind, but on today's run it was pretty horrific. The Watch was going a bit nuts again, and had me leaping entire fields in a single bound and running uphill for my entire loop. Stoopid tetchy-nology.
Summary: 4.5 miles in 35:18, @7:55/mile, HR=~126

Changes made from version 2.40 to 2.50:
Fixed several problems causing shutdowns during biking and running activities.
Corrected several instantaneous pace calculation issues.
Major modifications and additions to Bike Power functionality:
1. Improved support for power based workouts.
2. Added new power metrics (Training Stress Score (TSS), Intensity Factor (IF), Normalized Power (NP), kJ).
3. Automatically modify power zones when functional threshold power (FTP) changes.
4. Improvements to power sensor calibration process.
5. Added support for left right power balance.
6. Added support for 3, 10, and 30s power smoothing.
Improved accuracy of distance calculations for pool swim.
Rest times are no longer included in the average pace calculation for pool swim.
Distance alerts for pool swim will now occur during the last length before completing the configured distance.
Swim distance alert will now reset after pressing lap button.
Corrected issues displaying history for open water swims.
Improved calorie calculations during swim mode.
Corrected issue with barometer calibration improving initial elevation readings.
Corrected issue where sudden changes in the elevation could be observed on the watch.
Fixed problem with auto-scroll that could potentially cause a device malfunction.
Added ability for the user to enter ANT+ IDs for all sensor types.
Added sensor details page for all ANT+ sensors.
Prevented HR alerts from occurring when user was in the correct zone.
Improved accuracy of battery charge information.
Improved foreign language translations.

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

I've run 13 races so far this year, so no shortage of them, but haven't raced since Kildare marathon (6 weeks ago). There has been a bit of running malaise since then, and I know it's better not to force the issue after a high mileage marathon plan, so I have been happy enough to take it easy, with just a few moderately unsuccessful sprint sessions under my belt since then. But I have built the mileage back up to 50+ miles and hit 60+ miles for this week. The plan for Dunshaughlin was just to enjoy the race and hopefully hit a mark around 36:00, as I've lost a bit of fitness and added a few pounds since I ran 35:31 6 weeks ago (a race wedged between Boston and Kildare marathons). I ran 3 x 1 Mile at around 5:26 pace with 3 minutes rest last Tuesday, which gave me some level of optimism that I was still in pretty good shape. Arrived out in Dunshaughlin in plenty time to chat to the fellow Boards runners, and get a mile warm-up before the race. I got the forecast wrong (thought it would be lashing rain), so opted for the grippier Mizuno Precisions instead of the racing flats, which wasn't a great decision and the heavier shoe might have cost me some seconds. I lined up a couple of rows from the start, but by the time the starting horn went off, I was probably 75 runners from the front.

Mile 1: Started strong, weaving through the slower runners until I found a bit of space, and looked at the watch after about haf a mile, and my average pace was 5:20 (faster than 5k pace). I had stretched to the front of the current group, and was running behind a lead runner, but the gap to the group in front was widening. Running at 5k pace for the first mile wasn't a good idea, but I knew that I had to push-on and catch faster groups, or I would end up with an unsatisfactory time, so I made the decision, and pushed forward at the same pace moving from group to group until I found a group of 5/6 runners that looked strong and seemed to be holding a solid pace. Mile 1: 5:26

Mile 2: Focussed on recovering from the effort of mile 1 and just settling into a rythm within the group. Everyone there seemed to be of a consistent level, nobody breathing particularly heavy, just working hard. 5:36.

Mile 3: One runner dropped off the pace, and there were 5 of us. We were all fanned out in a line, so no-one taking wind shelter. This mile had a bit of an incline, so was slightly slower at 5:50, but shortly afterwards we passed the half-way mark with the clock showing 17:40 (my watch read 17:43).

Mile 4: A welcome downhill provided some level of recovery (I'd forgotten my HRM unfortunately) and my lower back/glutes had been killing me from the start of the race, so I took the opportunity to stretch out a little. Soon afterwards we were getting tired and it showed as we had a few jostles as we rounded the bends and I was feeling a bit wrecked. I looked up and saw the 7k marker and was pretty crestfallen. I thought my race was fooked at that stage, and went into a dismal spiral. But, I managed to reel it back in again. I convinced myself that it was only temporary and that it would pass, and thankfully, eventually it did and I mustered myself back into a better place. Mile 4: 5:43

Mile 5: The 5 mile marker comes at the top of a brief but painful climb, but we all hit the hill together and worked our way over it without slowing substantially and spent the next half mile recovering, with lots of heavy breathing. Mile 5: 5:43.

Mile 6: Seeing the 5 mile marker and knowing that we had ony just over a mile cemented my resolve. I had lost a bit of ground to the group, but on the long stretch that felt slightly downhill I lengthened the stride and caught the group again and by the time we hit the 800m mark we had caught one runner who had moved ahead. I found myself moving in front, more in anticipation of hitting the finish than in an attempt to split from the group, but with 400m to go I was dying a death. We were all gliding at this stage, but the three othere runners from the group were gliding faster than me and with 400m to go, had moved ahead. Mile 6: 5:36.

The Finish: The other runners in the group were sprinting to the finish, but I had no sprint left in me, so I cruised to the finish line @5:14 pace, a little dissapointed not to have a final bit of fight left in me to try and outkick the other runners, but glad that I had done the work early in the race to catch the group and reap the rewards of a significantly faster time than I could have hoped for before the race. I crossed the finish line with 35:23 showing on the clock and stopped my watch at 35:28. So a small PB (somewhere between 7 seconds and 3 seconds!) but delighted to run another fast 10k when I didn't feel I was in the kind of shape to do so. Delighted to have my race-mojo back, I'm now looking forward to the next race and will be aiming for a 34:xx 10k sometime soon.

A couple of easy warm-down miles with the other Sli Cualann lads (if we could only spell the name of the club consistently, we would have been the fourth fastest club!) and then into the club-house for some coffee and hang sandweggies and a nice chat with the other Boards runners. Alongside Ballycotton, this is my favourite road race in the country and if you haven't run it yet, you have already been missing out. Get to it!

Summary: 10k in 35:23 (35:28 on my watch), @5:40/mile