Target Practice

Duanington wrote: »

Super stuff DG, you're banging out the results at the moment

Thanks Duanington...snap

Race Report Brian Boru 10 Mile incorporating Leinster 10 Mile Road Championships, Mon 6 April 2015

Saturday night saw my lower back gradually tense up then spasm and occasionally lock. This was more than a bit worrying, especially as nurofen express and a good night's sleep didn't have much of an effect. I took some ibuprofen and lounged around with a hot water bottle against the area and had a nice hot bath mid-afternoon with the last of the Epsom salts. Something worked as by Sunday evening it was just a niggle. A slow jog with strides at 10pm put my mind at rest.

I deliberately abstained from my 'traditional' two glasses of wine pre-race day as I want to put any superstition reliance out of the equation (ok, I confess, I wore my 'lucky vest'...baby steps... ). Dinner was at my folks, plenty of roast beef and two small portions of pud: Victoria sponge and apple pie and cream...carbo loading

My one and only 10 mile race prior to this was the FD 10 mile the previous August, 78:04
The goals for the race were three: A Goal, 70:xx; B Goal, 72:xx...and the out there chance of the Gold Goal, 69:xx
The club captain and my dad both told me (after the race) that they hadn't thought I was ready to break 70 yet...

The plan, as advised by the club captain, was to go out conservatively at 7:15 or so pace for the first couple of miles and after that build from mile 3, planning to get to five miles in 36 or less and "just hanging on for the last two miles".
I have to take a reality check sometimes...last August and September, when planning paces for the race series FD 10 and the HM, 7:45 m/m pace was 'out there, that's going to hurt you baaadly' and 7:30 was scary in a 'you've blown it' way, so who is this person here talking about 7:15m/m pace being conservative?? Sometimes I think I am speaking a different language to last year or something like that...

Registration was straightforward, said hello to ECOLII and a couple of others along the way to the start.

Warm up consisted of a very easy jog down the Avenue to the gates and back and being perplexed by all the 2 mile, 6 mile and 9 mile signs I saw.... I followed this by a couple of longer strides and some shorter snappier ones and then a couple of drills until my (Lidl's finest €6.99) stopwatch told me I should strip off and line up. Said hello to Hillsiderunner (hopefully I was reasonably coherent at that stage?!) and lined up.

It was explained to us that we would be running two short loops of 500m, another bit and then two larger laps. If we were told any finer details, they escaped me...

And off we went. I let my two Wicklow team mates go off ahead "run your own race, don't go off hard" echoing in my ears. I was determined to take this advice and see how it paid off. I swear I thought I was restraining myself...I knew it was a bit faster than 7:15, probably 7:05 so I was a bit pi$$ed of with my pace gauging when my stopwatch clocked 6:43 at the first mile marker. But still, this didn't freak me out too much, just a bit of 'oh feck, ok calm it down a bit'. I was hitting a nice cadence and felt strong. Nevertheless, I should have pulled back a bit more.

The bit down the far end of the avenue was a bit like a Sammy Wanjiru moment: (thanks Rom!) and even got a Sammy-shout out from Krusty in the top group, thanks I was able to gauge my position and was pleasantly surprised to see I was about 9th, definitely in the first 10 ladies.

There was great support throughout, RedRunner appeared magically here and there...ok it was his magical rothar and Maria Dolan gave my club singlet very warm supportive encouragement (she used to be a member) and lots of others really helped. The stewards were great too.

Mile 4 saw 27:20 or so on the stopwatch (unofficial PB) but not long after this, I hit a pretty rough patch and I remember thinking 'this is going to be pretty miserable, 6 more miles of this'. Other negative thoughts started to creep in too 'that's what you get for not following the plan' etc so I started to counter-balance (myself!) with reminders that I had lasted a lot longer and felt much worse during the marathon so f^ck that! I could DO this!'.

I then remembered my Tunguskan therapy and you would not believe how well this worked, it was almost too easy...in fact, I remember at the time being somewhat stunned: I located it, let it in and welcomed it...and it went. Un.be.lievable....by mile five I was bopping along again, not pain free by any stretch but definitely a new lease in the legs.
I was telling Himself about it when I got home and he called up some article he had read which suggests that when your brain is told that 'pain' is normal (allowing it/welcoming it) that it just carries on as normal, which certainly backs up what happened there...

When we turned to go up the Avenue, I hadn't factored in the loop off around the rose gardens so suggested to the group I was running with that we take turns as otherwise it could be a long drag. Off I bopped and after 400m or so I turned my head slightly expecting relief...nope but then we were off into the rose gardens.


I had passed two ladies at this stage so was a pit pee'ed off when another lady came steaming past me once back on the Avenue but she looked like she meant business so I ahem let her away with it...just this once Before I 'let her away' I asked if she knew if we had to do that loop again on the second lap. She very unhelpfully replied (with maybe a baleful glance?) that she didn't know
Like many, I *hoped* that the last lap was just homeward bound! all the way up the Avenue...

My hip tightened occasionally and my back hurt going up hills so I just relaxed and slowed into them. Still, didn't lose ground and in fact gained in places. My knee niggled once so just reminded myself to return to form and relax...writing this is making me think what a crock I sound. Back to ECOLII this week for an iron out

About 7 miles in, I told myself that I was having an amazing race, and possibly the race of my life so far: I was running beyond expectations, running hard (it really hurt) but wasn't losing ground drastically. I also felt queasy at this stage :eek:

Times/progression:
I had only checked times at mile 1 (6:43), mile 4 (27:20), mile 7 (48:10) and mile 8 (55:xx, maybe 20, not sure).
I remember a quick glance and calculation at mile 9 to make sure I was still on track for sub 70 told me I just had to hang in at 7:20 pace which was reassuring but I felt like I was crawling through jelly at 8:20 pace at this stage.

My pen and paper calculations post-race give me average pace of
6:50 miles 1-4
6:53 miles 1-7
Mile 7-8 was possibly 7:10 and
Mile 8-9 was possibly 7:20 which makes sense as from mile 8.5 I felt like I was wading through a vat of boiling lactic acid. Well actually, I was...
However, I think I redeemed myself as the last mile was 6:48, I did NOT think I had that in me but it's amazing what some fear and sweet self talk can do "one more minute, only one more minute of this, promise"...that and the sky-raising cheers of Bungy Girl and Bungy Jr blew me across the line with a leap and a punch in the air I think thanks go to Duanington too, his finish prior to this race showed some inspiring gritty digging

I think this finishing kick was my longest and strongest yet: the exit at the rose gardens onto the avenue saw me a couple of paces behind a senior Clohisey (who had been very encouraging in the last two miles) so I repaid him by gaining eight seconds by the time I leaped across that finishing line, seeing that beautiful, gorgeous digital clock telling me I had run 69:xx

Old PB: 78:04. New PB: 69:28

So my little finishing leap marked me out to Meno who came over to say hello, he now probably thinks I am a total idiot as I doubt I make much sense post-race
Saw Hilly too who had a great race, especially as I think she is more suited to winter racing here! ECOLII seemed reasonably pleased, personally I'd have cracked a smile or two if I had run his race

The Raheny goodie bags are legend: a zillion energy bars, water, crisps, two kit kats, energy drinks and delicious coconut water til it comes out of your ears!

Our Wicklow team did well, team placings will be announced during the week but pretty sure ladies and gents are looking at a gold or silver :cool:
Our other Wicklow lady came 6th overall and second o/40, yours truly was 7th overall and third o/40. All of my club came home with a Leinster medal, not a bad day's work for a small and ageing club (we have maybe three seniors, the rest are masters and juveniles). Well done guys!

At the awards bit, I was called up for my bronze. I burbled something about it being 'a happy day'. 'Why?' Says he...why??? I just got a Leinster medal, that's why!!!! So to top it off, he gave me an iron....I burbled thanks and told him that 'I am really happy with this, I actually needed one...' Poor man, bet he was glad to see the back of this deranged wan....

Well, thank you for getting this far! This race possibly hurt the most (after the marathon, nothing could hurt more than *that* marathon) but is also very possibly my favourite race to date. I also learned a lot: about fighting doubt and pain, digging in...and pacing, ie I am crap at judging pace still...
Next goal for the 10 mile is to have a sub 67 during the early winter season and work down to 65 within the next 12 months...is that too much of a jump? Anyone followed a similar path?

annapr wrote: »

that's hilarious, best prize ever...

btw, where's your dcm2014 marathon report? is it posted somewhere? link please!!!!

Haha it is isn't it?!
Here goes...you owe me a big glass of something for posting this, you've just made me relive the misery
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=92872989&postcount=6222

Firedance wrote: »

brilliant report DG! hope you're still buzzing from that fantastic PB :-)

Thanks FD, and I am really!