Last Saturday I had planned to run two laps of the Bike Track for a total distance of 24k. However, when I had finished the first lap I didn't feel up to continuing . Today I had scheduled to run two laps of the HomeBike Track for a total distance of 28k. Val suggested , seeing I didn't complete last week's run, that I should change my plans and run 24k. However, I thought I would stick to what I had had planned.
This morning and early afternoon was enjoyably spent gardening with Val - weeding, turning over beds, composting in preparation for what we need to do in the weeks ahead.
My plan was to leave home at 3.00 pm and finish my run within 3 hours. In my mind I was calculating my estimated time based on 24k rather than the 28k and it was only after I had started that I began to realise my mistake. This course was to be an LSD to ensure that I completed the distance. Unfortunately, I didn't start my run until around about 3.20 pm so I was well behind before I even started.
The aim was to try and run at around 7 mins/k and as I worked through my calculations again it struck me that that would take 3hrs 16mins. Anyway, I tried to stick to my time but after the first 1k I was beginning to run faster than what I wanted. I am fully aware that when I do this that I slow down in the latter stages of a run. I kept checking my Garmin every so often to see what rate I was running at - and even when it was faster than what I had planed it seemed a dawdle.
I carried four 8oz containers of Staminade with me (as well as a pouch full of snakes to nibble on the way) and knew that there were two bubblers that I could get a drink from. I made good use of the bubblers on the first leg to 7k (as well as having some Staminade) to where the old ferry wharf used to be in around 45mins. So far so good. The next 7k to the starting point was without incident, though it was a bit slower (the hills don't help) and I turned in about 1hr 32mins.
I was still feeling rather good as I made my way into the second lap but, as it was now about 4.50pm it was starting to get a bit darker (especially as it was totally cloudy). That couldn't be helped. This time I only used one of the bubblers because I felt comfortable with how much Staminade I had left. I ran through the half marathon distance in about 2hrs 20mins.
The last 7k became increasingly difficult because of the rapidly failing light and by the time I was running through the bush it was well nigh impossible to see anything except the outline of the track under my feet. At least the dead leaves stood out on the bitumen. It was when I reached the 25k mark that I was beginning to feel the strain of running 28k - but I am going to have to get used to it if I want to run a marathon and then the 6ft Track! Over those last few k I knew I was slowing down quite a bit and began to wonder whether it would have been better to have run a shorter distance. At least next week is my off cycle when I run only half the distance I have run this week.
I finished (maybe that should read "hobbled home") in a time of 3hrs 11min 39secs at an average pace of 6.50/k. All in all I was quite happy with my day's outing.
When I walked in the back door Val was on the phone having thought that I would be home in about 2hrs 30mins (which is absolutely impossible for me). People were out on the track searching for me in case something had happened in the dark! Isn't Val a wonderfully caring wife! But I'm not the superman she imagined that I was and she did have a hot bath run for me (warm by the time I arrived home - but still very much appreciated).
My splits are:
1k - 6.51 2k - 6.39 3k - 6.35 4k - 6.44 5k - 6.34 6k - 6.26 7k - 6.16
8k - 6.21 9k - 6.26 10k - 6.28 11k - 6.20 12k - 6.22 13k - 6.49 14k - 7.47
15k - 7.08 16k - 6.30 17k - 6.32 18k - 6.45 19k - 6.25 20k - 6.40 21k - 6.48
22k - 6.51 23k - 6.46 24k - 6.57 25k - 7.06 26k - 7.09 27k - 7.32 28k - 9.25
The hills are 1, 13, 14, 15, 27 and 28 (I walked the steepest part of this hill this time around)
The phone had rung to me because a visitor had found out that Steve was not home and had informed others! I had calculated on 24k and having left at 3.00 ... and in both counts I was wrong :-(
ReplyDeleteIt proved to me that I do need to make sure I know where Steve is going and what time he is expecting to be home every time he goes out running!!