Thursday 8 January 2015

Back To The Old Routine!

Hello Blog Lovers

Marathon Training Day 3

It's Thursday, kids at school, back to my Thursday morning PWR meets.  Love these sessions, it's a chance to get out into the woods, but alas, not this morning.  It was just too wet.  The rain was absolutely teeming down!  For me it was just as well that I have these sessions planned because I knew I would have just rolled over and gone back to bed to wait for it to stop!

MichelleC text me this morning, just to check that it was all still going ahead, and I told it was.  When I got there, DiscoRich was there, all alone, standing in the rain.  We waited for an extra minuted, it was just gone 9:30, we didn't want to wait around too long as we will all get way to cold, and that's not good, not with this rain.

As DiscoRich was by himself we teamed up, but of course he will be running at my pace, and my route!  We started off and DiscoRich was in the front.  You could see that he was desperately struggling with the pace!  I shall just have to ask him to do loop backs!  I did try to keep up with him, but eventually he got there.  

Because we left the rec at the other exit I thought that I might have to add an extra little road in somewhere to make the whole 3.5 miles that I usually do on a Thursday morning.  I shall think about that when we are running down the cinder path.  

I was quite glad I changed out of my next running shoes actually, as the cinder path was quite muddy with some huge puddles in there.. All three of us tried to step around most of them, but in the end I just went straight through them.  I was trying to 'impress' our coach (DiscoRich) but I failed!  I had already had one walking stop already.  

There's this particular point along this path that always gets me, I think "Just here, stop here, then all the way to end"  But for ages now I keep missing that point, and thinking it is further along the path.  I do the walking bit and then start running, and then I see the traffic up ahead.  Another beating up for not getting to the end of the path.

From there though, DiscoRich took over the route, showing us a new path.  I had not been this way with my groups before, but I have been on the paths, coming back from the train runs.  It's good to throw in some new stuff, it keeps it interesting.

By now though, Michelle and DiscoRich were in the stride, I was tagging on behind, quietly telling myself off to keep up with them.  And thoughts came into my head, like "Don't show yourself up in front of the coach!"  As if DiscoRich would even think that.  I think it's because sometimes I find it amazing that I have a LiRF card.  But as all the coaches and leaders say to me, there are many ways to lead!  So those thoughts lasted for just a few moments more before I found something else to blame on my slowness!

Which was blooming hard.  Their younger than me!  Nope, only one of them is.  Well, DiscoRich is a bloke, they are always stronger, and besides these two been running for years.  Again, nope, well, Michelle hasn't!  She only joined about a year ago!  So there was only one thing left to blame!  It's raining!  It's pouring!  And I was bloody soaked to the skin! That'll be the reason! But as DiscoRich said to Michelle, "You will feel good that you did this later"  I am sure we will all be pleased, and very very smug about it, too!  After all, there are not that many crazy people that go out in the pouring rain for fun!

The new route seemed quite a long way!  But it's all good, it will be coming out by Allington road, one of the routes that group 1 use, but we go in the opposite direction.  In my mind I had said several times, "You go on guys, I know where I am now"  But I again gave myself a stern talking to during those silly walking stops.

It was good though.  Back at the rec and I felt pleased that I had conquered the rain, the pouring, really wet to the bones type rain!  But there was that "Yeah, look at me, soaked to the skin and just ran 4 miles!"  Smug or what!

Geeky stats.

Second session.

Track for me is back.  16 times around the track, with 90 seconds between every second lap. It was going to be tough.  I was determined to do as many as I can.  The faster groups would be doing 20 laps with the 90 seconds recovery.  

I think my challenge was to make sure I remembered how many laps I had done before I took my 90 sec rest.  After the warm up drills we went straight into it.  Running, running, running.  That is the plan.  I think one of the challenges for me is to mentally keep note of how many laps I had done before I took my 90 sec rest.

Again, as like this morning trying to show off in front of the coach, I thought I could run along with the 'big boys and and girls'.  Trying to keep up with them was ridiculous,  just that first half lap had me puffing out my ass, another quite word to myself from myself to 'SLOW THE HECK DOWN'

Once I got into my stride I could think about how many laps I had done.  I was doing well remembering how many laps, and also my maths brain was also working, as I had to time the 90 seconds.  It was then that I noticed that some of the other runners were stopping their watches.  They must have these super duper watches that they can stop the lap but time 90 seconds! Unless they two watches of course!

I had noticed that each lap was getting slightly longer, and each the last few 90 seconds was no long 90 seconds but a few added extra seconds!  But, no more beatings up!  Done that. On one of my 90 seconds stops Hels  asked my what time I had done, and I had told her that I didn't stop it, and I would try and figure it out when I got back.  When I ran past her doing the second lap of the 800's she called out "5:47"  I think that's what she said.  

Now I took that as if I continued at this pace and completed 26.2 miles then I would finish it in 5 hours and 5.47 minuets!  Either that or I was running at 5.47 min mile!

It was good session, I did as much as I could, as hard as I could today.  I think I should feel pleased with myself for both sessions today!  Not to shoddy really.  after all, it is still the week 1 training!

Geeky stats.  (and I don't think I can work out the timing thing that Hels and PhysioMike said) but it don't matter, I ran, I ran hard!

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