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Sun.pm. 6.24m / 42:00 / 6:43 miling
Hungover run around False Creek sea wall and around to Kitsilano Beach. Glorious.
Mon.pm. 9.01m / 1:00:48 / 6:44 miling
Nine miles into Stanley Park, small loop up to Prospect Point and back along English Bay.
Cycling - 16 miles
Tue. Rest - sore peroneus
Cycling - 16 miles
Wed. Rest - sore peroneus
Cycling - 16 miles
Thu.pm. 1m WU - 6 x 100m strides with walk back recovery.
Barefoot at Brockton Oval to test peroneus, it held up fine.
Cycling - 18 miles
Fri.pm. 3.27m WU - Longest Day 5k (4th, 15:42) - 2.29m WD
Warm up on course with Jay and Ian, really solid race and came through strongly in the second half to run a PB. Took home $75 as well, always a bonus. Warmed down with the guys.
Cycling - 16 miles
Sat. Rest - trip to Whistler, two hour walk
Run total: 23.92 miles (38.5km) / 2:43:56 / 6:51 miling avg
Cycle total: 69.41 miles (111.7km)
Comments:
Sore peroneus in my right leg meant that I missed much of training this week, but luckily the commute kept me active. Thankfully the tightness and pain eased off by race day and I was feeling fresh as a result.
Pleased with my run as I didn't feel overly stretched during most of the race and it was nice to place well and run a decent time. A good confidence boost coming into the summer so hopefully this is the start of some good results and revisions of my personal bests.
It's time now to put in a decent week of miles and quality sessions before heading to Des Moines, Iowa in a week's for the next stop in the triathlon tour.
Well I said my target for tonight was 15:45, and I hit 15:42 at the Longest Day 5k, so how's that for prediction accuracy?
Me (4th in 5k), Ian (9th in 5k), Brad (1st in 10k) and Jay (3rd in 5k)
It was pretty much textbook stuff, exactly as planned. The opening downhill kilometre was quick, and I started conservatively, tucking in behind Mike and Phil from VFAC and Ian from Lionsgate for the opening 500m. I realised we were effectively in a pack sitting in sixth position so I made my move coming off the downhill and into the uphill second kilometre. I managed to get a gap on the bunch and noone came with me, and I quickly reeled in the guy in fifth who had gone off too hard.
I tried to keep my pace on the inclines consistent and strong, focussing on technique and efficiency rather than effort. It worked well and once I was on the flat again I was able to open my stride and get back into a nice rhythm. I visualised Ryan Hall striding out up in Big Bear Lake, California, just wanting to praise God with every turnover of his legs - tonight's run was about using the abilities I believe the Lord has given me rather than trying to run well for personal gain.
This video, Ryan Hall: Passion for the Run, has really inspired me.
Slowly I started to track down Graeme, a 70min half marathoner who clocked 2:31 for the Calgary Marathon just two weeks ago and ran a 32:40 10k last weekend. Going through 3km in 9:18 I managed to latch onto the back of him and made my move on the slight incline back to the main drag. With his incredible strength and stamina I was worried he would manage to cling onto the back, but thankfully for me it was decisive.
The final kilometre was a nice run in to the finish, striding out on the slight downhill gradient, then raising the tempo 400m from the line. Running up onto the grass was tough, but I still felt pretty good and so to finish with 15:42 is very pleasing. Hopefully on a flatter, faster course I can get down to 15:30. Now I've got to decide what to spend my $75 prize money on. Suggestions please.
Jay was always up the road from me, although his race was a solo affair, caught between me and the leaders who ran 14:22 and 14:27 respectively - highly impressive. VFAC were towards the fore throughout the 5k with Phil and Mike right behind along with Ian.
Ooh err missus, check out those socks!
Brad stormed the 10k, running with another two guys for the first 4k before making his move and pulling clear. On a relatively undulating course his 34mins is very solid and he should go well in the Scotiabank Half Marathon in a couple of weeks! I'm not sure about his compression socks/number belt/lycra shorts under split shorts attire though, haha.
Thankfully my injury has slackened off and the peroneus has relaxed, albeit not completely. Therefore tomorrow evening's 5k is on like Donkey Kong. I cycled back home via Brockton Oval this evening and dropped in a mile in bare foot on the grass followed by 6 x 100m strides and it felt fine, so I'm ready to rip it up.
British NCAA runner Luke Cragg coined the phrase 'smash ups' to describe how he wants to attack a race, and I'm borrowing it for tomorrow. I want this 5k to be the result of the hard work I've put in. The thousands of miles I ran between September and March and the subsequent speed work I've been doing in Vancouver.
I want to take this race apart, I want to build into it, run the opening kilometre controlled, enjoying the downhill, then work hard on the uphill and the second kilometre before letting the legs open up through kilometres three and four on the flat. Kilometre five is going to hurt like hell, I know it will, I want it to. I want to feel the pain of pushing myself to the limit. I want to taste the lactic acid rising up from my legs into my mouth. I want to run that final kilometre completely balls out, on the wire. I want to run it how Luke Cragg would run it - smashing it up.
Target time: 15:45
