Where does the time go? Less than a month to go.
Big gap since my last update on here. Busy times. A lot to do in preparation for the marathon, and a busy time with work means a drop off in the weekly updates on this site. I have been keeping up with the training, in the main. And races, lots of races
September 6th – Dundee Road Runners Autumn Handicap. A 7k-ish run around the outside perimeter of Camperdown park, where we hold parkrun every week. The course is mostly on trails, and has a big hill in the middle. The idea here is the organisers give everyone a handicap time, based on their best 5k time of the year, with the aim that everyone finishes together (if they’ve got the handicap system nailed). The target time is 50 minutes, and I had a 22:30 handicap. It’s an odd thing watching people set off then waiting 20+ minutes later, to chase after them. It is a great format, though, as everyone has a shot at ‘winning’, and there’s always people to chase through the course.
3rd fastest overall, and fastest Vet. And a bar of chocolate for the finishers!
9th September – Stirling 10k, the Scottish National Championships. Billed as a quick course, a flat out and back (-ish) route around by the river, out towards Bridge of Allen. This always gets a high quality field, as befits the National Championships moniker.
Another 10k PB, this time 38:40. But the quality of the field is such that I was 171st! The winner, Kris Jones, finished in 29:59. He looked very comfortable when he looped back and I saw him running back as I was running out – impressive.
18th September – Dundee Road Runners Wayne Morris 5 Mile Race. There’s very few 5 mile races around here. Cupar 5 miler was cancelled this year due to the weather, and I had a shocker at the Brig Bash, finishing 1 second outside the Silver Standard time for my age group. Perhaps “Shocker” is hyperbole, but I didn’t run well, and finishing 1 second outside the target time was very annoying! This club confined 5 mile race is essentially the same route as the Monifeith High School 10k from earlier in the season (A race I did somewhat jet lagged, and finished in a shade over 40 mins, despite it being pretty flat). This race was cooler, but just as windy. We remembered Wayne Morris, a friend and fellow runner who died suddenly only 2 weeks before the race.
It gets dark early round these parts. A 5 mile PB – 31:20. And a Silver Standard. The club races are great fun, and great training. I was 6th overall, 3rd Vet.
20th September – What’s the last thing a running in training for a marathon needs 6 weeks out from the marathon? To be struck with a virus. I woke up that morning unable to swallow, cracking headache, sweating, etc. A rare day off work, spending the whole day in bed. I managed to jog around parkrun on the Saturday, but was flattened for the next day, another duvet day. No running for almost a week….
September 29th – Telford parkrun. I was in Telford for a conference, but managed to fit in Telford parkrun. I’ve done it before, last time I spoke at that conference. They’ve changed the route, though – little loop then big loop, rather than big loop then little loop. And the flat finish has become an uphill finish. Steep uphill.
October 7th – Giffordtown 5k. Not exactly the ideal marathon prep, 4 weeks before New York, but it’s a race in the DRR Grand Prix Series, a big turnout from the club, and it’s fast and flat. A lot of all-time PBs from previous races at Giffordtown. I’ve never been on the start line of a race and felt as though I’m really, totally, absolutely up for it, and prepared to max; this was no different. It was cold, windy, and my left ankle was sore.
18:35 according to my Garmin. An all time PB for 5k, although I did do San Francisco parkrun in 18:31 2 years ago, but the course was about 100m short…. Not great training for a marathon, though, so I got home and went out for the training plan long run:
The last time I wrote on here I was thinking about getting some new shoes. The Kinvara 9s are a great shoe but they’re coming to the end of their run, the 10s don’t come out until November. There’s a lovely Blue pair, but they’re sold out all over the internet, never mind in Dundee. So the only colour left, are Coral. Here’s a comparison on the soles of the new ones, and the 800km old ones.
You can see how “Coral” the shoes are in the photos from Giffordtown:
Folk will see me coming, for 800km or so at least.
This week I have a week off work. Plenty of time to get some distance in. If it can only stop raining.
4 weeks to go. 300km of training to get through, including the Aviemore Half Marathon next weekend, then a taper, and a plane journey.
This year’s stats to date:
