Sunday 10 June 2012

Week 15 and 16 of 18 - Things Can Only Get Better?

Sorry for the delayed blog, and for your patience you receive a double blog. Last week was made up of one cycle of 56 miles which is half the Ironman cycle distance and I succeeded in completing it in 3:43:32 at an average speed of just over 15mph. This wasn't as long as I'd hoped to ride but the pace was good and I felt strong at the end of the cycle. The conditions were pretty perfect with a good temperature and not much wind. It left me feeling much more confident over the cycle leg of the Ironman and meeting the cut-off which will mean I need to average something like 14mph for the 112 miles I ride.

In terms of running last week was a 10K run on Monday and a short run on Wednesday before the Southend Half Marathon on Sunday. I had set myself what would prove to be a crazy goal of 1 Hour 38 Minutes which is 7:30 min/mile pace. Only two weeks post Edinburgh where I had run the first half in 1Hr 53 minutes and had needed to walk parts of it from 11 miles onwards.

Luke and I set off at the target pace and made it through the first 2 miles on target, but I was working much harder than I could sustain and so eased back, with my pace hovering around 8min/miles for the next 2 miles. This to proved too fast and the pace was eased back to mid 8 minute miles for the next 3 miles. To get me through 7 miles in a little over 57 minutes. It was here that the wheels really came off and Luke and I just tried to hold it together and the pace hovered around the 10 minute mile mark as we got ourselves home as best we could. Finishing in just over 1 hour 58 minutes.

This was my 14th Half Marathon and I had only run slower in my first two halves that of Southend in 2hrs 17 and Bristol in 2hrs 8. It was a disappointing day but it was a reflection of the running shape I am in at the moment. Once the Outlaw is done at the start of July I will really knuckle down and follow a regimented plan for the Berlin Marathon at the end of September in the hopes of running a PB there.

Thanks to all my Family and Work Colleagues who came to support at Southend. It really helped to have someone cheering me every couple of miles along the route and kept me going when things weren't going right. Also well done to Giuseppe who ran his first Half Marathon at Southend.

This week post Southend had been fairly quiet 4 commutes in on the bike, a couple of short runs and hoping to do another 6 miles this evening. Luke and I also went for a swim Thursday night and I succeeded in doing 82 lengths (just over 2Km) in a little under an hour. I think my swim at the Outlaw should be somewhere in the 1:45-2:00 mark but as long as I make the cut off I'll be happy.

I wasn't able to do an open water swim today, but next Sunday I will get the wetsuit on and have a dip in the sea. Other targets for next weeks training are to run 5 times totalling around 30 miles and maybe swim in the pool again, but I have a very busy week ahead and I'm not sure how feasible that is. So there you have it, my blog for the fortnight, sorry no indepth analysis of my downturn in performance. I have some ideas running round in my head, but I have neither the time nor the energy to go into it now. I will blog on it soon I'm sure.Until next time,train hard.

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