6. VMA 10 mile Road Race

...follows VMA 10 km Road Race

Monday July 21st to Saturday July 26th
I pulled up pretty well from my PB in the 10 km race.  Now the focus is to up the distances regularly over the next 3 months.  The problem will be fitting them in between work commitments.

With school back in full swing Monday's run was with some students at lunchtime.  We all ran down towards the Wonthaggi Wetlands as a group and I had an active little year 7 boy running along beside me.  When we got to the loop I decided to push it a bit and see what he could do.  We had run down to the wetlands at just over 5km pace.  I upped the pace steadily until I hit my set pace of 4:05 and the watch beeped.  He was still there and running strongly.  The second kilometer averaged about 4:30 pace and he was going well, but when it came time to do a second lap he pulled the pin.  The rest of my run was variable, with some running with students and other parts pushing a bit more on my own.  I completed a good 6km run at 4:49 pace.

Tuesday - my busy work day - was a day off and Wednesday I went for my longest run for a while after work.  I ran 17km with most kilometers in the 4:40s and 4:30s.  I picked up speed towards the end of the 10 mile mark and then eased off the pace for the last kilometer or so.  I ran the 17.3 km in 80 minutes at an average of 4:41 pace.

I went out for a run in Leongatha on Thursday afternoon, before running football training.  I ran out to the rail trail and down towards Koonwarra on an out and back run.  I put in some good speed early, eased off in the middle and picked up speed again towards the end.  I ended up covering 11.7 km at 4:29 pace.

Friday after work the parkrun committee met out at Inverloch to measure the course.  We ran the 5km course to check how it went with our Garmins.  I started slowly with the group then picked up the pace in the second half to run at 4 minute pace.  I covered 5.8km at an average of 4:47 pace.

I went to the Berwick Springs parkrun on Saturday morning, on the way to footy at Drouin.  I have had tight quads all week but felt ok after my warmup.  I started quickly with a 3:42 kilometer, dropped it back a bit to run the next in 3:51.  The third kilometer was run in 3:50 and then I decided that I could run down the runner in front of me.  I ran the fourth in 3:42 and caught then passed him.  I then set after the next runner and ran the fifth in 3:45.  I didn't quite get him but I ran the 5km in 18:50 - a new PB.  The official parkrun time was 19 minutes.

Sunday July 27th to Saturday August 2nd
My long run on the Sunday was from Inverloch back to Wonthaggi.  Given the speed of some of my recent runs the aim here was for a long easy run.  As it turned out it was hard work but I kept the pace below 5 minutes all the way.  My quads were a little sore during the run, particularly my right quad but I battled through and ran the 16.2 k in just under 80 minutes, averaging 4:54 pace.

I went for my weekly slower shorter lunchtime run with the Monday Running group at the school.  It was a good run to run out some of the leg soreness.  I ran most of the run at over 5 minute pace but was able to go a little bit faster at the end.  I averaged 5:04 pace for the 5.8km run.

There is just no time to run on a Tuesday so it has become my designated day off.  It was pretty timely this week.  I left work straight away on Wednesday and set myself for a big interval run.  On an out and back course I ran for 45 minutes and turned back.  I ran easy for 8 minutes and then hard for 2, getting through 8 intervals through the 20 km run.  It ended up being my second fastest 20 km run, finishing it in 1:33:32 at an average of 4:41 pace.  After cooling down my right medial was quite sore.

The weather on Thursday was terrible - lots of wind and rain, so it became my second day off in the week.  At the end of the month I had run 279 kilometers in the month of July - my biggest month of running so far.  In the past twelve months I have run 2274 kilometers.

I felt that I needed a run on Friday, mainly to work my right knee, so I went out between the showers.  The air was extremely cold with Antarctic winds.  The maximum temperature was 9 degrees all day.  Right on lunchtime there was a break in the weather on the radar so I changed, stretched and set off on my run.  I was just planning an easy town run but found myself running at just over 4:30 pace quite comfortably.  As I was getting back to work the clouds started closing in so I picked up speed for the last kilometer and found myself running at race pace, around the 4 min per kilometer mark.  I ended up running 6.4km at an average of 4:25 pace.

Saturday morning dawned with no wind at all and the sun shining.  With a week off local football Heather and I drove over to Meeniyan to have a run and walk with the South Gippsland runners.  I ran at an easy pace with a couple of the Inverloch parkrun people and we chatted about the parkrun.  Most of the run was well into the 5 plus minute pace.  I lifted the pace a little on the return trip and then, when we got back to the cars kept running the other way at a much faster pace.  After running the 10th kilometer in 5:09 I ran the 11th in 4:08 and mostly kept that pace for the next 2 kilometers.  I ended up running 13.1km in 1:07:05, at an average of 5:04 pace.

Sunday August 3rd to Saturday August 9th
I went out in search of a real solid 10 mile effort just one week before my first 10 mile race.  I left from the Guide Park in Wonthaggi and headed towards Harmers Haven on a 14 km loop run that I have run several times before.  I decided to run it as a surge run (as opposed to hard intervals).  I ran at a solid pace for seven minutes and then slightly faster (near race pace) for three minutes.  I got through 5 of them and was setting a really nice pace.  I ran the 10km in a solid 43:44 and then, when I got back to Wonthaggi, pushed hard for the 14th, 15th and 16th kilometers to post PBs for 15 km (1:05:08) and the 10 miles (1:10:05), missing a sub 70 minute 10 miles by a very narrow margin.  In the end I completed the 16 km in a negative split, running the first 8km in 34:57 and the last 8km in 34:48.  In all I ran 16.7km at an average pace of 4:22 per kilometer.

On Monday I was up early to visit the Alfred to get the latest news about a kidney problem that I've been battling for over 2 years.  The news was that I am now well and, I believe, that the running has played a big part.  I was back early afternoon and had time for a cycle and a run.  I rode 20km and the, after a brief rest, went for a run.  It was hard work early but I warmed up and put in some sub 4:30s at the end of the 9.2 km run.  My average pace was 4:43 per km.

With a change in a meeting I got to get home after work and put in a solid run.  I decided on a fartlek run to get some pace into it.  It was my fifth day straight of running so I was a little sore.  After an extended warm up I was able to put in eight strides with the pace getting down below 4  minute pace each time.  I ended up running the 13.2 km course in just over an hour, averaging 4:42 pace.

Wednesday was my day off.  Time to let my body recover.  I had to skip football training on Thursday because of a monthly meeting but it was still daylight when I got home so I went out on a short (quicker) run.  It's always hard work after a day at work and my pace was pretty slow early on.  By the third kilometer I got down to sub 4:30 pace.  The sixth kilometer was down to 4:17 pace and the seventh at 4:06 with the last 600 metres at sub 4 minute pace.  I averaged 4:27 per kilometer for the 7.6 km.

When running after a day at work it always feels as though I have weights around my ankles.  I'm looking forward to the Spring when I can run before work again.  I always feel so good after a run that it seems like a waste to do it late in the day.  So my Friday run was after work.  It will also be my final run before Sundays race.  This is a departure from my normal race plan, as I usually like to have a nice fast run the day before, but it can't be helped as I have to leave early for football tomorrow and wont be back until late.  I felt good after work so I set out on my 10km course.  I wanted to run the first 5km at 4:30 pace and come home hard.  As it turned out my first 5km was done in EXACTLY 22:30.  Then I put the foot down and slowly built to the point where I was running at 4 minute pace for the last 2 km.  I completed the split in 20:53 to complete the 10km run at an average of 4:21 pace.  It was a good blend of distance and speed so hopefully it has set me up for a good run on Sunday.

VMA 10 mile Road Race - Sunday August 10th
It was an early 5:30am start to get on the road to the city and Princes Park for the 10 mile race.  Upon arrival I got onto the course and put in a 4.4km warm up, mostly easy but with a little bit of pace added in.

Given that this was the first time that I was racing over more than about 12.5km I decided to try a different race tactic and run a really well controlled start.  This is opposed to where I let the leaders carry me along at something like 3:40 pace for the first kilometer.  My goal was to be able to have enough in me later in the race to run a negative split.

At the start three faster runners got away pretty quickly.  I got boxed in for a hundred metres or so and then got out to see one runner slightly ahead of me and running the same pace.  That was to be the start of an epic battle and a real learning experience for me.  I ran up to him and passed him as he slowed as I got to him.  I ran the first kilometer in 4:12.  I was checking my pace but it was a bit up and down.  I ran a 4:08 then a 4:18, a 4:12 and another 4:08.  Somewhere in there I was overtaken by the runner I had earlier passed.  He was running a very relaxed, comfortable style.  I let him go as I wanted to stick to the plan.  Given my training form I was confident that I would be a chance to get him towards the end of the race.

I ran the first 8km in 33:25, well under the 35 minutes I needed to get a PB.  The eighth kilometer was run at 4:11 pace.  I was able to lift the pace a little and the next few kilometers were at 4:09, 4:08 and then 4:03.  At this point in the race I was chasing down the other runner again.  The elastic band was getting shorter and shorter.  I was hurting a little - left hamstring felt like it had a real faint cramping and left big toe was sore - but I was running well.  When I ran past I wanted to do it quickly and try and make a quick growing gap.  Just before the end of the fourth lap I put the foot down and ran past at speed, opening up a quick gap.

At that point I was running at 4:05 pace.  I looked up and there was nothing ahead.  I found myself with nothing more to focus on and lost concentration.  When I lose concentration I slow down, and that is what happened.  I dropped to 4:08 pace (average) and let him get back onto my shoulder.  He ran past and I just couldn't get the concentration back.  The next kilometer averaged 4:10 and he ran away from me.

My strava ran a little long and was on 15.86km when I crossed the line in 15:55.58.  (I stopped briefly then ran on to get up the 16.1km - but the stop was also recorded).  I did get the run completed in a negative split though.  I'm still divided over whether my overall time would be better with the negative split or by going hard at the start, but given that I am now setting up for a half marathon it is important to run a controlled race.

I was placed 5th overall and was the first 45 to 49 year old over the line.  I was very happy with this massive PB in my longest race to date.  Bring on the half marathons!