.... follows DeCastella run
The Burnley half marathon will be my first competitive half marathon. It is a VMA event so I want to run well to get as many points as possible, but I am using it for research and preparation for the Melbourne half marathon in October.
I have run the distance three times in training. The first time, on June 1st I ran the distance much more easily than I had anticipated. I covered 21.3km and ran the half marathon distance in 1:30:04. My second effort was on July 4th. I had planned to run out reasonably easily and push it home, aiming for a negative split. I ran out towards Cape Paterson and I was running very comfortably. Unfortunately a northerly blew up behind me and it was a hard (slow) push all the way back into the wind. I covered the half distance in 1:40:58. The last time that I ran the half marathon distance was on August 17th. Again I aimed for a negative slit and, this time, easily achieved it. I ran 22.1 km and covered the half marathon distance in 1:37:07. This is now my PB.
On Sunday I hope to break that time by quite a bit. My plan is to run the first half at around 4:20 pace. That would mean running the 10km in under 43:30. At 4:20 pace I would run the half in around 1 hour 31 and a bit. I am again hoping to be able to push for a negative split and try to push my time down to near the 1 hour 30 minute mark. That would set up the goal of running the Melbourne half marathon in under 90 minutes.
Monday September 1st
I pulled up ok from the DeCastella run and, given the weather forecast - mild early then cooling down and getting wet - I decided to get up early for a pre-work run. I was a little stiff at 6am when I got up but I stretched and got out on the road. My first kilometer, at 5:40, was my slowest kilometer in a long long time. I got down to the low 5s but wasn't keen on pushing too much as the aim of the run was to help recovery. I got into the high 4s for the final 2 kilometers and completed the 7.2 km run averaging 5:05 pace.
Tuesday September 2nd
With no meeting after school this week I got home with time to put in a longer run. I have meetings scheduled after classes on both the next two nights so I decided to run now and rest then. In the ideal world this would have been a rest day but.....
I decided on my 13 km course. I was thinking of doing a fartlek run but when I got out there felt quite a bit of stiffness so decided to just push through the run. My pace was in the 4:40s for a lot of the time. I pushed a little harder after passing the halfway point and ran the 10th kilometer at 4:39. I then eased off for a kilometer and picked up the pace in the final two, getting my pace down to 4:30 pace. My average speed for the 13.2 km run was 4:45 and I ran for just over an hour.
Wednesday September 3rd
Rest Day. After a bit of solid running my legs were just a bit weary and in need of some recovery time.
Thursday September 4th
Second rest day. Another meeting after work made the decision to have a second day off easier. I think that I will benefit from the extended rest.
Friday September 5th
I thought about making this run a morning run but decided that it looked like it might be a bit cold - and it was - and that I didn't want to come back from a couple of days off in really cold weather.
So I ran after work with the sun low in the sky. I decided on a Fartlek run as I wanted some pace but I wanted to be able to adjust to the way my legs felt. At the start mu left calf felt a bit tight so I did some more stretching and then started again. It was ok for the run but there was a sore spot when I massaged it in the shower after the run.
I ran five fast sections, the first three short and sharp, and I finished off with an extended build up of pace over the final 2 km. Part of the run was up the Bilson Street hill and the pace wasn't breakneck - due to the incline - but it was extended. I also built up the pace and held it for an extended amount of time on the Eastern Rail Trail.
I completed 10km in 45:40 - at 4:34 pace. From there I started to push until the end. I ran the 11th kilometer at 4:18 pace and finished with a 12th kilometer, running at 4:04 pace. It was a great hitout in the end. At the start I felt fatigued from the break but by the end I was running very nicely and the finish was quite solid.
Saturday September 6th
It has been a cold foggy morning but I wanted to get in another run so I ut on the gloves and set out in the fog. I took a long time to warm up but after the 1 km mark I got to the top of a hill and some sunshine.
I decided on an interval run and set out on my 10km course with the view to slightly extending it. I was to run four intervals - two at 8 minutes easy then 2 minutes hard and the other two at 7 & 3. The first kilometer was quite slow as I warmed up but right on 8 minutes I pushed and got up to pace quite quickly. My top pace for the interval was 3:43.
My running was easy between intervals and at 18 minutes I pushed again, hitting my top pace of 3:39 quickly and easing it back from there. My second interval was around the Guide Park bend. I set off well but then slowed before picking up pace again to register a top speed of 3:46. My final interval was up Wentworth Road. Again I started well but I slowed up the hill near the North school and then picked up speed again. My top speed was 3:49, right at the end after turning into Storey Street.
I took it easy back to the end and completed 11 kilometers at an average of 4:35 pace. I plan to back up with a cycle later this morning to finish off my pre-race preparation.
Sunday September 7th - Burnley Half Marathon
A perfect morning dawned for my first competitive half marathon - sunny and not too cold with no wind. We stayed in an apartment in Hawthorn last night - Matt and I went to see North in the footy finals last night - so I jogged the 2km to the Kevin Bartlett Oval for my warm up.
I felt pretty good on the start line, fully recovered from last weeks run. I avoided the front as I didn't want to get in the way of the faster runners. Too bad others didn't do the same. It was a pretty slow start and involved trying to get around slower runners as easily as possible. There were a lot of runners though.
My first few kilometers were quite fast, after getting past the crowd. I was running in the low 4s but was feeling comfortable so just went with the flow. My aim was to run at around 4:20 pace for the first half. I was pacing myself with my watch and was mainly running at around 4:15 pace, give or take a few seconds.
The course was 4 laps of a 5km route along Yarra Boulevard. It does get a little repetitive but I was able to keep my mind on task quite well. The advantage of the laps is that you get to see where other runners are in the field, and get to see the elite runners quite a few times.
I ran the first 10km in a very solid 41:53, well under a minute below my goal time. I gave a bit of a push after the 10km mark, slowed a little later in the lap and pushed again at the 15km mark. I again slowed later in the lap and gave one final push after the 20km mark. 21st kilometer was run a a very impressive 4:05 pace. My final 10km was run in 42:32, not quite a negative split but a nice consistent race.
My 5km splits were 20:46, 21:11, 21:24 and 21:22. I was really happy with the consistency of my run. I pulled up generally ok. Like last Sunday the ball of my right foot is a little sore and my left knee (my good one) was a little bit swollen after the run. It has felt a little bit tight for the past week or so.
I created an 8 minute PB for the half marathon and a 6 minute - or so - PB for my 20km. This run was my second fastest 10 mile run and my third fastest 15 km run. It was also well up there for my 10km times. Now I have a real goal to achieve in the Melbourne half marathon in five weeks time.
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