04Mar2018 - longest run so far
04th March 2018
In: Running 2018
Today my plan had 11 miles @ 10:30mm. After last week's run, considered a fiasco (by me) at the end, I was apprehensive. But Alex said she'd run with me and that immediately helped. It meant I didn't have to worry about leading or keeping up with people who don't understand (because I don't let them) that this is new and I've not got marathon training in my legs. We would also run with Nicky. I don't mind running with Nicky, she talks a lot and doesn't mind if I don't respond. She is much faster than me though and last week kept a constant pace for the whole 10 miles whilst I slowed for the last few. I don't want to slow her down but she does not seem to mind speeding off and waiting for me down the road. So a small group of 3 and we would run for my training.
The run started well, I ran one mile @11:08 as a warm up from home to Long Hill carpark and met the others. We then ran 5 miles at sub 10:30mm and it felt good. I can do that pace for 6 miles. I was happy running behind Alex and Nicky listening to them talk and contributing when asked something. I had some raisins at about 5 and a half miles to try to keep my blood sugar up to promote positive thinking. I found I can eat ok when I'm comfortable but later in the run it is hard. The second half of mile 7 and part of mile 8 was up hill alongside the racecourse. I find this really hard mentally because it is such a long way for my pace to drop. Alex kept telling me not to worry about my pace when going up hill and I was running at the fastest pace I could, it just didn't seem very fast. My heart rate only went up to 166 I just struggle with my legs up hill and know I will get better the more I do them.
At the top of the London Road and the start of the downhill, it obviously got easier but by this time the damage was done and I didn't have much left. I usually like going downhill, and my pace did pick up - I think to close to 8:30mm for a bit, but I was still way behind. The London Road was ok, I was behind but was going as fast as I could. I just felt drained. In my legs. In my head. At around 8 miles Alex asked if I'd had any raisins and Nicky vouched for the fact that I had. I should have had some more here but I felt so low I knew swallowing would be hard and I didn't want to get in a pickle. I need to practice eating at this point because it is when I am so low on mental strength that I really need the blood sugar. But when I'm that low all I can think is "what's the point?" "it's too late" - nothing sensible or positive. So I continued, following Alex and Nicky up another hill in mile 9, where my pace dropped to 11:26mm. I was completely done in but still had 2 more miles to go. Knowing how far off 10:30mm I was now didn't help, but I tried to keep positive and think that I was definitely doing better than last week where I'd felt more negative earlier. I credited the 6 or 8 raisins for this and thanked them. At mile 9 they stopped and let me catch up, and asked if I was ok. I wasn't but couldn't really talk and just wanted to get it over. Alex gave me a hug, told me I was doing great and there wasn't far to go now. After another half mile up another hill, Alex and Nicky left me to run the final 1.5 miles home on my own, with the instruction to finish to mile 10 as fast as I could, and then slow for mile 11. It was only a mile to home and I didn't want to run past home and not be able to go in, so I did some loops to get back and ran along the railway and then the forest. Bog lane was a killer and I just wanted to stop and have a nap, but I was determined to get back so that my time didn't look too bad on Strava. I then passed Alex Milne looking in a far worse state than me, and only had a few hundred yards to go. Finally, I reached 11.1 miles, stopped my watch and tried to open the door. I couldn't use the key and had to ring the bell. I then collapsed on the sofa and had an electrolyte drink brought to me, and a coffee. I was very relieved to have finished and despite the negative thoughts for the last few miles, I felt positive. As a result I had a productive day and was a nice person to be around.
Mile splits and route
The run started well, I ran one mile @11:08 as a warm up from home to Long Hill carpark and met the others. We then ran 5 miles at sub 10:30mm and it felt good. I can do that pace for 6 miles. I was happy running behind Alex and Nicky listening to them talk and contributing when asked something. I had some raisins at about 5 and a half miles to try to keep my blood sugar up to promote positive thinking. I found I can eat ok when I'm comfortable but later in the run it is hard. The second half of mile 7 and part of mile 8 was up hill alongside the racecourse. I find this really hard mentally because it is such a long way for my pace to drop. Alex kept telling me not to worry about my pace when going up hill and I was running at the fastest pace I could, it just didn't seem very fast. My heart rate only went up to 166 I just struggle with my legs up hill and know I will get better the more I do them.
At the top of the London Road and the start of the downhill, it obviously got easier but by this time the damage was done and I didn't have much left. I usually like going downhill, and my pace did pick up - I think to close to 8:30mm for a bit, but I was still way behind. The London Road was ok, I was behind but was going as fast as I could. I just felt drained. In my legs. In my head. At around 8 miles Alex asked if I'd had any raisins and Nicky vouched for the fact that I had. I should have had some more here but I felt so low I knew swallowing would be hard and I didn't want to get in a pickle. I need to practice eating at this point because it is when I am so low on mental strength that I really need the blood sugar. But when I'm that low all I can think is "what's the point?" "it's too late" - nothing sensible or positive. So I continued, following Alex and Nicky up another hill in mile 9, where my pace dropped to 11:26mm. I was completely done in but still had 2 more miles to go. Knowing how far off 10:30mm I was now didn't help, but I tried to keep positive and think that I was definitely doing better than last week where I'd felt more negative earlier. I credited the 6 or 8 raisins for this and thanked them. At mile 9 they stopped and let me catch up, and asked if I was ok. I wasn't but couldn't really talk and just wanted to get it over. Alex gave me a hug, told me I was doing great and there wasn't far to go now. After another half mile up another hill, Alex and Nicky left me to run the final 1.5 miles home on my own, with the instruction to finish to mile 10 as fast as I could, and then slow for mile 11. It was only a mile to home and I didn't want to run past home and not be able to go in, so I did some loops to get back and ran along the railway and then the forest. Bog lane was a killer and I just wanted to stop and have a nap, but I was determined to get back so that my time didn't look too bad on Strava. I then passed Alex Milne looking in a far worse state than me, and only had a few hundred yards to go. Finally, I reached 11.1 miles, stopped my watch and tried to open the door. I couldn't use the key and had to ring the bell. I then collapsed on the sofa and had an electrolyte drink brought to me, and a coffee. I was very relieved to have finished and despite the negative thoughts for the last few miles, I felt positive. As a result I had a productive day and was a nice person to be around.
Mile splits and route