Sunday: rest
Monday: 12 miles (counting Monday as my Sunday as my workouts didn't start til Tuesday, get it?!)
Weekly mileage: 25
I'm slowly but surely feeling like I'm getting back on track. With all the work-madness, my running did suffer a bit, but having gotten that 12-miler under my belt, I'm semi-confident that I can survive the Brighton half. I've also been re-assured that G will drag me across that finish line by my hair, if need be. Charming my husband, absolutely charming!
Although, truth be told, there may well be the need for some dragging. It's this flipping wind, kids, this flipping wind that's gonna be the end of me. Yesterday, I followed mostly the same route for the half, but doing it the other way 'round (so what's gonna come first, I did in the middle and what's gonna be in the middle I did first). Good thing about this is that the uphill-part of the route will come first and the bit with the strong wind in your back will come for the last 4-mile stretch, i.e. a lil' help from mother nature.
Today, I figured I'd scientifically show you just HOW strong that wind here is, using yesterday's mile splits to depict the wind-strength:
Split
|
Time
|
Distance
|
Avg Pace
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | 1:58:56.3 | 11.91 | 9:59 |
| 1 | 9:38.0 | 1.00 | 9:38 |
| 2 | 9:33.6 | 1.00 | 9:34 |
| 3 | 9:26.3 | 1.00 | 9:26 |
| 4 | 9:36.8 | 1.00 | 9:36 |
| 5 | 9:43.0 | 1.00 | 9:43 |
| 6 | 9:54.5 | 1.00 | 9:54 |
| 7 | 10:05.3 | 1.00 | 10:05 |
| 8 | 10:15.7 | 1.00 | 10:16 |
| 9 | 10:21.7 | 1.00 | 10:22 |
| 10 | 10:27.7 | 1.00 | 10:28 |
| 11 | 10:19.5 | 1.00 | 10:20 |
| 12 | 9:34.0 | 0.91 | 10:31 |
That's right! How messed up is that? Admittedly, I wasn't trying to run very hard even for the first six miles, after all, this was meant to be slow and steady, right? My legs were still feeling sore after Friday's Nike Training Club, so I thought easy does it. The good-ish news is that miles 5 and 6 were actually going uphill, so yay for keeping it under 10mm...just!!!
And then look at that wind. I mean I dropped a flippin' minute per mile going back (and at least two miles of those were downhill!!!). And it was blustery, stormy, gale-forcey... I wasn't even that tired from running, I was just tired of getting whipped about for two hours. *SIGH* Will I ever get used to this???
On the plus side, here's something I'll never get enough of:
How was your weekend training? Any good runs? Crappy runs? So-so runs?
How soon is your next race and what distance is it? Less than two weeks to go now until the Brighton half!!!
I refuse to run in wind!! :( It is SO hard for me. i feel you!
ReplyDeleteThat 12 miler tells me you will be moooooooooore than fine for your upcoming half!! :D
It IS hard but I really have no choice 'round here. Seaside living, ey... And thanks. I sure hope so!!!
DeleteGood to see you back on track. Great training run. Running through the wind will make you a stronger runner. Go, Jen:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Alan!!! :D
DeleteI think you should just make the most of the wind and run really dramatically in it - let your hair down and do a Baywatch-style slow-mo. If you could do this across the finish line, in full view of thousands, that'd be even more awesome!
ReplyDeleteI'm on it. Next run, I'm breaking out my inner Pamela!
DeleteThat wind is insane! On the brightside, you'll run negative splits since you'll be so used to pushing in the second half of runs!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll make it across the finish line just fine without any dragging!
My weekend run was good and bad. Good in that I was breathing heavy and working hard but bad in that my pace was not reflective of my efforts AT ALL!
Yessss....negative splits! That's what I should focus on.
DeleteI guess you have to take the good with the bad, I'm sure the next one will be all the better for it.