46.9km / 29.1 mi.
Tapering for race on Sunday.
Monday
Rest (No school today, so tempo run tomorrow)
Tuesday
3:45 - 11.4k w/ 1.7k WU, 4 mile tempo with top girls, 350m easy, 350m hard, 1 mile tempo alone, 1k WD.
4 mile tempo in 7:27/23/20/39. 1mile extra in 7:40. Total 8k in 37:29 @4:41/km
Felt fine.
Weather: 25C/77F, 60%
Weight: 58.2kg
Wednesday
7:30pm. 5,000m time trial but I cruised it, pacing a woman in 22:27
4:20/31/37/37/21 Nice comfortable pace.
Thursday
3:45 - 7.8k with 400m hill x 11 (total up & down) with x-country team. 10', 8', 6' with 2' rest.
Ran very easily with the slower girls.
Weight: 56.9kg
Friday
Rest
Weight: 56.4 !! (124 lbs)
Saturday
Rest
Weight: 56.8
Sunday
10:15 - Watarase Half Marathon
I ran this race basically as a test of my fitness, and…I passed. Time was 1:31:30, just about exactly 4:20 per km pace, which is what I was hoping for.
It was quite hot at 26C/79F, with bright sun about 90% of the time. So I suppose that affected me, but I didn't feel uncomfortable - I handle heat pretty well.
I have run it twice before and like it, despite that fact that A) it’s usually hot, B) they do not have a 60s division and C) the damn 5k split markers are wrong (the last 5k is always too long). (I complained…again…about B and C so we’ll see if they change next year.)
Watarase is in Saitama pref., just north of Tokyo, but I have to take five trains to get there. It’s a pleasant course. Goes around a lake/reservoir 3 times, is flat, and is on a nice wide asphalt path. And it’s a nice size race - not too big, not too small. Meaning, in Japan, about 1,500?
I ran the first 15k at a good, but comfortable pace, usually accompanied by one or more runners. I felt good at that point so picked it up and ran a very good pace the last 6.1k. Unfortunately, I don’t know what it was because my watch showed 45 seconds slower, despite the fact that 15 to 20 was much faster than the previous 5k. I got into a real good rhythm with another guy right next to me, and we caught and passed a lot of people. I then left him with a sustained spurt over the last 1.1k.
I have run it twice before and like it, despite that fact that A) it’s usually hot, B) they do not have a 60s division and C) the damn 5k split markers are wrong (the last 5k is always too long). (I complained…again…about B and C so we’ll see if they change next year.)
Watarase is in Saitama pref., just north of Tokyo, but I have to take five trains to get there. It’s a pleasant course. Goes around a lake/reservoir 3 times, is flat, and is on a nice wide asphalt path. And it’s a nice size race - not too big, not too small. Meaning, in Japan, about 1,500?
I ran the first 15k at a good, but comfortable pace, usually accompanied by one or more runners. I felt good at that point so picked it up and ran a very good pace the last 6.1k. Unfortunately, I don’t know what it was because my watch showed 45 seconds slower, despite the fact that 15 to 20 was much faster than the previous 5k. I got into a real good rhythm with another guy right next to me, and we caught and passed a lot of people. I then left him with a sustained spurt over the last 1.1k.
And I felt good after finishing, which is a nice change from full marathons.
I would estimate my 5k splits at 21:34, 22:15, 22:15, 21:00, but that's just a guess - very annoying!
Anyway, a very good effort, and done on no long runs! Not even any long tempo runs - I had only run 6k at 4:20 pace a few times. So that's very encouraging for the possibility of running a good sub 1:30 half in November. Like 1:26 or thereabouts, hopefully....
I also felt light and strong, so the Kenyan thinness regime seems to be paying dividends.
Weather: 26C/79F
Weight: 57.8kg upon arising, probably about that at the start of the race.
Lots of rest next week. Three years ago I worked too hard in the two weeks after this race and then tore my calf muscle.
good that you ran a controlled, hard race in not ideal conditions. well done
ReplyDeleteYes, be careful with the recovery. Nice time and race. Would have got you 3rd M60 in Sydney (1st was 1:29 and change) - Sydney was cool but it's not flat.
ReplyDeleteWill have to slip you a six-pack to pace me in a 5000 - on my best form this year I'd be good for about 22:30.
'Dieto ashita kara' sang out over the TV constantly back in 2000. After reading your race report I may have to give it some serious consideration. Brilliant week - well done.
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