Again I raced with a target in mind, and again I missed my target. This time though I was not disappointed as I had a great race.
The target was 20:00, one of my aims for 2007, which I'm sure I'll get as soon as I get the marathon out of my legs. I finished in 21:04 which I'm reasonably happy with given the conditions.
It was very windy! It was blowing a force 7, by my reckoning - not quite a gale but pretty hard to run into. We had much of the last 3km into the wind and it cost a lot of time.
My enjoyment of the race was saved though by my battle with Tina. I overtook Tina at the start, then she overtook me at 1km and I took her back shortly afterwards as we ran shoulder to shoulder round the Lido. She then took me at 3km as we struggled with the wind and she held the lead until the final run in. Helped by a couple of faster guys providing pacing targets I managed to get back to about 10m behind her as we weaved around the paths in the park. As we entered the final straight I still didn't think I was going to be able to catch her, but somehow I found an extra gear and pulled back 10m in a sprint for the line. I finished just ahead of Tina and turned what could have been another moan about weather conditions robbing me of a time, into a rewarding true run race.
Thank you Tina! I love this sort of racing and don't get too many chances to have such a close battle. I finished 2nd W45 which is far more important than the time as this is a 3-race series. I hope the rest of the series is as good as this one!
The splits:
3:54 147bpm wind behind
4:06 156bpm mostly behind, some buffeting
4:20 159bpm mostly in front
4:28 159bpm headwind all the way
4:11 158bpm some headwind
I think I paced reasonably well, but maybe I did fade a little in the last km as my HR dropped slightly.
I look forward to the next round in July where I will hopefully have a fresh, marathon-recovered, pair of legs and a proper crack at that 20-minute barrier (in windless conditions?)
We may have had a good team score as Gina finished ahead of me in 20:24ish (I think) and Sacha coming in behind me. We had at least 4 men running: Neil, Graham, Toby and Bob. Sorry if I didn't spot anyone else. Thanks to Marilyn and Kevin for their support.
The men's race was won by James Baker, with Sophie Morris of Windsor Slough and Eton winning the women's race with a time quite close to Lucy Elliott's course record - pretty good in such windy conditions.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Monday, May 07, 2007
Heart Rate Kinetics
I had an epiphany recently. It wasn't exactly a road to Damascus moment, but for someone obsessed with all things heart rate, it was another step towards my cardiac enlightenment.
For years I've recorded heart rates of each run, and plotted curves looking for trends and signs of improving performance. I'd always tended to ignore the first mile though, as it takes time for the heart rate to stabilise and provide any data that could be interpreted meaningfully.
Then the other day I read an article on VO2 kinetics, which indicated that maybe that first mile's data may not be so meaningless after all.
I've always understood heart rate to be a good indication of oxygen demand and lactate levels. While heart rate monitors are good for this in aerobic exercise, eg marathon pacing, there are times when they are not so useful, namely high level exercise and short duration events (intervals) where the HR hasn't stabilised.
To see how the HR ramps up at the start of the effort, here's my heart rate plot of the first kilometre of the Eastleigh 10k:
In this plot you can see the HR curve increasing exponentially up to a value of 146bpm by the end of the first km. As there isn't a stable HR level to pace off, I'd always assumed the initial data was best ignored.
However, a Peak Performance article reveals that this data may be useful after all.
The thing I'd never quite understood is that if HR indicates oxygen demand, then why is the oxygen demand apparently less during the opening minutes? Surely if you are running aerobically at an even effort then oxygen demand should be constant? I'd assumed that HR wasn't a reliable indicator of oxygen demand until after a few minutes when you'd warmed up.
The revelation came seeing a VO2 plot in the pages of Peak Performance of the initial minutes of high intensity exercise. This was a plot of the actual oxygen consumption, measured using a face mask and oxygen analyser, rather than a heart rate plot. The thing was though that it looked the same as the above. Oxygen demand increased exponentially just as HR did. Heart rate wasn't such a bad indicator of oxygen demand after all.
So if the effort is constant, but oxygen demand isn't, what's going on?
It takes a while for the muscles to 'warm up' and for the mitochondria to all come on line and process the much needed oxygen. This means that for the first few minutes of exercise there is an oxygen debt. In the absence of an adequate oxygen supply the muscles are forced to produce energy anaerobically, and this means:
Lactate!
Ah, music to my ears!
Clearly then, the faster the muscles get up to their maximum oxygen uptake the better, as there will be a smaller oxygen debt and less lactate build up. Any build up of lactate early on will have a major impact on subsequent performance as the muscle's efficiency is reduced. The smaller the oxygen debt the better.
This whole process of oxygen uptake is known as 'VO2 kinetics'.
So how do we maximise our VO2 kinetics? The most effective way is a good warmup. Allow me to demonstrate.
Here is a HR plot of a treadmill session I did on Saturday. The blue line shows 4 minutes of effort at 14.5kph. It was a little dodgy going straight to 10k pace without a warmup so I did at least do some mobility exercises. I was careful to keep my HR down though so that I was performing from cold. After the first effort I had 5 minutes of standing recovery to get my HR down quickly. The green plot shows a second 14.5kph effort of 4 minutes following the 5 minute recovery. The first effort had thus acted as a warmup. The red dotted curve I'll explain later.
A word of caution: these are HR plots not VO2 plots. HR will give a fair indication of oxygen uptake as the greater the demand for oxygen the faster the heart has to beat, but HR and VO2 are not the same - heat can affect HR as blood is pumped to the skin for cooling and causing a restricted oxygen supply to the muscles. Here though, with short efforts and a full recovery, it is likely that both efforts are being done in similar conditions with similar oxygen transport.
Having said that, clearly the green plot shows a faster increase in HR. The slope of the 2 curves is initially similar, with a small lag on the blue curve, but then there is something of a blip on the blue curve and the gap between the 2 increases somewhat. It is a fair bet that the oxygen debt for the second curve is less than the first. Personally, the second effort felt a lot more comfortable. I've noticed this effect too when running fast intervals - it takes 2 or 3 efforts before my legs feel comfortable, despite them all being the same pace.
The dotted red line in the above plot is a mathematical plot - an exponential curve with a time constant of 25s. What this means is that every 25s the gap between the current HR value and the value it is tending towards, 147bpm in this case, is halved. My time constant is thus about 25s.
Clearly the smaller one's time constant the better. The PP article made it clear that a good warmup will influence this, but also that endurance training can improve the time constant. Current research does not show what sort of training might have the best influence though.
I was intrigued to learn that the person with the fastest measured VO2 kinetics is Paula Radcliffe with a time constant of 8-9s. Whether this is down to training or genetics is unknown. Maybe I should try 140-mile weeks and test again.
Of course my time constant is measuring HR kinetics and not necessarily VO2 kinetics - they may not be the same, though I can assure you I don't have a VO2 time constant of 9s!
So what more can I learn from this data? It appears that we have a way of quantifying the effects of a warmup. I wouldn't call 4mins of 10k pace followed by 5mins standing, the best warmup. What I want to do is repeat this test with my usual warmup of 10mins jogging followed by some 30s sprints picking up the pace. In order to influence the oxygen uptake one has to warmup around threshold pace or faster in order to generate a bit of lactate. It's important to have a bit of recovery before the race (or test) though, as otherwise the warmup might impact the performance. I think my standard warmup fits the bill, so it will be interesting to see how it affects the test.
Can I improve the effectiveness of my warmup? With the track season coming up, I hope I can. Watch this space for details.
Reference: Peak Performance Number 245: Oxygen kinetics - start smart for a mean finish!
For years I've recorded heart rates of each run, and plotted curves looking for trends and signs of improving performance. I'd always tended to ignore the first mile though, as it takes time for the heart rate to stabilise and provide any data that could be interpreted meaningfully.
Then the other day I read an article on VO2 kinetics, which indicated that maybe that first mile's data may not be so meaningless after all.
I've always understood heart rate to be a good indication of oxygen demand and lactate levels. While heart rate monitors are good for this in aerobic exercise, eg marathon pacing, there are times when they are not so useful, namely high level exercise and short duration events (intervals) where the HR hasn't stabilised.
To see how the HR ramps up at the start of the effort, here's my heart rate plot of the first kilometre of the Eastleigh 10k:
In this plot you can see the HR curve increasing exponentially up to a value of 146bpm by the end of the first km. As there isn't a stable HR level to pace off, I'd always assumed the initial data was best ignored.
However, a Peak Performance article reveals that this data may be useful after all.
The thing I'd never quite understood is that if HR indicates oxygen demand, then why is the oxygen demand apparently less during the opening minutes? Surely if you are running aerobically at an even effort then oxygen demand should be constant? I'd assumed that HR wasn't a reliable indicator of oxygen demand until after a few minutes when you'd warmed up.
The revelation came seeing a VO2 plot in the pages of Peak Performance of the initial minutes of high intensity exercise. This was a plot of the actual oxygen consumption, measured using a face mask and oxygen analyser, rather than a heart rate plot. The thing was though that it looked the same as the above. Oxygen demand increased exponentially just as HR did. Heart rate wasn't such a bad indicator of oxygen demand after all.
So if the effort is constant, but oxygen demand isn't, what's going on?
It takes a while for the muscles to 'warm up' and for the mitochondria to all come on line and process the much needed oxygen. This means that for the first few minutes of exercise there is an oxygen debt. In the absence of an adequate oxygen supply the muscles are forced to produce energy anaerobically, and this means:
Lactate!
Ah, music to my ears!
Clearly then, the faster the muscles get up to their maximum oxygen uptake the better, as there will be a smaller oxygen debt and less lactate build up. Any build up of lactate early on will have a major impact on subsequent performance as the muscle's efficiency is reduced. The smaller the oxygen debt the better.
This whole process of oxygen uptake is known as 'VO2 kinetics'.
So how do we maximise our VO2 kinetics? The most effective way is a good warmup. Allow me to demonstrate.
Here is a HR plot of a treadmill session I did on Saturday. The blue line shows 4 minutes of effort at 14.5kph. It was a little dodgy going straight to 10k pace without a warmup so I did at least do some mobility exercises. I was careful to keep my HR down though so that I was performing from cold. After the first effort I had 5 minutes of standing recovery to get my HR down quickly. The green plot shows a second 14.5kph effort of 4 minutes following the 5 minute recovery. The first effort had thus acted as a warmup. The red dotted curve I'll explain later.
A word of caution: these are HR plots not VO2 plots. HR will give a fair indication of oxygen uptake as the greater the demand for oxygen the faster the heart has to beat, but HR and VO2 are not the same - heat can affect HR as blood is pumped to the skin for cooling and causing a restricted oxygen supply to the muscles. Here though, with short efforts and a full recovery, it is likely that both efforts are being done in similar conditions with similar oxygen transport.
Having said that, clearly the green plot shows a faster increase in HR. The slope of the 2 curves is initially similar, with a small lag on the blue curve, but then there is something of a blip on the blue curve and the gap between the 2 increases somewhat. It is a fair bet that the oxygen debt for the second curve is less than the first. Personally, the second effort felt a lot more comfortable. I've noticed this effect too when running fast intervals - it takes 2 or 3 efforts before my legs feel comfortable, despite them all being the same pace.
The dotted red line in the above plot is a mathematical plot - an exponential curve with a time constant of 25s. What this means is that every 25s the gap between the current HR value and the value it is tending towards, 147bpm in this case, is halved. My time constant is thus about 25s.
Clearly the smaller one's time constant the better. The PP article made it clear that a good warmup will influence this, but also that endurance training can improve the time constant. Current research does not show what sort of training might have the best influence though.
I was intrigued to learn that the person with the fastest measured VO2 kinetics is Paula Radcliffe with a time constant of 8-9s. Whether this is down to training or genetics is unknown. Maybe I should try 140-mile weeks and test again.
Of course my time constant is measuring HR kinetics and not necessarily VO2 kinetics - they may not be the same, though I can assure you I don't have a VO2 time constant of 9s!
So what more can I learn from this data? It appears that we have a way of quantifying the effects of a warmup. I wouldn't call 4mins of 10k pace followed by 5mins standing, the best warmup. What I want to do is repeat this test with my usual warmup of 10mins jogging followed by some 30s sprints picking up the pace. In order to influence the oxygen uptake one has to warmup around threshold pace or faster in order to generate a bit of lactate. It's important to have a bit of recovery before the race (or test) though, as otherwise the warmup might impact the performance. I think my standard warmup fits the bill, so it will be interesting to see how it affects the test.
Can I improve the effectiveness of my warmup? With the track season coming up, I hope I can. Watch this space for details.
Reference: Peak Performance Number 245: Oxygen kinetics - start smart for a mean finish!
Monday, April 30, 2007
London Marathon: Technical report
First up, here are the splits compared with my 'perfect marathon' at Abingdon.
The main factor to consider when looking at the above results is the heat. It was anything from 23°C to 27°C according to which report you believe. The heat pushes your heart rate up as blood is diverted from the muscles to the skin for cooling and makes the heart work faster to get oxygen to the muscles. Unfortunately you can't simply run at a higher HR because the restricted blood supply makes the muscles less efficient and lactate levels rise. Your only option is to slow down back to your usual HR level. This year's marathon was full of stories of people who tried to run at their normal pace and then had to slow dramatically when they lost the battle with their blood chemistry.
Apart from the effects of the heat slowing my overall pace, what disappointed me at London was the fact that I slowed quite significantly in the final miles, despite running cautiously, whereas at Abingdon I was strong to the tape. At Abingdon I only lost 90secs in the last half, whereas at London I lost 4 minutes. At London I couldn't keep pushing my HR up like I did at Abingdon, although my pace wasn't as slow as the difference in HR between the two races might suggest. Incidentally, the slow 25th mile in both races are in fact due to displaced mile markers rather than my pace, which was still around 8:00/mile according to my GPS.
I was telling everyone that I went off at too high a HR and paid for it at the end. To some extent this is true, as I was trying to maintain a 7:25/mile pace in the face of a raised HR, but in fact the HR splits for the opening miles compare favourably with Abingdon where my pacing was spot on.
Was it the heat causing dehydration and loss of performance in the closing stages? Maybe.
Was it the late start to the training and the loss of January to illness and lack of 20-milers causing a lack of endurance? Maybe.
Could it be that in the heat you have to be conservative and go off at an even lower HR to avoid overheating later? Maybe.
Could it be a lack of warmup which caused an early rise of lactate which caused problems later on? (I've been reading about VO2 kinetics and the importance of a proper warmup). Maybe.
Was my lactate threshold lower due to lack of marathon pace training runs or tempo runs, and so not able to tolerate such a high HR? Maybe.
Questions aside, I ran a sensible race. I took a sip of water every mile and sloshed the rest over me. I took a gel (SiS Go gel) every 4 miles. I felt spent at the end but not unduly distressed, just a little dehydrated maybe. I just seemed to lack strength in the last 3 miles.
I'm not going to obsess about my 'failure', which of course in many people's eyes is a resounding success. It always pays though to look at your performance and analyse what went wrong and what you need to do better. Regardless of how I ran the race, the main reason for being a lot slower than anticipated was the sudden heat, for which I was unprepared.
So what would I have done differently? Not much really. I could have taken it easier after Abingdon and avoided injury, but I doubt I could have avoided the illness. Maybe running Ryde 10 after a week in bed wasn't such a good idea though - it probably extended the illness. The injury and illness combined to restrict the time I had for the build up - this would seem to be the main problem apart from the heat.
I'll now work towards an autumn marathon to go for 3:15 again. As I felt before London I was already on 3:15 form in cool conditions, given another 6 months of injury free consistent training I should be able to get 3:15 comfortably. I hope so!
It's been 2 weeks since the marathon and my recover is going well, in that my legs feel OK. I have been rather tired since the marathon though - more so than for previous marathons I think. I've been getting at least 8 hours sleep per night, but by mid afternoon I'm falling asleep at my desk, and then falling asleep in front of the tele. Is this psychological, ie a lack of focus after the marathon, or physical? A bit of both I think.
I have a 5k race on Wednesday, so a chance to gauge my physical recovery. I think I should do well, although maybe not at my absolute best. Then it's back into full training for that 3:15!
| London | Abingdon | |||
| 1 | 07:43 | 135bpm | 07:59 | no hr |
| 2 | 07:27 | 144bpm | 07:27 | 144bpm |
| 3 | 07:06 | 146 | 07:36 | 146 |
| 4 | 07:23 | 147 | 07:53 | 148 |
| 5 | 07:24 | 147 | 07:22 | 146 |
| 6 | 07:45 | 147 | 07:48 | 146 |
| 7 | 07:39 | 145 | 07:32 | 145 |
| 8 | 07:32 | 146 | 08:36 | 145 |
| 9 | 07:40 | 146 | 07:30 | 144 |
| 10 | 07:37 | 146 | 07:38 | 146 |
| 11 | 07:38 | 144 | 07:44 | 146 |
| 12 | 07:37 | 145 | 07:39 | 146 |
| 13 | 07:39 | 145 | 07:38 | 146 |
| 14 | 07:37 | 145 | 07:40 | 147 |
| 15 | 07:37 | 145 | 08:02 | 149 |
| 16 | 07:37 | 145 | 07:48 | 148 |
| 17 | 07:46 | 145 | 07:32 | 151 |
| 18 | 07:34 | 146 | 07:55 | 151 |
| 19 | 08:02 | 146 | 07:58 | 152 |
| 20 | 07:53 | 144 | 07:53 | 154 |
| 21 | 07:57 | 145 | 07:48 | 153 |
| 22 | 07:56 | 144 | 07:50 | 155 |
| 23 | 08:00 | 145 | 07:47 | 154 |
| 24 | 07:43 | 145 | 07:53 | 154 |
| 25 | 08:30 | 144 | 08:24 | 156 |
| 26.2 | 09:54 | 146 | 07:25 | 158 |
| 01:38 | 160 | |||
| 10 km | 0:46:27 |
| 20 km | 1:34:00 |
| half | 1:39:07 |
| 30 km | 2:21:38 |
| 40 km | 3:11:21 |
| finish | 3:22:22 |
The main factor to consider when looking at the above results is the heat. It was anything from 23°C to 27°C according to which report you believe. The heat pushes your heart rate up as blood is diverted from the muscles to the skin for cooling and makes the heart work faster to get oxygen to the muscles. Unfortunately you can't simply run at a higher HR because the restricted blood supply makes the muscles less efficient and lactate levels rise. Your only option is to slow down back to your usual HR level. This year's marathon was full of stories of people who tried to run at their normal pace and then had to slow dramatically when they lost the battle with their blood chemistry.
Apart from the effects of the heat slowing my overall pace, what disappointed me at London was the fact that I slowed quite significantly in the final miles, despite running cautiously, whereas at Abingdon I was strong to the tape. At Abingdon I only lost 90secs in the last half, whereas at London I lost 4 minutes. At London I couldn't keep pushing my HR up like I did at Abingdon, although my pace wasn't as slow as the difference in HR between the two races might suggest. Incidentally, the slow 25th mile in both races are in fact due to displaced mile markers rather than my pace, which was still around 8:00/mile according to my GPS.
I was telling everyone that I went off at too high a HR and paid for it at the end. To some extent this is true, as I was trying to maintain a 7:25/mile pace in the face of a raised HR, but in fact the HR splits for the opening miles compare favourably with Abingdon where my pacing was spot on.
Was it the heat causing dehydration and loss of performance in the closing stages? Maybe.
Was it the late start to the training and the loss of January to illness and lack of 20-milers causing a lack of endurance? Maybe.
Could it be that in the heat you have to be conservative and go off at an even lower HR to avoid overheating later? Maybe.
Could it be a lack of warmup which caused an early rise of lactate which caused problems later on? (I've been reading about VO2 kinetics and the importance of a proper warmup). Maybe.
Was my lactate threshold lower due to lack of marathon pace training runs or tempo runs, and so not able to tolerate such a high HR? Maybe.
Questions aside, I ran a sensible race. I took a sip of water every mile and sloshed the rest over me. I took a gel (SiS Go gel) every 4 miles. I felt spent at the end but not unduly distressed, just a little dehydrated maybe. I just seemed to lack strength in the last 3 miles.
I'm not going to obsess about my 'failure', which of course in many people's eyes is a resounding success. It always pays though to look at your performance and analyse what went wrong and what you need to do better. Regardless of how I ran the race, the main reason for being a lot slower than anticipated was the sudden heat, for which I was unprepared.
So what would I have done differently? Not much really. I could have taken it easier after Abingdon and avoided injury, but I doubt I could have avoided the illness. Maybe running Ryde 10 after a week in bed wasn't such a good idea though - it probably extended the illness. The injury and illness combined to restrict the time I had for the build up - this would seem to be the main problem apart from the heat.
I'll now work towards an autumn marathon to go for 3:15 again. As I felt before London I was already on 3:15 form in cool conditions, given another 6 months of injury free consistent training I should be able to get 3:15 comfortably. I hope so!
It's been 2 weeks since the marathon and my recover is going well, in that my legs feel OK. I have been rather tired since the marathon though - more so than for previous marathons I think. I've been getting at least 8 hours sleep per night, but by mid afternoon I'm falling asleep at my desk, and then falling asleep in front of the tele. Is this psychological, ie a lack of focus after the marathon, or physical? A bit of both I think.
I have a 5k race on Wednesday, so a chance to gauge my physical recovery. I think I should do well, although maybe not at my absolute best. Then it's back into full training for that 3:15!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
This isn't me
My legs feel great, and I'm running tonight.
I thought you might enjoy this though:
Keep watching to the end!
I thought you might enjoy this though:
Keep watching to the end!
Monday, April 23, 2007
The Flora London Marathon
How do I write this without sounding disappointed with a new PB and club record?
3:22:22
Yet again I miss the 3:15 target, but this time the problem wasn't so much me. It was hot. Very hot!
It was lovely weather for the spectators though. I hope they didn't get too badly sunburnt. For once, I managed to spot a load of my supporters - I think that's the first time I've managed to spot anyone at all. Thanks to: Karen, Rory, Lars, Sara, Steve, Catherine, Rob, Ian, Carol, Pete. Did I miss anyone? Thanks folks - you really helped.
The target was 3:15 or 7:25/mile and in cooler weather the plan would have been to run 7:15/mile - something my training, and the much cooler Worthing 20 indicated I could do. From the outset though I realised how much the warm weather was affecting my pace. It was warm from the gun and I saw my pace dropping away after only a few miles, as I tried to keep my heart rate down. I think it's worth me explaining heart rate and running in the heat in a later posting, but you simply run at the same heart rate as you would in cool conditions. A heart rate monitor is a useful tool in the heat.
I may have been hot, but I had a much easier time than a friend of mine, whom I met a short distance in. I grabbed the hand of Tony The Tiger as I passed him - I wasn't sure how much he could see or hear - he was wearing the full, and heavy, Leicester Tigers mascot costume. He was raising money for Matt Hampson - a rugby player for Leicester Tigers who was paralysed in a scrum. Tony is a very quick (sub-3) marathon runner but he was going to have a tough run today. He eventually finished in 4:22 - far tougher than he'd ever imagined. Well done Tony.
By 8 miles I'd resigned myself to a 3:20 target: any faster and I'd risk blowing up big-style. It was at this point that I met Gordon Ramsay and enquired how he was doing. He said he'd be happy with 4:00 hours. I explained we'd been running at 3:20 pace and wished him luck. I was a lot faster than him at this point so he'd clearly gone off way too fast. He finished in 4:20 - oops!
At each water station I grabbed a bottle, took a gulp, and then doused myself with the remainder. It helped, and with occasional shade there were glimmers of hope that my pace might improve, but it was still getting hotter and hotter. I only ever took one bottle at each station. I gather some must have been taking 2 bottles though as, despite Dave Bedford's bullish claims that "there's more chance of drowning out there than running out of water", some stations did indeed run out of water for the tail-enders. Lynne, who took over 6 hours (hats off to you Lynne!) resorted to picking up discarded bottles off the road - not good.
I passed half way in 1:39:07, feeling OK but knowing that 3:15 was impossible and that I had a tough run ahead.
It was nice to see the elite men come past on the other side of the road. I spotted Martin Lel (the eventual winner) and Felix Limo (last year's winner) and there was Paul Tergat! I'd finally seen one of running's greats in the flesh. Where was 'The Greatest' though? Where was Haile Gebrselassie? I later found out he'd withdrawn with stitch affecting his breathing. It's a tough game this marathon running.
We got some relief from the heat as we passed through Canary Wharf - we even got a breeze which felt lovely, particularly when doused with water. What a contrast as we emerged from the shade back into the intense sunlight though. I could feel the heat reflecting up off the tarmac and my face was glowing, almost throbbing. How much further?
I passed Karen's friend Jane whom I'd met at the start. She too had been going for 3:15, but unlike me had stuck with her game plan. She was starting to suffer big style with the fast early pace. I would complete the remaining miles nearly a minute/mile faster than her!
I was now working out worst case scenarios in my head as we passed each mile marker - what would my finish time be if I can only manage 8:00/mile from here? I realised I'd missed 3:20, but was still hopeful of being well inside my 3:24 PB.
As we passed the Tower of London I got a boost with the familiar site of a Victory AC vest. As I approached I recognised Paul. As we neared Blackfriars I said hello and woke him up - I think his concentration was waning a bit. He took off into the distance. I thought he might have done me a favour as I now had a target to run me in, but I couldn't quite keep up with him. I kept him in sight along the embankment, but by Big Ben I'd lost him.
I gritted my teeth and gave what I had left up Birdcage Walk and into the world's best marathon finish area. Smile for the camera, job done.
I remembered Geoff Wightman's comments on last week's Boston Marathon and the torrential gale-force headwinds: it's bad but at least it's biblically bad, so we have something to talk about afterwards. I don't think the heat was quite biblically hot, but I'd set a PB and new club record in the hottest London Marathon ever. That's something I suppose!
Well done all the Victory people! Commiserations to Neil for a personal worst and a visit to the medical tent for dehydration. Congrats to James for a sub-3 PB - impressive stuff. Congrats too for PBs to Graham and Bob. Congrats for maiden finishes to Lesley, Alan and Paul (if you ignore his 2 Ironman marathons!!). Congrats to Paul B, Alex, Nick and Richard for simply finishing. Well done team.
3:22:22
Yet again I miss the 3:15 target, but this time the problem wasn't so much me. It was hot. Very hot!
It was lovely weather for the spectators though. I hope they didn't get too badly sunburnt. For once, I managed to spot a load of my supporters - I think that's the first time I've managed to spot anyone at all. Thanks to: Karen, Rory, Lars, Sara, Steve, Catherine, Rob, Ian, Carol, Pete. Did I miss anyone? Thanks folks - you really helped.
The target was 3:15 or 7:25/mile and in cooler weather the plan would have been to run 7:15/mile - something my training, and the much cooler Worthing 20 indicated I could do. From the outset though I realised how much the warm weather was affecting my pace. It was warm from the gun and I saw my pace dropping away after only a few miles, as I tried to keep my heart rate down. I think it's worth me explaining heart rate and running in the heat in a later posting, but you simply run at the same heart rate as you would in cool conditions. A heart rate monitor is a useful tool in the heat.
I may have been hot, but I had a much easier time than a friend of mine, whom I met a short distance in. I grabbed the hand of Tony The Tiger as I passed him - I wasn't sure how much he could see or hear - he was wearing the full, and heavy, Leicester Tigers mascot costume. He was raising money for Matt Hampson - a rugby player for Leicester Tigers who was paralysed in a scrum. Tony is a very quick (sub-3) marathon runner but he was going to have a tough run today. He eventually finished in 4:22 - far tougher than he'd ever imagined. Well done Tony.
By 8 miles I'd resigned myself to a 3:20 target: any faster and I'd risk blowing up big-style. It was at this point that I met Gordon Ramsay and enquired how he was doing. He said he'd be happy with 4:00 hours. I explained we'd been running at 3:20 pace and wished him luck. I was a lot faster than him at this point so he'd clearly gone off way too fast. He finished in 4:20 - oops!
At each water station I grabbed a bottle, took a gulp, and then doused myself with the remainder. It helped, and with occasional shade there were glimmers of hope that my pace might improve, but it was still getting hotter and hotter. I only ever took one bottle at each station. I gather some must have been taking 2 bottles though as, despite Dave Bedford's bullish claims that "there's more chance of drowning out there than running out of water", some stations did indeed run out of water for the tail-enders. Lynne, who took over 6 hours (hats off to you Lynne!) resorted to picking up discarded bottles off the road - not good.
I passed half way in 1:39:07, feeling OK but knowing that 3:15 was impossible and that I had a tough run ahead.
It was nice to see the elite men come past on the other side of the road. I spotted Martin Lel (the eventual winner) and Felix Limo (last year's winner) and there was Paul Tergat! I'd finally seen one of running's greats in the flesh. Where was 'The Greatest' though? Where was Haile Gebrselassie? I later found out he'd withdrawn with stitch affecting his breathing. It's a tough game this marathon running.
We got some relief from the heat as we passed through Canary Wharf - we even got a breeze which felt lovely, particularly when doused with water. What a contrast as we emerged from the shade back into the intense sunlight though. I could feel the heat reflecting up off the tarmac and my face was glowing, almost throbbing. How much further?
I passed Karen's friend Jane whom I'd met at the start. She too had been going for 3:15, but unlike me had stuck with her game plan. She was starting to suffer big style with the fast early pace. I would complete the remaining miles nearly a minute/mile faster than her!
I was now working out worst case scenarios in my head as we passed each mile marker - what would my finish time be if I can only manage 8:00/mile from here? I realised I'd missed 3:20, but was still hopeful of being well inside my 3:24 PB.
As we passed the Tower of London I got a boost with the familiar site of a Victory AC vest. As I approached I recognised Paul. As we neared Blackfriars I said hello and woke him up - I think his concentration was waning a bit. He took off into the distance. I thought he might have done me a favour as I now had a target to run me in, but I couldn't quite keep up with him. I kept him in sight along the embankment, but by Big Ben I'd lost him.
I gritted my teeth and gave what I had left up Birdcage Walk and into the world's best marathon finish area. Smile for the camera, job done.
I remembered Geoff Wightman's comments on last week's Boston Marathon and the torrential gale-force headwinds: it's bad but at least it's biblically bad, so we have something to talk about afterwards. I don't think the heat was quite biblically hot, but I'd set a PB and new club record in the hottest London Marathon ever. That's something I suppose!
Well done all the Victory people! Commiserations to Neil for a personal worst and a visit to the medical tent for dehydration. Congrats to James for a sub-3 PB - impressive stuff. Congrats too for PBs to Graham and Bob. Congrats for maiden finishes to Lesley, Alan and Paul (if you ignore his 2 Ironman marathons!!). Congrats to Paul B, Alex, Nick and Richard for simply finishing. Well done team.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Training summary: the taper
My taper was a 2-week affair detailed below. I was particularly pleased with Tuesday's 400m reps, as they were my fastest ever reps, running the last 6 faster than 6:00/mile, and still fairly comfortable. There then followed some marathon pace intervals in the club handicap race, although I probably ran quicker than marathon pace due to the terrain and the gates/bridges. Totton was a disaster in racing terms but actually proved to be quite a good workout - 6km hard plus 3 marathon pace 1km intervals - under the circumstances that was probably a better preparation for London than 10km flat out.
My final 3 mile run felt really comfortable and was quick despite the fresh headwind.
I'm as ready as I can be. This is the fittest I've ever been before a marathon. I'm currently concerned about the predicted warm weather, but I think this will be a good one. Bring it on!
My final 3 mile run felt really comfortable and was quick despite the fresh headwind.
I'm as ready as I can be. This is the fittest I've ever been before a marathon. I'm currently concerned about the predicted warm weather, but I think this will be a good one. Bring it on!
| Monday 9th April | 2 miles | am: 2 miles treadie plus weights | |
| Tuesday | 5.7 miles | pm: 8x400m 75s jog/walk 92s no HR 91s 146bpm 90s 149bpm 89s 151bpm 89s 151bpm 88s 153bpm 89s 153bpm 89s 153bpm peaked at 5:54/mile | Very pleased - fastest flat pace I've ever run! |
| Wednesday | 7.6 miles | pm:7.6 miles @8:42/mile 116bpm | Easy off road run |
| Thursday | 7.5 miles | pm: Club handicap race 60:32 131bpm | Ran the race as 4mins marathon pace 7:15/mile, 4 mins steady |
| Friday | Rest | Club annual dinner | |
| Saturday | Rest | ||
| Sunday | 7 miles | Totton 10k 45:25 149bpm | |
| Total | 29.8 miles | ||
| Monday 16th April | 4.5 miles | pm: offroad steady 8:28 123bpm | |
| Tuesday | 5.15 miles | pm: Easy off road club run 118bpm | |
| Wednesday | Rest | Hardly restful as spent afternoon at FLM expo and evening walking at the club social run/walk | |
| Thursday | 4.5 miles | pm: Really easy jog to club session then 2 400m intervals 7:15/mile | |
| Friday | 3 miles | 8:11/mile 118bpm into fresh headwind | |
| Saturday | Rest | Drive up to London | |
| Sunday | 26.2 miles | Flora London Marathon in ??? | |
| Total excluding marathon | 17.2 miles |
Sunday, April 15, 2007
The Team: Totton 10k
I have a wonderful bunch of friends in Victory AC. I wonder if they realised how much they've touched me this weekend?
I had a dreadful race! We needed to score some solid points to avoid relegation from division 1. We were third from bottom but we were not mathematically safe by any means. We needed a good turn out and we got it. The pressure was off me - phew!
The weather was incredibly warm: 25°C to be precise - ridiculous for April. I hope it's cooler next weekend! We set off with Gina setting an amazing pace for such hot conditions with me following and Chris, Ruth and the rest of the girls behind.
I realised after a 4 minute first kilometre that I was going way too fast for the conditions. My heart rate was 158bpm as a result of the heat. I may have been capable of maintaining the pace on a cooler day but in this heat it was more like 5k pace. I was doomed to blow up if I kept going at that rate. So why didn't I slow down?
Each km split showed a slower time, but my HR remained high - idiot!
At the water station at 6km I was feeling dizzy and, with a mind on not harming my London chances, walked. Major guilt feelings! I got going again but felt awful and the sense of self preservation was getting stronger. When Chris caught me, I realised that my contribution to the team was dwindling and the desire to cool down got stronger.
I walked again.
Finally, having had another break, Ruth caught me in the last km and the pressure was finally off. I crossed the line in 45+ mins feeling shattered.
I'd let the team down. I was an idiot. I'd paced badly. I shouldn't have gone off at such a stupid cool weather pace. I'd walked, given in, a loser.
Everyone I spoke to was supportive though! So many said they expected great things from me next week and I was right to back off. Everyone totally understood my situation. They all made me feel really good. What a bunch! Thankyou.
We survived relegation. Marilyn won the W55 prize - she looked so relaxed at the finish - what a star! The world is good.
Footnote:
'The team' voted me "Club member of the year" at the annual dinner on Friday. I was dead chuffed. That is such an honour. I also picked up the "Most improved" and the "Colin Goater shield" (for most outstanding single performance), hogging the trophies somewhat. I worked hard for the latter 2, but the club member of the year is really special. Thank you so much.
Here are the pics:
If I'd known I was getting those trophies, I'd have made more of an effort:
I had a dreadful race! We needed to score some solid points to avoid relegation from division 1. We were third from bottom but we were not mathematically safe by any means. We needed a good turn out and we got it. The pressure was off me - phew!
The weather was incredibly warm: 25°C to be precise - ridiculous for April. I hope it's cooler next weekend! We set off with Gina setting an amazing pace for such hot conditions with me following and Chris, Ruth and the rest of the girls behind.
I realised after a 4 minute first kilometre that I was going way too fast for the conditions. My heart rate was 158bpm as a result of the heat. I may have been capable of maintaining the pace on a cooler day but in this heat it was more like 5k pace. I was doomed to blow up if I kept going at that rate. So why didn't I slow down?
Each km split showed a slower time, but my HR remained high - idiot!
At the water station at 6km I was feeling dizzy and, with a mind on not harming my London chances, walked. Major guilt feelings! I got going again but felt awful and the sense of self preservation was getting stronger. When Chris caught me, I realised that my contribution to the team was dwindling and the desire to cool down got stronger.
I walked again.
Finally, having had another break, Ruth caught me in the last km and the pressure was finally off. I crossed the line in 45+ mins feeling shattered.
I'd let the team down. I was an idiot. I'd paced badly. I shouldn't have gone off at such a stupid cool weather pace. I'd walked, given in, a loser.
Everyone I spoke to was supportive though! So many said they expected great things from me next week and I was right to back off. Everyone totally understood my situation. They all made me feel really good. What a bunch! Thankyou.
We survived relegation. Marilyn won the W55 prize - she looked so relaxed at the finish - what a star! The world is good.
Footnote:
'The team' voted me "Club member of the year" at the annual dinner on Friday. I was dead chuffed. That is such an honour. I also picked up the "Most improved" and the "Colin Goater shield" (for most outstanding single performance), hogging the trophies somewhat. I worked hard for the latter 2, but the club member of the year is really special. Thank you so much.
Here are the pics:
If I'd known I was getting those trophies, I'd have made more of an effort:
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Weekly summary - 2 weeks to go
The highlight of the week, apart from some rather fine intervals on Thursday, had to be my big run on Saturday. What a run! Glorious sunshine and stunning scenery. My friends were recceing the route of the Emsworth to Basingstoke Charity Relay so I seized the opportunity to do a point to point run and grab a lift back at the end. They were only recceing 2 or 3 legs, so I wasn't going to have any company - alas, I think I'm doomed to always run my big runs alone. It was nice to meet them at the end though.
The route I took is detailed on the above link, by clicking 'route maps'. I ran from near Warblington church to Vann farm near Selborne - legs 2 to 10. The 2 highlghts for me were legs 6, for the Queen Elizabeth Forest and the total feeling of summer, and leg 9 for the infamous Shoulder of Mutton Hill (the name is obscured on the map, but it is the continuation of the ridge marked as Ashford Hill). SOMH is so steep it's laughable. It's such an effort to even walk up. I've met people who claim they've run up it during the race, but I frankly don't believe them. It's a unique challenge though, and the view from the top is spectacular. I'm not sure it's what you want 15 miles into a run, but it certainly was the highlight regardless of the reason.
The taper has now begun: no more doubles! Totton 10k next week, which I have a good feeling about, and then a small matter of a marathon. Not long now!
The route I took is detailed on the above link, by clicking 'route maps'. I ran from near Warblington church to Vann farm near Selborne - legs 2 to 10. The 2 highlghts for me were legs 6, for the Queen Elizabeth Forest and the total feeling of summer, and leg 9 for the infamous Shoulder of Mutton Hill (the name is obscured on the map, but it is the continuation of the ridge marked as Ashford Hill). SOMH is so steep it's laughable. It's such an effort to even walk up. I've met people who claim they've run up it during the race, but I frankly don't believe them. It's a unique challenge though, and the view from the top is spectacular. I'm not sure it's what you want 15 miles into a run, but it certainly was the highlight regardless of the reason.
The taper has now begun: no more doubles! Totton 10k next week, which I have a good feeling about, and then a small matter of a marathon. Not long now!
| Monday | Rest | I think I earned a rest! | |
| Tuesday | 7.6 miles | am: massage | pm: Recce of club handicap route 8:01/mile 125bpm - low HR considering pace was interrupted by 12 gates and 4 bridges 7:35-7:45/mile between gates |
| Wednesday | 11 miles | am: 2 miles treadie + weights session - now up to 56kg deadlift | pm: 9 miles offroad 8:34/mile no HR data |
| Thursday | 11.9 miles | am: 4.3 miles easy | pm: 8x800m 60sec recovery 3:13 147bpm max 3:16 149bpm 3:15 152bpm 3:15 152bpm 3:19 151bpm 3:16 152bpm 3:15 155bpm 3:21 152bpm legs a bit tired, stitch on last interval, but generally went well |
| Friday | 4.5 miles | am: easy run offroad, no pace or HR data - freedom! | |
| Saturday | 19 miles | am: The Big One! Following Hangers Way from Havant to Selborne. Slow pace 10:30/mile due to the difficult terrain - often rutted from horses hooves in now hard baked mud | Nicest long run I've ever done! |
| Sunday | 7.5 miles | am: Very easy run with the club - ridiculously low HR 103bpm - it was reading below 100 for much of the run | |
| Total | 61.5 miles |
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Weekly summary - 3 weeks to go
A week of very hard running, following on from the Eastleigh 10k. I'm tired, but set up quite nicely for tapering.
My confidence is sky high after first the Eastleigh 10k and then the Worthing 20 - speed and endurance! I still have the Totton 10k a week before London, and am optimistic of going even quicker there.
I'm only going to taper properly for 2 weeks, with another full week and a 20-miler next weekend, but my mileage will drop slightly this week.
My confidence is sky high after first the Eastleigh 10k and then the Worthing 20 - speed and endurance! I still have the Totton 10k a week before London, and am optimistic of going even quicker there.
I'm only going to taper properly for 2 weeks, with another full week and a 20-miler next weekend, but my mileage will drop slightly this week.
| Monday | 4.5 miles | 4.5 miles easy offroad 113bpm | |
| Tuesday | 6.75 miles | am: massage | pm: 6.8 miles hill run - ran hard 7:28/mile 141bpm. Surprisingly warm 16°C |
| Wednesday | 12.5 miles | am:2 miles treadie plus gym/weights | pm: 10.5 miles 8:41/mile 114bpm mostly offroad |
| Thursday | 10.2 miles | am: 4.6 miles easy 9:02/mile 114bpm | pm 5.6miles club 3.6 mile handicap race 26:01 over bridges, through gates 7:14/mile 139bpm. PB despite low HR, but I was running about as hard as I could - tired! |
| Friday | 6 miles | 6 miles easy offroad 9:06/mile 109bpm | |
| Saturday | Rest | ||
| Sunday | 21.5 miles | Worthing 20 2:31:33 7:35/mile 137bpm | Club record despite running first half gently. Very pleased with the result! |
| Total | 61.5 miles |
Monday, April 02, 2007
Worthing 20
You just know things are going well with your training when 15 miles into a 20-mile run you move up a gear and feel like you are just floating effortlessly. I had a great run at Worthing yesterday, and all because of a rest day!
At the wet wet wet Mad March Hare 20, try as I might I couldn't get my pace up - this was largely to be expected though after a very tough week of training without any form of taper. I needed a bit of a confidence boost yesterday though, so I took the unusual step on Saturday of not running at all - no exercise, nothing - a rest day.
What a difference a day makes! Despite reservations beforehand about some tightness in my calves, as soon as the race began I knew I was going to have a good run.
Conditions were not ideal - there was a stiff northeasterly wind to contend with along the seafront feeling very cold for the first 2 of the 4 5-mile laps. Despite the wind though, the first few miles I was fighting to keep my speed down - my legs just wanted to run! The plan was to keep the first 10 miles nice and slow, at least 40secs/mile slower than marathon pace, and then pick it up in the second half to marathon pace and maybe push harder in the last 2 or 3 miles. Here are the splits and heart rate stats:
8:03 119bpm
8:05 no HR
7:54 no HR
7:48 no HR
7:50 130bpm
7:54 132bpm
8:01 133bpm
7:49 132bpm
7:48 132bpm
7:31 135bpm
7:21 142bpm
7:30 142bpm
7:16 140bpm
7:15 141bpm
7:22 142bpm
7:23 143bpm
7:34 144bpm
7:06 146bpm
7:08 145bpm
7:03 148bpm
2:31:33
137bpm ave (subject to lack of steady HR data in miles 2 to 4 - not sweating enough!)
Compared to runs recently where I've had trouble pushing up to marathon pace, things felt so easy. This is really good news as it not only means I'm on top form, but also I'm on top of the training and not getting the fatigue of earlier weeks.
The best news though is I was well within the 7:25/mile target pace without my HR ever going near my normal marathon HR of 145bpm until the last miles. 3:15 is deinitely on!
Good news too for Neil, as he's put his poor Mad March Hare result behind him with a comfortable 2:20. I lapped Bob at around 14 miles, before nearly getting lapped myself by the winner - I just avoided it as the lead car overtook me and turned left for the finish with Nick Baker fast approaching. Bob seemed pleased with his 3:29, although he was a minute/mile down on his best 20-miler despite some recent PBs at 10k - best to keep something back for the big day in London.
Thanks go to Carol for supporting us, being the 10-mile cloakroom attendant, and finish line supplier of Belgian Buns!
I believe my 2:31:33 is now the overall women's club record. We weren't sure of the previous mark as we thought Chris had run faster, but we couldn't produce evidence of the fact. I think this mark removes the uncertainty. Anyone know any different?
Next race is the Totton 10k in 2 weeks - a final sharpener before London. Things are looking promising!
At the wet wet wet Mad March Hare 20, try as I might I couldn't get my pace up - this was largely to be expected though after a very tough week of training without any form of taper. I needed a bit of a confidence boost yesterday though, so I took the unusual step on Saturday of not running at all - no exercise, nothing - a rest day.
What a difference a day makes! Despite reservations beforehand about some tightness in my calves, as soon as the race began I knew I was going to have a good run.
Conditions were not ideal - there was a stiff northeasterly wind to contend with along the seafront feeling very cold for the first 2 of the 4 5-mile laps. Despite the wind though, the first few miles I was fighting to keep my speed down - my legs just wanted to run! The plan was to keep the first 10 miles nice and slow, at least 40secs/mile slower than marathon pace, and then pick it up in the second half to marathon pace and maybe push harder in the last 2 or 3 miles. Here are the splits and heart rate stats:
8:03 119bpm
8:05 no HR
7:54 no HR
7:48 no HR
7:50 130bpm
7:54 132bpm
8:01 133bpm
7:49 132bpm
7:48 132bpm
7:31 135bpm
7:21 142bpm
7:30 142bpm
7:16 140bpm
7:15 141bpm
7:22 142bpm
7:23 143bpm
7:34 144bpm
7:06 146bpm
7:08 145bpm
7:03 148bpm
2:31:33
137bpm ave (subject to lack of steady HR data in miles 2 to 4 - not sweating enough!)
Compared to runs recently where I've had trouble pushing up to marathon pace, things felt so easy. This is really good news as it not only means I'm on top form, but also I'm on top of the training and not getting the fatigue of earlier weeks.
The best news though is I was well within the 7:25/mile target pace without my HR ever going near my normal marathon HR of 145bpm until the last miles. 3:15 is deinitely on!
Good news too for Neil, as he's put his poor Mad March Hare result behind him with a comfortable 2:20. I lapped Bob at around 14 miles, before nearly getting lapped myself by the winner - I just avoided it as the lead car overtook me and turned left for the finish with Nick Baker fast approaching. Bob seemed pleased with his 3:29, although he was a minute/mile down on his best 20-miler despite some recent PBs at 10k - best to keep something back for the big day in London.
Thanks go to Carol for supporting us, being the 10-mile cloakroom attendant, and finish line supplier of Belgian Buns!
I believe my 2:31:33 is now the overall women's club record. We weren't sure of the previous mark as we thought Chris had run faster, but we couldn't produce evidence of the fact. I think this mark removes the uncertainty. Anyone know any different?
Next race is the Totton 10k in 2 weeks - a final sharpener before London. Things are looking promising!
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