WINELANDS 2011

With a 05h30 start out in Stellenbosch it was always going to be an early start... The alarm rudely went off at 03h30, it was still night but we could lie around we had to pick Dawn's friend Jana up at 04h05 and hit the road. Arriving at Coetzenburg at 04h50 left us enough time to pick up our race numbers and stand in that morning Q!!!I went straight to the front of the 1000+ strong field and found Damian who was running his first Marathon, I planned to go out with him at 4min/km.

100m in and Dawn missed me!!!

We left the track and head down the road, Yes those early km were a little fast, but we were running down hill and we could all ran at the pace. Mr. Garmin called 5km in 19:00 (road marking at about 15 sec slower). Things had settled and we had a nice group of people running together.

knocking of 4min/km

Don't know if you can tell, but that's the first lady with us. We went through 10km in 38:55, pace was spot on and all was well. I had been counting the 40+ guys and I counted myself in 11th place (ok 3 of them were running with me.)

At about 11km Damian and I pulled away from our group and the race was on... No we didn't pick up the pace or anything we just kept it at 4's - 15km in 58:53. We had climbed our 1st little hill and Damian had slowed a bit but was still about to stretch his legs on the flat and down hill. I was feeling fine at 17km when we turned of the 'back' roads onto the R44. Up that first hill I was feeling strong, yes we lost a little time, but made in up over the next couple of km. We past half way in about 83mins still nicely on time. 

I pulled away from Damian on route to the 22km mark as we climb a hill. At the top I slowed to let him catch me but decided that his 2h48 wasn't going to happen and if I wanted mine I had to now run my own race. 

Running on my own I set my sights on the guy in front of me and set off... We had already caught most of the 40+ guys and on my way to 30km I moved into 3rd place!!! That 5km split was 19:10, ok there was a bit of down hill involved, but my legs felt fine only 12 to go. At this stage was had a little out and back bit, and I held on to 4min/km till 34km then we climb a bit of a hill 4:33. 35km down, and I remember seeing the km board 2h20:00. (Mr. Garmin had me running through the marker in 2h19:03).

I'll have some water.

With 7.2km left that 2h48 was still on the cards, but now my legs were getting tired and my right hamstring was getting tight... Not wanting to cramp of pull it, I had to control the run in and I lost a couple of seconds/km... I thought I could still break 2h50 with 1km to go, but that last 200m was just to long and I finished with a respectable 2h50:23. 18th and 3rd 40+

COUNTING THE DAYS

It's been such a long time since I have run a good MARATHON that I don't know if my body wants to be a marathon runner any more...

We'll find out on Saturday.

Now before Saturday we have to get through today, Yes today, well tonight I run a 10km race. Don't worry I'm not racing I'm going to run with a friend, the aim 38:59 (OK she wouldn't mind anything faster). This is the race my wife ran her PR on, so if the route is the same we could help Candice to a PR (not that we can count it as she will be running with a man!!!).

So what does one do in the days before a marathon? Well I back off the running (yes I taper) and I look over how the training has gone, the log book never lies!!!

So what does the log book say?
weekly
Mileage:

1. 91.7km week before (25km, 5km, 30.6km, 45.9km, 65.3km)
2. 104km
3. 98.6km
4. 104km
5. 100km
6. 55.1km (no morning runs)

Mileage tick.


Long runs:

1. 25km 2h19 half mountain half road.
2. 26km 1h59 on the road
3. 28km 2h58 over the mountain
4. 30km 2h21 on gravel with a pack a lone
5. Half marathon hard plus 5.4km and 3 easy in the evening
6. 12km 51:53 one week to go.

Long runs tick.

Speed:

1. Tuesday 4 x 600m, Thursday 6 x 100m.
2. Tuesday 3 x 3km, Thursday Hills.
3. Tuesday Hills, Thursday 12 x 200m.
4. Monday 12 x 200m, Thursday Hills.
5. Tuesday 8 x 1000m, Thursday 15 x 400m., Saturday 10 x 200m
6. Tuesday 2 x 1000m, Thursday 10 x 200m.

Speed tick.

Other:

1. Easy running (it was an easy week before the Marathon training started!)
2. Easy running, Saturday 10km race fast tempo.
3. Easy running, Wednesday 10km race easy tempo, Sunday 10km Marathon Pace.
4. Easy running, Wednesday 10km race hard!!!
5. Easy running, Sunday Half marathon hard!!!
6. Easy running, Wednesday 13km trail race hard tempo.

So the home work is done, lets hope I can pull it off, pull what off? Well I want to... Here I go again putting my head on a block.

I hope to be able to take a friend through for his 1st marathon. The plan 4min/km till 30km than I hope to be able to go 'hunting' and chase down any 40+ men ahead of me. My wife will be on the side of road to let me know.

So here's to hoping I'm not the one been chased down... (that happened last year.)

ANOTHER HALF

Unlike the half of last week I wasn't running, but Dawn was so I was still up early to show my support and to take pictures...
 

The Start

Heading out

The lead ladies

A girl Friend!!!

My Wife and her friend

The front boys

Leading 40+

Mike only made it to 6km!!!

That's me running with One of the 7 Wonders of the World in the back ground!

Only 2 in the lead group with 500m to go.

Jana dropped my wife!!!

Still friends after the race

That's my story...

LANDMARKS HALF 2011

With the 10th running of The Landmarks Half I was lining up for my 10th run... I wasn't the only one I think there were 26 of us.

With my marathon still 2 weeks away I was going to run hard on my tired legs and see what I could do... So would was my aim on the start line? Well first up I had to put in a couple of km before the race as a warm up and as extra mileage. I didn't feel bad in the first 5km and was right on target time 18:01. Those km had been very flat and I had been running with 2 other 40+ guys, we were fighting for 3rd place... 5km-10km the race changed as we climb to Rhodes Memorial a climb of 147m I took 20:27 leaving the other 40+ guys behind, I even thought I might catch Sean... With the climb done it was time to head down... I didn't hammer it, but tried to keep the pace up as we hit the flats, but the legs were heavy and those 5km to 15km took me 18:04 fast enough for a flat 5km, but this was down hill we dropped 127m. I glance over my shoulder let me know I was been caught.

The legs didn't have anything in them and at 17km I was taken and lost my 3rd place. I got to 20km (last 5km 18:39) with enough time time the bag still to break 80min (79:35).

I was happy with the time, but on fresh legs I would have kept my 3rd place. (I get him if he runs the marathon.)
Now the important news: I was the 1st guy running his 10th to finish, so permanent number 1:

Number One

I was shattered so only managed 3.4km warm down while running back for my wife (who lost out on winning her category in the last km...)

After adding up my weekly mileage I found out I was 3km short of 100km for the week...

Yes I ran home after walking the dogs in the evening....

THE MILE AND THE MARATHON

So while my Marathon training is going OK and I'm starting to feel a little fitter, the fact that I've challenged a friend to a mile a week later is starting to worry me. (I like to win...)

So this week started well, after an easy recovery run on Monday (it was needed after the weekends 30km) we hit the track on Tuesday.
8 x 1000m with 90 sec rest. I was clever and followed my advice and set out at the right pace, not trying to keep up with Nelson I aimed at just breaking 3:30. I was thinking I need to get to 8 and I'm aiming at a sub 3 marathon (2h45 if it all comes together, yes the steaks are up again)
My times:3:27  3:25  3:26  3:26  3:24  3:22  3:23  3:17 (I gave it horns in the last one) (in fact as the group got smaller and smaller I got faster and faster. Not ever-one is training for a marathon.)

Wednesdays 14km was half in the forest and half on the road, so it was hilly and with the boys trying to show who's boss the pace always hots up as we start heading back to the club!

Thursday, Yes Thursday... 15 x 400m 60sec rest!!! I love it...
Now with a MILE is my sights I should be running these is 59 sec so I could be aiming at the magical 3:59:99
OK in my case I think I had better aim at 4:59:99 so that is 75sec laps. If I was honest I should be aiming at running them in 72's till I can't any more and then calling it quits. But I'm not a Miler I'm a Marathoner who is going to run a MILE...
79.4  76.1  77.3  76.3  77.0 5 down they are easy, but I little slow, need to get them to 76..
76.6  76.5  77.0  76.0  76.9 10 down getting better only one out of place.
75.7  75.4  75.6  75.0  72.4 That all of them, and with that last one maybe, just maybe a 4:50 mile is possible!

This weekend hold my last 30km which should be interesting as I'm running a Half on Sunday and hoping to put in 3km of warm up and then as I finish run back for my wife to make up 30... Now this half has it's own story, so let us leave that for next week..

Enough said have a great weekend and if you are racing: GO KICK SOME BUTT

10km PROGRAM

Not so long ago a friend asked me to help her with a 10km program...

Easy, NO not at all...

I've been coaching and helping people with training for over 15 years now and still it's not easy to just throw together a program.

I could easily say:

• Monday: 45min easy + (4-10) x 100m quick (start with 4 the 1st week and build to 10)
• Tuesday: 6-8 x 1000m at 5km pace, rest 90sec
• Wednesday 40min easy + 20min tempo (marathon pace) + (4-10) x 100m quick
• Thursday: 15 x 400m at 3km pace, rest 60sec
• Friday: REST (ok you can cross train)
• Saturday: 5min easy + 40min at half marathon pace.
• Sunday: 1h45 - 2h00 easy last 15min at marathon pace

 But that is only a week and we will need at least 4 weeks like this before we can think of really racing a 10km. (and believe me you are going to need a good base before we can train like this.)

So why is it difficult to draw up a program for some-one who isn't training week in and week out with you? Well no two people are the same: Too get the best out of Dawn I married her!!! OK that should read: to get the best out of my wife I had her running 800m's while we ran 1000m's. Why, because she is very competitive!!! She was running about 3min for 800m while we were running 3min for 1000m... So do you get the picture: She had to win...

This drive and training took her to a 38:30 10km and an 86:15 half at age 47!!!

So what now...?
Well take my week and play with it!!!

• we don't all like 1000m's
• what about 800m's
• what about miles
• what about 1200m's
• what about 2000m's
• what about 2000m 1600m 1200m 1000m 800m

• we don't want to be running 400m's for evermore
• what about hills (60sec fast)
• what about 200m's
• what about 300m's
• what about 500m's

But remember for a 10km your sessions need to be fast (5km pace, 3km pace or faster).

"THERE IS NO SHORT CUT TO A FAST 10KM", it takes weeks of training (years of running before you are able to do the weeks of training needed!

Coach, but what about me!!! I only run 3, may 4 times a week, and me I run daily, but every run is the same pace. What about us, we don't want to train that hard, what can we do? We just want to improve...

Good Question: and I'll answer it another day!