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Pixie Get The Grumps

Well today was "long" run day.

It started off by my getting out of bed late! Then I had some cereal and did a trip to the tip (recycling) and the nursery (Gnome likes to look at the fish and we were interested in apple trees!).

So when we got home I was starting to feel hungry but I was also aware of the time, the cold weather and the roast dinner I had to cook! So I downed some lucozade and a sports bar and got ready for my run.

Yesterday and this morning I had had some mild period like pains. It wasn't TOTM so I ignored them so when I changed for my run to discover some unexpected bleeding I was shocked. I almost cancelled my run but BM is looming and I need the runs. This, needless to say, played on my mind and ruined my run!

Off I went anyway. I cut of one corner (which I had earlier mentally added to increase the distance) as I wanted to do this run properly and was aware that a longer run may kill me off! I plodded on and stopped in mile two and three to take a photo wasting about 2mins in total.

I carried on feeling the lack of running and bad fueling in my legs. I was drained. My earlier findings were playing on my mind. Why? It had never happened before. The route I chose was new too and more undulating than expected so I again chopped off another corner.

I walked through 2 SIS gel stops (I will use them at BM so wanted to use them on a couple of runs before hand to ensure I was fine!) and by 6m I was dead. I carried on and then at 6.4m I gave up and walked in. Total distance 7.1m

Looking at the stats there are several reasons behind my carp run!

  • Fuel carp
  • Bleeding playing on mind
  • Running too fast to start with even with my 10:1 strategy.


Here are the stats and given that each photo stop was about 1min and the gel walks at mile 3 and 6 meant about 2-3mins walking (gel, drink nose blow!) it's hardly surprising I died! I was going far to err fast! Still at least it is done. Better luck next week when I will try 1mile run 1 min walk. Then chose for BM!!

Comments

beanz said…
My current plan is based on Trinity's (I think) strategy for ultras

decide on overall pace, run a mile and if you have spare time walk it then run to the next mile marker and repeat

I would like to do under 3 hours - 13:45ish pace - as my last two halves were over 3 hours, but hilly

actually I think on the flat I might aim for 13:35 pace - giving a time of 2:58

last year I did BM in 2:43ish - but that would be 12:26ish pace, which I have not done for a long time
Cath Delaney said…
Pixie, you're being a bit hard on yourself. For a start you've not had great training recently and a number of things have hampered you getting into a regular straight run of running without any problems. So today's run looks pretty solid for me and to be honest if you HADN'T taken the stops and breaks for photo's etc, I think I would have shouted at you never mind Spans!

Well done girlie. You did good and you'll do fine at BM. 7 miles is more than adequate as a long run and you know it.
b-z said…
Races are different to training
WildWill said…
7mile+ is NEVA crap
fraggle said…
indeed as will says 7+ miles are never crap!!!

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