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Skill to be Learnt - Map Reading

Ok so the last few days I've had this 10m run planned and I've gone over the map (well digital one!) 2-3 times planning my route.

Due to having a larger meal out last night I only had some sports drink and a 200cal cereal bar before I left. I had planned to be out at 10:30-11AM but hubby didn't wake up (he's on nights!) until 12 so I didn't get out until 12:50. If I had known I was going to be this late I may have eaten something more!

Anyway off I went. 1mile run then 1min walk at the beginning of each mile. I decided to run with my watch showing distance only and didn't wear my HRM. Mile one was possibly a tad fast! Well I suppose the same will happen next week! Mile one took 10:57! Mile 2 included 1min walk and took 11:43 so much better. Shortly after this the GPS died so I converted to 10:1.

I tried to note the time at "landmarks" so I had an idea of pace. The bridge at end of the trail in 55mins was 4.4m which is 12:30 pace and about what I was aiming for. I didn't know the distance at the time but I had an idea which meant I knew I was about right for pace.

My next landmark I thought was about 6m (5.6m actually) and I thought I would hit my watch so I knew the split - just over 1hr 9 so still going well. I later discovered that I actually hit STOP not lap here!!!

I trotted on and thought "Oh I should be down on the road now" so walked down some very steep wooden and therefore slippery (no way I could run down!) steps! Got to the road and thought "nope wrong" so crossed over and back up to the main trail on using the Z shaped slope.

As I carried on I started to think I had gone wrong. I also started to realise that I was going up a steady incline! As I got to the road and turned I saw a hill and stopped running! I was shattered! So I walked through a gel (I ran through the last one!) It was now that I realised that I had gone wrong!

My mind went though the error of my map reading and I worked out that if I finished the same way as I had originally planned I would be looking at 12+m probably! My legs told me that this was going to be a long slow route home. I converted down to 5:1 thinking that this way I stood more chance of getting home in one piece!

I noted the time at 2 further points. The last turned out to be 9.6m in 2hrs! Then it all went wrong! I walked up the next hill (took 2-3mins) then decided to take the footpath by the lake to make the route shorter. It did but it was also very muddy and slippery and lined with fishermen. So I ended up walking a lot again. I gave up trying to run at 2hrs 21:20 which was 10.7m That last 1.3m had taken 21mins! I then walked the last 1/2m home with a short jog as I was getting cold.

Total distance covered about 11m. This is good in that it gives me more confidence for BM. My 2hrs split gives me a prediction of 2hrs 51 for the half which would be a PB! Only downside is I am totally shot and it is a bit close to BM for doing new long distances! (yes this was my longest run since FLM!)

I now have new batteries for the GPS and a belly full of roast dinner and an evening alone with bad TV!

Tomorrow I have some shopping to do and to take hubby's car and possibly the mower into be serviced, so a rest day with just a touch of walking. After that I don't have much planned for the week. I will refer to coach about training after today's efforts. Maybe a mini taper after all!

Edit:
This is the route - as I said this is probably my flatest route!

Comments

beanz said…
good going!

moral - take the map with you?

you'll be back before me at BM
Evil Pixie said…
I was so convinced I knew where the road was though Beanz! But I had looked wrong and instead of seeing the trail going over the road I saw it as the road crossing over the trail! Doh!!
Morale is to look when properly awake me finks!
Looking at the hills (just posted) if BM is as flat as they say I *may* get to 2:45 if I am lucky. But currently just aiming to get sub 3hrs and finish in one piece!
fraggle said…
Well done Pix
[[sends healing vibes to Pix's legs which will ache tomorrow]]
Leon said…
You'll be fine at BM Pix - It is nice and flat - just a bridge to go over near the start (and end)... and I'm guessing that you'll be taking it really easy this week.

You need to give your legs time to recover (I didn't run at all in the four days leading up to to BM last year - and as a result, legs were nice and fresh - and I ran better than I had expected to)
Evil Pixie said…
Thanks Fraggle I expect I will need that healing energy! So far so good though! In fact the quad niggle that was starting to worry me and I noticed it a few times on my run seems to have gone! I was expecting it to be hell tonight! Maybe tomorrow my legs will complain! rest tomorrow!
Leon I will be refering to coach Spans but todays run was longer than expected so I will try to get my runs in early this week!
Looking forward to BM now.

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