New goals

I have set some new goals for the summer and beyond.

Goal 1: Marathon PB

I'm going to crack the 3:50 mark in the marathon.  Firstly, I've signed up to the Robin Hood marathon on 12th September.  I will train hard for this over the next three months but I will continue to cycle as well so it won't be dedicated running training.  I will have a crack at it but I'm not pinning all my hopes on a PB here.

Then in spring 2011, I will either run the London Marathon (I have entered) or the Berlin Marathon if I don't get a London place.  If my training goes well, I might even run Berlin whether I get a VLM place or not.  It has less people which is my preference.  I will train from Christmas until the race with the marathon as my one objective.

Goal 2: 5K PB

I know I can do better than 22:05 and given the races are free, there is no excuse for getting my arse out of bed on a Saturday mornings and running one every couple of weeks until I do it.

Goal 3: 10K PB

My 10K PB of 46:38 is clearly not good enough given my 5K time so I aim to get it under the 45 minute mark this year.  I'm currently looking for some 10Ks to run in July.

Goal 4: Dartmoor Classic

After last years crash, I am returning to Dartmoor with a point to prove.  I can't remember what the times were for the categories but with a time of 7:30 last year including the crash and a flat, I can go much quicker.

Pro Race 3

On Saturday evening, I cleaned and checked my bike in preparation of the Chiltern 100.  I looked over my tyres and realised they needed changing.  They had lots of nicks and cuts, many of which have been super-glued several times.

The only tyres I had were a pair of Michelin Pro Race 3s in red.  I bought these on a whim as they were on sale on a web site.  I'd heard they were nice to ride on but were very slick and prone to punctures.  I had no time to get to a bike shop so had no real choice and put them on.

First of all, they looked really good.  The red and grey really made the bike look sweet.  At least I'd start the race looking the business.  Other than that, there is nothing much to report.  No punctures.  No problems.  They seemed to give me a smooth ride although I'm not sure I'd put money on being about to tell the difference between these and the Continental GP4000s tyres I had on before.

But at £35 each, I'm not sure I will use them all the time.  I think I'll see how long these last and then decide.

Chiltern 100

I had originally booked up to do the Blenheim Tri today but given my recent tribulations, it was a relief when SimonO phoned up and asked if I wanted to do the Chiltern 100.  I jumped at the chance.  A valid excuse to avoid the water.

The recent sunny weather had gone but it was still warm which was nice.  I had no idea what to expect as I hadn't looked at any of the details.  I got to registration and looked at the course and realised I was in for a tough day.  For a start, it should be the Chiltern 107 and secondly, the profile looked like a map of the alps.  I was told it was 21 proper hills; nothing to difficult but it would be death by 1000 cuts (too dramatic?).

After messing about at the start (I always faff, this time I left my glasses in the car) we set off at around 8:30.  SimonO is quicker than me but decided to stay at my pace to stop him going off too fast.  We still arrived at the first feed stop at my 37 with an average of around 17mph.  The hills so far were nothing to bad but it was relentless.  There was hardly any flat so there were no free miles sitting on the back of a group doing 24mph.

The next 20 miles were OK and we continued the same pace but we were starting to feel it.  Simon's back was beginning to hurt and my knee was getting tender.  The biggest of the hills were in this section with Whiteleaf being the steepest and a couple of others feeling very long.  Getting to the second feed stop at 73 miles was a relief.  My knee was really giving me grief but that was nothing compared to Simon's back.

I had a bar and a gel and water.  I needed water most as it was getting warmer.  The sun was coming through the clouds and it was very very hot in the forests on the climbs.

The last 30 miles was all about getting it done.  We had both had enough and just wanted to stop like most people.  Every hill felt really hard but we plodded on.  Our initial estimate of under 6.5 hours went out of the window and getting in under 7 was more likely.

Then Simon realise where we were; 4 miles from home and it was flat all the way.  He got a third or forth or fifth wind and took the front and went for it.  With two other guys and myself in his wake, we flew towards the finish, picking up other riders as we went.  It was great fun trying to hang onto the back.  It was fun right up to the point where he thought we'd missed a turn sign and yelled STOP! making everyone go from 25mph to 0 in about 5 feet.  We hadn't missed it :-)

Stats:

Distance: 107

Elevation Gain: 2,620

Time: 6:45:00 (not official yet)

Pace: 15.9 mph

Max Speed: 47.6 mph

Nutrition: Gel x 1, Bars x 2, Ride shots x 2 bags, Torq drink x 3 bottles, Water x 3 bottles

Park Run in the sun

I headed up to Wimbledon Park to run the free 5K as it was such a beautiful morning.  As I cycled there, I listened to the Marathon Talk podcast which had a Park Run special.  I love the event but hearing all the history and the facts made me realise just how brilliant it is.  There are now 41 Park Runs around the country (and Denmark) delivering the same formula of an accurately marked 5K course, timed and free to everyone.  Its pretty special; they have over 70,000 people registered and over 20,000 of those have volunteered at some point.

Today, I remembered my bar code.  I ran a few of these 5Ks in 2008 but only returned to them last month.  I didn't realise that everyone now has a bar-code which they need to bring otherwise you get an "Unknown" in the results.  I have one "Unknown" from last month.

The race itself was OK.  I started and felt terrible as my pretty hard week was evident in my legs.  I wasn't going for a quick time which was a relief.  However, when I run a 5K on my own, I only seem to have one speed.  I got to half way in around 11 minutes and thought I might as well try for a sub 22.  Kilometer 3 was good but 4 was poor.  I got over the line in around 22:30 which was fine.  As always, I was glad to finish but 10 minutes later, I wanted another go.  "I CAN GO FASTER" is all I can hear in my head.

I am determined to get my times down.  I'll continue my hill work and speed work in the week and try and get to a 5K at least very 2 weeks.  A sub-22 is now one of my main targets for the summer.  I also want to do as many Park Runs as possible as I want a coverted 50 t-shirt.  I've done 12 so far so I could get one early next year or next spring.

Nasty insects

I love cycling in the sun.  As soon as I knew it was going to be hot today I starting working my arse off so I could free up most of the day allowing me to get out.  I finished working at 1:30am on Wednesday night / Thursday morning but I was free.

Now, many of my usual cycling routes go through Box Hill which is very wooded.  Sun and woods equal insects.  Eating the odd small fly is annoying but a hazard I can live with but today, the woods were full of caterpillars hanging from trees at about head height in the middle of the road.  I head-butted many as I only saw them at the last minute.  Resisting the urge not to swerve violently was hard.

Of course, my biggest fear was eventually realised then one hit me full in the mouth.  I just about avoided both eating it and falling off.  Nasty.

Other than this, I had a great ride.  67 miles, topped up my cycling tan and rode at a good pace.

Update

Not posted for a while.  I think my altered header says it all.

I've had a good week so far.  I played football on Tuesday.  I've not played for a while and managed to grad a last minute place with the group I used to play for.  I sent the first 5 minutes being rubbish, clattering into people and losing the ball.  Then I remembered how to play, or rather remembered what I'm good at and chased people down, winning back balls and making easy passes.  I even scored a cracking goal turning someone and firing far past.  Great fun.

Today I went for a run and decided to do some hill reps.  I did a 2 mile warm-up and then 5 loops of a half mile circuit that contains a short but sharp hill.  I went flat out each time and got my HR up to over 180.  I gave everything on the last go and nearly lost my lunch at the top.  A very slow cool down and stretch was needed after that.  I love HR graphs.  They never lie.  Can you spot the 5 hill reps?  I tried very hard on 3 and 5!!!

Its half term and I've done a lot of the work I need to do so I'm off cycling all day tomorrow.  I want my cycling tan back just like Red.

As for swimming and tri, we don't talk about that anymore.  Shhhhhhhh.