Time for a new six-month training program. The key goal is the Vancouver marathon in May. It's close to home and I would like to follow up the 2008 finish line with a much better one in 2009.
It will give me enough time to recover - both mentally and physically - from the Victoria marathon I just ran in October and also provides me with plenty of time to build back up. Coach Pat Carroll has given me five 3-hour training runs for this marathon, which is one more 3-hour run than I did for Victoria and a record total.
Along the way, there are some great goals such as the 5K race planned for the first weekend of December. It's been a long time since I raced a 5K and I am looking forward to getting closer to that 19:00 and possibly even into the 18:xx.
I love getting new training programs - such a great map for the next six months. I am excited!
October 30, 2008
October 19, 2008
Victoria marathon splits
For the first time, I was alert enough throughout the final stages of a marathon to keep taking all my km splits. Here they are:
4.15 2 (it was unreal how fast everyone started - even at this pace i had hundredSSS run past me)
4.26 6
4.23 3
4.11 5 (whoops though i do think this was downhill)
4.25 7
4.36 5
4.27 4
4.19 5
4.27 3
4.19 1
4.33 3
4.30 5
8.51 1
4.28 3
4.18 5
4.53 9 (i do think this marker and the previous one were were a bit off)
4.34 3
4.16 8 (must have been downhill again)
4.25 7
4.25 6 so 21K at 1.33 10
1.33 37 (halfway split as marked in results)
3.53 2 (no way i think but tt's what the watch says)
4.19 2
4.16 6
4.22 6
8.48 0
4.26 4
4.33 9
4.15 6
4.48 0 (think this and previous one are the sames kms as the above 4.18 and 4.53 on way back into town. turn was at about 23.5km
4.39 0
4.29 2
8.54 9
4.30 1
4.42 9
4.41 2
4.38 6
4.18 3
4.27 6
4.56 3 (for final 1.2km)
3.07.11 on watch, official result 3.07 10
4.15 2 (it was unreal how fast everyone started - even at this pace i had hundredSSS run past me)
4.26 6
4.23 3
4.11 5 (whoops though i do think this was downhill)
4.25 7
4.36 5
4.27 4
4.19 5
4.27 3
4.19 1
4.33 3
4.30 5
8.51 1
4.28 3
4.18 5
4.53 9 (i do think this marker and the previous one were were a bit off)
4.34 3
4.16 8 (must have been downhill again)
4.25 7
4.25 6 so 21K at 1.33 10
1.33 37 (halfway split as marked in results)
3.53 2 (no way i think but tt's what the watch says)
4.19 2
4.16 6
4.22 6
8.48 0
4.26 4
4.33 9
4.15 6
4.48 0 (think this and previous one are the sames kms as the above 4.18 and 4.53 on way back into town. turn was at about 23.5km
4.39 0
4.29 2
8.54 9
4.30 1
4.42 9
4.41 2
4.38 6
4.18 3
4.27 6
4.56 3 (for final 1.2km)
3.07.11 on watch, official result 3.07 10
October 13, 2008
Marathon PB
Sometimes everything falls into place, despite a few minor hiccups. (One was that I found out two days before the race that my left shoe was torn. With no other marathon-capable shoes in my collection, I bought a new pair the day before the race - breaking one of the cardinal rules not to try anything new on race day. But I did buy the same type of shoe I had done my training in and used the old insoles.)
The weather was spectacular: chilly, sunny and dry. The course was amazing, gently rolling and with amazing ocean and mountain views. A fantastic organization and friendly positive volunteers also helped confirm my positive frame of mind.
I'll post a race report later. For now, I'll just tell you that I crossed the finish line in 3:07:10 - a 98-second PB. Pretty happy.
The weather was spectacular: chilly, sunny and dry. The course was amazing, gently rolling and with amazing ocean and mountain views. A fantastic organization and friendly positive volunteers also helped confirm my positive frame of mind.
I'll post a race report later. For now, I'll just tell you that I crossed the finish line in 3:07:10 - a 98-second PB. Pretty happy.
October 08, 2008
Approaching Marathon Race Day
Four days until race day! I love the feeling of pre-marathon excitement mixed with trepidation about the final 12km. But I've forgotten enough about the misery of the Vancouver marathon in May this year that I am happily looking forward to the Victoria marathon.
Training has been a bit mixed - as noted before here, I didn't feel right pretty much from the start in the Vancouver marathon. And in the months since then I've been a bit tired and flat, running some of my slowest times in my speed sessions since Pat Carroll became my coach in June 2005.
Both Pat and I have been at a loss to find a reason, but perhaps driving across Canada by myself, another 4000km roadtrip and a slew of international visitors required more energy than I realized. In the last two months, the stressful process of buying a house and starting renovations has also left me more tired than usual obviously.
As always, I have thoroughly enjoyed my training - running is just such an important part of my life as it really helps me clear or organize my mind and recharge mentally. As Tim also decided to enter the Victoria marathon, we've been doing our long runs together which of course makes it more fun.
Since Vancouver I've only done two races, a 10k mon the road (finishing 90secs slower than most recent ones) and a 15km trail race. Last Friday, I had for the first time in six months a speed session that made sense with my times earlier in the year. While that's very promising, it makes it hard to set a goal time for this marathon.
Pat and I agreed on aiming for 3:10 and see how that goes. My PB is 3:08:48, set in Canberra in April 2007, and my most recent time is 3:12:26 (Vancouver in May 2008).
I cannot wait for race day, whatever it will bring. I love a challenge and a marathon will always provide that!
The forecast for Victoria on Sunday is for a dry sunny day with temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees.
Training has been a bit mixed - as noted before here, I didn't feel right pretty much from the start in the Vancouver marathon. And in the months since then I've been a bit tired and flat, running some of my slowest times in my speed sessions since Pat Carroll became my coach in June 2005.
Both Pat and I have been at a loss to find a reason, but perhaps driving across Canada by myself, another 4000km roadtrip and a slew of international visitors required more energy than I realized. In the last two months, the stressful process of buying a house and starting renovations has also left me more tired than usual obviously.
As always, I have thoroughly enjoyed my training - running is just such an important part of my life as it really helps me clear or organize my mind and recharge mentally. As Tim also decided to enter the Victoria marathon, we've been doing our long runs together which of course makes it more fun.
Since Vancouver I've only done two races, a 10k mon the road (finishing 90secs slower than most recent ones) and a 15km trail race. Last Friday, I had for the first time in six months a speed session that made sense with my times earlier in the year. While that's very promising, it makes it hard to set a goal time for this marathon.
Pat and I agreed on aiming for 3:10 and see how that goes. My PB is 3:08:48, set in Canberra in April 2007, and my most recent time is 3:12:26 (Vancouver in May 2008).
I cannot wait for race day, whatever it will bring. I love a challenge and a marathon will always provide that!
The forecast for Victoria on Sunday is for a dry sunny day with temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees.
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