I’m having a bit of a crisis with my running. I did that 1.26 half marathon a few weeks ago and thought everything was totally on track. They say if you can run a 1.25 half then you are good for a sub 3 hour marathon.
But…
Garmin, (my satnav watch) were having tracking issues. The pace was all over the place, one extreme example it had me running at 17 m/m then 6m/m a few seconds later. It was during that patch I ran the 1.26. I thought the distance and time would be right, even if the live pace tracking was a joke.
In a bit of a panic I bought a cheap (relative term) watch from another brand, but I didn’t really get on with it, then Garmin announced they’d fixed the issue so I sold it. I’ve ordered a shiny new Garmin. It’s supposed to be amazing at tracking. If you’re more concerned with pinpoint accuracy than weeks long battery life you can set it so it picks up all the different satellite systems (I thought there was only one, GPS, but it turns out that is a brand name we use generically like Hoover for vacuum cleaner) on several different wavelengths, or something. The bottom line is it is next generation for accuracy. There is a guy online who tests everything (DC Rainmaker). His reviews are a bit tedious because he covers *everything* in excruciating detail, but they are the last word on a product. He goes out with 3 or 4 or more devices all running at once and then compares the data, point by point, with lots of graphs. With this he just said it was boringly accurate. Under trees, between tall buildings, under bridges, it just tracked perfectly. This is what I need. I’m hoping it will give me exact running pace. I need to be perfect for pacing because I’m going to be on the limit. If I drop 30 seconds over a few miles I’m worried I just won’t have the legs to make it up. I’m still waiting for it to arrive. Because it’s a brand new release of the latest model sales have outstripped stock. They said 3-5 weeks. It’s been 2½ and I’m going frantic.
Anyway, that was just an exciting digression. My point was I did that 1.26 half and thought all was well and I was on course for sub 3 marathon. That was 6 weeks ago. Twice since then I’ve tried to see if I could get the 1.25 time, and twice I’ve blown up and failed really quickly. One was only about 3 miles, the other about 6. Now I’m thinking that 1.26 was just a Garmin blip.
My plan says to run 18 miles tomorrow, first 11 at 7.45 then pick up the pace, 7.00, 6.55, 6.50, 6.50, 6.45, 6.45. cool down 8.00.
Instead I’m going to try and run it at sub 3, which is 6.50. I can try and pick up the pace at the end if I’m still going.
I have to know. If I can do the 18 at sub 3 it’s in the bag, if not then I’ve got issues.
It doesn’t help that we are in the middle of another heatwave. It’s not so much the daytime temperatures, (which are ridiculous for NW UK) but the fact it’s not cooling down overnight. I’ve had a terrible sleep and tonight it is still going to be 20C at 04.00. I’ve just checked and the lowest it’s getting is 06.00- 07.00 which is 19C. So I’m going to get very little sleep, then have to get up at say 05.20, to give myself the best chance.
I’m not posting this until after I’ve done the run. Oh boy. If it’s not a good result I am going to be flapping.
In other news, work has finally returned to normal. Well, now it’s going through the roof, to be honest. They’ve finally got the machinery running and are thrashing out the bugs as they go. We are going to be taking work off everyone else soon, so it should be a safe bet from here on in. I’ve had 3 weeks of 5 days. In fact they tried to sneak a 6th shift in, and they sent out a text asking drivers to recommend a friend for a £250 bonus, so they are clearly struggling already. My shifts have migrated slightly. I was on 07.00-ish starts at first, but now I seem to be 10.30-ish. Which is kind of ideal. I can get up at 07.00 and do my 8 miles before work. It means I’ve got no life at the other end of shift, just shower, tea and bed, but I’m at least managing to run and work. As Morticia said, I’m just a modern woman who wants it all; to run, work, home life, and …
I saw this a few days ago. Not long now.
My shoulder is still all bunched up from the break. Ho hum.
Lisa is over the covids but said she is constantly exhausted now. Poor sausage. She had it rough.
I narrowly avoided being conned by this totally convincing text scam.
The UK continues it’s plummet into a dystopian, fascist, corporate hellscape.
But, of course, there is nothing the UK government could possibly do…
Oh.
The outgoing Fuhrer denied handing over top secret documents after slipping his watchers and flying to a meeting with a KGB official, who’s son he later ennobled.
The new Fuhrer has said of the energy bills (projected to be half of the state pension by January) that “profit is not evil,” Thanks Liz, totally got out back.
And they are hyping up how they can’t illegally send immigrants to foreign detention centres, to be murdered off the books, because of pesky “human rights”.
The same morons who gave away our NHS to spite foreigners are eating it up.
Anywho, in non tory evil, there was some fun to be had.
Lieutenant Ahura, legendary for being a black woman on the flight deck, in 60’s racist America, died.
There was a misleading, but mighty impressive looking picture
I was randomly searching dog breeds and found this. A black haired Wookie having a bad hair day.
And I came across my new favourite account. Someone finding all the best insults on the internet.
And finally, I took some snaps of the garden. As usual it’s a bit of a mess overall, no order to it, but there are spots of lovely.
Right. I’ll update this tomorrow. Fingers crossed. Final thought.
Later,
Buck.
The result: bad. Very bad. Another terrible sleep, which probably didn’t help, but the fact is I set out to run 18 miles at 6.50m/m. It took me everything I had not to quit, it was so hard. I finally found some mental mojo at 9 miles but I just couldn’t hold the pace. It was all I had to hold it together for a half marathon (13.1 miles) and even then I couldn’t get it under 1.30. I finished, failed, in 1.30:22 . That’s 3 attempts, 3 fails. My speed and fitness are going backwards. Now I’m worried. I’m changing back to The Advanced Marathoning plan immediately and just hope I can make it up. At least now I know and can do something about it. I’ve got 9 weeks until my target marathon. If I fail then I’ve still got 10 weeks until the end of the year. I am really doubtful I’m going to do it now. Ah well, if it was easy it wouldn’t be a challenge.
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