I had a run worked out on ‘Gmaps pedometer’ (a site that lets you plot your exact route, allowing you to zoom in and click it turn by turn if you are following a path or otherwise not on a road.) The same route I was running before I buggered my knee. It worked out as 20 miles, when I did it more exactly it was 20.1 miles.
Since those heady days I have done one ten miler, rested for three weeks then ran two more ten milers.
Yesterday being the last day off of my long weekend I was supposed to do a half IM distance tri. I did the 1.2 mile swim in the morning then couldn’t really motivate myself for the 56 mile ride and 13 mile run. Then it started raining. I was doing a sterling job of prevarication in fact, then my Triathletes World magazine arrived and inspired/ guilt-tripped me.
I looked on Gmaps and worked out where 3.1 miles was from our house. Then set off on my run.
I left a note for Wendy saying that I was going to go out for a run, if my knee was up to it do a half (13 miles) if it still felt alright do the full lap (20 miles) and if I could manage it do a full marathon (26.2 miles).
For a change, first time ever in fact, I set off at a good pace. Normally I set off too fast and have to struggle the first mile or so as I wait to fall into a comfortable rhythm. I got to the five mile point doing dead on 8 minute miles and hardly breaking a sweat so decided to keep going. Same pace by the 6.6 mile mark, at the end of my lap one minute off the pace. I carried on for the final 6.2 miles. That was hard. I ran within 100 yards of our house after 20 miles (2 hours 41 minutes of running) and had to force myself to carry on.
I did.
It was fair horrible, but I kept going. When I turned around to do the last 3 miles home it really kicked in though. By the last mile I was seeing my time slipping away and shouting “COME ON!” at myself but I just couldn’t go any faster.
I did it in 3 hours 31 minutes, 21 seconds. To put that in perspective, the Ironman world champion can run that in 2 hours 36 (after a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike ride!) and the national average time for a marathon I read recently is around 4 hours 30.
So not to shabby compared with some, piss poor compared with the best. I have to think that he is THE best in the world and that is all he does, professionally train for triathlons. And he’s ugly*.
All well and good. From out of nowhere I went out and did a (until the last few miles) really comfortable run, well within my limits, and never really thought that I couldn’t go the whole distance. And I maintained a 8 minutes 4 seconds average.
Quite pleased with myself for a first attempt.
Then, as I am an honest sort and don’t want to be making false claims, I went and checked the whole route out again.
The bastard has shrunk! 19.3 miles and 6 miles dead! 25.3 miles in other words, not 26.2!
Devastated!
That means I didn’t run a marathon and my average time plummeted to 8 minutes 40 seconds a mile!
Totally miffed.
On the bright side, my knee hasn’t knackered up. Ice pack and ibuprofen and I’m good to go.
Ho hum,
Buck.
*He may not be ugly.
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