So since my last post I have been training a decent amount but not enough to see an improvement on my half marathon time so I really am turning it up this week but rather than focusing on mileage I'll be concentrating on speed work and some hill training (BOO). I have also been squeezing in 3/4 core workouts a week, I was doing a variety of crunches but have decided to switch back to Pilate's for my core work as it's relaxing and far more enjoyable! I will have a serious abs for bikini time!
So as part of my lead up to the Half marathon I scheduled a 10k race into my schedule which I did on Sunday. This was my first 10k in 4 years and although I am older I had high hopes for this one. I was aiming for sub 55mins but hoping for around the 53 minutes but I was possibly too ambitious with my target times. As the temperatures soared and the wind was bloody strong I should of factored how that would impact on my running.
After a mile stroll to the start I was fully hydrated (I checked my wee and everything) had eaten a small breakfast and was raring to go, I was so nervous for this race, probably because I felt I had so much to prove to myself and as I set out I was feeling good. It turned out it was full of proper runners and at one point I felt like everyone had overtaken me, after a quick glimpse behind I still had a good load of people behind me so I was adamant I was going to stick to my race plan.
The plan was to run between 8.30/9 min miles for the 1st 4 miles and aim for sub 8.30 in the closing stages and the first mile was looking good and the heat started to get to everyone, I was overtaking a lot as they had set out too fast or had realised the extent of the heat and wind. I spent the next mile still comfortably running my race and noticed people were overtaking me again, I had slowed down. By now I was seriously needing water, I had a stitch at 2.5 miles just as the big hill loomed. I knew I could tackle the hill, it was a bit harsh but doable without walking..... halfway up it the headwind was determined to push me back down, I started to overtake again and raced to the top knowing there was a water station at the top and there it was, a glowing beacon, my saviour in the extreme conditions. I reached for my cup and slowed down to saviour the cool liquid.... all 1 inch of it...WHAT... I wanted to run back and get more water, I'd been robbed of my water :(
Despite this disappointment I soldiered on, thank god for the down hill... by mile four and after a ridiculously small cup of water again I was struggling, I knew it was from lack of water and got angry that the race hadn't provided for me sufficiently. Mile 5 was a slog, I was playing cat and mouse with a runner until we got to the 6th mile when I went for the final push and left her eating my dust....HA!. I could see how much I had slowed in those miles and pushed myself to the max but with dehydration looming I knew it was nigh on impossible to get my time. SO I got 55:31 which to me was disappointing, I know I could of done better but such as life, it was very tough conditions and with a decent amount of water I would of done better and lest we forget this was my first barefoot race!!
SO after that disappointment I was quite poorly the rest of the day and all day Monday but about 5 litres of water I seemed to snap out of it...
So today I set out again and made some adjustments to my running gait after reading some advice, I wasn't really looking at times but got a good time and a big improvement from previous runs in the past month or so I will probably keep working at that for a few weeks. Other than that I have a 12 miler planned this weekend, and alot of core work over the next few months. Determined to get that sub 50 minutes by the end of the year!!!
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