So because I ‘went for drinks’ instead of ‘went for a run’ on Monday night I am now in the less than enviable position of trying to make up mileage at the end of the week. Tacked 5km onto my normal hill repeats.
Running notes
My house – Bellvue Street – 5 x 600m hill repeats – My house
Distance: 11km
Felt a bit better once I’d started.
Running notes:
Route: My house – Kloof Nek – Camps Bay Drive – Victoria Road – Camps Bay Drive – Kloof Nek – My house
Distance: 15km
‘Ha, bet you didn’t see that coming!’ said Justin. Er that’s right, because I couldn’t see anything through the sweat dripping into my bulging, bloodshot eyes. He’d got me lifting the 24kg kettle bell into a ‘goblet grip’ (who knew such a term existed?) and doing squats until my bum very nearly touched the floor. Ladylike it was not.
Notes:
360 Training
The old ones have had it. After the 100km week I’d started to feel the grit on the pavement through the soles, I’ve also picked up a sore muscle over my left hip so it was time. Ideally I wanted to get new shoes no more than 6-8 weeks out from Comrades. Enough time to wear them in but not enough time to wear them out. I might have to buy another pair now. Damn. Shoes only last 600-800km. I bought the last ones in late August, so I know I’ve done 1200-1300km in those and the hip is telling me I should have bought new ones in January. Oh well, it’s just that they are so bloody expensive.
The man in the shop told me ‘don’t worry you’ll get used to them soon enough’. But, I’m spending R1300 on a set of running shoes that I don’t like the colour of! I’d never dream of paying that for a pair of leather shoes that would probably outlive me, yet here I am dropping a ton of cash on a pair that are so bright you’ll see them coming before I do. Will they make me go faster? No. Will they my me look good? No. Will they be my constant companions over the next 4 months? Yes. Will they get me to the start line of The Comrades Marathon? Yes. So, quit bitching, put them on and get outside.
Running notes:
Route: My house – Kloof Nek – Camps Bay Drive to 7/11 – Kloof Nek – Signal Hill – Kloof Nek – My house
Distance: 21km (Okay, the new bright shoes felt really nice)
I’m not going to lie to you, I did go out to beat the PB I got at Top Form 10km three weeks ago. I just can’t help myself.
I wasn’t surprised when I didn’t considering:
a) I ran the Peninsula Marathon two weeks ago and ‘they’ do say it takes at least 6 weeks for a marathon to leave the legs. Remember, the international elite marathon crew never do more than two a year and those boys are doing 150-200km a week in training.
b) I followed the Peninsula up with a 100km training week
c) I didn’t sleep well due to the bergies on the street having a fat conversation about god knows what at 3am
d) The start was a shambles
But I did come in at 46:58! So given the points above, not bad at all and only 13 seconds slower than my PB. Pretty happy with that as it demonstrates my training is going well and I’m managing to pace consistently. Speaking of which, I had two complete strangers stop me in the finishing chute, one slapped me on the back and the other shook my hand, to tell me that they’d stuck with me in the last kms in order to get a good time. This is not the first time its happened, but at least these guys weren’t breathing down my neck. There is absolutely nothing worse than being shadowed on a race. You can see them in the corner of your eye but they never overtake, you move to the right, they move to the right. Argh! Anyway, next time I’m going to take a sign out saying ‘Carpenter’s pacing bus R20’.
Running Notes:
Route: Couple of loops around Century City and Canal Walk Mall
Distance: 10km
Time: 46:58
Just up Kloof Nek and back this morning.
Running Notes
My house – Kloof Nek – My house
Distance: 8km
Found them pretty easy this morning, probably because I’ve got myself pretty worked up about a bunch of problems outside running. Used the up and downs as thinking time.
Running Notes:
Route: Bottom of Bellevue Street – 5 x 600m hill repeats
Distance: 6km
Sweltering this evening, we had a high during the day of 35˚ so it was probably hovering around that when I set off to do a fast 10km on the promenade. I’m helping at next week’s race so the organisers get to run the course a week in advance. The idea was to get under 50 mins (came in at 49:03) so was pleased with that.
Running notes:
Route: Winchester Mansions – 1km towards the pool then turn – Newport Deli – Promenade to the bottom of Seacliffe Road – Winchester Mansions
Distance: 10km
Had a bit of a draining two or three weeks at work and it really showed in today’s session. Found it really hard.
Notes:
360 Training
Still a bit slow and tired, but we had a good run and a catch up through the park and along the promenade. Tafelberg road was out of the question as the wind was howling up there.
Running notes:
Route: Virgin Active car park – stadium – Mouille Point Lighthouse – Seacliffe Road – Virgin Active
Distance: 11km
Gave myself a day off yesterday. Which was great on the legs, less great on my life as I spent the rest of it in the office. Ran a nice, easy 15km this morning, legs felt strong again and I bounced up and down the hills. Spending all of today in the office, so I can’t wait to feel exhausted again this week. Woo hoo to no weekends!
Running notes:
Route: My house – Kloof Nek – Signal Hill – Kloof Nek – My house
Distance: 15km
Thank the lord. It’s been one hell of a week inside and outside the running.Exhausted doesn’t quite cover it.
Running Notes:
Route: My house – Kloof Nek – 1km over the top – Kloof Nek – My house
Distance: 10km
Felt like a very long run. Bumped into Andreas on the mountain, so at least the conversation helped. 90km down / 10km to go
Running Notes:
Route: Kloof Nek – Cable station – End of Tafelberg Road – Cable Station – Kloof Nek
Distance: 13km
Half asleep this morning though the legs are almost back to normal, and had a nice quick trot around town. Not sure if I’m going to be feeling that fresh tonight when I need to do 13km… 77km done / 23km to go.
Running notes:
Route: My house – Camp Street – Buitengracht Street – Wale Street – My house
Distance: 5km
Needed something flat and easy this morning. Getting up at 5am was pretty bad today. 72km done / 28km (and two days) to go.
Running notes:
Route: Molteno Reservoir
Distance: 6km
Comrades and other short stories 