Update for the 'double weekend'

I haven't posted much in the last few weeks but I have been doing a bit of running in the mornings but I would not call it training.

Although I have started up Wednesday mornings again with JD and Proff and despite all the statements before we start about a slow lap we still seem to get around in just over 31. Maybe we should just agree to go hard and all get back below 30.

For the 4th time I have done the Bush Capital marathon on Saturday and then the M7 on Sunday. I always have doubts about what I am doing and whether I will finish either let alone both but I did it and much easier than I thought. In both I finished much stronger than I should have from the lack of real training I have done over the last month.

Without going into too much detail Canberrra was about a minus 6 Celsius start but clear blue skies and still. I finished in 4.10 that was 25 minutes faster than last year !!!!. The course had been changed but not enough to make that much of a difference. I just did not tire over the last 10k.

Sunday was again a minus degree start. I felt okay in fact I felt very good with no stiffness etc. My plan was to stay around the 4 hour mark for a long as I could. I started with the 3.45 pace in front of me and decided to run just behind him until I slowed and was caught by the 4 hour pacer. The 5.20k pace we were running at was comfortable? It should have been a struggle.

Anyway the 5k splits to 30k were between 26.11 - 26.46. That meant I was shoulder to shoulder with the 3.45 pacer at 30k. I then thought about how I felt, what I had done the day before and that last 12k. I made a decision that I felt very good and just increased the pace slightly and was able to maintain just on 5.00 minute pace to the end. The 5k splits between 30 - 40k were bang on 25 minutes each.

Did that feel good to move from 122nd at 32k to 88th at the finish.

A few days off and another marathon on Sunday.