Rest of year target time.

So, been thinking. Time wise I've had a good year (if you ignore marathons where I've been awful due to mainly lack of prep/training). I've hit PBs at almost every distance I've run, and now the year is beginning to come to a close... what's my end of year target. Well...

5k - Sub 21

I rarely run a 5k, and as a result my times are both not the best and probably not 100% representative of my ability. I'd imagine I have another 20/30 seconds in me if I did the distance regularly. Or it wasn't the Merthyr parkrun course as that's not the flattest or fastest...

So there's the target, sub 21 by end of year, or collapse trying (not really).

10k - Sub 45

PB has been lowered to 45:26 which realistically was better than I thought at the start of the year. But still have at least 1 maybe 2 left to push on. Swansea is historically one of my better efforts so if I'm going lower it may be there. I'll have to combat my usual attempt to convince myself I'm about to die moment I get in every race, even when I'm not.

Lowering it to Sub 45 would make me a happy camper, and as I'm not exactly getting any younger, may be a peak!

Actual picture of me in Merthyr 10k

Half Marathon - Sub 1:41

The 1:43 PB in Swansea wasn't an amazing run, I cramped at one point, I lost focus at one point, the pacer was all over the shop... So I can do better, whether a better more even run with no cramp will be faster remains to be seen, but you'd hope so. I'm never going under 1:40 I accepted that a long time ago, but I can try my best to get close.

Cardiff is last effort for the year so I'll say 1:41?

Others

Face focus.. I have none, my warm ups are awful (Merthyr was about my best ever... and got me a PB) so that needs fixing. My head is generally in the shed mid race, that needs fixing. I'll work on both of these for the rest of the year as well. It'll be ok.

Race report - Merthyr 10k

Auto-correct wants to change the name to the Merry 10k. Think that's a bit far...

I've come to the conclusion I like a 10am start, I'm far more awake and I can't taste my breakfast anymore during the warm up. Getting up an hour earlier is a struggle so, best take advantage of these ones.

So it's the weekend morning and I'm at Merthyr leisure center... parkrun time... wait no. It's Sunday. It's Merthyr 10k time. I rock up, have a chat for 10 with my former club mates (out in force, a great site) and then set off on my mile warm up.

After a canter and a further chat we made our way to the start line, mere yards away from the parkrun one and we were off. Well everyone else was off, I was not paying attention and was caught off guard, and too far back... oops, schoolboy errors!

After that a brisk downhill start got me going and I got into my stride quite well, my usual doubting in my head didn't start til later than normal and for not as long as usual! I was able to keep a pretty even pace throughout and pushed for the finish with not all that much left. Think I did it quite well.

On course I picked up far more places than I lost and it felt... fine! Good almost. The course wasn't flat, but you'd not call it anything past... bumpy. Caerphilly and 1/2 of Treforest are far worse for difficulty. This was an opportunity and I feel I took it quite well.

Perked up at the finish as the wife n kids were waiting to cheer me in which is always a boost at the end.

So how did I do:

Targets were:

Baseline:  52:51

Achievable: 48:00

Would be nice, but maybe beyond me this time: 46:00

and I did:


Happy camper! Can never argue with a PB, but even though I still think I can go quicker. If I can sort my head in the middle of the race, I think there's more in the tank.

Things to improve of course, basic speed is still lacking, even though light years ahead of where it was, and concentration / focus in the middle where I always seem to think I'm about to collapse even though I'm perfectly fine. I'm odd.

Suppose we'll see if I get into Swansea, that's flatter and faster!

Race Day Preview - Merthyr 10k

There are many benefits to a local race, especially one that starts at 10am. Little travel, more time in bed...

There are also downsides, as in there's not a flat 3 miles in Merthyr to have the course on!

Anyway, this Sunday, tomorrow if you will, I will be participating in my 3rd ever Merthyr 10k! Never having ran particularly well in the event!

It's a stretch of trail I've run 100s of times but this time I get to pay for the privilege! I don't think there's chip timing either...

Last year I ran it in a very beatable 52:52, slower that my Caerphilly 10k of the same year. I don't know either. I'm thinking I should be under that. The course is a little up and down, but nothing I don't know every inch of and shouldn't pose as much of an issue as say, the first half of treforest, especially as it looks like being cool/wet.

So, Targets?

Baseline:  52:51 - I'll be annoyed to go slower, even with rubbish prep

Achievable: 48:00 - Caerphilly was rough, I should be faster here 

Would be nice, but maybe beyond me this time: 46:00, nudge a PB? Can't see it but I'll sure as hell go for it!

No number as it's a collect on the day deal. May be my last unattached race, who knows!

I would walk 500 miles...

For the record I didn't walk many of them!

It was a warm Tuesday evening on a field in Aberdare, probably mid way through a 3 minute effort when a milestone was hit. 500 miles for the year (well 502 now) are in the bag and this is despite me being very lazy of late.

Last few weeks the mileage hasn't been large, I hadn't been to training (no Aberdare since Tenby, 1 session with Merthyr which more convinced me, as enjoyable as it was, I need to be training not doing social runs) no real motivation to get going on my own.

I started going again with a nice 6 miles, including the slip road, which is a mile and a half of reasonable incline... I was awful but still a slightly better awful than I used to think was ok.

Even if I fell apart now it's been a passable year, 5k, 10k, and HM PBs, so let's not get down, work through the last few months!

Snowdon is off, place sold (for external reasons) which is a little disappointing but needed to be done. So my last big effort booked for the year is the Roman Run (16 miles, 2nd Sept), no doubt there'll be more and I suppose this half open the door for the Merthyr Marathon...

But this week I returned to AVAAC and ran quite well, the break showed a bit! But I got going at least to a reasonable level during the session. I'm beginning the process of joining Aberdare too, be nice to be with a club again as... well I miss not paying full price for races, all those £2s and £3s add up!

This weekend I'm run directing for Merthyr parkrun, planning on running there in the morning, hangover dependent, followed by taking oldest sprog out for a run in the day. Then... a race! The Merthyr 10k, 10am Sunday. Expect a separate post, but I'm not confident for the previous not really training reasons.