Training Log Archive: Gil

Event: ROC - Dryer Road Park - New Map
 

Warm-up before Out of Bounds half marathon.

Out of Bounds half marathon at Bristol. Started out in lead. Even I was in the lead - it did not feel I was pushing speed. I knew that I will lose ground on uphills but I was hoping to get gain on downhills. However I was concerned how my back will hold up since it was problem entire week. First serious downhill was decent, on second downhill I started to feel my back and I got to go more tentative then I was hoping for. Lost ground on up hill as expected. Next downhill was disaster - I ran so slow that it was not even funny. My legs were holding up good but my back was not anymore. I was considering quitting at the end of the hill since usually downhills are the place where I gain ground and I was losing it on downhill. When I got on the bottom I thought - I am here, if I quit, I doubt I'd go for a run later. So I decided to complete the race instead.

I was 6th at the bottom of the hill. I lost another position since. Worse part of it - when I finished my legs were fine, I was not even dying like I usually do at the end of the running races, I had so much gas left in the tank. It was rather frustrating to feel that way at the end. Highlight of the run - I refueled with liquid carbs at the last aid station.

Choice of shoes was not the best as well. Spikes would be fine - that's what I recalled from last years run - however not half inch ones. Way too many rocks on trails. I had to navigate trails because long spikes were hurting my feet if I constantly hit rocks.

I should have left quarter inch ones in instead. O-shoes would have been the better choice.

Definitely race I could have won or at least be in top-3. Oh well... Moral of the story - got to take better care of my back. It is not like I did not know about my weak spot.

Resting my back.

My back is very weak, so, no sense of trying to heal it by running

Easy Morning Jog with stretching at the end. Girl I am running with is trying to talk me into yoga classes. I am certainly open to the idea to stregthen my core.

Pickup game at Y.

Disastrous Relay race for me. My team-mates got and kept team in contention and I let it slip away. Started less then minute behind Eric Bone. I caught up with him by #2 and I should have stuck with him regardless anything and lose race physically, not technically. However he seemed to zig-zag too much for my liking and I thought I'd cut corners to save some energy. According to John F. I just run by #3. I think I was searching for #3 for about 10 minutes before I found it (I have not checked splits yet). I told myself - don't get frustrated, just keep rest of the course clean. That did not happen - I overshot #4 and could not locate the flag for some time. Then I decided to go back to #3 and repeat my route and all in sudden found it. Pretty much my mood was spoiled for rest of the course. I was running to finish it. I made another blunder on my second loop when instead of picking #15 I got #19 first and was standing there like an amateur trying to figure out why numbers don't match. Not the way to complete the weekend.