Training Log Archive: devil

Event: Six Foot Track Marathon
 

Six foot track for the 4th time. Got to the start in reasonable time, but it was already packed with a massive toilet queue so had to do a little warmup run and find some out of the way bushes. Chatted to gramps, steve and brad briefly before heading down to the start. I did my customary slow start and was about 2/3 of the way back in the wave just in front of julie, there were a few people sliding around on the wet steps so I was happy there was someone sure-footed behind me. The descent was a bit less congested than I remember, I certainly didn't want to go any faster. Once out on the wider track I started to make a bit of progress through the field, passing flyer and asking if he was taking it easy until the hills. I was just behind Brad and Jasen when we hit the single track down to the river, we were moving along well as it was still cool although it was humid. Once we were over the river they cleared out up the hill, I decided that I'd try and run the climb as it's my strength so set off steadily, and was gradually picking people off who were walking. By now it was warming up, and after alum creek it was definitely getting harder, but I figured running was better than walking to keep things moving. I went past Jasen who was stopped at the side of the track, I think he'd overcooked the climb, but was on my own a lot of the way up, eventually seeing a couple of other runners at pluviometer. I was drinking the 'tailwind' electrolyte as well as gels and water to try and keep hydrated and maintain salt, but even here I could feel my legs weren't in great shape. I twas about 2h20 into the race so I thought maybe 4 hours was possible if I could do 5 min/km. I was kind of keeping that pace for a while, although I was getting passed a lot more than I was passing, after a few km of the black range road dave baldwin went past looking very fresh, no way was I hanging onto him. It felt like forever to get to the deviation, where I had the last gel and tried to get a big drink. I was starting to get cramps in my calves and feet and had to keep running them out, by this point I know that 4 hours was gone so just tried to keep plugging on. Eventually had to break out the walking on the pinch up to caves road, lucky there was another walker in front so I paced myself up to him. Crossing caves road was a relief as there was a bit of easy downhill, by this stage I wasn't able to take much advantage of it but just kept things moving as best I could while the first woman went past. Then it was onto the steep fire trail down, this was agony as my quads were on fire as well as the various cramping bits, so I lost a lot of time down here. It was a relief to finally hit the path down to the finish and focus on getting down there. Flyer finished just behind me so had picked up a lot of time on the black range road. I was a bit disappointed initially as this was about 20 mins off my time from 3 years ago, but this turned out to be a common story with a lot of the field suffering in the humid conditions, with 15-20 mins slower times.
There was a long wait for the pressoes and the buses back, baldy won M50, julie got W40, then we got a surprise with gramps army getting the men's team prize, with flyer and I making up the 6, so it was worth pushing through the last 10km.
Looking back after a day's rest, I was pretty happy with the run on the day, I gave the 4 hrs a crack and it didn't come off, but I left everything on the track. Perhaps walking more of the hills would have helped, but I didn't run them that hard, so think it was the humidity that had the big effect. 2 more of these and I get the belt buckle!

C • Well done 3

Short ridge run with a couple of 1 minute surges, bit of a cooling breeze which was good

Bilbys lamp loop. I went in medium fast instead of fast, but the bunch was pretty quick today, only 19s off the CR we set a few weeks ago

I think this was a new record for bilbys warmup

Taper set of 4x400(100), didn't feel that flash

C • 6 FT 5

barely troggable drop off and retrieval of car from being serviced