Training Log Archive: Canadian

Event: OOC Classic Event: Britannia Park/Mud Lake
 

Theoretically this was orienteering but I know the map like the back of my hand and it was an easy course. When you look at the map roughly once every minute or two it doesn't count as orienteering.

Long Advanced - Splits

Event: Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 5k and 10 k
 

Roughly 20 minutes stretching and then an additional few minutes rolling my back with a tennis ball.

Had a reach goal of 17 flat with an admittedly more realistic goal of 17:30 which I gave myself after struggling a bit on Wednesday and realising how tight I was through the hips and back. Nonetheless set myself up well (as best I could anyway) this week for a good performance. The weather cooperated too which was nice!

Ended up not quite meeting my 17:30 goal which was a bit disappointing but given that I can't remember when I last raced a 5k and haven't raced any real road race in a few years I'm happy enough with the result. I think the biggest difference I could have made would be through additional road racing experience. I started in the 4th or 5th line in the first corral (which I knew was too far back) but was too timid to push my way through to the front. Had to weave through people out of the start and then went out a bit too hard. The plan was to shoot for that 17:00-17:10 time with a 3:25-3:30 pace and see what happens but I started to fast. My plan was probably slightly too aggressive as well. Finally I looked at my watch and over-reacted to the pace (which I know fluctuates) too often.

The following are my km splits from my watch:
3:28 (crowded start and uphill)
3:17 (downhill)
3:29
3:40 (starting to struggle to keep the pace)
3:41 (really fighting to keep a decent pace to the end)

C • Great race Jeff! 8

Warm-up through the crazy crowds.

A wee bit of cool down.

First part of this was fine (nothing special but the exercise wasn't to hard) and I was doing a good job of using my compass and working on good compass habits.
Then we get to the start of the corridor and there's extra construction blocking it. Run back and forth for a bit trying to figure it out and then go back to let the next person know and relay it on. I never stopped and reset my focus so the rest of the exercise was quite sloppy. Not good enough.

That did NOT feel good today. Felt amazing during the warmup but whenever I accelerated into the intervals I really had to fight to keep the speed up. Fight and stay relaxed. I was really tensing up, especially through the hips. Then I got a cramp on my right side at about 20 minutes. I fought through to 39 minutes where I crossed the bridge and the called it quits.

Will need to do lots of stretching between now and Saturday and focus on relaxing and and opening up the stride during the race to hit 17 minutes.

C • Sat Race? 3

Was feeling good so just went with it.

10-15 minutes of running kids from station to station.

Easy ride - felt slow today.

Not much but I did get something in which is better than I can say most days over the past month.

C • Hurray! 1