Trails 1:39:23 [4] 16.89 km (5:53 / km) +600m 5:00 / km
ahr:159 max:178 shoes: Mizuno Waverider 13
Glanageenty
Plan was to run 2 laps but ended up doing 3, oops!!!
Nice evening so shorts and tshirt again. Went for runners this week after last weeks blisters due to sand in the Inov8s. Been dry so grip wasn't going to be an issue this week. Body didn't have circuits hanging over it so that made a big difference too.
Felt comfortable on the first lap, no real issues, strong on the uphills, particularly the ones coming back along the river, the little kicks. Some lad in a jeep parked inside the gate when I was getting read to go, so when I ran past his jeep he had started off walking or running. I reckoned he was running so the plan was to catch up with him, but no sign of him, and his jeep was gone when I finished the lap. He must have done the short lap, otherwise I would have had to see him at some stage, if not catch him! Felt really short of breath on the second big hill for some reason.
Onto the second lap and i'd the forest to myself. Kept a nice pace going. Met a man jogging against me in the felled area. At this stage my head had decided that 2 laps wasn't enough and that i'd do a short lap as extra. Into the woods by the road and I spotted 2 lads coming down the road parallel to me, no way was I letting lads on a road get to the forest entrance before me so had a decent pace on the descent, no slips this time. Got there before them. I should also note that my left calf and right knee were not too happy with themselves near the phone mast.
So hit the lap on the watch and headed off for a short lap, I noticed the 2 lads stopped to stretch as I kept going. Changed my mind again and decided to do a long lap, a first for me to do 3. Body actually was feeling alright, no real tiredness to speak of. Maybe I calmed down on the hills and increased some of the flat speed on this lap. Met the 2 lads coming against me just below the road after I crossed it from the left side. So my target was to get back to my car before they did. Again nice pace along the river. Bit slower up the big hill after the river, had a sneaky stop to see if I could see the lads across on the far side, no sign, so I reckoned they were on the climb in the forest or past it. Onto the open and down the hill towards the car, and a bit more calmly this time. Got to the car and hit the lap, no sign of the lads.
Did a couple of minutes of a warmdown back along the track before getting some extra gear on for the drive home, still no sign of the lads. Left calf is now quite sore this evening.
And for the interesting part, the lap times:
1- 32.21
2- 32.44
3- 32.12
All laps in the same minutes, 30 seconds between the times, consistent, and the last lap was the fastest, reckoned it was going to be a 34. So very happy with my evenings run, and to be honest I think it's probably one of the longest training runs i've ever done.