Sub 1:30 Half Marathon in 2018 (Read 704 times)

    Nice one Mark. Big PB.

     

    Jmac did you read the vaporfly review on sub 3 thread ?

    http://www.doctorsofrunning.com/2018/03/nike-vaporfly-4-review-does-it-live-up.html?fbclid=IwAR2q6EY6LO-pmbZ2Z7F42ZSEJKX7s8oWswck4Zt3RVU3FRVfU4dXJ_v4VHk

    55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

    " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

    Somewhere in between is about right "      

     

    Marky_Mark_17


      Race report – Corporate Challenge 5km Auckland 2018

       

      Driving up to the Auckland Domain, a few spits of rain start. It’s been threatening a bit all day, but fortunately we can walk most of the way from the carpark to the event under tree cover.  While ~1.5km of the course is on grass, we had a very dry spell until race day (!) so I’m not expecting this will turn into a surprise cross country.  My wife is currently in the US for work, in which time work for me has gotten unexpectedly flat out with an urgent project. We were exchanging messages just before the race started.  She said ‘I’m expecting a good time because normally when you’re pissed off with work you take it out on the poor pavement’.

       

      Anyway normally this race attracts a particularly social field with maybe 2-3 sub-17 minute runners.  A work colleague has found out Alec Geddes is running, who is a low-mid 33 minute 10k runner, so I figure I’ll be lucky if I can defend my title from last year.  Mostly I’m just aiming for a PB though, as I haven’t raced a 5k since the same race last year.  Like most Auckland races, it’s always a bit of luck as to who actually turns up on the day.

       

      About 10 minutes from the start, the rain starts to get really heavy as I’m doing a warm-up jog.  About 5 minutes from the start, the rain gets REALLY heavy.  It’s actually a little cold, which is not a bad thing but I’ve never watched the clock so much while waiting for the race to start, which it finally does.

       

      Unsurprisingly the usual cadre of inexperienced but competitive bro’s basically sprint out of the gate.  It’s even more obvious when they’re wearing the event t-shirt (hasn’t anyone told them that’s bad luck?!).  I’m basically 10th off the line, and within about 400m I’m 2nd.  There’s a tall guy in a green singlet striding out in front with a few seconds on me already as we turn off the grass (which thankfully is still pretty firm underfoot) and onto the road – I assume this is Alec.  I basically have to make a call now whether I try and go with him but with the first 500m down in not much more than 1:30 I realise that this is likely to be a terrible idea which will result in probable death by the 4km mark.  Normally I’m pretty happy doing my own thing anyway.

       

      The first km comes up in 3:12, which is probably a touch too fast, but on the bright side there’s only 4 more km.  There's a headwind on the straight, the hill up to the museum is short and sharp and there’s a couple of massive puddles on the road here.  The rain is still pouring down too.  Good times.  Coming down past the front of the museum and the Wintergardens is a nice downhill and km 2 is 3:22, which is probably about right given the hill.

       

      Coming up to the finish line to start the lap, I realise the race clock is just over 8 minutes (my actual first half split was 8:04).  This would have me on course for a big PB assuming I don’t blow up.  Alec has built his lead, probably 10-15 seconds now.  My watch (or the course) has also measured slightly short by maybe 20-30m too.

       

      Km 3 was 3:18, which was pretty much where I wanted to be.  I got a bit of a stomach cramp or stitch around this point and I started to remember the things I don’t like about 5km races (a lot of suffering for not much actual running).  I’m wondering whether this is related to the caffeine I took before the race although I had no issues yesterday with it.  One good thing about the rain is that it meant the congestion on the second lap once you start lapping the walkers was mostly pretty negligible, as a lot of people just didn’t show up.  However there is one point where walkers are either side of a massive puddle so I basically just mainlined it straight through the middle of the puddle.  My almost-2-year-old daughter would be so proud of me.

       

      The hill up to the museum really sucked the second time.  It’s only ~20m climb but it’s fairly steep.  Coming shortly after the 3km mark, it also has the impact of bringing the usual end-of-5km race suffering on sooner.

       

      Km 4 is a depressing 3:29, albeit you would expect it to be the slowest of the race.  Thankfully the downhill offers a bit of recovery although there’s still a bit of weaving to be done at this point.  Turning into the home stretch, I realise my watch is just over 16:00, so I’m still on for a PB despite the positive split.  I focus on just pushing hard to the finish and cross the line in second in 16:24 (official time), which is a 19 second PB.  Not the quickest course, but it is the same course I set the original PB on after all.  The positive split across the 2 laps (8:04/8:20) is not nearly as bad as it felt like it was.

       

      After catching up with some of my colleagues, I go for a short recovery jog and I am once again reminded why I do not like 5km races.  Absolute suckage at times during those last couple of km’s, but my legs don’t really feel like they’ve run a race at all!  Oh well, it will be interesting to see how the 5000m track race goes in a month’s time.

       

      Amusingly, the rain stopped around 20 minutes after I finished, the wind disappeared and it was actually a pretty beautiful evening by the time I got home.

      3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)  

      10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)

      * Net downhill course

      Last race: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

      Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

      "CONSISTENCY IS KING"

      CommanderKeen


      Cobra Commander Keen

        Well done, Mark, and nice RR as well.

        5k: 17:58 11/22 │ 10k: 37:55 9/21 │ HM: 1:23:22 4/22 │ M: 2:56:05 12/22

         

        Upcoming Races:

         

         

        JMac11


        RIP Milkman

          Mark - Nice RR.

           

          Keen - I'm surprised how much you're running right after your race, even if it's super light. Don't push too much, no injuries allowed!

           

          Piwi - I saw that review before I bought the shoes. I guess part of me just brushes it off though. These are racing shoes, not training shoes, so it seems to be me it's a bit overblown to worry about injuries or other issues they're talking about. Granted, you are running a marathon in them, but still, I think your daily training / tempo shoes are more important from an injury aspect than what you race in.

          5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

           

           

            Mark you know you are a fast runner when a 3.29 km is depressing  great job on a far from fast course. I think you can take 15 secs off that on the track.

             

            Jmac yes just one guys opinion on the vaporflys but interesting observations. I just thought with your toe injury it may pay to avoid wearing them until you are healed.

            55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

            " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

            Somewhere in between is about right "      

             

            JMac11


            RIP Milkman

              I won't be putting on the Vaporfly until February at the earliest, so it better be healed by then 

              5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

               

               

              SteveChCh


              Hot Weather Complainer

                I hate it when my Garmin beeps and I glance down to see a depressing 3:29!

                5km: 18:34 11/23 │ 10km: 39:10 8/23 │ HM: 1:26:48 9/23 │ M: 3:34:49 6/23

                 

                2024 Races:

                Motorway Half Marathon February 25, 2024 1:29:55

                Christchurch Half-Marathon April 21, 2024

                Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024

                Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024

                JMac11


                RIP Milkman

                  Mark - I forgot to add, I always thought bros were just rampant in the US and sometimes in Europe. I didn’t know they extended to New Zealand!

                  5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

                   

                   

                  Marky_Mark_17


                    I hate it when my Garmin beeps and I glance down to see a depressing 3:29!

                     

                    Ugh, yeah I didn't mean that sentence to come off quite like that!  It was more in the context of it being noticeably slower than the other km's to that point and also below where I needed to be to PB.

                     

                    JMac - you can't escape dem bro's, even down here.

                    3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)  

                    10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)

                    * Net downhill course

                    Last race: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

                    Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

                    "CONSISTENCY IS KING"

                    SteveChCh


                    Hot Weather Complainer

                      haha, I knew what you meant but can't let an opportunity like that go by!

                      5km: 18:34 11/23 │ 10km: 39:10 8/23 │ HM: 1:26:48 9/23 │ M: 3:34:49 6/23

                       

                      2024 Races:

                      Motorway Half Marathon February 25, 2024 1:29:55

                      Christchurch Half-Marathon April 21, 2024

                      Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024

                      Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024

                        Its all right Mark we know 3.29 is a sub par 1km split for you in a 5k 

                         

                        Jmac bro is a very common term in NZ for example I might say to Mark " you ran a sweet as 5k bro wicked "

                        55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

                        " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

                        Somewhere in between is about right "      

                         

                          Hi all, just a quick message to say that I am still around, reading something every now and then (Mark - 3:29 depressing... I wish...) but I had no time to write or constantly read the forum. I will come back but at the moment I have a lot to do in the office and travel is not helping (talking about jet seaters... I am going twice to the US in the first 15 days of December... once in Raleigh Durham and for about a week and once for 3 days in Orlando... how do you fit a marathon training plan in that???)

                           

                          talking about plans, I haven't started yet, but I aim to have a plan ready by beginning of December to run the Belfast city marathon in May 2019. I will use the book suggested here (advanced marathoning) as a guide.

                           

                          I will keep you posted Smile

                          PRs since re-started in 2013:

                          5km: 19:43 (Belfast park run Sep-16) | 10km: 40:16 (Belfast Lagan side 10K Sep-18) 

                          HM: 1:30:09 (Belfast city Half Marathon, September-18) | FM: 3:25:05 (official chip time Belfast city Marathon, May-19, marathon was 0.3/4 longer, original time 3:27:20 for 26.5/6...)

                           

                          Upcoming races:  

                          ???

                            Marco I hope to be starting Pfitz 18/70 in december so we can compare notes 

                             

                            I tried a 6km run on the beach today and had no calf pain. Will try another sunday and see how it feels.

                            55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

                            " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

                            Somewhere in between is about right "      

                             

                            watsonc123


                              Bro, you realise in NZ we finish our sentences with bro bro

                               

                              In other new, my training sucks.  Life (mainly work) is completely killing my time.

                              Its all right Mark we know 3.29 is a sub par 1km split for you in a 5k 

                               

                              Jmac bro is a very common term in NZ for example I might say to Mark " you ran a sweet as 5k bro wicked "

                              PRs: 5km 18:43 (Dec 2015), 10km 39:59 (Sep 2020), half 1:26:16 (Sep 2016), full 3:09:28 (Jun 2015)

                               

                              40+ PRs: 5km 19:31 (Oct 2020), 10km 39:59 (Sep 2020), half 1:29:39 (Jun 2018), full 3:13:55 (Sep 2022)

                               

                              2023 PRs (hope to beat in 2024): 5km 20:34, 10km 41:37, half 1:32:32, full 3:21:05

                               

                              2024 PRs: 5km 20:25

                                Watson bro dont stress it plenty of time for running in the future. Getting your home sorted is more important and you are just young bro.

                                 

                                My calf is feeling better. Im not feeling the tightness or soreness when I first get out of bed. I did an easy 6kms on the beach yesterday and 10kms this morning and didnt notice it.

                                55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

                                " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

                                Somewhere in between is about right "