Niamh rang me from Tralee on Sunday; our car’s clutch had given up while she was there with Maia and the boys. Luckily we are still with the AA (and even better, that’s the Automobile Association rather than Alcoholics Anonymous), and she got it towed to our mechanic and 48 hours use of a replacement car for free. I managed to pick the fixed car up yesterday evening. I had to run there – one more reason why it’s good to have a runner in the house, as I had to point out to Niamh.
The weather in the last few days has been … challenging. I got kind of lucky yesterday because by pure chance I managed to coincide my easy run in the morning with a break in the rain and only had to deal with the gale force wind as a result. Running up and down the Ard-na-Sidhe road three times was soon getting old though. I have done that same mile-long stretch of road far too often this week.
I therefore tried to think of an alternative route for today’s HMP intervals, but did not come up with anything. If the wind had quietened down overnight I would have gone to Cromane instead, but that’s totally exposed and the wind is coming straight from the Atlantic, so back to Ard-na-Sidhe it was. The first interval went okay, but I got fed up with trying to avoid all those potholes and opted for the Caragh Lake road towards home for the second repeat. Just as I was passing our driveway I spotted one of our neighbours slowly cycling along. I was astounded that he would go cycling in that weather, and he was astonished that I managed to overtake him while running, even on a slightly downhill stretch. Sadly, the rest of the second fast segment didn’t go quite as well, and I missed my target pace of 6:40 by a few seconds. I guess I should be content though; it was faster than last week.
I’m skipping the long run this week because I don’t want to wear myself out before Sunday’s half-marathon. On the road early today I reckoned it would have made more sense binning the tempo workout instead, because now I’m running HMP twice within four days. However, by that time it was too late to swap and I went ahead with the workout.
At least the worst of the weather is supposed to be behind us; at least for now. But I can still expect to get wet on Sunday. That way I can decide if I really prefer racing in the rain to racing on the hottest day of the year, which was the case last year.
- 10 Sep
- am: 8 miles, 1:05:51, 8:14 pace, HR 141
pm: 2.5 miles, 20:14, 8:06 pace, HR 140 - 11 Sep
- am: 11.3 miles, 1:22:13, 7:17 pace, HR 160
incl. 2x3.75 miles @ 6:38, 6:44
pm: 5 miles, 37:58, 7:35 pace, HR 142
Do I smell yet another PR in the offing or will you sabotage it with yet another hard workout? I hope conditions are good for you (not hot) so you can get a proper test in. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on Sunday. I reckon you're in shape to shave something off the PB - maybe a 1:26-low?
ReplyDeleteHope the 1/2 went well and gives you hope of breaking the 3 hour barrier!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment on LANCE ARMSTRONG BUT; despite the drug suspicions that i guess will always hang over him, you can’t take away the fact that this guy is a true fighter a gun slinging anti hero like Clint Eastwood in THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY!
Drugs have been part of the tour since its inception, just read any of the old books on the riders and the great race, the drugs rightly or wrongly just add to the intrigue and mystery of this awesome race, how can you expect anyone to survive let alone race day after day through rain, burning sun, incredible mountain stages and time trials that the average club rider would need days to recover from.
Read the book by PAUL KIMMAGE ‘ a rough ride’ to find out what riding the tour without drugs would be like!
I don’t feel that taking drugs in this race is cheating, this race is inhuman , the public want to see the gladiators fighting to the death and thats what they get, and LANCE is the altermate anti hero, the fastest draw in the wild west