It’s the worst case of “too little, too late” that I can remember. I was reading some of my earlier running posts and I’m shocked at how frequently I fail to heed my own advice.
What’s absolutely clear is that this year’s Great North Run is a write off. I’m disregarding my time and I’ll be perfectly happy to get around in two hours. Given that my PB of 1:32 was two years ago and that I really wanted to break 1:30 this year, that is a huge disappointment.
My plan now is to get an entry into the Brass Monkey (Jan 2010) and work hard on pace between now and then. In reality, there’s still insufficient time to train for a sub 1:30, but I must improve on the time I’m about to log for a half marathon.
All of that said, GNR is a wonderful event and I’m really looking forward to next weekend!
6.5m | 56:39 | 8:42 | 166bpm | Marathon Pace
Quick (slow) four miler at lunchtime today. Still very warm for running and feeling the weekend’s hilly and “long” runs in my legs a little.
It’s remarkable how unfit I’ve become in such a short space of time (compare the heart rate to the pace – it’s hysterical). I find it hard to believe that I was running 90 mile weeks less than a year ago.
There’s only one thing for it. More of the same.
4m | 34:48 | 8:41 | 174bpm | 10k HR Zone
6.5m | 56:50 | 8:38 | 172bpm
It’s probably time to check myself in! I can’t believe the heart rate I’ve recorded today given the (slow) speed. 172bpm takes me into 10k pace, but I’m running significantly slower than I ran the NYC marathon (8:28). I knew I’d lost some form and today was quite warm, but that heart rate is incredible. All of which leads me to the inevitable conclusion. I need a plan.
I’m going to spend some time revisiting some of my old training logs tonight and figure out a strategy. If I’m to improve on last year’s GNR time (let alone achieve a PB and complete in less than 1:32) there’s a huge amount of work to do. And my diet needs some attention too.
