Prague Half - Race Report

Well I'm back in the country after 3 days away indulging in delicious food, cold beer, flavoursome shisha and 13.1 miles of city streets. The 13.1 miles on the streets were the worst part by far! I was feeling really good before this one. Saturday morning was a carb loaded breakfast, hanging around a bit (not a fan of Midday starts) and then jumped onto the Metro to the chaos that was around the start. I have to say though, very well organised chaos. The bag check in was quick and painless, the toilet queues weren't utterly horrendous and all looked as if it was going to be a good day for a PB. Then we got to the start and the cobbles. Oh how I will never underestimate how much they can affect your race again. We hung around a man with a Red Balloon with 2:00 printed on it and tied around his shirt and that was my aim... To keep it in my sights for the first half of the race before picking it up in the second and get my PB.

THE RED BALLOON AND THE STARTING CROWD

This is my only gripe with the race organisation. All the runners were lined up by number and not by estimated time which meant that there were a lot of people trying to get to the front from the back and vice versa. This made the first few k's a complete free for all. We set off aiming for 5.35 k's (9 m/m) for the first half and it all seemed to be going well. Eatingtrees' Garmin was saying we were slightly up on time and my pace band said we were spot on for the first 8k so all good. The pain across the top of my foot arrived at around the 3km mark but it wasn't bad enough to stop or slow me. More just awkward. We jogged our way North West of the city along the river that meandered through the city and at this 8-10k point was where the tram lines and cobbles came out in force! These just seem to sap the energy from your legs and ankles.

THE START NEXT TO THE MIDDLE BRIDGE AND THE RIVER MEANDERING NORTH WEST

At 11k I tried to pick up my pace in accordance with my race plan (the race plan was a new concept to me and part of my trying to become a proper runner.... pah!!!) but I just couldn't do it. Every time I picked it up, I had to get myself across 3 sets of tram tracks and the entire path and road covered in cobbles. It was an effort just not to trip up.

I watched as I lost seconds to my pace band at every km sign I past. This is pretty devastating to be honest but I still knew I could get a good time and that alone was pushing me on. Step up 17km marker and a check on the watch. Feeling OK and I could still post a time I would be happy with but I couldn't let myself drop anymore. Continuing back towards the start/finish was long straight roads (read cobbles) and I knew even though I was still 2/3km away, I was nearly there. I turned onto the bridge knowing that the 20km sign would be here somewhere and after dodging not one but two moving trams, the 20km sign was there. Look at the watch time. 1:52:20 ish. I had about 6 minutes to get to the finish or I wouldn't even get the PB I felt I should have got. I really pushed now with everything I had. Up the hills, over the cobbles, through the little tunnels with some great crowd support and there's the blue mat on the floor leading to the finish line. Another look at the watch. 1:58:08. Bollocks! I have only 25 seconds until I lose the PB chance. Now it's head down and give it everything. Running past people, coming to the line, finger on the stop watch... and Stop! 1:58:29! I'd done it. Only just but I'd done it. I had to wait for my official time and that came in at 1:58:30 so a new PB by 3 seconds.

In the end, around 3mins 30s longer than I wanted but a PB none-the-less so job done and on a bloody tough course too.

So will I run it again? Not if I'm aiming for a time no but was Prague worth the visit? Absolutely and I'm glad that I allowed myself to be bullied into it in the end. It's a course that shows you the modern city, the new regeneration work, the classic bridges, the Eastern block style history and of course, the cobbles. They alone, will be my eternal memory of Prague!

THE BLOODY COBBLES AND SOME PEOPLE TRYING TO PRACTICE ON THEM

Just a quickie from Prague

Well that's a bloody tough one! I managed a PB just... By only 4 seconds! My PB now stands at 1:58:29.

Now a rest before an evening of Lebanese food, shisha, mint tea and Staropramen. Bliss! I'll give a full report of the race when I return on Tuesday.

Good luck for Reading tomorrow!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iTouch]

It's Prague o'clock

It's the last day of work and now I'm excited. My foot's stopped hurting enough that I know I can run, I've been doing some research and found some good bars and restaurants (main priorities of most trips have to be feeding my belly and glass of something chilled in the evening), I've looked at where might be cool to visit (Prague's a strange, strange place and includes a torture museum and a spiders and scorpions exhibit) and have also come to terms with sharing a hotel room with eatingtrees for 3 nights.

But this is going to be fun! It seems like it's a big event and has loads of support and I just can't wait. Travelling to different cities to run in events makes all this training worth it. I'm nervous though. I got like this pre Fleet as well but this is more intense. Prague was always the main event this year and I just want to do well. This is PB territory.

I'm sure you've seen eatingtrees' post about the completely unknown weather so I'm packing a little of everything which seems sensible. Who cares though, whatever the weather, it's gonna be great. I'll try and post my time up whilst out there so watch this space and also a massive GOOD LUCK to everyone running the Reading Half on Sunday Morning. My thoughts will be with you as I rest my dull and aching muscles!

Also finally, 14 hours after first checking the website and constantly pressing refresh, I'm in to the Royal Parks Half! £39 is a bit of robbery I reckon but the event is well supported and good fun and also has a place in my heart as it was my first ever HM when I did it last year so to be honest I had to pay it really. It's also the place I want to meet my goal of 2009 and if I do that, I certainly won't care about £39 at all!!! See you in a few days!!!

This is getting annoying now!!

I seem to have done something to my foot during Fleet. Across the top of my left foot (approx in line with my middle toe) my foot is really painful when pushed and also now when I walk. It was sore for a day or so after Fleet and then seemed fine and then when I went for a run on Saturday morning, the pain came back immediately and now it just won't go away. It won't stop me running Prague (5 days YAY!!!) but just means that ibuprofen will be eaten as if they were jelly babies!

I've done plenty of research over the weekend and i've discounted the following: 1)Shoes too tight: My trainers are always relatively loose through the middle part of my foot as just one of the weird things about my feet is that I have extremely high arches. 2)Broken Metatarsal: I can walk and run without falling and rolling around on my back. Therefore, not enough pain to be broken. 3)Me being lazy: I was really looking forward to running tomorrow with eatingtrees but I don't think it's a good idea until Prague now so that idea's buggered too!

Assumptions: It's something to do with muscles/tendons in the top of my foot and I intend to rest it and ice it until Prague.

As I said though, I won't let it change the run. I'll still be aiming for a PB and my reward?? Well that will a few days of Staropramen, Shisha and feeding my geeky love of bridges!!

As a side note, my run on Saturday (8.74 miles, 1:17:56, 8.55 m/m) was interesting to say the least. My entire route was blocked with rowers and their 8 man boats (I'm sure there's a more technical name other than '8 man boat' but you ain't gonna get it from me). Therefore I spent the entire route trying to not be hit in the head with oars and boats as they moved them around and then by the time I got to the home stretch towards Putney Bridge, I had to deal with the General Public, their dogs, their grandkids and the numerous snack stalls set up all along the river too. Twas Madness I tell you!!! I found an article in the paper on Sunday saying there were over 400 boats. 400!!! Thats over an extra 3200 people to dodge not including the public! ARGH!!! Leave my river route alone. Well at least until around 9/9.30am once I've got home to my coffee and my sausage muffin!!

NOTE: I'm aware that 'sausage muffin' and my previous post about weight loss don't quite go together but I assure you... it's an extremely good painkiller. So there!

When I grow up, I wanna be a proper runner

I know many proper runners. You know, the 1:3x:xx Half Marathon types. I'm not one of them and never will be but I'd like to at least be a better runner. See I have a dream. My dream is for my PB for a half to start 1:4x:xx by the end of 2009. I have 3 more HM's set for this year (Prague, Down Tow Up Flow and then the Royal Parks). Obviously I can't count Prague as that's in 8 days and taking 8 and a half minutes off in 8 days is not very likely. DTUF is at the end of July and I'm thinking it will be pretty warm but could may be a chance to get in the low 1:50's but not under that. So it looks like it could all come down to Royal Parks. Which is a lot of pressure on one race so firstly I'm thinking of doing the Surrey Badger in Sept (which I'm sure will delight my g/f) but secondly and more importantly, I'm going to change my training, and this.... will be the subject of today's blog. (It took a while but I got to the point eventually).

So currently, when training, I have never run more than 10.1 miles leading up to a HM. I really felt this during 'Snotfest 2009' when in the last 3 miles my legs started feeling so, so heavy. Therefore:

Plan number 1: is that I'm going to increase my longest weekly run, firstly to 12 then maybe onwards to 14/15 miles (that's going to hurt right?) and by that point I'll be running further than I need to so my legs will be used to it and therefore I won't look quite so hideous and close to death by the time I cross the line. This will obviously benefit any spectators too.

Plan number 2: is going to be to start running hills. I cannot explain how bad this is gonna be. I mean, running up hills hurts. I get a burning feeling in my thighs and that's just not healthy! But I have been told on a number of occasions that running hills is one of the best things I can do and I guess I can't really argue considering the person telling me is one of those annoying 1:3x:xx Half Marathon types.

Plan number 3: will be to introduce short sprints to my long distance runs which I reckon will hurt just as much as the hills. In fact, the first (and only) time I ever tried this, across Hammersmith Bridge as a flat out sprint at around mile 4, I'm actually convinced my lungs exploded. I cannot begin to explain how much this hurt.

With all these tweaks to my training, I'm reckoning that it will increase both my strength and lactate threshold and this along with losing a little weight (boo hiss) will help me meet my 2009 goal!

See... Simple. That's all it's gonna take. 6 months of pain, numerous pairs of trainers and the will not to give up and go to the pub!