Training Log Archive: rickyp

Easy geocaching walk to let the legs settle

Event: Antrim Coast Half Marathon
 

Antrim Coastal Half Marathon

I entered this race back at the start of February when I wanted a half in the lead up to the London Marathon. I had no injuries and all looked rosy. One month later the Achilles issue first flared up and after 5 weeks of rehabbing and x-training i knew that London was too much of a stretch so I entered the triathlon instead to make use of the added cycling training. This half though would still be a useful guide as to where my fitness lay during a triathlon-centred training plan.

I have definitely responded well to the swimming and cycling training which is a relief as I have done far less running in the 12 weeks prior to this race than I would have liked. I've only done 3 full sessions, 1 taper session and 2 orienteering races. Everything else was at an easy pace. In fact just one week I managed 70km, the majority I was struggling to hit 40km.

So back to the race. The 5km session and taper session had given me confidence that I could at least give 75 mins a good attempt. I knew the course was quick, the conditions were great, there would be lots of people to pace me and I was in the Next% shoes.

I started about 10 rows deep, a little bit far back but I preferred it that way than on the front row. For the first 3km I was going completely off feel and I found myself getting towed along by one guy as we were stuck between two packs. I then checked my watch and saw it said 3:20s but since it felt easy at the time I didn't care and just carried on getting towed along.

At 7km, after the loop around town, we started the coast road and 3 lads caught us. This was great as it ensured we didn't drop the pace (3:25s) and I had more people to sit behind. It stayed like this until the half way split where we were caught by what sounded like a large pack. I think they were trying to latch on more than anything as only one Metro lad came to the front and, as ever, I latched on.

What was weird was this pace felt the same effort, if not easier than London or Jedburgh. So when we turned towards the Ballygally turnaround and I felt the pace dropping, I decided now was the time to press and I left the large group and started chasing down stragglers who had been dropped from the group ahead. I had my Gel here at 45 mins and it went down a treat and gave me the energy needed to smash the return. I picked up the pace a bit and carried on picking off those in front, now with a slight tailwind and slight down hill.

I checked my watch at 16km and realised 1:10:xx was on. There were 3 lads way up ahead and they were my motivation for the rest as I could see I was slowly, slowly gaining. But catch them I did just before the nice drop onto the promenade. I flew down the hill passing another with my long stride and then managed to pass another two in the final km and even managed a sprint finish to place 15th in the mass race and get a huge PB

1:10:57 Gun time 1:10:49 Chip time
Halfway 35:57
5km Splits: 16:47, 17:18, 16:53, 16:28

C • Well done 2

35 mins easy around Monkstown Wood

35 mins easy along the coast

40 mins easy around the meadows

Utb day 6

2162m Gladhouse Figure of 8

90 mins easy Zwift

Taper intervals around the Killing Fields

2km Tempo [2 mins] + 2 x 800m [2 mins] + 4 x 200m [75s]

Times compared surprisingly well to when I did these sessions before the 2019 halfs

2000m
Booked the earlier time slot again but sadly there weren't more lanes available and it was busy

To pool

Zwift Build Me Up - Bricolage