Training Log Archive: 007

I ran my first ever half marathon!!! Vienna City Marathon.

This did seem like a pretty rash idea when I entered a few months ago (under pressure from work friends who I am at a conference with) because I knew that I would be tired from the O camp and races last week. I also did pretty much no suitable training and had a cold most of the last 2 months, and my longest run this year was about 14km. Yesterday I was really wishing I was elsewhere and considering missing it. Also my preparation on the day was hopeless, I couldn't find anywhere open for breakfast this morning so had three small jam filled doughnut balls 30mins before the start, so even at the start I was very apprehensive about it.

But it went well! I had no goals and didn't know what to expect because in my last proper training run even hitting 5m/k was hard. I just wanted to run at a constant pace and be strong enough at the end to still be pushing. In the first few km's I though 5:30 m/k average would be ok, set teh expectations low so as not to be disappointed. Then found running just over 5m/k was comfortable enough and gradually shifted my goal to 1h45. The kilometers really just slipped by, suddenly 10km was done, legs just started feeling tired at 14km but then it was home stretch and I managed to increase the pace for the last few km's and snuck in under 1:45.
Cadence 80-85 not bad, was trying to keep it high.

The only unpleasant moment was getting a really bad chest/back/side stitch/cramp, partly from carrying my heavy bags yesterday and partly from my sore rib. I had to stop to stretch it a couple of times. Right knee was a little achey at the start and right at the end coming down a hill into a cold wind.

Otherwise I felt quite good and enjoyed it more than I expected. Vienna is grand and amazing and the atmosphere was pretty cool! Enjoyed watching the marathon finishers after my race, first the top ones and all the way down to the stragglers. Never thought I would want to do a marathon but today I was tempted, 21km seemed to fly by and that was without training properly..

Now i'm tired and have a headache..

http://www.vienna-marathon.com/?surl=6c78ba5f11ae0...

5km 25:25
10km 50:18
15km 1:15:22
20km 1:40:10


Also, I can't deal with being in category W30, I'm not 30 yet!!!

C • congrats 7

C • W30 3

travel to Vienna took most of the day and lots of traipsing about and not enough food. feeling really negative about having to run half marathon tomorrow.
tired and felt like I barely slept, had to get up at 4:30 to get my bus.

Camp sprint relay, run the 3rd leg with the boys. It was super fun, short enough that I could run flat out, and also technical enough that I could almost keep up a bit with them. Usually by brain is much faster than my legs so I like super tricky sprints like this where my slowness doesn't limit me as much. Or I should just get faster..
Got at least 1 wrong route choice.

my legs were really sore today so I did as little running as possible.. and had a swim in the freezing ocean which made me feel super amazing. Every time I see the ocean again I realise afresh how much I have missed it!

slowish shadowing again, v rocky and hilly terrain, really cool for long distance.
legs tired with Muskelkater from terrain or perhaps running drills yesterday

legs really very sore..

warm up drills

collecting controls after training in the beautiful 'white' contour only forest (actually found the map simpler with all the vegetation and rock removed). Slovenian countryside is beautiful, there were wild jonquils which I've never seen before! And heaps of wild sage.

running a pretty difficult compass/countour training with two of the younger girls. they did really well even on the long legs with nothing to go on, but a fair bit at walking pace.
Whilst bashing through a thicket a few wild pigs started charging through and grunting, I tried to climb a ridiculously small sapling in panic but they went on their way..

Shadowing one of the W16s on the middle 'race' training. Pretty much fast, flat terrain but with cool rock details and poor visibility. I like shadowing!

legs feeling pretty tired from the terrain actually. don't really have any niggles though which is good.

For the record: over a month on rib still a bit sore to stretch and breathe deep but not bothering my running.
Cold pretty much gone, just a bit stuffy nose.

up to start on hilltop

Last stage. Totally different terrain - on top of a limenstone hill/plateau, partially open but with lots of different types of green and random stone walls, cairns, trenches. Bit messy today, massively overshooting one and once getting confused and reading/running 6-7 instead of 10-11.. even thinking it was strange I would have such a similar leg again. Also some good bits though i.e. running downhill ;)
Just enough for a win, not as many good splits though.
http://orienteeringonline.net/SplitTimes.aspx?Comp...

C • Congratulations 2

Again out into the terrain with the girls, stop start.