It's Been a While - Sun Run Post Race Thoughts

Too many posts sitting in the draft folder so here is the bullet post;

Last couple weeks sick, Easter practiced headwind riding with 40% lung capacity in the Okanagan. 10km flat section with tailwind avg. 50km an hour was fun :) Rest was a step closer to hell but no rain so can't complain.

So Sunday was my "A" Running race for the early season. Coming off a cold/allergies had a pretty rested week and felt pretty good coming into the race. Race plan was to take it easy and split 5km around 17 min, conserve energy up the bridge before giving it on the way home.

Full race report is to follow so this is more of a training log entry.

10km - 35:21

M25 to 29: 28/2606
Male: 85/18687
Overall: 93/42540

Start to 1km (3:07) [3:07]

Had a seeded spot so did the normal wait till alst second to get to start line and started about 3 deep on the left side.

Had errie feeling of having left lane to myself for a while down Georgia and tried to hold of the pace in the first km (Split 3:07)

2km (3:26) [6:33]

As headed into the park felt good and went through the mile at 5:15 which was good based on the elevation drop. Ended up splitting km in 3:26, right on plan.

3km (3:24) [9:57]

Was trying to moderate effort here until the 3km mark and had a 3:24 km whihc was good but in reflection may be should have tried harder to stay with a pack at this point.

4km (3:36) [13:13]

Paid for not being with a pack, especially as there was a semblance of a headwind and was trying to moderate effort through this section.

5km (3:46) [17:20]

This has the little uphill kick via howe. Was amybe a little bit to consciuos to run this conservatively and not blow up for no reason that I actually eased into it. Was stil outside a formed pack at this time which did not make it easy. Especially at this point started to feel that lung capcity was not at where I would have liked with the urge to cough on coming on any of the uphills. Would say lung capcity was at 90% which made it really hard to red line.

6km (3:36) [20:56]

This includes the bridge and plan was to take it easy up until the top. Even doing this this took the heck out of me, and when I tried to give it on the downhill was more of a recovery.

7km (3:42) [24:37]

Not sure what happened here, remember was really working to get on to a group and feeling the wind. Also felt like I was working very hard to go slow.

8km (3:39) [28:16]

This is the grind along second and has a little incline. Really started to feel lung capacity here. One thing in reflection is that maybe should have focused on running form and cadence here a little bit more as do not remember doing this. Started to find a group here and went with it at this point.

9km (3:36) [31:52]

Next year my aim will to be done by now. Felt like accelerated a little through this section but the watch doesn't lie. Relative to others was holding pace but this is were staying with a group may have benefited me as there was a good group formed about 200m ahead that would have been nice to hold on to.

10km (3:28km) [35:21]

Got into to true race mode, had a guy working on me in the last km coming up the bridge, pushed the bridge hard to get a break but only got about 10m on home. Downhill had to free wheel and ended up getting him by about 3 seconds so. Was cognizant enough to see Den and Leah taking photos (Action shots to come - can over analyze my foot strike)

Lessons Learned

- Lung Capacity is a pre requisite for a 10km
- Gotta choose your group and fight with it past the 2km mark. Once there gone there gone
- Training has worked well, even though did not run as fast as I would have liked, given 2 weeks off in mid march due to injury and a sickness ladden last week running 35:21 is 2:31 faster than last year and felt like that the speed is there and should bode well for the tri season. Running a lot stronger and in some regards felt like could have tacked another 5 or more km's on at 3:40km pace

Next on the agenda

Good training block, have 3 hours to decide if I should TC10km on the island this weekend. Off for a recovery jog to decide if the ferry is worth the effort.

Shout Outs

Nick - awesome run in Boston 2:50:11 - Here course had headwinds worth at least 5 minutes or so.
Les - First ever running race and ran the whole 10km - sweet effort