Normal Service Resumed

PMP or PME

What is my PMP time? I am aiming for sub 3:25 in Portumna so you would say its sub 7:49 pace. However if you enter my 10K PB set this spring various calculators will spit  out times ranging from 3:28 to 3:19 and just because a calculator spits out a certain time there is no guarantee that you will achieve this on the day.  Recently I have started to introduce Planned Marathon Pace into my Long Runs and Tempo sessions so what pace should I be running these miles at ? 7:49 obviously.
First of these session in the bridge one morning. A favourite of the running coach, some of the lads were doing 15 miles 2 miles warm up with 3 * 3 Miles PMP with 1 mile recovery in between. There PMP speed was around 8:15 so I tagged along at that as I had a 20 mile session down for the day. First 2 were grand but I decided when the others had gone their merry way to try the third @ 7:50 pace, by then the breeze had picked up and 2 miles where on an incline under these conditions it was a struggle to hold the pace. A struggle I won but it was more LT/10K effort. I was pretty disappointed with this at the time. The next session 10 mile PMP run, after two miles a malfunction on my watch meant that it lost connection with foot pod and HR unit (watch battery low) thus leaving me with a dumb stopwatch. I ran the rest of the run on feel as I had no clue of splits on the route. Finished with 1:16:40 for 10 miles 7:40 pace suitably elated and trying to figure out did that run come from. Conditions were ideal, which brought home to me that these runs should be done by effort rather than sticking to a pace. I have now reverted back to the old method of the body telling the brain when we are at Marathon Effort. Last 2 runs have been done like this and in wet and windy conditions. One was at 7:55 pace and the other at 7:49 pace. So currently my marathon pace is anywhere between 7:40 and 7:57 pace largely determined by factors outside of my control, the Irish Weather. Rather than trying to hit a certain pace in my PMP runs I have now resorted to running on what it should feel like or what I perceive it should feel like.

Short Stuff ain't easy

I have pencilled in two of the Clare Sports Partnership Summer Series races just to sharpen me up for Portumna, so on Friday last for the first time in nearly three years that I have raced a 5K or 4 Miler in anger and it showed. It was also my first opportunity to wear the new club gear. After a 2 Mile warm up with some downhill strides I hit the start, goal was to get as near to 27 mins or 6:45 average as possible. Course is uphill first mile undulating for second and third with a downhill stretch to the finish. Fresh breeze which will be in our faces on the way home so it should make the splits more even.

Lined myself up two or three rows back near Liam Daly of Ennis Track. I reckon if I beat him or could stay with him I would be near enough to my goal time. A quick word from James Sexton at the start about KM markers that took up legs and walked and off we went. From the offset it was clear hanging on to Liam was not going to happen, stayed with him for first half mile but no way I was going to hold this pace up. Tucked into a group of six, first mile split was 6:47 second mile started with a quick downhill but Liam was still gaining and at the first left turn I was 20 seconds or so behind. At this point I concentrated on staying with the group as the last mile and a half were going to be into the breeze. Mile 2 slightly quicker 13:29 still on target. After this the wheels came off. Group started to split, 3 lads in front picked up the pace dropping three of us but the other two guys were slowing dramatically leaving me on my own.  Try as I could I failed to bridge the gap to the guys in front who eventually split as well. Mile 3 showed 20:45. Final mile is downhill when some guy come alongside. I tag onto him for as long as possible maybe half a mile but he gradually he got away from me. Coming towards the finish I could see an Ennis Track vest coming alongside, I dug in and picked up the pace enough to open and maintain the gap till the finish. Cross the line James Sexton calls 27:28. I don't even look at the watch, my lungs are on fire and my stomach is about to evacuate its contents which very nearly happened.
The usual cup of Tea afterwards but for personal reason I have to make a quick exit so I don't hang around. Final results show me finishing 37th out of 185 overall. On reflection I was not in 27 minute shape and my lack of races/bad luck cost me maybe a 27:15 as I failed to stay with the 3 guys in the middle of the race but nonetheless another PB bagged. Next race is 5K in Ennis at the end of the month just before my Taper.

April 25th

          12 Miles, 10 Miles PMP 1:16:42 @ 7:41 pace,  No HR with 1 Mile WU/WD

April 28th

          15 Miles Long with 3*3 PMP and 1 Recovery 23:12/7:44,23:15/7:45,23:33/7:49, No HR 2 Miles WU/WD

May 1st         
          8 Miles Tempo 6 miles 44:46 @ 7:28 (10K pace + PMP) with 1 Mile WUWD

May 5th

          13.1 Miles Long run 1:59:28 @  9:09 pace, Pacing GLR Half Marathon

May 8th

          20 Miles, Long Run last 8 Miles 1:03:19 @ 7:55 pace

May 10th

          6 Miles, 4 Mile Road Race 27:28 @ 6:52 pace