Sunday, June 1, 2014

Its About Time

1st June - 32K in 2:28:12 average of 3:38 min/km. I started off hard and cleared the first 7K in 30mins. By 12K, my quads were shot and the saying "speed that kills thrills" started playing in my mind. But I hoped I could somehow get my legs back. I got my second wave at about 18K. I improved by more than 4 mins from last Sundays time and I finished much stronger. I took water better - it still gave me problems though. Still huge room for improvement. I am learning and getting better. I think I have finally entered my training zone. Since I beat up my quads and survived, I am gonna beat them again next Sunday and see if I can transition from the first wave to the second one more seamlessly. Kms 12 to 17 I was gone. Then I need to improve my Kms 26 to 30 (the uphill) and I should be fine. My slowest 1K was 5:28 - the 29th K while last week it was 5:48 - same hill.
3rd June - 20k in 90mins. Tightness in right hamstring stops me.
4th - 13K easy
5th - Rains bigtyme. Go to field after Hosi. muddy, long walk to the field. 5K with strides. Hammie still painful. Only diehards turn up at the field.
6th-8th - OFF-INJURED
9th - Egerton. Do 13K. This is a real injury fellows. I cant run with it. Right lower hamstring. I have to take a break.
10th-12th - OFF-INJURED
13th-5K - Injury MF healed!
15th -32K. I am back. Blisters. Lets work back now.
16th-13k
17th-21K. Legs aching like fuck. I have an injury. Back of my right knee is painful.
18th - 5K easy. Back of my right knee still painful. RICE.
22nd - 32K. Stitch between 22K and 28K messes up my tempo but its alright. Onwards and Upwards. I need to work on my weight, endurance and speed. And of course them hip flexors.
23rd - 18K. With the new Saucony shoes. Too tight.
24th - 20K. I feel strong. All injuries seem to have cleared up.
25th - 12K easy.
26th - 9K with 4K ladders.
91k total. Solid week.

29th - 32K. On Sunday, I didn't run through the 32k as I had intended. But I mf killed it. Set some PRs. 10k in 41:50, 14k in 58:28mins n 21k in 1:28:44. Now, these are road PRs, and they surpass my PRs on the track. I was up at 5:35am. Stretched as I strategized and resolved to go out hard and stick with it or mf die. My quads can take the beating on the downhills, check. I am fast on the flat, check. I can roll with the terrain, check. comfortable on the tarmac check. and I am ready for the hills. check. For the adductor pain I took a painkiller. Black tights, white Nike cap and 200/= in my pocket. Check. I jogged soft-footed into the cold dawn. Nowadays while going past 20k I get the garmin from charging just b4 I start. I jogged to the start, about 500m assessing my body. Garmin struggled with locating the satellites but finally locked on. The first 2k are hilly then we go ape shit. Flatish past tmall. Climb to capital center, climb at GM then turn round and fight! For 16k.
Without further mf ado, here are the mf splits man.
1__4:26
2__4:36
3__4:09____langatta police station
4__3:59
5__3:53____rafikis
6__4:07
7__4:04____Tmall. 7k in 29:17
8__4:13
9__4:04____nyayo stadium
10_4:15.____10k in 41:50
11_3:59_____belle vue descent
12_4:14
13_4:13
14_4:09_____14k in 58:28
15_4:25_____general motors climb
16_4:19_____cabanas. Some guy joins me. He is lean. But he is now racing with vintage Jack. Lets mf go! 16k in 1:07:12
17_4:26
18_4:01_____18k in 1:15 we r pushing together now.
19_4:19_____the spitting guy drops. Pace too hot.
20_4:18
21_4:24____21k in 1:28:44
I started developing stomach cramps. I was still strong but the pain was too sharp. I had to stop at Nyayo at 23k in 1:38. I run_walked the rest of the distance just to ensure I logged 32k. Still strong. 


This route knows al be back. In six mf days. No shit. I now know I can do 28k in sub 2 hours. This means 32k in 1:15 is within reach. Then we start training for that 42k in earnest. This is good. Trust the mf process guys. Good things come to those who r patient. This week I already have a plan on what to work on: endurance, speed, strength, weight, core, hip flexors. I aim to do at least five sub 4min/km splits next Sunday. The ones in red are possible candidates. Its about mf time! 
Take home: I didn't feel sore after this run. Meaning I didn't push 100%. Also, the speedwork on Friday didn't get me sore. So I should keep using ladders followed by pickups for speed. I aim at doing sub 1:27 21K and sub 1:15 32K in July.
30th - 20th Easy. Black toe nails. I shouldnt have run in those Sauconies.