I'm not sure whether to be really pleased or really sad about this one. This week, I finally tapered for the 100 and cut the volume. After the Half a week ago, I worried I may have beat my legs up on the hard course despite not busting my ass in an all out effort. I did a couple days of easy distance then hit the track on Tuesday for some 1000s. Legs were just about good to go only 3 days after running the hilly "half". I did the 1000s at about 80-85%-subconsciously holding back and not burning down the barn so I could save it for the weekend. At this stage, it's better to cut back and go easy than risk not being fully fresh and recovered for the 100k.
So the 6.1k is the final race in the Luzhniki summer series and I had to run this one to secure my 2nd place standing. Now, I usually don't like to go out fast,nor do I care for races much less than 15k or a half anymore because all this ultra training builds endurance but tanks my speed. Well, I figured what the hell- every year I go out sane in this race and get boxed in during the 1st k. I decided to line up in front and try running a balls out pace and then seeing if I could hold on. It's only a 6k so if I feel crappy from going out hard I won't have to hang on too long and suffer. First K- 3.47 next, 3.45, 3.38(I surged to gap the girl half my age that was currently 3rd in the standings really I was up over 3 min on her in the standings but wanted to see if I could beat her in a short race for good measure). 3k split 11.10-that's when I thought hmmmmmmmmif I REALLY haul ass I MIGHT be able to eek a sub 19 5k. I was just following Zina Semeneva when I passed the girl 3rd in the standings. It was nice to have someone to try and stick with.Ok so follow Zina and I might run a decent time.... She has won and placed in many of the top marathons in the US over the yrs like Twin Cities, and Boston.A couple yrs ago she won the masters at Twin Cities running a 2:40 in driving rain! She was 46 at the time-very few ppl in that age beacket can even come close-Zina rocks! She is still very good. 4k-3.50 right at 15 min-a bit lazy of me. 5k (by the marker on the course 18.39 hmmm suspicious Garmin showed it shy about 40m sooo I'll take the REAL split which was 18.49). OK 3.49-makes sense. Zina was 4th and I ended up 5th. OK I used to regularly run my 5s under 19 or on a bad day just over for YEARS. Sometimes I'd get them quite a bit under 19 but never could run a 17(I don't train for this distance). When I moved to Moscow in 05 I pretty much quit running 5s and 10s because they are few and far between here. This is embarrassing- but the last time I saw a decent 5 was in the HEART RUN in Anchorage back in 2004. I was still very capable of putting down an 18 but just never had the opportunity in Moscow at the right time.Then came the bee ess that hit me in 2007 and I was never able to return to even near the level of speed I once had in the shorter stuff. I had pretty much written it off now since I sure as hell ain't gettin' any younger.
So, How in the hell did I get into speed shape while training for a friggin' 100k doing high volume and high volume intervals? I don't have an answer here. So now I have mixed feelings about the 100. It's great my long since dead speed has finally come back, but after the 100 it will be gone and then I wonder if I'll ever have it back again. I've noticed my speed is unusually up this season too -first after a fast Kremlin Mile in June, then in track workouts it's faster and very consistent usually getting faster 2nd half of the session.
Which now raises another issue, speed and endurance are such that I could go after a PR in the marathon now. Ok, what if next yr I'm too damn old and can't get that fast again? No fall marathon for me because of the 100. I now have to wonder if I am doing the right thing.by running the 100. Coach seems to think it's cooler to be a sub 9 hour 100k runner than a sub 3 in the marathon. I'm not sure. I run every season like it's my lastbecause I never know what will happen down the road. I seriously hope I did not make a huge mistake by not going for time in the shorter stuff like thehalf and the marathon while I still can.
So the 6.1k is the final race in the Luzhniki summer series and I had to run this one to secure my 2nd place standing. Now, I usually don't like to go out fast,nor do I care for races much less than 15k or a half anymore because all this ultra training builds endurance but tanks my speed. Well, I figured what the hell- every year I go out sane in this race and get boxed in during the 1st k. I decided to line up in front and try running a balls out pace and then seeing if I could hold on. It's only a 6k so if I feel crappy from going out hard I won't have to hang on too long and suffer. First K- 3.47 next, 3.45, 3.38(I surged to gap the girl half my age that was currently 3rd in the standings really I was up over 3 min on her in the standings but wanted to see if I could beat her in a short race for good measure). 3k split 11.10-that's when I thought hmmmmmmmmif I REALLY haul ass I MIGHT be able to eek a sub 19 5k. I was just following Zina Semeneva when I passed the girl 3rd in the standings. It was nice to have someone to try and stick with.Ok so follow Zina and I might run a decent time.... She has won and placed in many of the top marathons in the US over the yrs like Twin Cities, and Boston.A couple yrs ago she won the masters at Twin Cities running a 2:40 in driving rain! She was 46 at the time-very few ppl in that age beacket can even come close-Zina rocks! She is still very good. 4k-3.50 right at 15 min-a bit lazy of me. 5k (by the marker on the course 18.39 hmmm suspicious Garmin showed it shy about 40m sooo I'll take the REAL split which was 18.49). OK 3.49-makes sense. Zina was 4th and I ended up 5th. OK I used to regularly run my 5s under 19 or on a bad day just over for YEARS. Sometimes I'd get them quite a bit under 19 but never could run a 17(I don't train for this distance). When I moved to Moscow in 05 I pretty much quit running 5s and 10s because they are few and far between here. This is embarrassing- but the last time I saw a decent 5 was in the HEART RUN in Anchorage back in 2004. I was still very capable of putting down an 18 but just never had the opportunity in Moscow at the right time.Then came the bee ess that hit me in 2007 and I was never able to return to even near the level of speed I once had in the shorter stuff. I had pretty much written it off now since I sure as hell ain't gettin' any younger.
So, How in the hell did I get into speed shape while training for a friggin' 100k doing high volume and high volume intervals? I don't have an answer here. So now I have mixed feelings about the 100. It's great my long since dead speed has finally come back, but after the 100 it will be gone and then I wonder if I'll ever have it back again. I've noticed my speed is unusually up this season too -first after a fast Kremlin Mile in June, then in track workouts it's faster and very consistent usually getting faster 2nd half of the session.
Which now raises another issue, speed and endurance are such that I could go after a PR in the marathon now. Ok, what if next yr I'm too damn old and can't get that fast again? No fall marathon for me because of the 100. I now have to wonder if I am doing the right thing.by running the 100. Coach seems to think it's cooler to be a sub 9 hour 100k runner than a sub 3 in the marathon. I'm not sure. I run every season like it's my lastbecause I never know what will happen down the road. I seriously hope I did not make a huge mistake by not going for time in the shorter stuff like thehalf and the marathon while I still can.
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