Well, just as planned, I spent June getting back the speed in my legs that the 100k sapped from me most of May. I stuck to my high volume stuff to keep my endurance base up, but complemented it with short, fast races to try and get that legspeed back as detailed in my previous posts. I was going to try and maybe chase down the A standard for Chicago at 1:25:59 knowing that I was at the very least in 1:25-6 shape. I could also get it with ba 3:10 merathon which would be a cakewalk in cool weather, but there is nowhere for me go run right now in the middle of the flippin' summer. I have not run a marathon for time since 2009 because of my 100k commitments and now I will have to sit Chicago out this year. Without an elite start,there is no point in running Chicago. There are just too many damn people and it's one big clusterf#ck unless you start up front. I've said this before, but I do not do marathon tourism. I go somewhere to perform and put down a solid time. Marathon tourism is for the rich who can afford it and who don't really care about their performances. I care about mine and will run either in Valmiera or in Vilnius after 50k World Cup, then I need to pick a 50k or 50miler in the US late fall.
So all the work was now done and hay in the barn. I wanted to try a fast half especially after that horrific performance at the half in May. Coach told me to go out conservatively in the first 5k or so but basically not fart around much longer because after that it was time to bust ass. Go out smart and conservatively meant 4.10 km-about 6:40 mile. So that's what I did. I HATE going out fast. It's almost always a death sentence in the second half of the race and a classic mistake. I'd rather run smart and tactical. So off we were and I ended up running with Zina again and Valeriy. Valeriy offered to pace Zina at 4.10 and I thought, "PERFECT, I'll tuck in behind them." Valeriy is nice and tall too and it was windy so tucking in was smart. Just between 5 and 6k we hit the far turnaround. Course is two loops, no rocket science here. Coach was standing at the turnaround with a Vitargo bottle I grabbed and took off. He told me it was time to pass Zina and Valeriy. I thought it was still a little early and made a move just past 7k. I took off at 3.55-4min/km pace(6.20+-mile pace) and caught the next group of guys and the woman who was running in 5th. She was a new face-very young too maybe early 20s. Katya? Yes, Katya someone was cheering for her a little further up the road. Ok, I'll just tuck in behind these nice tall guys running my planned 4 min/km pace and cruise for a while. Actually, we were running a blistering pace going from 3.55-4 +- a little on eack km. Oh dear, I felt fine and was relaxed, but would I be able to hold up?
the beginning of a very brave move
breaking away from Katya and the group at 11k
I never looked back to see how much I'd gapped them. I didn't want them to think I was not going to be able to hold pace. Cruise control set back right at 4 min again and off we were. Just after 15k and before the far turnaround, one of the officials told me I was running 3rd and leading a group...OF GIRLS! God, I so wanted to ask how far behind they were and never once looked back. I didn't want them to call my bluff. Far turnaround-Coach handed me off another bottle which I needed badly. I didn't feel I had had enough to drink in the first loop and worried I could run out of gas in the final few kms if I didn't get something down.That's when he told me to hold pace and bust my ass. I also counted back how far the other girls were as I headed back for the final 5+km to the finish. OH SHIT- just over 20 sec and 100m or so. I need to BUST MY ASS and at the very minimum hold at least 4 min pace to the end even if it starts to hurt. Julia and Katya were running together and Nadya had dropped back. I was most concerned with Julia and Katya who were not terribly far back. If I even cracked and slowed down 2 sec a km, it was game over and I knew it. They'd get too close and maybe outkick me to the finish. My ultrarunning legs don't have the best finishing kick but I can hold an even pace for a long time and that's just what I needed to do. 6.20s miles bare bones minimum to the end or it was over. I was very lucky to still be running with a couple of tall guys who weren't dropping either. We were still hammering hard and I was ok with it. At 19km though, I started feeling I was working. 18k 4.02.....no, I can't afford that, too slow....next couple k sub 4 and I was redlining. Hello Pain Cave! Task was just to maintain this blistering pace and even if the girls kicked in the last 1-2km, making up over 100m would be really hard for them. 20km-almost home...garmin showed 3.52 at about 800 to go dropping down to 3.40 (5.50mi pace) over the last 500m. I've got the pedal to the floor at this point and any faster and I'm either going to keel over and or puke or both! Yeah, I'm hanging in the Pain Cave now! I REALLY DID not want to give up 3rd place this close to the finish. I could see a pack about 100m back and I knew the 2 girls were in pursuit. I hate being the damn carrot! Out of serious fear of getting my ass kicked in that last 500m, I hauled it in at that 3.40 pace. I made it! Thank God! I thanked the guys for helping me along. One crashed in the grass and I also wanted to keel over in the grass but feared I wouldn't get up! Finish 1:26. Julia and Katya were 19 and 24 sec back. I made it because I was able to hold pace and not crack. If I had to sprint those girls to the finish, it would have been the end of me. This is my fastest time posted at Luzhniki since 2002 when I first ran a 1:26 there after a 1:25 2 weeks prior. It was cool then too. The weather gods were kind-15C in the morning and 20 for the race -mostly overcast.
just over 1k to go
I've never gone top 3 in this half. This race generally attracts the top runners. Top 2 ladies are elites. Top lady-Oksana B finished 1:21 and Tanya P.(who was 2nd when we ran on March 8th) finished 2nd in 1:24. Dima Safronov won the men's race in 1:05. he will run the Olympic Marathon in August in London-Go Dima! Nice tune up race! Coach's son was 2nd.
The awards ceremony was quite coo. Top3 were invited on stage and awards were given by former olympians. That was pretty cool!
What's next? July- back to the grindstone. I have 50k World Cup to prepare for. I'll run the 2 mile for speed in between then I need to decide- Masters NCs in the 10,000 and 5,000 or Zelenograd Half.
So all the work was now done and hay in the barn. I wanted to try a fast half especially after that horrific performance at the half in May. Coach told me to go out conservatively in the first 5k or so but basically not fart around much longer because after that it was time to bust ass. Go out smart and conservatively meant 4.10 km-about 6:40 mile. So that's what I did. I HATE going out fast. It's almost always a death sentence in the second half of the race and a classic mistake. I'd rather run smart and tactical. So off we were and I ended up running with Zina again and Valeriy. Valeriy offered to pace Zina at 4.10 and I thought, "PERFECT, I'll tuck in behind them." Valeriy is nice and tall too and it was windy so tucking in was smart. Just between 5 and 6k we hit the far turnaround. Course is two loops, no rocket science here. Coach was standing at the turnaround with a Vitargo bottle I grabbed and took off. He told me it was time to pass Zina and Valeriy. I thought it was still a little early and made a move just past 7k. I took off at 3.55-4min/km pace(6.20+-mile pace) and caught the next group of guys and the woman who was running in 5th. She was a new face-very young too maybe early 20s. Katya? Yes, Katya someone was cheering for her a little further up the road. Ok, I'll just tuck in behind these nice tall guys running my planned 4 min/km pace and cruise for a while. Actually, we were running a blistering pace going from 3.55-4 +- a little on eack km. Oh dear, I felt fine and was relaxed, but would I be able to hold up?
just about to join Nadya and Julia (still hiding behind a dude)
About 100-150m up ahead, were the 3rd and 4th ladies. Julia and Nadya were running together. By the time we hit the turnaround just past the 10k to head out on the 2nd loop, our group had caught up to them via our blistering pace. Nadya and Julia were a couple meters ahead and I got risky and left our group and joined them and a few other guys running nearby. Nadya and Julia are head and shoulders above me especially at the short stuff. I ran with them until about 12 km and thought, " JEEZ, what have I done? Should I be running with these girls? I had to make a decision. If I took off and risked it, I would need to open a huge gap so that even if they sped up at the finish, they'd not come back and kick my ass so long as I was able to maintain this blistering pace. I never like to pass unless I'm pretty sure I can hold on and not slow down later. I was feeling fine. A couple of the guys started to take off and I saw our pace had dropped to just over 4 min/km. That's when I made a very ballsy decision and took off after the guys. Back to 3.50s pace(6.10 ish miles) into the wind to catch the guys and let them block wind for me and hopefully pull me far enough away from the girls. I thought there's only 8+km to go and considering I'm a 100k runner, that's nothing.I never looked back to see how much I'd gapped them. I didn't want them to think I was not going to be able to hold pace. Cruise control set back right at 4 min again and off we were. Just after 15k and before the far turnaround, one of the officials told me I was running 3rd and leading a group...OF GIRLS! God, I so wanted to ask how far behind they were and never once looked back. I didn't want them to call my bluff. Far turnaround-Coach handed me off another bottle which I needed badly. I didn't feel I had had enough to drink in the first loop and worried I could run out of gas in the final few kms if I didn't get something down.That's when he told me to hold pace and bust my ass. I also counted back how far the other girls were as I headed back for the final 5+km to the finish. OH SHIT- just over 20 sec and 100m or so. I need to BUST MY ASS and at the very minimum hold at least 4 min pace to the end even if it starts to hurt. Julia and Katya were running together and Nadya had dropped back. I was most concerned with Julia and Katya who were not terribly far back. If I even cracked and slowed down 2 sec a km, it was game over and I knew it. They'd get too close and maybe outkick me to the finish. My ultrarunning legs don't have the best finishing kick but I can hold an even pace for a long time and that's just what I needed to do. 6.20s miles bare bones minimum to the end or it was over. I was very lucky to still be running with a couple of tall guys who weren't dropping either. We were still hammering hard and I was ok with it. At 19km though, I started feeling I was working. 18k 4.02.....no, I can't afford that, too slow....next couple k sub 4 and I was redlining. Hello Pain Cave! Task was just to maintain this blistering pace and even if the girls kicked in the last 1-2km, making up over 100m would be really hard for them. 20km-almost home...garmin showed 3.52 at about 800 to go dropping down to 3.40 (5.50mi pace) over the last 500m. I've got the pedal to the floor at this point and any faster and I'm either going to keel over and or puke or both! Yeah, I'm hanging in the Pain Cave now! I REALLY DID not want to give up 3rd place this close to the finish. I could see a pack about 100m back and I knew the 2 girls were in pursuit. I hate being the damn carrot! Out of serious fear of getting my ass kicked in that last 500m, I hauled it in at that 3.40 pace. I made it! Thank God! I thanked the guys for helping me along. One crashed in the grass and I also wanted to keel over in the grass but feared I wouldn't get up! Finish 1:26. Julia and Katya were 19 and 24 sec back. I made it because I was able to hold pace and not crack. If I had to sprint those girls to the finish, it would have been the end of me. This is my fastest time posted at Luzhniki since 2002 when I first ran a 1:26 there after a 1:25 2 weeks prior. It was cool then too. The weather gods were kind-15C in the morning and 20 for the race -mostly overcast.
I've never gone top 3 in this half. This race generally attracts the top runners. Top 2 ladies are elites. Top lady-Oksana B finished 1:21 and Tanya P.(who was 2nd when we ran on March 8th) finished 2nd in 1:24. Dima Safronov won the men's race in 1:05. he will run the Olympic Marathon in August in London-Go Dima! Nice tune up race! Coach's son was 2nd.
The awards ceremony was quite coo. Top3 were invited on stage and awards were given by former olympians. That was pretty cool!
What's next? July- back to the grindstone. I have 50k World Cup to prepare for. I'll run the 2 mile for speed in between then I need to decide- Masters NCs in the 10,000 and 5,000 or Zelenograd Half.
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