Unmarathon training

So I continue to run. Highlights this year have included: sprint finish head to head with another runner at the Kingston breakfast run, the Groovy Baby Breakfast Run and accompanying a good friend on 10k of her 100k London to Brighton.

The Phoenix Running events are always great fun - fairly small and because they are laps you get to the end having made new friends as you shout and heckle with the other runners as you see each other through out the route.

There seem to be a lot of multi-marathoners attending - people who are running 100 marathons. Or 52 in 52 weeks.


It's an aspiration, right?

Race times

A Duathlon wouldn't be complete without some post race stats - hopefully blogger won't mangle the layout...

2011. 2010. 2009

Run 10K. 56min 56s. 57min58s. 49min 7s (9K)
Pace/K 5.7. 5.8. 5.45

Cycle 20K. 1hr 12min. 1hr. 1hr 20min
Pace/K 3.6. 3. 4

Run 5K. 30min 53s. 32min 49s. 31min 37s
Pace/K 6.2. 6.6. 6.3

So my run times are faster than last year (marginally) but my cycle time was slower. Perhaps unsurprisingly as I hadn't done any focussed cycle training. Additionally conditions were different today - v windy and it rained during the second lap which probably resulted in me slowing up a bit.




Interestingly, I ran in a brand new pair of trainers - you see them in all their turquoise glory in the picture above. In the rush to get the girls over to a friend's (Mr S was away at a conference) and getting the bike on the back, I managed to leave my trainers at home. I had a pair of other shoes to drive in, you see. I realised as soon as I got to Richmond Park, when it was too late to go home and collect them. Initially I was just going to run round in the shoes I'd driven in but as I walked up to the racking area for the bikes, I noticed a stall selling trainers. One pair of trainers later and I was ready to go. It's not ideal but I've been meaning to buy a new pair of trainers since the half marathon in March.

So, a slower cycle ride this year, marginally faster runs and proper transitions - I rant between the sections rather than ambling. Slower ride was partly a reflection of the conditions but also that old chestnut, my lack of dedicated cycle training. For next year, and yes there will be a next year, I need to make my Sunday morning runs a Sunday morning run-cycle.

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Post race musing

This year's splits:

10k Run1 00:57:58 - ave 5.8 min per km
20kBike 01:00:26 - ave 3 min per km
5k Run2 00:32:49 - ave 6.6 min per km

Total 02:35:32.

Last year's splits:

9k Run1 00:49:07 - ave 5.4 min per km
20k Bike 01:20:08 - ave 4 min per km
5k Run2 00:31:37 - ave 6.3 min per km

Total 02:45:20.

Thoughts on the above:

ten minutes faster than last year with an extra km on the first run
in both years I have power walked round the second run. Improving my speed here would be an easy win in terms of getting my time under 2 and a half hours
slower pace in the first run this year. I suspect this is partially down to the extra km, I took a slower pace
VERY pleased to see I've shaved a whole minute off my ave time per km on the bike ride.

So, did I learn from last year's experiences, which can be found here: http://suzesblither.blogspot.com/2009/09/duathlon-success.html ?

Looking back on last year's post race analysis, yes I did, particularly on the cycle stretch.. I was less of a big girls blouse on the downhill stretch and I had treated myself to a new bike which also helped.

What have I learned from this year?

I think the slower run partially reflects that I didn't maintain my running training in the last two weeks before the race. This is partly because I had swapped my run for spinning classes and partly inertia.
I need some longer or at least more intense training runs and a 10K at the start of the summer as a pace setter. I had completed a 10k in April at a time of about an hour (check)
Start my cycling training sooner. I did more than last year but it was all in the last month
Invest in cycle shoes or at least some of those toe straps

A link to the photographer's website to follow....

Two in one day

I'm not using this as a loophole, i don't get to build up post-credit simply by posting an addendum. Text arrived this morning:

"Well done for completing the London Duathlon. Run1 00:57:58, Bike 01:00:26, Run2 00:32:49, Total 02:35:32. Congratulations"

I am however going to save my post race analysis for another day....