Stuggled to get going today and still feeling the aches and pains of the race.
However, by the time the park was out of the way I started enjoying it and toyed with the idea of hammering it back.
Unfortunately, the wind put an end to that idea. It was seriously in my face on the way back and a look at the jet d'eau confirmed that the wind was strong the jet was twisting and turning making spirals like a helter skelter and stood like a dynamic echo of the water slide at Geneve Plage!
Settled down to push just under 8 min miles back, giving 8 min mile ave in total over all. Alright for a windy day.
Garmin
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
3.8m recovery run in Denens with Alan Wilson
Alan is a very special person, as he is the only person who has married me other than my wife. Well he was the minister who did our wedding.
He now lives in N. Ireland, where he and his lovely wife come from. I found he was visiting Switzerland and had a pair of trainers and on old Everton top with him - a quick check on the map and the early easy run is on!
Get this, we started running one minute early - please note this Mr Leakey - when in Switzerland do as the Swiss do!
I'd planned to pick up a tourisme pedestre route in Denens, but Alan assumed we were going to take the Prius for a spin so as I trotted off down the hill he was trying to open the passenger door of the car.
The village of Denens is scarecrow decorated with some rather good ones dotted around the village.
After the race I had a few niggles and it was great just to natter and not be checking pace and hrt. We were time bound. When Alan told me he had to be back by 8:30am I assumed that meant I should plan a route that took us back to Denens by 8:29:59 am.
Alan has the gift of hill discernment. The slightest incline fires an audible warning, which indicates we have to slow down. Sometimes that was rather hard as we were already going pretty slowly. But the view was great, the sun was out and the vines looked good. My niggles started to ease.
At 23 minutes out I mentioned there were only 7 minutes left to find the high footpath back or we'd need to re-trace our steps to get back in the allotted 60 minutes. Alan looked a shade paler than normal. I think we can cross the railway just here he ventured and that was the cut back sealed.
After 38 minutes we could see the end and the route back to the house was definitely going to be uphill. The incline warning system went into overdrive and we agreed to walk the last hill in a dignified manner. Not a single circle of encouragement was required.
By lunchtime I was fully recovered and ready to find out what Tenke is up to for the rest of this week.
He now lives in N. Ireland, where he and his lovely wife come from. I found he was visiting Switzerland and had a pair of trainers and on old Everton top with him - a quick check on the map and the early easy run is on!
Get this, we started running one minute early - please note this Mr Leakey - when in Switzerland do as the Swiss do!
I'd planned to pick up a tourisme pedestre route in Denens, but Alan assumed we were going to take the Prius for a spin so as I trotted off down the hill he was trying to open the passenger door of the car.
The village of Denens is scarecrow decorated with some rather good ones dotted around the village.
After the race I had a few niggles and it was great just to natter and not be checking pace and hrt. We were time bound. When Alan told me he had to be back by 8:30am I assumed that meant I should plan a route that took us back to Denens by 8:29:59 am.
Alan has the gift of hill discernment. The slightest incline fires an audible warning, which indicates we have to slow down. Sometimes that was rather hard as we were already going pretty slowly. But the view was great, the sun was out and the vines looked good. My niggles started to ease.
At 23 minutes out I mentioned there were only 7 minutes left to find the high footpath back or we'd need to re-trace our steps to get back in the allotted 60 minutes. Alan looked a shade paler than normal. I think we can cross the railway just here he ventured and that was the cut back sealed.
After 38 minutes we could see the end and the route back to the house was definitely going to be uphill. The incline warning system went into overdrive and we agreed to walk the last hill in a dignified manner. Not a single circle of encouragement was required.
By lunchtime I was fully recovered and ready to find out what Tenke is up to for the rest of this week.
Thank you Alan!
Sunday, 15 May 2011
13,1m Genève Marathon for UNICEF 2011
This year's course was slightly faster as it was more open and downhill.
The squeeze on the tram was something as they had offered free tram rides to everyone doing the half and full marathon and it seemed that every single competitor chose that mode of transport.
I was squashed next to a pair of Italien ladies who looked like they might be rather good, but not as good as Tenke.
I got into the "Pen A" no problemo and shuffled to the back thinking this was the 1:29 boundary. However, by 10mins to go I was joined by a few cotton shirts and the same guy with the 1:40 balloon. I suddenly decided I did not want to run out with the 1:40 guy as per the original race plan and thought more about not going too close to the 1:30 guy. But there was no way through the wall of people.
The start was a little bumpy and I nearly got pushed over, but recovered ok and quickly found what I thought was an ok pace. I decided to have a gel a half way and split the race into three 7km sections. First 7 not too fast, 2nd make some time on the downhill and 3rd just stay with it.
After about 1km a bloke in a red cap had a pee in a hedge. He then sprinted - I mean it sprinted - back to the race - I think he was trying to catch the 1:30 balloon. The guy next to me cracked up and so we had a laugh about that and that relaxed me quite a bit.
Plenty of kids in the villages and so a few hi 5s to break up the pounding.
The full marathon finishes on the same course and suddenly we merged. That made the paths blocked and a group of us pushed our way past the various slower pace makers for the full marathon. I tried to get some more pace out of the hills and took a gel at 11km.
This section was good - my splits for 9, 10 and 11km so me well under 7min mile pace - very pleased with that.
Then I was on familiar territory, the lake, the view all fine and from the yacht club in to Geneva I know every step and again powered through no problem. Decided to take another gel at 16km. I should have probably taken it a shade sooner. The route was then very twisty around the city and while I knew all the roads it was annoying to go around in circles when the finish was visible. At 18km I lost it slightly and felt very tired and cross with the route.
As we crossed the pont de l'Ile I hear a woman on a bike shout in French "There is no-one in front of Tenke!" Great news and that lifted my spirits.
Then I got it back together and pushed for home.
Long way along the last drag to the finish, but I could not help getting faster and faster and one guy in a green top was waving to the crowd as I flew past him to nip over the line ahead with a filp jump for the line camera!
After my calves cramped up and I need some attention to sort that out. But all good now.!
Garmin had me at 01:34:19 full details here, Note the ave hrt, it did not get high until 9miles then the drift to max started and one minute faster than last year.
Official Results have me a little slower. But look at the splits, seriously negative. I was 94th for the last 5km.
26.45 169.¦ 18.25 129.¦ 31.39 110.¦ 17.54 94.
Tenke won a Garmin for being the first lady home in 1:20 - amazing stuff as usual considering the lack of training.
124 in my age group and 333 overall. That's the 2012 London Marathon training well under way!!
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
5.5m Eaux-vives
Tenke introduced me to Emma today.
Good banter as both Tenke and I enjoyed being able to re-tell old stories to Emma and exagerate them ever so slightly in the process.
But that did not mask the fact I was lethargic and not really up for it. Slow out and then the elite ladies turned it on and while they chatted away I shut up and struggled to stay with them at the 7:20 pace they had settled at.
Still good to be out. Thanks girls!
Good banter as both Tenke and I enjoyed being able to re-tell old stories to Emma and exagerate them ever so slightly in the process.
But that did not mask the fact I was lethargic and not really up for it. Slow out and then the elite ladies turned it on and while they chatted away I shut up and struggled to stay with them at the 7:20 pace they had settled at.
Still good to be out. Thanks girls!
5.0m Rolle Perroy
Usual 5 miles, was tired and stuggled to get going. Came in a shade under 8min miles. Need some speed.
Had not run since Thursday so had stiffened up abit. Pool session today to recover.
garmin
Had not run since Thursday so had stiffened up abit. Pool session today to recover.
garmin
Thursday, 5 May 2011
8x 400m reps
After a few false starts and an introduction via email to a potential running buddy I was again Billy no mates at the track.
I settled on 8 times 400m.
Took the bus and this time locked away every thing carefully.
One lap of the outer trail to warm up. It was very quiet and I had the actual track to myself as the workers prepared the high jump mats and cut the grass in the glorious sun.
Noticed a slight niggle on the right knee and shoulder stiffness from the plaquettes in the pool yesterday.
I tried to ease out the first few, but was tired by rep three then I focused on form and just staying sub six min miles.
The times were very consistent:
80, 82, 84, 84, 84, 85, 85, 84 with hrt around 150 giving no problems to recover in the 60 seconds I had given my self.
Garmin
I settled on 8 times 400m.
Took the bus and this time locked away every thing carefully.
One lap of the outer trail to warm up. It was very quiet and I had the actual track to myself as the workers prepared the high jump mats and cut the grass in the glorious sun.
Noticed a slight niggle on the right knee and shoulder stiffness from the plaquettes in the pool yesterday.
I tried to ease out the first few, but was tired by rep three then I focused on form and just staying sub six min miles.
The times were very consistent:
80, 82, 84, 84, 84, 85, 85, 84 with hrt around 150 giving no problems to recover in the 60 seconds I had given my self.
Garmin
Sunday, 1 May 2011
14.4m St. Prex and back
Long run with Richard. He was 15 minutes late. Today's bag of excuses included too much alcohol the royal wedding and being very busy over the last few days serving the city of Geneva.
Took the kids for the first mile, so that slowed us down a bit and explains the slow start.
My lad told Richard that I was a bit competitive and did not like not being first, so Richard suggested to him that if he kept training by the time he was 19 or 20 he’d be able to beat me – to which the reply was, yeah when he’s in a wheelchair I’ll run those circles around him!
Thank fully the Garmin died before Richard, so there is no record of the slowness we endured to get home. I felt called to rename the circle of shame the circle of encouragement, but even explaining that to him did not seem to work.
Anyway, the first 10miles were pretty punchy (given the company), check them out here - Garmin. ave was 8:38 min miles.
I lost the Garmin power at 10miles, but got a fix at the end that gave me a 2:11 mins total time so even with Richard's difficult finish we made it home with a total ave pace of 9 min miles.
Richard admitted he thought about racing me to the gates, so after the fountain in Perroy's Gande Rue I tanked it all the way to the gates to make sure, but I don't think there was any faking in the pain being expressed on the hill.
Took the kids for the first mile, so that slowed us down a bit and explains the slow start.
My lad told Richard that I was a bit competitive and did not like not being first, so Richard suggested to him that if he kept training by the time he was 19 or 20 he’d be able to beat me – to which the reply was, yeah when he’s in a wheelchair I’ll run those circles around him!
Thank fully the Garmin died before Richard, so there is no record of the slowness we endured to get home. I felt called to rename the circle of shame the circle of encouragement, but even explaining that to him did not seem to work.
Anyway, the first 10miles were pretty punchy (given the company), check them out here - Garmin. ave was 8:38 min miles.
I lost the Garmin power at 10miles, but got a fix at the end that gave me a 2:11 mins total time so even with Richard's difficult finish we made it home with a total ave pace of 9 min miles.
Richard admitted he thought about racing me to the gates, so after the fountain in Perroy's Gande Rue I tanked it all the way to the gates to make sure, but I don't think there was any faking in the pain being expressed on the hill.
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