As always, I've been slack on updating recently so I'll try and keep on top of it this week. Thursday night, I trained with Cheyne. Pushed back training to 5:30 as Tom's work finished late and it was worth having someone to push you through the 400's that Cheyne had us doing.
The first 6, we did on the outside tan loop so they are always slower, off 1 minute passive recovery. The idea is that we build up this session more and more and track season comes closer. Felt good on the first 3 and before the second 3 started hurting more. Cheyne is pretty picky about this session so we had to make sure we didn't start too fast. Times went like this:
73s, 71s, 68s, 73s, 67s, 66s
We then went onto the track for the next 3 off 2 minutes passive recovery. They speed up so much on the track with there exactly the same effort. Times went :
66s, 66s, 65s.
The last one I had to work hard to hang onto Tom and I was really hurting at this point. Cheyne's favourite is to encourage a finishing kick so for the last one, We had 5 minutes recovery. I've never had that much for such a short distance so it was pretty strange. Tom reckoned we let the heart rate go down before we went, but I knew how hard we had to run so the adrenaline was pumping through me. By the time we lined up I was already breathing heavily just from the nerves. Cheyne offered $100 for whoever went under 60s.
Tom led it out, I had so much adrenaline that I felt really shaky and all over the place but it wasn't hurting at all after 100m or 200m, apparently we split 31s. Or at 250m. Then at 260m all the adrenaline left me at one moment and the lactic hit me like a train. It was unbelievable. I kicked as hard as I could and got right up to Tom's shoulder. Then he accelerated and I couldn't hold him, I kept hammering and slowly gained a bit, but I didn't have enough time. He had half a second on me in the end. Tom was 60 flat low and I was 60 flat high. Stoked that I managed that after 9, 4's but the recovery definitely helped. 8.8 all up, a few less km's before this morning which was Sandown relays, but the quality was there.
I was lucky enough to be put in a team with JB from Lesley's squad and Ben Kelly who won the state championships 8km race that I did a few weeks back. It's the same race as last year but we ran it backwards to change it up a bit. Pretty poor weather, windy and rainy but it held up okay.
I was the first leg which I was happy about because it's easier when there are people all around you. The course is 3.15 km's but I had to do 2 laps this year instead of only a single lap like last year. So 6.3 of racing. Normally, the course is a car racing track so it's pretty sick to run on. Asphalt all the way around though which does tighten the calves up. Gun went and I made sure I didn't go out too hard but apparently I split 3:08 first k and I didn't feel it too much which is a great sign.
The course loops around back uphill, before a downhill section along the back straight. The lead woman went by here but I'm aware of her talent so didn't try to stay with. Instead I focus on form and feeling good. Turned into the headwind with 750m left in the lap and all of a sudden felt great. Stretched out down hill, turned into the straight and kept going. Split the first lap in 10:27. Last year's one lap time was 10:03 so I'm doing alright for myself so far.
3.5k in and it starts to hurt more. Grit my teeth here and attempt to hang onto a guy uphill which I manage. Downhill, I let gravity do the work and feel a but better for it. Back on the flat section another women goes by and I hang onto her for almost a k before the wind beats me. Back onto the straight and I just give it everything. Touch JB's hand for the change in runners and I'm finished. Time ended up being 21:24 for the 6.3k so really happy with that. Second split was 10:57 so not as bad as my Jells relays disaster. JB hit 21:42 and Ben Kelly kept us in it for fifth in 19:34 which was truly unbelievable.
Our age group is so strong so it's disappointing we didn't medal. At the tan though, we should have a strong chance if everything goes well. 10.3 km all up for today.
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