26-06-2012, 06:02 PM
Hi TheEd,
Just wanted to pop in and give an update on the half-marathon this past Sunday.
It didn't go nearly as well as expected (1:44:27), I was aiming for 1:35. I was on 4:30 pace for the first 6KM and feeling good but started cramping pretty badly in my legs and had to drop off for the rest of the race. My heart rate was fine for the whole run, I averaged 153 so I don't think it was a cardio issue. I just couldn't push the pace without my legs cramping. Is it possible that I may have over-hydrated leading up to the race? I drank a lot of water Friday and Saturday. I eat healthy meals, loaded up on good carbs, dark green veg, low fats etc. Race day I had a good breakfast and a lot of water again, a power gel 15 minutes before the start and one at 10K but by that time I had been struggling with the cramps.
My legs weren't feeling super fresh going into the race and I was expecting to have to work to get under that time but I didn't expect the cramping/fatigue to be an issue so early on in the run. Post race I've had suggestions of e-load drink and pills, maybe I'll try that during my next long run to see if it makes a difference. I do tend to sweat a copious amount with a lot of salt in my clothes after any kind of a run (my skin is usually covered in a layer of salt after a long run).
At any rate, I'm not discouraged as this was the first time I've ever raced a half and it was a good learning experience (and it was a beautiful day!). I feel like cardio wise I could have held 4:30 comfortably throughout the distance. In the meantime, I'm going to re-focus on 10k racing and getting my time under 40 minutes consistently before I retry a half again as I feel that having a solid 10K time will be a good foundation for all the other distances I'd like to tackle over the next year.
Right now, I feel I need to take a break and recover a bit, I was feeling a bit run down the past week fighting a cold and sore legs and I think a few days off and easing back into the cycles would do me good. Is that smart or should I suck it up and keep moving forward? The next 10K race I'm looking at is Aug 19 on a flat fast course. Do you think there is enough time to recover and get back into the cycles to make an honest attempt at sub 40 for that race or should I be more patient and focus on a longer term goal?
Sorry for the long post, I've had a lot to think about after this race
Cheers,
KK
Just wanted to pop in and give an update on the half-marathon this past Sunday.
It didn't go nearly as well as expected (1:44:27), I was aiming for 1:35. I was on 4:30 pace for the first 6KM and feeling good but started cramping pretty badly in my legs and had to drop off for the rest of the race. My heart rate was fine for the whole run, I averaged 153 so I don't think it was a cardio issue. I just couldn't push the pace without my legs cramping. Is it possible that I may have over-hydrated leading up to the race? I drank a lot of water Friday and Saturday. I eat healthy meals, loaded up on good carbs, dark green veg, low fats etc. Race day I had a good breakfast and a lot of water again, a power gel 15 minutes before the start and one at 10K but by that time I had been struggling with the cramps.
My legs weren't feeling super fresh going into the race and I was expecting to have to work to get under that time but I didn't expect the cramping/fatigue to be an issue so early on in the run. Post race I've had suggestions of e-load drink and pills, maybe I'll try that during my next long run to see if it makes a difference. I do tend to sweat a copious amount with a lot of salt in my clothes after any kind of a run (my skin is usually covered in a layer of salt after a long run).
At any rate, I'm not discouraged as this was the first time I've ever raced a half and it was a good learning experience (and it was a beautiful day!). I feel like cardio wise I could have held 4:30 comfortably throughout the distance. In the meantime, I'm going to re-focus on 10k racing and getting my time under 40 minutes consistently before I retry a half again as I feel that having a solid 10K time will be a good foundation for all the other distances I'd like to tackle over the next year.
Right now, I feel I need to take a break and recover a bit, I was feeling a bit run down the past week fighting a cold and sore legs and I think a few days off and easing back into the cycles would do me good. Is that smart or should I suck it up and keep moving forward? The next 10K race I'm looking at is Aug 19 on a flat fast course. Do you think there is enough time to recover and get back into the cycles to make an honest attempt at sub 40 for that race or should I be more patient and focus on a longer term goal?
Sorry for the long post, I've had a lot to think about after this race
Cheers,
KK