Here are some notables.
Bici Rodeo Cross
First cyclocross race of the year. A week after Blitz, and was just starting to feel a cough coming on. I had done a decent amount of skills training but very little high intensity training. Ouch!It was very cold and windy out in the Airdrie Rodeo grounds. I managed to get in two full laps of warmup, but the last one cost me a decent starting position - which pretty much seals your fate in a cross race. I was probably ~20th in the hole shot.
I felt pretty good in the first 2 laps, passing or catching guys on the straights, and mostly holding my own on the technical parts. I did slip up a few times, especially as I fatigued, and ended the race in virtually the same position as I started (not uncommon).
September Stats:
- Bike: 21 rides, 950 kms, 35 hours, 8,500m elevation
- Run: 16 runs, 113 kms, 9.5 hours
After this, my cold/cough thing got a bit worse. I went to see a Dr who told me I had a throat infection, and prescribed some antibiotics. With over a week to go before BMO, I figured I'd be well just in time to get in a couple hard runs before the race and still do well.
Unfortunately, the antibiotics did nothing.
I managed one hard run on the preceeding Friday, with a single kilometer at race pace (sub-4 min/km), and was hacking and coughing for a minutes afterwards.
Did a light run in Revelstoke on the way to Kelowna on Saturday, and didn't feel great there either.
BMO Okanagan 10k Run
So the stretch goal was sub 40 minutes, requiring a sub 4 min/km pace for 10k, obviously. I say stretch because I've never even done 5kms at that pace.That said, I felt I could do it with the reduced elevation (>600m lower than Calgary, which according to runworks, could equate to about 11s improvement).
I line up next to Melissa and a bunch of school kids who are talking about running 3:30's. Yikes.
My plan was to go fast with the lead group, for about 3km, then pull it back for a km, 3 fast, 1 slow, last fast.
Went out hard as planned. Looked at my watch and it said 4:30's...wtf?! Turn a corner, now it says 3:30. Great...
1 km split goes by, 3:50. I'm feeling pretty good. -10s.
Next km goes by. Little bit slower but still sub 4. Overall, -12s. Still feeling good.
Km 3, lose a few seconds, back down to -10s. Now I'm starting to hack.
I hear a familiar voice behind me. Turn and see Melissa has caught up to me.
Km 4, lose a couple more. -6s. Melissa runs in front of me. Wow she's running strong!
Km 5. I'm fading. Tempted to try to break the 20 min marker, but decide to ease a little and hope to recover. +4s.
The turnaround takes a lot of me. I struggle to get back to speed, and am losing contact with Melissa and another guy I'd been running with.
The next 3 kms are torture, and I lose 56s, and several placements.
In the final 2km I am caught by another guy, and we run stride for stride at around 4:10's until the final 400m, where he accelerates and I'm left with nothing.
Official finish time: 41:50. Not quite personal best, I got 41:30 last year in the Underwear Affair!
Not too disappointed considering the state I went into it, but was hoping for better.
(Melissa on the other hand, killed it! Won the overall women category, time of 40:27!)
