MobyCarp - you ran a much smarter race than I did. Given the conditions, I decided to just run by feel, since I assumed the winds would slow me down whether I wanted to or not. I ended up flying for the first half, then slowing to my goal pace around mile 15, then struggling for miles 20-24, then coming back fairly strong. I don't know how much of my slow down was the wind and how much was my fast start. In the end, I ended up finishing right where I expected, at 4:05:08. There was a problem with my timing chip, so my official time is way off my actual time. (They said I started 27 minutes earlier than I did.) I was happy with what I ran, but really frustrated that that isn't reflected in my official results.

So last weekend was the Bad Cow Double, down in the Purbecks. A 12 hour endurance event on Saturday, followed by either a marathon or half on Sunday. There were about 20 of us that did at least a double marathon.

I drove down on Friday night, pitched my tent and caught up with friends.

Saturday was a 4.5mi lap; mixed forestry, coastal scrub and sand. I opted for 50K, given that I had the full the next day. It's a very laid back event, complete with bucket and spade left on the route for sandcastle building part of the way round. A friend did 61mi on the day, but she wasn't running the next day.



So a couple of beers in the evening helped ease the pain a little, then of again the following morning. Different route, with a two lap run. The HM runners starting 30 minutes behind the marathon. I was going quite slow, but the leading HM runners didn't catch up until about 9 miles in. The biggest challenge was my shoes waterlogged and muddy from about three miles in, wading through knee deep marsh. That meant I could feel blistering from about 6 miles.

As ever, it ran a bit long, finishing at about 45K

So, a hard couple of days, but really enjoyable.

lporter229 wrote: »

@MeanderingMammal -Wow...nice job! That's quite an accomplishment! There's nothing we wouldn't do for a couple of really cool medals, right?

Oh it's worse that that It's a race season, so at the end I get a black belt as well. We've got options on two doubles, either last weekend, or one in September. The September one is hillier.

So; two 12 hour endurance events covering at least marathon distance, four marathons.

Pittsburgh Half is in the books... Finished in 1:48 - just a few minutes slower than my target for this race. I'm sure I left something out there - when the group I was running with decided to kick it up a notch during the last mile I was compelled to follow... At damn near a 6 min per mile pace. So, yeah, I probably had a bit more to give. It was not my goal race and I'm trying to be good this year.

Nice bling! And all those names and symbols on the medal and shirt, are making me very homesick. Congrats on the PB too. You are a rock-star.

Ox weekend, down in rural Dorset. A nighttime 10K, daylight 10K, Half Marathon, a 12Hour endurance event and a 50mi, starting on Friday night. I did the light and dark, plus the 12 hour.

A 10K lap, with an extra 2K on the first lap to make sure those that wanted a qualifying marathon could do it.

Took it easy on the Dark as my plan was 50K in the frolic. It turned out that the route was mainly uphill somehow. In practice the descents were uncomfortably steep, and the climbs were long. Giving us a 205m climb per lap.

The frolic didn't go to plan, I twisted my knee about 15 miles in on a gravelly descent. It eased off, but as I had the light this morning and another marathon in two weeks I decided that discretion would be the better part and bailed out after four laps, giving me 28 miles.

This morning went well, a mix of running and power hiking.

I really enjoy this one, and might aim for the 50mi next year.