50km at 50: The Diary of an Ultramarathon Runner
Week 02: Hot runs, still struggling to run slower & sore bum cheeks!
Week 02: Day 5:
I was only supposed to run 7km today, according to my running plan. However. Tuesday evening is run club night, and I want to keep joining these sessions where possible; so I’m adapting my program accordingly.
Tonight’s route was a steady 10km, which actually worked out well for practising my goal of running slower.
The plan was to run:
3km easy (6:20-6:50 min/km)
3km steady (5:40-6:20 min/km)
2km tempo (5:20-5:40 min/km)
2km easy (6:20-6:50 min/km)
I started off at the back of the group, to stop myself from going out too fast. After the first 3km, I moved up to the front, holding a nice steady pace. Then I upped the tempo (probably a bit too much); before looping back to rejoin the group for the final stretch. In total, clocking up 11km.
Given the mix of paces, my average pace should have been closer to 6:10 min/km; but ended up at 5:56 min/km.
For the statos out there, here’s my actual pace compared to the targets I was aiming to reach:
Easy (6:20-6:50 min/km): averaged 6:08 min/km ❌
Steady (5:40-6:20 min/km): averaged 6:08 min/km ✅
Tempo (5:20-5:40 min/km): averaged 5:10 min/km ❌
Easy (6:20-6:50 min/km): averaged 6:05 min/km ❌
As you can see, I’ve still got some work to do when it comes to running slower.
By the end of the run, my thighs were feeling a little stiff; possibly due to the pace changes. Hopefully they loosen up soon, as I’ve two more consecutive runs to get through before my rest day on Friday.
Week 02: Day 6:
A beautiful morning for a run; perfect conditions. Warm with a very welcoming breeze, (which makes a nice change). I headed out for me 6km easy run, followed by my weekly strength training session.
Another epic fail on the pace front….. I averaged 5:33 min/km; so yes I still need to work on slowing these shorter runs down!
With the sun shining, I decided to do my strength training session in the garden; and may have had a couple of little helpers join me.
This weeks session included:
5-minute warm-up
Lunges: 60 seconds
Reverse Lunges: 60 seconds
Single Leg Lowers: 60 seconds
Bridge Hold: 60 seconds
Repeated x4 times, followed by a 5-minute cool down.
I actually enjoyed this week’s circuit more than last week’s, I could really feel it in the quads and glutes (during the lunges), and also felt my core working too. At this rate, I’ll have the perfect beach body for summer 🤣.
Week 02: Day 7:
Ohhh my bum cheeks are so sore today! Clearly the strength training sessions are doing their job.
Thursday night is pub run night, and I managed to convince two of my running club buddies to join me for tonight’s run.
Technically, I was only supposed to do 7km today… but on Thursdays, we always run at least 10km.
We ran 10km at easy pace with x5 20-second strides. Sensibly, we decided to get the strides out of the way early in the run; and I’m so glad we did.
It was so hot tonight. Not exactly ideal running weather, but knowing there’s a cold beer waiting for you at the end definitely helps with motivation!
And yes… another run, running too fast; averaging 5:39 min/km. Given how hot it was, I was honestly surprised we were going that quick. (I’m blaming you, Andy… 😅)
Andy had to dash off home, so Lee and I stayed to enjoy a well-earned cold pint (or two).
As part of my mandatory kit, I need to have a cap for the big day. While I was in Amsterdam last week, I tried a few on, although wasn’t totally happy with any of them. They had a frustrating knack of sticking my ears out, as they just weren’t deep enough.
Then earlier this week, this beauty popped up on Instagram; a collab between Runaway Racing (event organiser of the 50km ultramarathon) and Ugoku Projects.
The perfect colour combination to match my Mind running vest, and bladder pack. If nothing else, at least I’ll look the part!
And when it arrived Friday, the fit was perfect. Just long enough to cover the top of my ears. I’ll be giving it a proper test on Saturday’s long run.
Week 02: Day 8:
All ready or my morning run; although, after a late night drinking far too much in the garden (whose stupid idea was it to finish with Moscow Mules after two bottles of Prosecco, I wonder….?), the body didn’t exactly feel prepared for a long run.
That said, with the run club summer party tonight, postponing until tomorrow didn’t seem like a great idea either; and nothing beats sweating out all the alcohol right?
Today’s route took us through the back country lanes towards Pakefield, then along Lowestoft promenade, finishing at The Lighthouse, where the other half was meeting us for a well-earned late breakfast, and giving us a lift home.
I managed to rope Lee into this morning’s run, although it might be the last long run he agrees to join me on!
It was really hot this morning, with barely a breeze; which is quite remarkable as we’ve ran the Lowestoft promenade dozens of times, and it’s never been as still as it was today. Unbelievably the breeze showed up after we finished!
Running through the twisty country lanes, we’d already gone out too fast by the time we reached Pakefield. Today’s run was a really good reminder that pacing yourself from the off-set; especially in the heat (24°c). There’s just not enough fuel in the tank when you start too quick.
We averaged 5:55 min/km which was not the plan. And coming 2nd on the leaderboard for one of the segments was certainly not on the agenda!
Todays plan was to run:
12km at easy (6:20-6:50 min/km)
3km at steady (5:50-6:20 min/km)
3km at easy (6:20-6:50 min/km)
Looking at my splits the whole run was basically done at steady pace. Only in the last 3km did I drop below a 6:09 min/km. Another epic fail on the pace front!
I managed to break Lee at 16km (10 miles). That’s two members of run club I’ve broken during training; at this rate, no one’s going to want to join me for long runs. Either that, or I’ll end up with an entourage of cyclists instead! 🤣
I’d love to say I felt amazing at the end of today’s run, but I’d be lying. The heat was intense, and mixed with a too-fast pace, I was very glad for it to be over. On top of that my inner thighs were badly chafed, something I’ve never had happen before.
Sadly, my favourite race shorts (which lasted me eight amazing years) had to be binned last year when the holes got a bit too obvious. I really do need to try and find a new pair, ideally with a built-in inner short.
With chafed thighs, tired legs and one sore toe (no blister, thankfully), we hobbled to The Lighthouse for some breakfast.
Now it’s time to spend the rest of the day relaxing in the garden and making the most of two upcoming rest days, before it starts all over again with week 3.
I would also like to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has donated so far; £90 raised for Mind; a charity doing vital work supporting people with mental health challenges.
It really does help make the tough training days feel worth it. 💙
If you’d like to support my journey (every penny helps), you can do so by clicking the button below.
Thanks again for reading my weekly diary; and for all the support so far.
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50km at 50: The Diary of an Ultramarathon Runner is an additional weekly post every Sunday, sharing my ultramarathon journey, as I prepare for my most gruelling challenge yet.
If you missed any of The Diary of an Ultramarathon Runner series you can catch up here:
