2 weeks to go
May. 2nd, 2010 07:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rmcf_walksWe spent 10 days on holiday in France, where I didn't keep up my usual schedule of timed, measured walks. But I did make sure of going out walking the dogs most days: 2 young Jack Russels and a young Labrador/mixture cross, they kept me working hard. On our return I kept up the walking with some election leaflet delivery.
Today was the last big preparation walk: 20 miles. The training guide says "if you do this, you will be sure of completing the MoonWalk". Well, I did it, so that's a good sign. I think this is the point where I am supposed to be cheery about how great endorphins are and the rush of success, but it wasn't really like that. I hated the last 5-6 miles and greeted the end not with triumph but rather grumpy relief at being able to finally stop. My legs started aching somewhere about 12 miles, and from about 15 miles it was pure slog and grim determination keeping me going. I've stretched thoroughly but everything still aches unpleasantly. I hope the MoonWalk itself goes a bit better.
Anyway, the vital statistics:
19.8 miles in 311:20 => 15.7 min/mile
Which is not dreadful, but not as fast as I was hoping either. I set a fairly deliberate pace of about 15 min/mile at first, but slowed rather on the third loop and the last 3.8 miles were just grim (around 17 min/mile).
16 min/mile implies a finishing time of about 7 hours and 15.7 min/mile implies around 6h52min. So that gives me some idea of what to expect, though the event is not a race and the only person timing me will be me. I will probably try to set a slower pace of 15.5 min/mile and see if that's more sustainable than 15 min/mile for 10 miles and then catastrophic slowdown.
Today was the last big preparation walk: 20 miles. The training guide says "if you do this, you will be sure of completing the MoonWalk". Well, I did it, so that's a good sign. I think this is the point where I am supposed to be cheery about how great endorphins are and the rush of success, but it wasn't really like that. I hated the last 5-6 miles and greeted the end not with triumph but rather grumpy relief at being able to finally stop. My legs started aching somewhere about 12 miles, and from about 15 miles it was pure slog and grim determination keeping me going. I've stretched thoroughly but everything still aches unpleasantly. I hope the MoonWalk itself goes a bit better.
Anyway, the vital statistics:
19.8 miles in 311:20 => 15.7 min/mile
Which is not dreadful, but not as fast as I was hoping either. I set a fairly deliberate pace of about 15 min/mile at first, but slowed rather on the third loop and the last 3.8 miles were just grim (around 17 min/mile).
16 min/mile implies a finishing time of about 7 hours and 15.7 min/mile implies around 6h52min. So that gives me some idea of what to expect, though the event is not a race and the only person timing me will be me. I will probably try to set a slower pace of 15.5 min/mile and see if that's more sustainable than 15 min/mile for 10 miles and then catastrophic slowdown.
