12th January, 2014 - The Christmas
break proved to be quite lengthy and since I had no clear plan of activity I
simply became a potato couch for most of those days. I was also involved in a
lot of travel back and forth between Nairobi and upcountry to visit my folks. I
had one last good run with Jack on 8th December, 2013 and boy what a
run that was!
My ankle injury has always been lurking in the shadows. It kept coming back in full swing after every ran and retreated back whenever a have a days rest or two. After two whole months with the injury, my frustration forced me to go to a doctor. I went to hospital out of frustration, I was even feeling guilty 'what a bitchass I have become going to the doctor over a small injury' but damn I had to do what I had to do. Despite the injury I couldn't hold back and actually continued with my runs.
I made
a few feeble attempts to run during the holidays just to keep my blood rushing.
I did 17km (1:18), 21km (1:40), 22km (1:41), 17km (1:19), and 24km (1:57) on 18th,
23rd, 29th December and on 2nd & 5th January,
2014 respectively. And in virtually all the instances, I came up short because
of indiscipline on my diet. I grew lazy in the process, I couldn’t even wake up
early and in all instances I ran under the blazing sun. The previous Sunday I
took on Kangundo road/ Utawala route in which I got my ass handed over to me in
the 24th kilometer despite the slow pace. The rolling hills cleaned
me out. I couldn’t proceed and had to walk it out the rest of the remaining
distance.
A
clear strategy will be to work on the upper hill route, toughen my leg muscles
by doing several lunges and come back to the Kangundo route again and again and
again. I made a quick decision to check on just how far Iam from the group run
record of 1:54 in 26kms.
I left
the house a few minutes past six because I spent a lot of time trying psyke
myself up psychologically. My goal was to complete the group run route without
taking a walk. I did a lot of self preservation and whenever I go sub 4:30 in a
km, I slow down in the next. The Upper hill climb to my surprise wasn’t so bad
but it pilled some real pressure on me. Restrict my speed on the Mbagathi downhill
descent so as not to clean my lungs out.
My
legs are gone after the 24th kilometer and struggle the rest of the
distance. Take a pounding on the 26th kilometer – what a deplorable
ending. Clear 26k in 1:59:50 – 12.99km/hr. That is where my training begins – I
want to train with the mindset of going for 42km marathon. If by July I manage
to run 36 kms in 2:30 during my trainings then my 42km debut in Stanchart is
set – I will manage a sub 3hrs!. My best has been 30km in 2:12 in September
last year therefore my goal is not overly ambitious.
| Kilometer | Time | Avg Pace | |
| 1 | 4:20 | 4'20"/km | |
| 2 | 8:46 | 4'26"/km | |
| 3 | 13:12 | 4'26"/km | |
| 4 | 17:40 | 4'28"/km | |
| 5 | 22:05 | 4'25"/km | |
| 6 | 26:31:00 | 4'26"/km | |
| 7 | 31:05:00 | 4'34"/km | |
| 8 | 35:31:00 | 4'26"/km | |
| 9 | 40:09:00 | 4'38"/km | |
| 10 | 44:39:00 | 4'30"/km | |
| 11 | 49:47:00 | 5'08"/km | |
| 12 | 54:56:00 | 5'09"/km | |
| 13 | 59:35:00 | 4'39"/km | |
| *Fastest | 1:03:37 | 4'02"/km | |
| 15 | 1:07:56 | 4'19"/km | |
| 16 | 1:12:31 | 4'35"/km | |
| 17 | 1:17:02 | 4'31"/km | |
| 18 | 1:21:39 | 4'37"/km | |
| 19 | 1:26:11 | 4'32"/km | |
| 20 | 1:30:47 | 4'36"/km | |
| 21 | 1:35:24 | 4'37"/km | |
| 22 | 1:40:03 | 4'39"/km | |
| 23 | 1:44:43 | 4'40"/km | |
| 24 | 1:49:27 | 4'44"/km | |
| 25 | 1:54:18 | 4'51"/km | |
| 26 | 1:59:45 | 5'27"/km |
Eat-Sleep-Conquer-Repeat.
