Tag: Iraq

Saturday 5km Race – 151st ESB Farewell


Saturday morning and a 5km race around one of the lakes.

happy before

A group of us decided to run so bleary eyed and registered at 5:30am then a 6am start. It was quite cool this morning around 28-29 degrees so I was thankful for that.

Summary and HR

A great run – I watched as the New Chris streaked off in 3rd place whilst I struggled along in about 13th (unlucky for me). Chris eventually came in 5th with an amazing 18m40 – I came in 13th with a 20m17s

Nick joined us on his 40th Birthday and ran a very good 23m50s which is great as he doesn’t really run much. Pip training for the Great North Run did 25m40s with Jess a little way behind her. Top marks also to Chris F who at over 60 finished in 30m paced by Jules and still beating over half the field.

My lap times were fairly consistent – felt tired towards the end but didn’t bother with any last minute dash as no sprint finish with anyone.

Aaah good day always when you start with a run …..

happy after the race with the lake in background

What have you done this weekend so far?

A sunday getting beasted


Woke up this morning and headed into work early so that I could get out and do a run. It was hot – at 8:30am it was already 33 degrees. Prepared a litre bottle of water to leave by the lake where I was doing loops – the lake is just under 3km long around so it was a run there then 3 laps and a run back to get my 10km in.

Hope you all had a nice Sunday

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Another Day another race – 13hrs later


T-Shirt FRONT

6am is too early for the start of a race – especially when it is only 8km and it is dark when you finish too.

IN MOVESCOUNT HERE

After surviving yesterday and my calf not pulling too much I felt I was up for the race this morning despite the stupid start time.

speed - gps fluctuations

Speed tracks are always annoying on gps – one of the reasons I have the Suunto (reviewed HERE)  show average speed as the mad gps fluctuations annoy me – there is no way I run 3m/km followed by 4m40/km.

Heart rate Movescount

The lap times below show the 1km splits so and you can see the consistency there – I generally just keep the Suunto t6 showing my Heart Rate (to keep below lactic threshold) and then when it beeps every km on autolap I check my progress.

lap times

The run as I said was in the dark – at the start someone tripped and fell and the race was spent looking for potholes (of which there are a few) although luckily I know the roads of the route quite well.

By 2km I was pretty much in the position I stayed in apart from 2 Ugandans who started late and came flying past at a good 3:20/km pace. Caught a couple of soldiers and got passed by a brit I have raced with and beaten a few times. Was a bit annoying as my legs were tired and I couldn’t quite get the muster to pass him again.

28m44s which was fine and I think around 20th or 21st of about 400-500 runners.

So got another t-Shirt (as did the first 300)

T-shirt BACK

5km Race (Race for the Wounded Soldier)


After pulling my calf muscle 3 days ago I wasn’t so sure about the 8km race I am supposed to do tomorrow morning and if my leg would hold up. Then found out about a smaller 5km race today (a live link to US Race for The Wounded Soldier). Small race about 180 people.

Went in for the race not intending to go very quickly but 1st km was a bit twingy then it seemed alright staying at that pace so kept going. Reeled in a few places until I was in 5th by 2.5km mark and stayed there until finish.

 

yellow line probably better average pace band

 

Average Pace – not really taking into account the 20knot wind – think I was more consistent than this

 

lap time with a rogue HR

T-Shirt for first 100 coming – will put up photo then.

 

RACE DAY – What a great run TF Phantom Farewell Run


6am and the alarm goes off. Running shorts on with jeans over the top to keep warm. Drink water, eat banana have some Clif Bar.

pre-race still dark

Down to the start and register again. Get number hobble around in the cold (about 3 degrees C) then sweater off and BANG here we go.

A good race – slightly shorter than the 7.35miles it was supposed to be – probably around 500+ runners. Saw some of them shoot ahead so kept count 11,12,13 …. figured I was in 19th.

lap splits - not super consistent

Kept up the pace for quite a while passed one got passed by another. Eventually coming in at 45m46s (4:08/km). Heart Rate pretty healthy for this type of run

heart rate on movescount

Came in tied 19th – first veteran Huzzah for Old Blokes

Had a weird day at work and was looking …


Had a weird day at work and was looking forward to ride home. Storm was brewing and there was nice lightning flashes in the sky. Wind was up and suddenly poodling along with wind on my back doing 30km/h started getting distracted by my taillights random flashing of red against the palm trees behind me then ‘bam’ smack into the kerb.

Years of falling off the mountain bikes have served me well obviously as I got away with just a scratch on my toe (wearing Birkenstocks) and a cut on my knee forearm and pinkie. Pride not intact. Bike pretty good too … S-bag scuffed on the tar, dusted up and minute cut on side pocket. Brooks saddle has first character wound but that was it. Glad I left the laptop in the office. ‘Mmmm must pay more attention’

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at the lake

I do get some strange looks sometime as I commute to the office. I live just over 5km away from work but was sick of either waiting to get a lift or driving the completely wasteful 5L gas guzzler car back and forth. So that’s where the Brompton came in – brought it out 10 days ago and I am loving it.

Firstly the fold – very simple and now I don’t even have to think (top tube, back wheel and handle) takes about 20 sec or less to fold and take the front bag off and take it indoors.

Secondly the ride. The route to work is tar – not the smoothest with the odd pothole and corrugation. Brompton is fine – even tank track sleeping policeman are easy to go over. I hit them at about 20km/h lifting the front and unweighting the back wheel so it just pops over. Ride to and from work is generally done at an average of 22-24km/h – nothing too speedy or sweaty just a steady pedal in 4th or 5th gear.

The back shock takes quite a lot of the buzz off the road so really is quite smooth.

Everything feels very tight and well put together – Brooks is still barely wearing in only had about 150km on it so far – should be super comfy in about 500 but still better than most saddles already.

silly iPhone accelerometer seems to place this on its side and YouTube wont let me rotate it …

1st commute over


49 left until it pays for itself

Still got horrendous cough and bad jetlag (well more like 3 hrs sleep) so canned work early – going to power nap and then carry on work from here. Good to ride the bike here for the first time – there’s a 30kmh speed limit on the base so only one car actually overtook me in 5km

another 10km race


5:15am - sunrise blurry eyes

Flew out of Iraq Thursday on a 11:30am flight – but the day started a bit earlier as there was a 10km race organised that morning. At first I was in two minds as to whether to bother, as I have been hitting the gym well the gym bike for at least an hour a day in preperation for the Kirroughtree 10 hour race. Come 5am and my alarm went off – straight out of bed and bleary eyed across the base to the run site.

more t-shirts I wont bother wearing again

6am came quickly and ‘bang’ we were off. Was planning to take it easy – a long time since I have run 10km quickly … but my pace felt good and finished around 10th in 43m40s

Lap times / split per km

…. temp always seems to add about 3 min to run time – would have been nice to run sub 40 but in 30C+ that is asking a bit too much for my body.

Then went back quickly packed and jumped on a plane …. a good start to a boring travel day.

nice hotel bed to finish the day

Thinking of a race


There’s a 10km race next week the day I fly out of this dustbowl – 6am start and I think I have to leave for airport at 9am so that should give me enough time to travel, run, shower and eat before I leave. 10km run and haven’t done one for a while so this morning I set my alarm for 6am (after a late night watching the USA-Ghana game)

round the lakes

Not so hot today but was already 30 degrees …. never went quickly just put the miles under my belt. Wasn’t really looking at the Garmin HRM as I ran only afterwards – my lap times pretty consistent (after the first one where I was still waking up) so I guess I was definitely  in my cardio zone groove.

consistent split times

Might hit the gym tonight – trying to make sure I do an hour a day on the bike in preperation for my 10hr marathon mtb race relay next week. Should be good fun.

Saturday Run


‘The good news is that it’s a lovely day, the bad news is that the temp is already 94F …’ this was at 6:40am and the race was due to start at 7am. Started my watch 100m in so left it running for 15 sec at the end – prob a bit more on distance.

Heart Rate and Speed

Today was hot and I struggled around the normal 5km course (which included a finish running up the hill – OUCH thats got to hurt)

t-shirt time for the first 300

Apart from a loose shoelace and about 10 seconds lost retying it – the race went well. That last hill was bad passed 3 on that bit alone and came in 19th – one of the chaps that I passed was about to ‘chunky chuckle’ – he didn’t look very happy.

Sportypal has a nice 3D view

Sportypal

Army Day 7km Run


5am out of bed … why do I do this. Grabbed a small bite to eat and glugged some water then went over to Liberty Base. Today is hot, far hotter than I like. Nearly 7am (the start) and the temp is already mid 30’s C

baghdad army day 7km run

We started and I was leading for all of 500m – very strange for me not to see people in front of me … didn’t last that long and by 2km in I was down to to the 20’s in position. My pace was slowing quick so I started ticking off the things that could be slowing me down …. jetlag … heat …. slight cold hanging on ….. no running for the past 3 weeks …. all bad.

Half way through I took some water at the feed station and threw the rest of the water on my head – that felt a lot better.

Sped up towards the end and passed a few that were burnt out and cramped.

Not the best run but still better than being pistol whipped by the Mujihadeen.

And another t-shirt

Another Day – Another 5km Race


Weather for the day

Getting very very bored of the Z lake route but another run today for some company that is leaving.

SPLIT TIMES:

3:44 / 4:03 / 4:14 / 4:22 / 4:07

Another Sh... Shirt
20min 44sec
Andrew 23min 25sec
Sterling 24min 50sec
Rob 28min 09sec
Chris (torn calf) walked in 35min + ..... muttering

5km Breast Cancer Race


2nd Race in a week but this one in drag.

There weren't 8000 runners - maybe 2000

A bunch of us again. Yazz outdid himself looking like a pro on the hunt for punters.

Do'nt know what I was doing here?

And then GO GO GO … started right at the back of the field where we had been chatting to a bunch of girl soldiers in full kit doing a forced march thing for the 5km (although the cleanliness of the kit made me think this was their first time out) so had to spend half the race barging through the crowd before it was clear enough to run. My km splits were:

4:18      3:53        4:07     4:08     4:15     so not the best results. 1 full minute slower in drag.

20:46 finished
25:10
26:10
28:00 but pretty all the way
30:30 but obviously put off by the beauty

Running in the heat


morning sun HOT HOT HOT

Sometimes like this morning when I stepped out at 6:30am and the temp was already 30C degrees, I begin to contemplate how MAD something like the the Marathon Des Sables is.  My run was just over 5km and I wasn’t even going that fast but came back like a sweat beast.

sweaty post run

Another 5km race on Saturday – this time for Breast Cancer Awareness (giving my colleague ample excuse to dress up like a lady) so will probably have to make an occasion of it and be more sociable instead of aiming to break that 20min mark ……

Weather prediction for the day HOT