PR in a dress

As human beings,
our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world
but in being able to remake ourselves.

-Mahatma Gandhi

The World-Record Perth 5-mile Kilt-Run is over. We got to spend some great time with our family in Kingston.  The race was better organized this year and a lot more fun, (although we missed the sheep shearing from last year).  The run was tough again.  I don't know whether it was the later start of 6:30 pm (all my races are usually in the early morning) or because it was a summer-run just after the solstice and the full sunlight and heat, or maybe something else, but it was tough.

Kieran Day won the race with a time of 27:50.  I was a close 697th with a time of 51:35 (1727 finishers).  Kieran had ate, finished 4 interviews, showered, and received his award by the time I finished.  This is his third year in a row as winner.  Now that is a guy who knows how to run in a dress!

No alcohol for this race - no alcohol for 1 week before this race.  Of course I drank alcohol right after!  Hydration and electrolytes were well managed, I ate small meals and added a little extra carbohydrates for the last few.  I was well rested.  I trained well, and kept a good attitude for the race.  But it was still tough!

I felt much better for the first 35 minutes of this run.  I kept to a good 10:18 minutes/mile pace, setting myself up for (I thought) negative splits at the end, and then at a the 40 minute mark about 3 3/4 miles into the 5 miles I started to fade.  I felt like I was cooking on a grill.  At the 40 minute mark my heart rate was 160 BPM (92% of Maximal HR).  I was breathing easy, smiling at the pipers, the harp, and flute players.  I started to slow down, more to give my heart a break than because I felt my muscles were tired.  I was doing good, but my body was fighting the heat.  Definitely all the extra weight I was carrying.

One high-light was that for the last 400 yards I managed a sprint that brought my split pace down to 7:50 minutes per mile.  For others that's not a sprint that's a pace, but for me it was a sprint.  At one point near the finish line I had accelerated to 5:18 minutes/mile.  (My finishing HR was 174 - 100% maximal HR.)

In brief, I improved in every area in this race, even if only slightly.  A minute and 17 seconds improvement should count for something.  I didn't keep to my running strategy entirely and this will be addressed later.

	2011	2012
Time	52:52	51:35 (PR!)
Avg Pace	10:34 min/mi (6:34 min/km)	10:20 min/mi (6:25 min/km)
Best Pace	6:35 min/mi (4:05 min/km)	5:18 min/mi (3:18 min/km)
Avg HR	150 bpm	153 bpm
Max HR	168 bpm	174 bpm

Here's the start, I'm the blue-shirted guy in the middle of the road from 0:46 to 0:51 - slow and lumbering 11:15 pace out from the start.  (It took almost 5 minutes to get all the runners out of the gate!)

Perth Kilt Run 2012 - The Start from Bastou on Vimeo.

pre-race

1. setup garmin with variable splits and times - check! 
2. setup display with lap pace, average pace, hr - check!
3. eat a small breakfast at 8 am - check!
4. go to the washroom 5 times - check!
5. make about 1/2 gallon (2 litres) of lime gatorade - check!
6. get my running kit and wool kilt packed into my running bag - check!
7. eat a small symbolic lunch
8. go to washroom 8 times
9. drive to Perth from Kingston
10. signup for the world record run at 3 pm
11. go to washroom 12 times
12. walk in the runners march to the start line
13. KICK ASS!

My Strategy

Reviewing last year’s race: 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96397343 

Split	Distance	Avg Pace	Avg HR	Max HR	Calories
1	1	9:28	148	160	118
2	1	10:14	148	155	120
3	1	10:36	150	157	120
4	1	11:10	152	155	119
5	1	11:24	151	168	111
Summary	5	10:34	150	168	588

Positive splits! Definitely would be an improvement to run this backwards. Look at these impossible HR numbers too! There are a few things I should note:

1. I had a sprint time trial the day earlier in Kingston (Limestone Mile) 
2. I ate greasy fish and chips before this race 
3. I might have drank a beer before this race 
4. It was very dusty and hot on race day 
5. Bib timing with a gun start (I hate Bib timing with gun starts)
6. I had to wear a kilt 

Recently, I ran the 3 miles at 9:47 … downhill/uphill/corners/turns. I need to be confident that this type of speed is possible over 5 miles. This race will have nearly the same elevation differences as the runs I have been running this past month. About 120 feet from low to high.


So my strategy is

1. From 0 mi to 1.75 mi it’s uphill about 60 feet. I’ll set myself the target of 10:34 (last year’s pace). This will keep me from racing with the bulls at the start, and give me a sufficient warm-up (landmark would be the second last corner when leaving town – where the fire trucks were spraying runners last year.)
2. From 1.75 mi to 2.4 mi it’s downhill about 67 feet. I’ll set myself the target pace of 9:47. It’s a short distance and it will give me a chance to interval a bit. (landmark – the end of the parking lot where the golf course starts.)
3. From 2.4 mi to 3.0 mi it’s bumpy uphill about 37 feet. I’ll set myself the target pace of 10:00. The idea is to slow down, take a breather (landmark – deep in the golf course about 5 minutes in.) 
4. From 3.0 mi to 3.5 mi it’s time to crank up the pace running downhill again at 9:47. (the last turn by the river on the golf course)
5. From 3.5 mi to about 4.8 mi it’s time to keep below 10:00 as best I can (just before the final turn home)
6. Sprint my ass off. 

Calculating this out: 10:30 (1.75 mi) + 9:45 (0.65 mi) + 10:00 (0.6 mi) + 9:45 (0.5 mi) + 10:00 (1.5 mi) + Sprint = 50:35 -> 10:07 pace.  At the 3.5 mile mark, I’ll make the decision as to how well I feel (there will be gravel and dust and only two water stops. They are saying that it will be humid and 83 degrees). If I feel awesome I will kick it up and run the last 1.5 miles as fast as I can, not being afraid to stop and take a breather, look ugly, look stupid. The idea is to pull out as much as I can from myself. I know that I can bring this pace down to under the 9:30 mark if this is the case.

There are a few things I should note:

1. No sprint time trial the day earlier 
2. No fish and chips before the run 
3. No beer before the run 
4. Bandanna ready to pull up over my mouth if I need to for the dust on the golf course trail
5. Bib timing with a gun start (maintain a calm attitude at this one) 
6. I have to wear a kilt (become a skirt chaser - nothing I can do about this)

Summary

Last year's race time: 52:52

This year's target: 50:35


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Email received this week

PERTH KILT RUN KILT WAR 2012 IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR Andrew Opala Bib #:  1360 YOU WILL WANT TO READ THIS The Crystal Palace on-the-Tay is located in the town centre, across from the Town Hall. If all else fails follow the river. Race Details: Kilt & Bibs must be picked up between 10-4pm on race day At the Crystal Palace on-the Tay (Across from Town Hall) You cannot pick-up someone else’s bib because everyone will need to sign the World Guinness Book of Record. This will be a lengthy process. We have 2000 Kilted runners this year, (yippee! Another world record slam!) so please come early! BIB INSTRUCTION Andrew Opala Bib #: 1360 PRINT YOUR BIB# & BRING IT WITH YOU (YOU WILL NEED YOUR BIB # TO GET YOUR KILT/BIB) BIBS MUST BE worn ON THE FRONT (TIMING SYSTEM CANNOT READ THROUGH YOU) Gathering of the Clans 6:00pm Crystal Palace on the Tay Across from Town Hall (Except Warrior Division who are meeting at Fiddleheads Restaurant at 6 pm) ------             “Runners March On” 6:15pm Sharp (Crystal Palace) LET THE KILT WAR BEGIN Perth Kilt Run – 5 Miler:  6:30pm PLEASE SEE AFTERNOON EVENTS SCHEDULE on the Blog YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS THE WORLD RECORD HAGGIS TOSS, MEDIEVAL ENCAMPMENT AND MORE If you have not already donated to our chosen charity, the MS Society of Canada, we encourage you to do so by clicking below! Make a difference in the lives of persons living with multiple sclerosis.