Hired the City Car to hit up Bushy Park this morning. Clearly this article was a jinx. Having won each of my last 7 run outs here, this 8th was to be a disaster, a bridge too far, coming in almost 50s slower than my best, with a shocking 4th split:
1k: 3.14
2k: 3.12
3k: 3.18
4k: 3.25...
5k 3.12
+6s
= 16.30ish.
For comparison, my best here, a 15:43 had these splits:
1k: 3.06
2k 3.09
3k: 3.14
4k: 3.13
5k: 3.02
1-2k today felt OK - quite strong, but at 3k it just fell apart and there wasn't anything more there. That 4th K is always a rough one into the prevailing wind, and often that is where its won and lost. The guy in front was just too far though, and getting further away. Just wasn't a change of pace there. Perhaps to be expected given the limited track work and faster 5/10ks. If anything, this highlights the need to sharpen before the marathon in just 5 weeks. 3.33 should feel a lot easier than what a 3.25 4th split suggests it will. I almost got beaten into third, but thankfully had enough of a push left in the final 600m - but not by much. Gutted.
Later in the afternoon, ran to Ham Gate, just outside of Richmond Park and ran 8 x 1k hard. Aim was to do them all well above marathon pace (sub 3.20 ideally). That was probably a little too much to ask for, with most of then 3.20 through 3.26. Legs felt particularly heavy, but not enough to stop a good 10k lap of Richmond Park afterwards. The jog there and park took mileage to 23 for the day. Feels like it too given I've been eating like a dog since getting back.