I ran the 15k beneficial race “Carlos Lopes Golden Marathon” yesterday.

Time: 1 hour, 14 minutes 11 seconds, bellow my target… so… goal achieved!

The course was fairly easy, mostly downhill. Fuelling at around 6.5km (where I was passed by the marathon athletes and 12km (where they informed that the finish was 5k ahead… wrooooong).

Since this was not a race for the masses, the starting was smooth and unpopulated and the pace higher than in previous races I participated. I don’t have a clue about the number of athletes in the 15k race, but something around 400 should be near the truth.

Personally, I only start having problems around the 11^th and 13^th kilometre… after that I managed to end the race at full speed, making the last two kilometres quite easily.

A good event, well organized and with a nice course!

Next weeks, due to personnal constrains, I’ll do less mileage on my workouts and focus more on muscular wokouts, for total fitness purposes.

Balance is the key.

So it’s done. I’ve trained all of what I felt to be needed to train for the next race.

With some 10k workouts and a 15k (race length) training, I’m fully satisfied with my performance. Taking in account that my goal here is just to finish the race, a 1h15min seems to be a good goal.

Mentally, I find this 15k distance not at all different from the 10k, besides the fact that I do run in a more “zen” state, really relaxed from the very beginning and only pushing up after feeling that I have enough energy. Last workouts have made me feel that I am more a long distance runner and not a 5k or less racer. Psychology playing a role here, definitely.

Race post after it! Wish me luck.

Ok, getting slightly addicted here. Prior to yesterday’s race, I’ve found an interesting event to help me prepare for a half marathon: a 15 kilometre race in an easy course: Carlos Lopes Golden Marathon’s 15 kilometre race.

The event is organized by the former Olympic champion’s foundation (Fundação Carlos Lopes) and will take place in Lisbon, on the 12^thof April 2008. Part of the registration fee will be applied in supporting handicapped sport, one of the major areas of work in which Fundação Carlos Lopes works.

Besides the 15 k race, there will be a full marathon, a bike marathon and a 5k “family race”.

Register in the event’s website on the competition that fits you and start training!

So, after checking the half-marathon’s website, the distance for the Vodafone Mini-Marathon is not 8k as previously indicated, but 7.2km. Approximately, so they say.

Obviously, my target-time must change. I’ve done a 7,2k race in 38:51, but that’s too much as a real goal. So, 37:30 will be my target for the next month. If possible, I’ll lower it for the race.

Recent workouts have been promising, reducing my pace to around 5:14. I seem to be returning to my best fit, after a sore throat and a really strong cold in December.

Done my first 8k today, as a preparation for the Vodafone Mini-Marathon.

Time: 43:27

Since it was done in a 5:25 pace, I’m predicting that a 41:30 mark will be an obtainable goal for the upcoming mini-marathon. With almost two months untill the event, I may change this goal, but for now, its going to be:

Registration: (limited to 35.000 runners):

Till 15/02/2008:

• Half-marathon: 12€
• Vodafone’s Mini-marathon (8km): 12€

From 18/02/2008 until 15/03/2008:

• Half-marathon: 17€
• Vodafone’s Mini-marathon (8km): 17€

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I’m going! And you?

The day started early, Woke up at 7:15 a.m., took a reinforced breakfast and off we went to Oeiras. We left the car there and got to the starting point (Algés) by train - participants in the race could travel for free - a nice attention from the organization.

The race started at 10:00 a.m. sharp. Since I was in the last group of participants (those with no official mark or with more than 48min. per 10km), we only started effectively 4 minutes later.

The first two kilometers where dedicated to pass slow runners (or fast walkers as I call them), so I could only get into my normal pace at 3 km.

The race itself was pleasant to do, with only three moderate climbs, especially the last one at 8 km, with a slight inclination but lengthy. The last kilometer was a breeze, and I even managed to accelerate as I arrived to the finish line.

I decided not to take the Nike+ kit nor the iPod, in order to get a full impression of the race and its ambience, since it’s my first participation in this kind of event. Despite being now officially addicted to run with the Nike+ kit, I’ve managed to control my pace smoothly.

8.500 people participated in the race, only 7.165 classified (view race’s classifications here).

Winners:

• Men - Rui Silva (Portugal) 29:04
• Women - Vanessa Fernandes (Portugal) 33:29

Top marks for the organization of Corrida do Tejo 2007! Hope to do it next year!

Corrida do Tejo 2007 official t-shirt


My time: 54:14


Corrida do Tejo 2007 participation medal