Despite forecasts of rain during the week the weather cooperated nicely and we only got wet after 18 km or so.
At about 14 km my legs started to feel heavy, and after the last gatorade+water station at 17 km I started walking all the uphills.
I finished in 6345th place (yay!) out of 13100 runners, and the timing-chip time was 2:12:56, my own garmin said 2:12:59, and my official time (start-gun to finish) was 2:13:16.
Results and info here: http://www.helsinkicityrun.fi
The books seem to tell me that to gain endurance you don't have to run fast, and often recommend a pace 90s to 2min/mile slower than race-pace for long runs. That's around 6:30 to 7min/km pace if race-pace is a 4h marathon. My avg. pace was 6:48/km today at avg. HR 154. A recovery jog on Monday or Tuesday, and then a faster 5k on Wednesday or Thursday - that should be about the final prep for the half-marathon next Saturday.
This scenic loop is close to what they use for part of the Helsinki City Marathon (2009 map here).
The GPS has serious problems on "Nokia avenue" in between high buildings...
Legs still feel a bit heavy from 10k on Saturday. Pace is 4h marathon pace, or around 5:32 to 5:40min/km.
No running last weekend due to a Removal of Wisdom (teeth) operation. Something like 2:20 now seems like a more realistic goal for the half-marathon in two weeks.
A 2 hour half-marathon corresponds to a steady 5:41/km pace, so it's "only" a bit more than four of these evening runs done one after the other.
Slow 12k today. Felt fine until about km 7 or 8, then it was more work to get home. I should learn to eat and drink better during the run since takes more than one hour.
Only three weekends, four weeks, until the planned half-marathon. I'll try to do 14k next week, then 16k two weeks before the event, but then probably ease off the week before the half-marathon, which is 21097.5 m long.
Through "micke-midlife's" blog I found a new Finnish running site last week, www.42195.fi
Long time no run. These slow 10+ k jogs need to happen every week now if the HCR half-marathon, to which someone at work challenged a lot of people, is going to happen.
Long time no run (outside, that is). Snow is a soft and forgiving, if not very fast, surface to run on. Recommended.
Made another PIKANTO on Saturday, this time with a clear gelcoat. Will be interesting to see it out of the mould on Tuesday or Wednesday, stay tuned.
Any snow and ice that was on the streets is gone again and +4C with little wind is quite ideal for running. 8.10km in 54 minutes makes for a leisurely 6:46min/km pace.