TL;DR
I’m running a 10k event each month – my usual summer series (always great “bling” too)
Yesterday’s event had a lot of positives – and room for improvement
I use WKO to analyse my runs, especially the events. More about that below.
What is the Dinton 10k Summer Series?
Yesterday was the start of my usual Dinton Pastures summer series – a 10k each month, May through August.
The events are run around a local nature reserve. They’re off-road, and most of the course is on gravel paths around the main lake.
The course is a 5k loop, and is more or less level with just a couple of small up-slopes to navigate.
I love this series, as the events aren’t too long (recovery is quick) and they’re spaced far enough apart that short, sharp training blocks support month-on-month improvements.
For more about this series of events, search “Dinton Summer Series“
Yesterday's event
Yesterday’s even didn’t go as well as I would have liked (I’m still not quite back into regular training), but focusing on the positives:
- I ran the whole 10k – no walking, no jogging, no stopping to catch my breath
- I managed a faster finish – amazing what the sound of being chased down will do!
- I finished feeling spent but not exhausted – my target power choice was good
- Aside from the first (warmup) km, I ran consistent splits – clustered around the 250w average
Personally, that felt like a great first event, reflecting my current fitness, with opportunity to improve.
And what’s not to love about the “bling” – each month’s medal is a different colour and the side “splits” are to lock them together (and to encourage entrants to run all 4 events).
WKO analysis
The chart is from WKO, and shows various metrics (power, pace, cadence etc.) along with per-km splits down the right and an overall metrics summary at bottom.
Based on my 256W Critical Power (CP) and a forecast for hotter and more humid than when I set the CP, I targeted 250W for the event – 98% of my CP.
After warming up over the first 1k, and a couple of slightly higher power km, I settled into a steady effort. WKO confirms this (post-race) with power levels ranging from 245W (lap 8) through 252w (lap 4). And with an overall average power of 250W … pretty much spot-on my target. I finished feeling spent but not exhausted.
I even managed a faster finish – amazing what the sound of being chased down will do!
There’s room for improvement, and with the next event in mid-June, there’s time for improvement too.
References
Dinton Summer Series: https://www.google.com/search?q=dinton+summer+series
Feedback? Questions?
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