This was a race of mixed emotions for me. I produced, fitness-wise, my best performance ever, running a PB at a very relaxed sub-marathon pace. I finished 3rd in my age category and I assume I am due a Hampshire bronze medal (to be confirmed). My pace and HR data predict that I'm on target for a sub-1:30 performance in the Gosport Half Marathon to claim my London championship place.
You'd think I'd be happy!
Truth is, it was something of a wasted effort as yet again it was a very poor turnout from the Victory women and we failed to field a team. At this rate we are heading for demotion and Harry Redknapp won't be able to save us. What is up with our girls this year? We did brilliantly last year!
One more whinge while I'm in the groove: yet again we have a 'road' race with a major chunk of off-road, with a mile of unsurfaced trail and a finish on grass, with a very tight (and unnecessary) hairpin on very wet grass right at the end which left me struggling for grip in my racing flats. Is this the taste of things to come? Are we to expect that one by one all our road races will move off road? Should we trade in our flats for trail shoes? I gather that the Gosport Half Marathon now includes a cycle path - I hope it's properly surfaced - this is my crunch qualifying race and I don't want to come unstuck with bottlenecks and trying to run at speed over uneven ground!
I imagine the organisers at Lordshill are under the same pressures as Gosport to take the race away from busy roads. The way the new course was 'sold' to me though was that it is now flatter and faster without the killer hill at 7 miles. Thing is though, I know hills slow you down, but that killer hill was the defining feature of the old course. It was what gave the race its character. Take it away and you take away the spice, potentially making for quite a bland race. Add to that the inclusion of the unsurfaced section and the tight and slippery grass finish and I'm unconvinced it's an improvement.
Having said that, it's a pleasant enough course, certainly faster than the old course, but with sufficient undulations to slow the times a little - maybe still a PB course though. It's just a shame I don't like getting my racing flats muddy!
Here though is why I'm really happy with my performance:
7:04 131bpm
7:16 142bpm
6:41 142bpm
7:04 143bpm
7:10 143bpm
7:03 142bpm
6:58 143bpm
7:04 143bpm
7:27 143bpm
7:05 144bpm
overall: 1:11:20 7:08/mile 142bpm
That's less than marathon effort (145bpm). By the time we factor up the pace to 150bpm for my half marathon attempt in 2 weeks time I'll be flying. Fingers crossed for sub-1:30 at Gosport and my London Marathon championship place!
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Slugging it out: The Stansted Slog 2008
I thought I'd give the Stansted Slog a go as a pleasant alternative to the usual Sunday run, although as most of it is run on trails that we run every Sunday anyway it wasn't really that much of a change. I really should have taken a camera with me, but if you want an idea of the look and feel of the race then my Sunday Run post is pretty much it (in fact Stansted House is the backdrop of the first photo).
This was only the 3rd running of the event, which surprised me somewhat as it seemed to be one of those traditional events that everyone does and I'd yet to attempt. Maybe that's an indication of the quality of the organisation provided by Pompey Joggers. Certainly you'd be hard pushed to find a better venue, starting and finishing as it does in front of Stansted House. The toilets are also the best I've come across at an event, being the stone floored stable-block toilets used by visitors to the house. Good toilet facilities are always a great asset for any race - I'm not kidding here! It makes a big difference.
The weather couldn't have been better. It was rather cool in the shade but you soon warmed up in the unbroken sunshine. It was perfect running weather: all that sunshine and no overheating! The conditions underfoot too were perfect - hardly any mud and good firm footing.
I can't imagine why anyone would want to avoid any of the glorious hills of the South Downs, but for those wanting a slightly flatter shorter route there was the 8-mile Stansted Slug as an alternative to the 13-mile Slog.
At 10:30am precisely we set off and immediately I was running on familiar trails, albeit on a route parallel to our more usual path through Stansted Forest. There's something magical in running through woods on a bright sunny day as the light flickers and picks out fleeting features on the forest floor. It all seems somehow a heightened reality - who needs drugs when you have all this?
My aims for the day were to have a nice training run: a progression run where I start out slowly and pick up my pace throughout the race to hit half marathon pace at the end. I'd intended to stay with Diana for more than just the first mile, but as we ran through the trees I couldn't help start to pick up places one by one and I left her behind. It was also a relief to get past the big smelly brute ahead of me (some enormous guy, not Diana, I should point out). How can someone smell that bad only 1 mile into a race?
On we slogged past the beautiful Idsworth Church, this time approached from the opposite direction to our usual Sunday route. The setting of the church is amazing - right out on its own among the fields. Such is the lack of surfaced access to it, that a wooden bridge has been built at the foot of the hill, to keep the congregation's Sunday finery out of the mud that naturally forms in the hollow during the winter.
I'd been warned about the big hill we were about to climb, but in the description of how bad it was I'd assumed it was the near vertical climb further up the valley. In fact we were about to climb the hill I've done many times before: steep but runnable - it just goes on a bit. We got a small respite half way up and then continued to climb the now shallower gradient up on to the ridge. I'd commented to a fellow runner that I was relieved we hadn't gone up the steep bit. I now listened in amusement how my tale was being relayed back down the field "She reckons this is the easy bit and she's glad we haven't gone up the steep part!" "What??!".
As we got to the top of the ridge the runner ahead of me stumbled and nearly went over on his ankle. He commented that this was the last place to turn an ankle, being so inaccessible. I replied that if he was lucky "we might be in Air Ambulance territory". As I spoke those words I immediately heard the familiar low rumble of a helicopter behind me and I shouted "Wow, that was quick service". It wasn't as familiar a rumble as I thought though, as to my surprise I turned to see a Lancaster Bomber fly low over our heads. I later realised it was on its way to the Goodwood motor racing circuit for their revival meeting. What a spectacular sight! They don't build them like that any more.
On we slogged and we came to the really steep bit I'd mentioned earlier, though mercifully we were going down it. I love going fast downhill but I had to patiently wait behind the other runners due to the narrowness of the path. I suppose I could have launched myself straight over the edge of the winding path but I was concerned about what might be lurking in the long grass, cowpats aside. At the bottom of the hill I passed Rob who'd taken a wrong turn and ended up on the Slog course instead of the Slug. An unexpected treat for Rob then!
We were soon on to the only unfamiliar part of the course, as we ran up from Ditcham towards West Marden. People moaned about this afterwards, it being a long interminable slog up a big hill, but I didn't mind it: it was shallow enough that you could run with a reasonably normal gait - you just had to pace it and be patient. The reward at the end though was a steep well surfaced drop down into West Marden where I could now use my full range of descending techniques. I love running fast downhill!
Someone who isn't going to love running downhill is Andy whom I met climbing out of West Marden. I could see by his limp and the dirt on his back that he might have taken a tumble. He'd gone over on his ankle coming down the steep bit. I suggested now was a good time to drop out as we'd just passed the marshals at the drinks station. His reply was that he'd never yet dropped out of a race and he wasn't going to now. With 4 miles to go and the revelation that he thought he might have broken something, was this really such a good idea? He gave us a shock at the finish when, following treatment, we thought he had been taken off to hospital, but he eventually emerged with a strapped ankle, presumably intact.
Back to the last few miles of the race and I'd been having trouble picking up my pace due to the steepness of the terrain, although I had been overtaking a steady stream of runners right from the start. Now that we'd climbed out of West Marden though, the terrain started to flatten out and I was able to really pick up the pace and drive for the finish. I was pleased with my pace for the last few miles, almost to half marathon pace, though due to 8 miles and a heavy gym session the day before, there was a touch of fatigue preventing me getting my heart rate up to where it should have been.
As we basked in the sunshine at the finish, swapping stories and checking out the strapping on Andy's ankle, we witnessed a very tired Kevin arrive to complete his first (near) half marathon. He now knows he'll easily finish the Great North Run in 2 weeks' time. Well done Kevin!
It's a shame for Rob that after 13 miles of Slog, he was listed as last finisher in the Slug!
Fab day, great run!
This was only the 3rd running of the event, which surprised me somewhat as it seemed to be one of those traditional events that everyone does and I'd yet to attempt. Maybe that's an indication of the quality of the organisation provided by Pompey Joggers. Certainly you'd be hard pushed to find a better venue, starting and finishing as it does in front of Stansted House. The toilets are also the best I've come across at an event, being the stone floored stable-block toilets used by visitors to the house. Good toilet facilities are always a great asset for any race - I'm not kidding here! It makes a big difference.
The weather couldn't have been better. It was rather cool in the shade but you soon warmed up in the unbroken sunshine. It was perfect running weather: all that sunshine and no overheating! The conditions underfoot too were perfect - hardly any mud and good firm footing.
I can't imagine why anyone would want to avoid any of the glorious hills of the South Downs, but for those wanting a slightly flatter shorter route there was the 8-mile Stansted Slug as an alternative to the 13-mile Slog.
At 10:30am precisely we set off and immediately I was running on familiar trails, albeit on a route parallel to our more usual path through Stansted Forest. There's something magical in running through woods on a bright sunny day as the light flickers and picks out fleeting features on the forest floor. It all seems somehow a heightened reality - who needs drugs when you have all this?
My aims for the day were to have a nice training run: a progression run where I start out slowly and pick up my pace throughout the race to hit half marathon pace at the end. I'd intended to stay with Diana for more than just the first mile, but as we ran through the trees I couldn't help start to pick up places one by one and I left her behind. It was also a relief to get past the big smelly brute ahead of me (some enormous guy, not Diana, I should point out). How can someone smell that bad only 1 mile into a race?
On we slogged past the beautiful Idsworth Church, this time approached from the opposite direction to our usual Sunday route. The setting of the church is amazing - right out on its own among the fields. Such is the lack of surfaced access to it, that a wooden bridge has been built at the foot of the hill, to keep the congregation's Sunday finery out of the mud that naturally forms in the hollow during the winter.
I'd been warned about the big hill we were about to climb, but in the description of how bad it was I'd assumed it was the near vertical climb further up the valley. In fact we were about to climb the hill I've done many times before: steep but runnable - it just goes on a bit. We got a small respite half way up and then continued to climb the now shallower gradient up on to the ridge. I'd commented to a fellow runner that I was relieved we hadn't gone up the steep bit. I now listened in amusement how my tale was being relayed back down the field "She reckons this is the easy bit and she's glad we haven't gone up the steep part!" "What??!".
As we got to the top of the ridge the runner ahead of me stumbled and nearly went over on his ankle. He commented that this was the last place to turn an ankle, being so inaccessible. I replied that if he was lucky "we might be in Air Ambulance territory". As I spoke those words I immediately heard the familiar low rumble of a helicopter behind me and I shouted "Wow, that was quick service". It wasn't as familiar a rumble as I thought though, as to my surprise I turned to see a Lancaster Bomber fly low over our heads. I later realised it was on its way to the Goodwood motor racing circuit for their revival meeting. What a spectacular sight! They don't build them like that any more.
On we slogged and we came to the really steep bit I'd mentioned earlier, though mercifully we were going down it. I love going fast downhill but I had to patiently wait behind the other runners due to the narrowness of the path. I suppose I could have launched myself straight over the edge of the winding path but I was concerned about what might be lurking in the long grass, cowpats aside. At the bottom of the hill I passed Rob who'd taken a wrong turn and ended up on the Slog course instead of the Slug. An unexpected treat for Rob then!
We were soon on to the only unfamiliar part of the course, as we ran up from Ditcham towards West Marden. People moaned about this afterwards, it being a long interminable slog up a big hill, but I didn't mind it: it was shallow enough that you could run with a reasonably normal gait - you just had to pace it and be patient. The reward at the end though was a steep well surfaced drop down into West Marden where I could now use my full range of descending techniques. I love running fast downhill!
Someone who isn't going to love running downhill is Andy whom I met climbing out of West Marden. I could see by his limp and the dirt on his back that he might have taken a tumble. He'd gone over on his ankle coming down the steep bit. I suggested now was a good time to drop out as we'd just passed the marshals at the drinks station. His reply was that he'd never yet dropped out of a race and he wasn't going to now. With 4 miles to go and the revelation that he thought he might have broken something, was this really such a good idea? He gave us a shock at the finish when, following treatment, we thought he had been taken off to hospital, but he eventually emerged with a strapped ankle, presumably intact.
Back to the last few miles of the race and I'd been having trouble picking up my pace due to the steepness of the terrain, although I had been overtaking a steady stream of runners right from the start. Now that we'd climbed out of West Marden though, the terrain started to flatten out and I was able to really pick up the pace and drive for the finish. I was pleased with my pace for the last few miles, almost to half marathon pace, though due to 8 miles and a heavy gym session the day before, there was a touch of fatigue preventing me getting my heart rate up to where it should have been.
As we basked in the sunshine at the finish, swapping stories and checking out the strapping on Andy's ankle, we witnessed a very tired Kevin arrive to complete his first (near) half marathon. He now knows he'll easily finish the Great North Run in 2 weeks' time. Well done Kevin!
It's a shame for Rob that after 13 miles of Slog, he was listed as last finisher in the Slug!
Fab day, great run!
Sunday, September 07, 2008
The Oxford and Cambridge boat race: Southern Counties Veterans Athletic finals Ashford 2008
We looked out over the deserted track and infield of Julie Rose Stadium as it submerged under a deluge of epic proportions. The rain had come too late to interfere with the battle between Cambridge and Radley (near Oxford) who, as we stood watching the waves of torrential rain batter the stadium, had just been named joint winners for 2008. Despite our best efforts, we couldn't sink the 2 crews, finishing just behind them in third. After my soaking in the first event of the day, the pole vault - more on that later - the rain had in fact held off until after the last event to make for a very enjoyable, if windy, day.
My main, and arguably only, contribution had been the 3000m towards the end of the event. We went into it with a good chance of victory, so needing as many points as we could muster - no pressure then! I've been suffering cramps and spasm in my calves for the last couple of months, whenever I do races or speedwork, so had hoped there wouldn't be quite so much pressure to run hard. In the event though things played out quite well.
With Steph running A-string, myself B-string and Marilyn our V50 runner, we had a strong line-up, but we were up against it when it came to Cambridge Harriers: they had the UK W40 champion Clare Elms on their team along with someone who looked like she could have been Clare's sister running B-string. The regular creases in the B-string runner's vest suggested it had just come out of its wrapping - I hope they hadn't recruited her into the team just for that event - that wouldn't really be in the spirit.
The race started and the first lap went by at quite a sedentary pace - real championship running. The quality soon started to show though as the Cambridge women picked up the pace. Steph gave chase but I realised my battle was with the B-string runners and this worked out quite well for me as the Cambridge B runner took off with her team mate at a pace I knew I couldn't match, leaving me still running comfortably on the shoulder of the Herts and Phoenix runner in 2nd place. Radley were somewhere behind but this didn't surprise or concern me as their strengths seemed to lie very much with field events and sprints rather than endurance running.
I was running at around 10k pace, putting in 100 second laps, although the effort seemed greater due to the strong headwind in the home straight. My Herts quarry seemed strong, lapping consistently, but I knew I had plenty in reserve - hopefully this wouldn't be too brutal a race for my fragile calves.
With each lap I monitored my friend's breathing as I heard shouts of "good tracking Susie" from my team mates at the side. The most telling evidence of her condition came on each running of the home straight. I was unable to get any real drafting due to the angle of the wind so just sat on her shoulder and monitored her effort. The first few laps she ran strongly, but with 3 laps to go she was noticeably struggling into the wind. With 2 laps to go I was now having to slow slightly to remain behind her in the straight. I knew the time had come to make my move.
She picked up her pace again as we swung out of the wind and I moved along side her along the back straight. As we rounded the bend with under 600m to go I heard a little voice echoing from a running book in my head "When you make your move, make it decisively". I picked up the pace and powered past her into the wind, sensing the gap widening behind me.
I felt good! In fact I felt great! With 200m to go I picked up the pace again with Pete shouting "Easy!" from the sidelines. Did he mean to take it easy or that I made it look easy? My second surge was fairly pointless as I'd already sealed 2nd place B-string, but it felt good to finish strongly to the cheers of my team-mates.
Steph got 2nd A-string behind Clare and I got 2nd B-string behind their other extremely talented runner, who in fact beat Steph into 3rd place on the track. I think their V50 also won. We got good points, but unfortunately lost ground to Cambridge.
My time was slow: 12:29.5, but I was pleased with how I ran. My penultimate lap was a full 10s faster than any of the previous laps, and my last 200m was covered in a comfortable 44s - my mile PB pace. Satisfaction in 7½ laps!
A major source of my apprehension before the 3000m was my performance in the pole-vault at the start of the event: I failed to make the opening height of 1.40m and so despite Cambridge not fielding a vaulter I failed to score any points - you'd have thought I'd get a point for at least trying!
My pole-vaulting hadn't started well. I watched in frustration at the men warming up (ie practising!) as we searched in vain for someone who could get me access to a stadium pole I could borrow. When I finally found one I was left on my own to warm up in a heavy shower, while everyone else sheltered. I managed 3 jumps onto the mat, just enough to establish that the pole was far longer than I was used to and I should be holding it well down the pole. It was then time to jump for real over an opening height 30cm higher than I'd normally be allowed to start at in the league. I'd cleared 1.40m several times in practise a year ago, but after my torn stomach muscle I hadn't jumped since. I was nervous! It didn't go well! I think we'll leave the story there!
Apart from the pole-vault it was a great day with some great performances from the team. If only we'd been at full strength, we might have had those 7 points we needed to win. Here's to the finals next year: watch out everyone - we'll be back!
My main, and arguably only, contribution had been the 3000m towards the end of the event. We went into it with a good chance of victory, so needing as many points as we could muster - no pressure then! I've been suffering cramps and spasm in my calves for the last couple of months, whenever I do races or speedwork, so had hoped there wouldn't be quite so much pressure to run hard. In the event though things played out quite well.
With Steph running A-string, myself B-string and Marilyn our V50 runner, we had a strong line-up, but we were up against it when it came to Cambridge Harriers: they had the UK W40 champion Clare Elms on their team along with someone who looked like she could have been Clare's sister running B-string. The regular creases in the B-string runner's vest suggested it had just come out of its wrapping - I hope they hadn't recruited her into the team just for that event - that wouldn't really be in the spirit.
The race started and the first lap went by at quite a sedentary pace - real championship running. The quality soon started to show though as the Cambridge women picked up the pace. Steph gave chase but I realised my battle was with the B-string runners and this worked out quite well for me as the Cambridge B runner took off with her team mate at a pace I knew I couldn't match, leaving me still running comfortably on the shoulder of the Herts and Phoenix runner in 2nd place. Radley were somewhere behind but this didn't surprise or concern me as their strengths seemed to lie very much with field events and sprints rather than endurance running.
I was running at around 10k pace, putting in 100 second laps, although the effort seemed greater due to the strong headwind in the home straight. My Herts quarry seemed strong, lapping consistently, but I knew I had plenty in reserve - hopefully this wouldn't be too brutal a race for my fragile calves.
With each lap I monitored my friend's breathing as I heard shouts of "good tracking Susie" from my team mates at the side. The most telling evidence of her condition came on each running of the home straight. I was unable to get any real drafting due to the angle of the wind so just sat on her shoulder and monitored her effort. The first few laps she ran strongly, but with 3 laps to go she was noticeably struggling into the wind. With 2 laps to go I was now having to slow slightly to remain behind her in the straight. I knew the time had come to make my move.
She picked up her pace again as we swung out of the wind and I moved along side her along the back straight. As we rounded the bend with under 600m to go I heard a little voice echoing from a running book in my head "When you make your move, make it decisively". I picked up the pace and powered past her into the wind, sensing the gap widening behind me.
I felt good! In fact I felt great! With 200m to go I picked up the pace again with Pete shouting "Easy!" from the sidelines. Did he mean to take it easy or that I made it look easy? My second surge was fairly pointless as I'd already sealed 2nd place B-string, but it felt good to finish strongly to the cheers of my team-mates.
Steph got 2nd A-string behind Clare and I got 2nd B-string behind their other extremely talented runner, who in fact beat Steph into 3rd place on the track. I think their V50 also won. We got good points, but unfortunately lost ground to Cambridge.
My time was slow: 12:29.5, but I was pleased with how I ran. My penultimate lap was a full 10s faster than any of the previous laps, and my last 200m was covered in a comfortable 44s - my mile PB pace. Satisfaction in 7½ laps!
A major source of my apprehension before the 3000m was my performance in the pole-vault at the start of the event: I failed to make the opening height of 1.40m and so despite Cambridge not fielding a vaulter I failed to score any points - you'd have thought I'd get a point for at least trying!
My pole-vaulting hadn't started well. I watched in frustration at the men warming up (ie practising!) as we searched in vain for someone who could get me access to a stadium pole I could borrow. When I finally found one I was left on my own to warm up in a heavy shower, while everyone else sheltered. I managed 3 jumps onto the mat, just enough to establish that the pole was far longer than I was used to and I should be holding it well down the pole. It was then time to jump for real over an opening height 30cm higher than I'd normally be allowed to start at in the league. I'd cleared 1.40m several times in practise a year ago, but after my torn stomach muscle I hadn't jumped since. I was nervous! It didn't go well! I think we'll leave the story there!
Apart from the pole-vault it was a great day with some great performances from the team. If only we'd been at full strength, we might have had those 7 points we needed to win. Here's to the finals next year: watch out everyone - we'll be back!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
The Sunday Run
I thought I'd give you a flavour of what I do most Sunday mornings: the club run.
We're really lucky as we have the South Downs to play with.
I'll let the pictures do the talking.
We're really lucky as we have the South Downs to play with.
I'll let the pictures do the talking.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Distance runners shouldn't do field events: discus! Southern Vets League 5000m
This is the one-year anniversary of my worst ever injury, after trying the pole vault last year led to 4 months out with a psoas minor tear/spasm.
To celebrate the anniversary, last night I thought I'd try another field event: the discus!
To be fair, the discus is a lot easier on the body than pole vault, and at least I'd done the discus before: 30 years before!
The really insane thing though is that once again I took to quite a technical event with ease and after a couple of 20m-plus throws and a no-throw, I threw 25.01m to win the event!
It took me years to attain the Athletics Weekly standards in running and finally see my name in the magazine, but on my first attempt at discus I attained the standard! That will see me ranked 9th W45 so far this year in the UK - higher than any of my running rankings! How mad is that?
Almost as a footnote really, I then ran 20:39.7 in the 5000m, finishing 1st B string runner and 3rd on the track behind Karen from Winchester and team-mate Bev. I was a bit disappointed with the time after my 20:13 on the road, but I've been feeling a bit under the weather recently after so much racing. My calves are still feeling sore!
My maximum haul of 15 points helped the supposedly under-strength team to an easy victory by a large margin. We've made the southern finals. Result!
To celebrate the anniversary, last night I thought I'd try another field event: the discus!
To be fair, the discus is a lot easier on the body than pole vault, and at least I'd done the discus before: 30 years before!
The really insane thing though is that once again I took to quite a technical event with ease and after a couple of 20m-plus throws and a no-throw, I threw 25.01m to win the event!
It took me years to attain the Athletics Weekly standards in running and finally see my name in the magazine, but on my first attempt at discus I attained the standard! That will see me ranked 9th W45 so far this year in the UK - higher than any of my running rankings! How mad is that?
Almost as a footnote really, I then ran 20:39.7 in the 5000m, finishing 1st B string runner and 3rd on the track behind Karen from Winchester and team-mate Bev. I was a bit disappointed with the time after my 20:13 on the road, but I've been feeling a bit under the weather recently after so much racing. My calves are still feeling sore!
My maximum haul of 15 points helped the supposedly under-strength team to an easy victory by a large margin. We've made the southern finals. Result!
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Twitching: Promenade 5k race 2
3 races in 5 days: it started with a season's best 3000m in Walton, then a 5th place and a very welcome prize voucher in Purbrook and last night finished off with a 5k PB in Portsmouth. I got through it, but not without consequence: last night I had the worst case of night cramps I've ever experienced.
Although I couldn't feel it, I could see my calves twitching constantly. That wasn't so bad, but every time I fell asleep my calves would lock solid giving me a very rude awakening. I tried everything: compression socks, massage, cold packs, hot packs, isotonic drinks, salty drinks, and even drugs: Syndol contains a muscle relaxant so I thought I'd give that a go. Nothing worked. After 4 hours I finally dropped off to sleep properly and got a few hours of uninterrupted sleep before a rude awakening at 6am with another bout of cramp. Ouch!
The race went well though. My calves were a bit sore beforehand but I put this down to Tuesday's massage rather than any real tightness, and they soon felt OK once I was warmed up.
I had a good tussle with Rachel, who was also recovering from Purbrook after her 3rd place. We ran together for 3 kms before I dropped her. Her team mate Kaye tried to motivate her back into the race (my ears are still ringing!) but Rachel's legs were having none of it.
I had hoped for a sub-20, and the first 2 kilometres were very promising, but congestion around the lake as we tried to pass some slower men (one of whom dropped out after we'd struggled to squeeze past him on the narrow bit - injury or did he just give up? - odd) meant we lost some time. The slight breeze seemed to slow us a bit on the exposed part of the prom. Once I got back into some shelter for the final kilometre, my pace recovered back to sub-20. The result was 20:12 on my watch - a road PB by 10s. That leaves me hopeful I can dip under 20 on the track in a fortnight's time and hopefully also on next month's Promenade 5k.
Karrie won the race again - good luck to her in the GB 800m trials in 10 days time - go girl! I think I was in 6th or 7th - I haven't seen the results yet. Hopefully I'm in with a chance of an age group prize for the series.
A good evening's racing but not such a good night!
Although I couldn't feel it, I could see my calves twitching constantly. That wasn't so bad, but every time I fell asleep my calves would lock solid giving me a very rude awakening. I tried everything: compression socks, massage, cold packs, hot packs, isotonic drinks, salty drinks, and even drugs: Syndol contains a muscle relaxant so I thought I'd give that a go. Nothing worked. After 4 hours I finally dropped off to sleep properly and got a few hours of uninterrupted sleep before a rude awakening at 6am with another bout of cramp. Ouch!
The race went well though. My calves were a bit sore beforehand but I put this down to Tuesday's massage rather than any real tightness, and they soon felt OK once I was warmed up.
I had a good tussle with Rachel, who was also recovering from Purbrook after her 3rd place. We ran together for 3 kms before I dropped her. Her team mate Kaye tried to motivate her back into the race (my ears are still ringing!) but Rachel's legs were having none of it.
I had hoped for a sub-20, and the first 2 kilometres were very promising, but congestion around the lake as we tried to pass some slower men (one of whom dropped out after we'd struggled to squeeze past him on the narrow bit - injury or did he just give up? - odd) meant we lost some time. The slight breeze seemed to slow us a bit on the exposed part of the prom. Once I got back into some shelter for the final kilometre, my pace recovered back to sub-20. The result was 20:12 on my watch - a road PB by 10s. That leaves me hopeful I can dip under 20 on the track in a fortnight's time and hopefully also on next month's Promenade 5k.
Karrie won the race again - good luck to her in the GB 800m trials in 10 days time - go girl! I think I was in 6th or 7th - I haven't seen the results yet. Hopefully I'm in with a chance of an age group prize for the series.
A good evening's racing but not such a good night!
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
The great south run: The Purbrook Ladies 5
I love the Purbrook Ladies 5, as I've said previously on this blog. It's a true race, unlike most road races where you are drowning in a sea of men (which might be OK in other circumstances) unable to see who you are really racing against. Of course, this is my perspective at the front, but for the majority of us it's a fun event with a really good spirit of camaraderie. It's an excellent step up for those who've been introduced to running through the Race For Life. For me though, I love the chance to start a race from the start line: it's taken me a few years to feel I've earned my place there, but on Sunday I had my toe on the line knowing I wasn't going to win but feeling I was a real top 5 prospect.
It's uncanny how we all know each other's pace and have pretty much decided before the start roughly where we'll finish: the start line photo in The News reveals that with one exception the first 5 places were all on the front line. The remaining places in the top ten were all visible on the second row. The one absentee from the start line photo was an unattached runner who must have worked her way up from further back (she stalked me for the last few miles).
I was unsure how well recovered I was from the previous day's 3000m. Someone had suggested that the 3000m might be a good warmup for the race, but I know my own legs better than that. Emma, the eventual winner of the race, had also raced 3000m on the Saturday, but things were different for her: she could afford the ease off a bit and still be fairly comfortable at the front. I had no such luxury!
At the gun, I tried to stay at a relaxed pace, fearful of how my legs would feel, and so was a little concerned at being in 3rd place behind Emma and Jane. I felt a little easier when Rachel and Angie went past me, taking the pressure off me. With hindsight, maybe I should have pushed harder, but I also had the thought of the Promenade 5k 3 days later - this was the toughest few days of racing I've ever attempted! I think in my mind I'd already settled for 5th by the end of the first mile, but still hoped I could catch a place or 2.
After 2 or 3 miles I was still in 5th behind Angie, but could now sense a runner behind me. She tested me on a downhill section and I could now see she was an unattached runner I'd not met before. These races can get a bit predictable without some new blood, so she was a welcome addition. I hope we can get her signed up for a club :-) I overtook her again on the next uphill section, but a short while later she was challenging again and I was able to use her to close on Angie.
As we neared the final run in, the 3 of us, Angie, myself and Victoria (I later found out her name) were together across the road. I couldn't help positioning myself between the other 2 for the photographer - one has to consider these things! I haven't seen the photo yet, but it should look good. With Victoria's help I cruised past Angie and chased Victoria down the final hill and up the short rise to the finish. I felt fresh but couldn't catch her. I finished in 5th - my best result yet in the Purbrook Ladies 5.
With hindsight I could maybe have pushed harder and finished further up, but I'm pleased with my 5th place on tired legs. My heart rate was quite low compared to what it normally is for this distance, so hopefully that's an indication that I can recover well for the Promenade 5k on Wednesday (tonight, as I write this).
It's a reflection of the lack of young runners that 3 of the top 6 were over 45. Hopefully though Victoria will be encouraged by her 4th place and keep her running going. If you're local Victoria then how about joining Victory AC? :-)
Talking of Victory AC, we had a good turn out, but didn't manage a team prize this year. Well done to Marilyn for yet another age group prize, this time over-60.
It's a great race. It feels as if it's fighting its place as the last bastion of competitive women-only road racing - long may it continue!
It's uncanny how we all know each other's pace and have pretty much decided before the start roughly where we'll finish: the start line photo in The News reveals that with one exception the first 5 places were all on the front line. The remaining places in the top ten were all visible on the second row. The one absentee from the start line photo was an unattached runner who must have worked her way up from further back (she stalked me for the last few miles).
I was unsure how well recovered I was from the previous day's 3000m. Someone had suggested that the 3000m might be a good warmup for the race, but I know my own legs better than that. Emma, the eventual winner of the race, had also raced 3000m on the Saturday, but things were different for her: she could afford the ease off a bit and still be fairly comfortable at the front. I had no such luxury!
At the gun, I tried to stay at a relaxed pace, fearful of how my legs would feel, and so was a little concerned at being in 3rd place behind Emma and Jane. I felt a little easier when Rachel and Angie went past me, taking the pressure off me. With hindsight, maybe I should have pushed harder, but I also had the thought of the Promenade 5k 3 days later - this was the toughest few days of racing I've ever attempted! I think in my mind I'd already settled for 5th by the end of the first mile, but still hoped I could catch a place or 2.
After 2 or 3 miles I was still in 5th behind Angie, but could now sense a runner behind me. She tested me on a downhill section and I could now see she was an unattached runner I'd not met before. These races can get a bit predictable without some new blood, so she was a welcome addition. I hope we can get her signed up for a club :-) I overtook her again on the next uphill section, but a short while later she was challenging again and I was able to use her to close on Angie.
As we neared the final run in, the 3 of us, Angie, myself and Victoria (I later found out her name) were together across the road. I couldn't help positioning myself between the other 2 for the photographer - one has to consider these things! I haven't seen the photo yet, but it should look good. With Victoria's help I cruised past Angie and chased Victoria down the final hill and up the short rise to the finish. I felt fresh but couldn't catch her. I finished in 5th - my best result yet in the Purbrook Ladies 5.
With hindsight I could maybe have pushed harder and finished further up, but I'm pleased with my 5th place on tired legs. My heart rate was quite low compared to what it normally is for this distance, so hopefully that's an indication that I can recover well for the Promenade 5k on Wednesday (tonight, as I write this).
It's a reflection of the lack of young runners that 3 of the top 6 were over 45. Hopefully though Victoria will be encouraged by her 4th place and keep her running going. If you're local Victoria then how about joining Victory AC? :-)
Talking of Victory AC, we had a good turn out, but didn't manage a team prize this year. Well done to Marilyn for yet another age group prize, this time over-60.
It's a great race. It feels as if it's fighting its place as the last bastion of competitive women-only road racing - long may it continue!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Southern Women's League Walton
These league matches can be a long day, but I decided to catch the coach up to Walton with the team, rather than driving up on my own as I did last time. It was a fun day out in some gorgeous weather.
My job was to run the 3000m as the B-string runner, duly completing it in 11:55.9 and getting a 2nd place and some useful points for our 2nd place match result. It turned into a bit of a time trial, as the lead pack of A-runners disappeared into the distance (well, 100m in the distance anyway), leaving me on my own for most of the 7.5 laps with no one to pace off. It was a bit windy down the home straight, adding to my pacing problems. I started on PB pace but lost it after 3 laps before recovering my pace on the last lap. I was 13 secs off PB, but I was left feeling that a track PB of some sort is still possible this season given the right race.
Our A-string runner Bev was then called up to do the 1500m a short while later, an honour I had 2 seasons ago, which I'm not keen on repeating!
She looked strong but it was quite an effort. Well done Bev.
Unusually there was also a men's match on at the same time. It didn't feature our men, but I did spot some familiar faces from my online contacts.
We never run steeplechase, but the men got the chance to cool off in the hot conditions. It looked fun!
My job was to run the 3000m as the B-string runner, duly completing it in 11:55.9 and getting a 2nd place and some useful points for our 2nd place match result. It turned into a bit of a time trial, as the lead pack of A-runners disappeared into the distance (well, 100m in the distance anyway), leaving me on my own for most of the 7.5 laps with no one to pace off. It was a bit windy down the home straight, adding to my pacing problems. I started on PB pace but lost it after 3 laps before recovering my pace on the last lap. I was 13 secs off PB, but I was left feeling that a track PB of some sort is still possible this season given the right race.
Our A-string runner Bev was then called up to do the 1500m a short while later, an honour I had 2 seasons ago, which I'm not keen on repeating!
She looked strong but it was quite an effort. Well done Bev.
Unusually there was also a men's match on at the same time. It didn't feature our men, but I did spot some familiar faces from my online contacts.
We never run steeplechase, but the men got the chance to cool off in the hot conditions. It looked fun!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Welcome to the asylum: The Midsummer Dream 2008
It seemed anything like a midsummer's day as we assembled outside the Hook and Parrot on Seaton seafront. Even the assembled superheroes were covering up before the start.
We had the race briefing from Dave Dungbeetle, before the wackiest start ever, as the clockwise runners faced the anti-clockwise runners (or clock-unwise in the language of the Axe Valley Running Asylum) and a scrum ensued as we tried to run through the other group of runners.
Off I set in a clock-unwise direction towards the first stop at the Harbour Inn Axmouth, to be greeted by the aforementioned Dave Dungbeetle.
and I was privileged to wear the famous hat.
We now were able to view some of the fancy dress on offer, such as Pompey's Tyrolean twins
and assorted flappers, cowboys and indians.
Our team had a hula flavour, desperately trying to make the most of the awful weather (although it had now stopped raining!)
On to Colyton and the next drink.
Now whatever you think is going on in this photo, I can assure you it isn't. It's just your average river crossing.
The very misty humid conditions gave a jungle flavour to some of the wooded parts.
On to Southleigh and the cream tea served up by the dough maidens.
It went down well!
A quick pose and on up a killer of a hill.
By now we were meeting the clockwise runners. A pack of dogs passed us as we pounded on up the hill.
Fortunately there was a reward at the top with a barrel of beer tucked away in a farm yard.
Eventually we arrived at the Fountainhead in Street, just outside Branscombe. More beer! (I had my first taste of perry - very nice)
The climb out of Street:
And on down to the seafront and a view of what we had coming up:
I was disappointed to find that the MV Napoli had been pretty much dismantled by now.
At least another killer climb gave a lovely view back to Branscombe beach.
Penultimate pub, but oh the irony: In Beer I had orange juice!
18 miles of running and back at Seaton and a seaside reward!
A fantastic run - huge fun, but it can take its toll on the legs in more ways than one. My shins are to be featured in a remake of the exorcist!
We had the race briefing from Dave Dungbeetle, before the wackiest start ever, as the clockwise runners faced the anti-clockwise runners (or clock-unwise in the language of the Axe Valley Running Asylum) and a scrum ensued as we tried to run through the other group of runners.
Off I set in a clock-unwise direction towards the first stop at the Harbour Inn Axmouth, to be greeted by the aforementioned Dave Dungbeetle.
and I was privileged to wear the famous hat.
We now were able to view some of the fancy dress on offer, such as Pompey's Tyrolean twins
and assorted flappers, cowboys and indians.
Our team had a hula flavour, desperately trying to make the most of the awful weather (although it had now stopped raining!)
On to Colyton and the next drink.
Now whatever you think is going on in this photo, I can assure you it isn't. It's just your average river crossing.
The very misty humid conditions gave a jungle flavour to some of the wooded parts.
On to Southleigh and the cream tea served up by the dough maidens.
It went down well!
A quick pose and on up a killer of a hill.
By now we were meeting the clockwise runners. A pack of dogs passed us as we pounded on up the hill.
Fortunately there was a reward at the top with a barrel of beer tucked away in a farm yard.
Eventually we arrived at the Fountainhead in Street, just outside Branscombe. More beer! (I had my first taste of perry - very nice)
The climb out of Street:
And on down to the seafront and a view of what we had coming up:
I was disappointed to find that the MV Napoli had been pretty much dismantled by now.
At least another killer climb gave a lovely view back to Branscombe beach.
Penultimate pub, but oh the irony: In Beer I had orange juice!
18 miles of running and back at Seaton and a seaside reward!
A fantastic run - huge fun, but it can take its toll on the legs in more ways than one. My shins are to be featured in a remake of the exorcist!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Tactical: SCVAC 1500m Portsmouth
I went into this race wanting a PB, but you can't always have things your way and run every race like a time trial. These are races and the most important thing is to race those around you and score points for the team.
Who to race though? As ever, team mate Bev went galloping off chasing the Winchester A and B runners, Karen and Michaela - no hope of me keeping up with that little battle. That left me once more in the middle chasing Liz from Portsmouth and Audra from Winchester. Trouble was, neither Liz or Audra were in my points race, Audra being a guest runner and Liz over-50.
The first lap saw us spot on PB pace, for me at any rate. The second and third laps saw me hovering on Liz's shoulder: it was only afterwards that I realised we had slowed down a few seconds - I'm not good at taking on board the times relayed to us by the timekeeper. Despite the slowing it wasn't easy to get past Liz - I suspect her race craft was such that she was surging every time I tried to pass. The result was that I wasn't able to get past until we were taking the bell for the last lap.
Now in the clear I was able to pick up the pace and try to catch Audra. It was too late though and by the line she was still a second ahead and me 5 seconds off my PB.
My immediate reaction on crossing the line was that I hadn't run particularly hard, having had a fairly gentle 2nd and 3rd laps. I should be pleased with a 5:31.7 and its 79% age grading, but I felt that I should have had the confidence to push past Liz earlier. Not too bad though.
As I welcomed the other runners in, along came Ceal who promptly burst into tears, such was her relief to have finished the race in a good time and in one piece, having been worrying beforehand about the state of her hamstrings ahead of the vet championships. It's a high emotion sport this running lark!
Who to race though? As ever, team mate Bev went galloping off chasing the Winchester A and B runners, Karen and Michaela - no hope of me keeping up with that little battle. That left me once more in the middle chasing Liz from Portsmouth and Audra from Winchester. Trouble was, neither Liz or Audra were in my points race, Audra being a guest runner and Liz over-50.
The first lap saw us spot on PB pace, for me at any rate. The second and third laps saw me hovering on Liz's shoulder: it was only afterwards that I realised we had slowed down a few seconds - I'm not good at taking on board the times relayed to us by the timekeeper. Despite the slowing it wasn't easy to get past Liz - I suspect her race craft was such that she was surging every time I tried to pass. The result was that I wasn't able to get past until we were taking the bell for the last lap.
Now in the clear I was able to pick up the pace and try to catch Audra. It was too late though and by the line she was still a second ahead and me 5 seconds off my PB.
My immediate reaction on crossing the line was that I hadn't run particularly hard, having had a fairly gentle 2nd and 3rd laps. I should be pleased with a 5:31.7 and its 79% age grading, but I felt that I should have had the confidence to push past Liz earlier. Not too bad though.
As I welcomed the other runners in, along came Ceal who promptly burst into tears, such was her relief to have finished the race in a good time and in one piece, having been worrying beforehand about the state of her hamstrings ahead of the vet championships. It's a high emotion sport this running lark!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Ambitions: The Hayling Billy 5
I was confident going into this. My legs felt pretty good after the Winchester 10k and I was looking forward to doing my local race for the first time in 5 years, having been responsible for the results service in the last 4 races.
I'd seen the pre-entries and thought I stood a chance of placing quite high. I was definitely up for this one.
It was fun helping with the kids races beforehand. I'd not seen the kids races before as I'd always been stuck in the tent with the computer. I hope we continue to grow this aspect of the race - it looked a lot of fun.
Soon though it was time to focus on my own race. First up, as part of the warm up, was a jog home to go to the loo. It's nice having a race this local!
A quick jog back, a few drills and strides and we were lined up ready to go. My team mate Gina was next to me and on the other side of the track were my other rivals Angela and Paula from Denmead.
The Hayling Billy 5 is named after the defunct Hayling Billy railway line which now forms a footpath up the western coast of Hayling Island. The race is a simple out and back route with a tight turn around a pole at 2.5 miles. It's straight and absolutely pancake flat and with quite a reasonable trail surface it is potentially a very quick course despite the lack of tarmac. The narrowness of the path could cause problems, particularly at the start, but it seems to work quite well, even with 300 runners. Mind you, I wasn't starting at the back!
The gun went and we were straight into our running with a tight bunch of 5 women tucked in behind the leaders. We were heading off at way too high a pace, certainly for me at any rate. I suspected the pace was a tad high for the others too as I've raced them all before and we should have been fairly well matched. I resolved to sit back a bit and conserve my energy as Gina roared off into the distance leaving the red vests of Paula and Angela and the blue vest of a Pompey Jogger just ahead of me. At the end of the first mile I was in 5th as I tried to stay in touch without overstretching myself.
Soon I'd got past the Pompey girl who as suspected had gone off too fast and was having to slow down. I was just behind the Denmead girls and relieved that Gina in first place was not getting too much further ahead - she clearly had had to slow down a touch too. So it remained for the next mile before Angela and I closed on Paula and overtook her. I then eased past Angela to set me up nicely for the turnaround.
You'd be forgiven for thinking this was a women's race but there were men in the race too! It's great to be able to watch the lead runners come whistling past down the other side of the trail as you near the half way mark. I remember seeing James the leader and my team mates Steve and Richard, but that was about it - my focus was totally on my own race and the fact that Gina was still 100m ahead of me.
As I dashed round the pole I don't think I was aware of where Angela and Paula were, although they must have been right on my shoulder - my attention was fully ahead. As I headed back down the trail I was getting shouts of encouragement from my other team mates as I passed them. I should have acknowledged them but I was really taking this seriously!
I was now in a group a 3 men slowly but certainly closing on Gina. I guess they may have had the thought that they couldn't let themselves be beaten by a girl, but this worked for me as I could let them pace me across the gap. At each landmark I'd count my paces to measure the gap: with 1.5 miles to go, 30 paces, a mile to go, 20 paces. I can do this!
By 800m I was on Gina's shoulder and wondering if I should wait and give it all in a final sprint. She made up my mind for me though as she seemed to falter slightly. I gritted my teeth against the pain and went for it. Gina didn't seem able to follow me, but I wasn't going to look back to find out. I could now see the finish line coming up and tried to squeeze out a little more effort.
In a chance conversation I'd had last week, we'd been talking about running ambitions. I'd talked about targets such as the 3:15 marathon and a sub-20 5k, but I remember saying that the one thing I'd really like to do just once in my life was to win a race outright - not 1st in age group, I'd already done that, but the first woman across the line. I'd thought about the possibility of doing it tonight but hadn't dared hope for too much, not knowing what shape I was in after the weekend.
But now, there was the finish line and my dream just 100m ahead of me. I pushed and pushed for all I was worth, threw my arms in the air and crossed the white line, ambition fulfilled. I don't know whether I was aware that there were cameras from the local paper there, but I hope they got a good shot of me - I'll find out on Friday when the report is published. I suspect I'll be down at the newspaper offices to order a copy of the photo!
I was shattered at the end. That was a job well done. 33:40 is a PB by 30s, but the time isn't important. I went off a little quick and suffered slightly, but it was all about balancing the need to pace well with the need to stay in touch with the lead. My tactics were just right and I'm really pleased with that.
Wow! Where next?
I'd seen the pre-entries and thought I stood a chance of placing quite high. I was definitely up for this one.
It was fun helping with the kids races beforehand. I'd not seen the kids races before as I'd always been stuck in the tent with the computer. I hope we continue to grow this aspect of the race - it looked a lot of fun.
Soon though it was time to focus on my own race. First up, as part of the warm up, was a jog home to go to the loo. It's nice having a race this local!
A quick jog back, a few drills and strides and we were lined up ready to go. My team mate Gina was next to me and on the other side of the track were my other rivals Angela and Paula from Denmead.
The Hayling Billy 5 is named after the defunct Hayling Billy railway line which now forms a footpath up the western coast of Hayling Island. The race is a simple out and back route with a tight turn around a pole at 2.5 miles. It's straight and absolutely pancake flat and with quite a reasonable trail surface it is potentially a very quick course despite the lack of tarmac. The narrowness of the path could cause problems, particularly at the start, but it seems to work quite well, even with 300 runners. Mind you, I wasn't starting at the back!
The gun went and we were straight into our running with a tight bunch of 5 women tucked in behind the leaders. We were heading off at way too high a pace, certainly for me at any rate. I suspected the pace was a tad high for the others too as I've raced them all before and we should have been fairly well matched. I resolved to sit back a bit and conserve my energy as Gina roared off into the distance leaving the red vests of Paula and Angela and the blue vest of a Pompey Jogger just ahead of me. At the end of the first mile I was in 5th as I tried to stay in touch without overstretching myself.
Soon I'd got past the Pompey girl who as suspected had gone off too fast and was having to slow down. I was just behind the Denmead girls and relieved that Gina in first place was not getting too much further ahead - she clearly had had to slow down a touch too. So it remained for the next mile before Angela and I closed on Paula and overtook her. I then eased past Angela to set me up nicely for the turnaround.
You'd be forgiven for thinking this was a women's race but there were men in the race too! It's great to be able to watch the lead runners come whistling past down the other side of the trail as you near the half way mark. I remember seeing James the leader and my team mates Steve and Richard, but that was about it - my focus was totally on my own race and the fact that Gina was still 100m ahead of me.
As I dashed round the pole I don't think I was aware of where Angela and Paula were, although they must have been right on my shoulder - my attention was fully ahead. As I headed back down the trail I was getting shouts of encouragement from my other team mates as I passed them. I should have acknowledged them but I was really taking this seriously!
I was now in a group a 3 men slowly but certainly closing on Gina. I guess they may have had the thought that they couldn't let themselves be beaten by a girl, but this worked for me as I could let them pace me across the gap. At each landmark I'd count my paces to measure the gap: with 1.5 miles to go, 30 paces, a mile to go, 20 paces. I can do this!
By 800m I was on Gina's shoulder and wondering if I should wait and give it all in a final sprint. She made up my mind for me though as she seemed to falter slightly. I gritted my teeth against the pain and went for it. Gina didn't seem able to follow me, but I wasn't going to look back to find out. I could now see the finish line coming up and tried to squeeze out a little more effort.
In a chance conversation I'd had last week, we'd been talking about running ambitions. I'd talked about targets such as the 3:15 marathon and a sub-20 5k, but I remember saying that the one thing I'd really like to do just once in my life was to win a race outright - not 1st in age group, I'd already done that, but the first woman across the line. I'd thought about the possibility of doing it tonight but hadn't dared hope for too much, not knowing what shape I was in after the weekend.
But now, there was the finish line and my dream just 100m ahead of me. I pushed and pushed for all I was worth, threw my arms in the air and crossed the white line, ambition fulfilled. I don't know whether I was aware that there were cameras from the local paper there, but I hope they got a good shot of me - I'll find out on Friday when the report is published. I suspect I'll be down at the newspaper offices to order a copy of the photo!
I was shattered at the end. That was a job well done. 33:40 is a PB by 30s, but the time isn't important. I went off a little quick and suffered slightly, but it was all about balancing the need to pace well with the need to stay in touch with the lead. My tactics were just right and I'm really pleased with that.
Wow! Where next?
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Heat tempered: Winchester AAIR 10k
As I stood under the tree with a refreshing breeze gently chilling me I thought that just maybe this race might be fairly comfortable.
Wrong!
For the 2nd road race league event in a row this was a scorcher!
I really like running in the heat: gentle runs under clear blue skies, interval sessions where you sweat with the satisfaction of a job well done, your muscles warm and loose and ready for the effort. Racing is another matter entirely. I seem to hit my maximum in terms of heat dissipation way before I hit my racing maximum. Unless I take it reasonably easy there will come a point where my head starts throbbing and my skin tingles, leaving me no choice but to slow down. My tolerance of the heat seems low.
Today was just such a day. Coming at the end of a hard week of training featuring several double training days and being just 3 days before the Hayling Billy 5, my motivation for pushing myself to my thermal limit was not great.
The course description on the Runners World website was rather curious: "Flat/hilly". I guess there was a flattish mile after half way, but with most of the first half being steadily uphill and the second half still somehow managing to have its share of uphill sections I wouldn't really want to use the term 'flat' anywhere in the description. Let's just say it's not a PB course!
I finished just under 46 minutes - not a particularly sparkling performance. My average heart rate was below what I'd run a marathon at and my pace was pretty much marathon pace, but given the heat and hills maybe I should feel encouraged by the good pace at that HR as I haven't felt at my best since London. It felt quite a hard effort - as I've mentioned I'm not a fan of heat. However, I seem to have recovered well from it so maybe my body has dealt with it as just a 6 mile marathon pace run, despite how it felt on the day.
I did my bit for the team though, leading us in to an excellent 2nd place on the day (well done girls!) and securing our position of 4th in the league - our best place ever as far as I'm aware. I really think we punch well above our weight considering the size of the club. A big well done to the ladies of Victory AC.
Our men had a solid finish to ensure they remained a place above relegation in the final league results. While not such dizzy heights as the ladies, it's still a very good performance remaining in the top of 3 divisions.
Tonight is the Hayling Billy 5 where I'm hoping for a PB. Let's find out just how well I have recovered.
Wrong!
For the 2nd road race league event in a row this was a scorcher!
I really like running in the heat: gentle runs under clear blue skies, interval sessions where you sweat with the satisfaction of a job well done, your muscles warm and loose and ready for the effort. Racing is another matter entirely. I seem to hit my maximum in terms of heat dissipation way before I hit my racing maximum. Unless I take it reasonably easy there will come a point where my head starts throbbing and my skin tingles, leaving me no choice but to slow down. My tolerance of the heat seems low.
Today was just such a day. Coming at the end of a hard week of training featuring several double training days and being just 3 days before the Hayling Billy 5, my motivation for pushing myself to my thermal limit was not great.
The course description on the Runners World website was rather curious: "Flat/hilly". I guess there was a flattish mile after half way, but with most of the first half being steadily uphill and the second half still somehow managing to have its share of uphill sections I wouldn't really want to use the term 'flat' anywhere in the description. Let's just say it's not a PB course!
I finished just under 46 minutes - not a particularly sparkling performance. My average heart rate was below what I'd run a marathon at and my pace was pretty much marathon pace, but given the heat and hills maybe I should feel encouraged by the good pace at that HR as I haven't felt at my best since London. It felt quite a hard effort - as I've mentioned I'm not a fan of heat. However, I seem to have recovered well from it so maybe my body has dealt with it as just a 6 mile marathon pace run, despite how it felt on the day.
I did my bit for the team though, leading us in to an excellent 2nd place on the day (well done girls!) and securing our position of 4th in the league - our best place ever as far as I'm aware. I really think we punch well above our weight considering the size of the club. A big well done to the ladies of Victory AC.
Our men had a solid finish to ensure they remained a place above relegation in the final league results. While not such dizzy heights as the ladies, it's still a very good performance remaining in the top of 3 divisions.
Tonight is the Hayling Billy 5 where I'm hoping for a PB. Let's find out just how well I have recovered.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Human interaction
I was coaching tonight at the local country park. We've had clashes with fishermen in the past (yob fishermen from the local estate who think a fishing permit gives them exclusive use of the park) and my runners were looking nervously at a group of 'yoofs' sitting next to the lake blocking the path. I set the session off in the opposite direction and went over to have a friendly word with the teens:
"Excuse me folks, but we have a group of runners coming past in a bit. There's no need to move, but if you could clear your bikes off the path that would be appreciated"
A few questions were then asked about what we were doing and how many of us there were and I jogged off to join the session.
"Thanks for letting us know" said one of them as I departed.
Treat them with respect, you get respect!
I think I learnt a life lesson tonight.
"Excuse me folks, but we have a group of runners coming past in a bit. There's no need to move, but if you could clear your bikes off the path that would be appreciated"
A few questions were then asked about what we were doing and how many of us there were and I jogged off to join the session.
"Thanks for letting us know" said one of them as I departed.
Treat them with respect, you get respect!
I think I learnt a life lesson tonight.
Southern Women's League Division1 Reading 3000m
A late report from last Saturday, but I've just got the result so I thought I'd better blog it for completeness.
I finished 2nd A-string runner in 11:59.8, so heading in the right direction. I finished 2nd behind online pal RachE who was a minute ahead of me despite waving to her other half in the stands on each lap. I got a better age grading score though, according to the Fetcheveryone site so I shouldn't be too hard on myself. I helped the team to 2nd place, putting us 4th in the league.
It was an odd sort of race as we also had the Premier Division match running at the same time, so there were some Reading AC and Newquay & Par runners ahead. It gave me some targets though, particularly when I started to lap people at the end. I lapped my team-mate just as I was closing on someone from the other match - it amused me to have her shout "Go get her" as I passed. Shame it didn't make any difference points-wise!
I felt pretty good and paced it quite well, so another plus point over the vets match from 2 weeks ago. Here are the stats which I presume I must have got from some magic remote collection system, because of course HRMs are illegal in races of 10000m and shorter!
93s 138bpm
96s 154bpm
98s 156bpm
96s 159bpm
96s 160bpm
98s 161bpm
96s 162bpm
47s 163bpm
result: 11:59.8
Footnote:
Here's the rule we race under:
My interpretation of the above is that even wearing a watch is illegal, however Kelly Holmes crossed the line for Olympic Gold wearing the same Polar HRM I wear.
I assume she wasn't wearing the chest strap though. Clearly she wasn't taking splits as I assume she didn't have time to start it, however she would have had the advantage of the stadium clock anyway. I don't look at my watch anyway as I can usually judge the laps from the timekeeper calling the times from the track side. The data is useful for post-race analysis though. I've never been challenged, but I wonder if some over-zealous official might one day want to flex his muscles?
I finished 2nd A-string runner in 11:59.8, so heading in the right direction. I finished 2nd behind online pal RachE who was a minute ahead of me despite waving to her other half in the stands on each lap. I got a better age grading score though, according to the Fetcheveryone site so I shouldn't be too hard on myself. I helped the team to 2nd place, putting us 4th in the league.
It was an odd sort of race as we also had the Premier Division match running at the same time, so there were some Reading AC and Newquay & Par runners ahead. It gave me some targets though, particularly when I started to lap people at the end. I lapped my team-mate just as I was closing on someone from the other match - it amused me to have her shout "Go get her" as I passed. Shame it didn't make any difference points-wise!
I felt pretty good and paced it quite well, so another plus point over the vets match from 2 weeks ago. Here are the stats which I presume I must have got from some magic remote collection system, because of course HRMs are illegal in races of 10000m and shorter!
93s 138bpm
96s 154bpm
98s 156bpm
96s 159bpm
96s 160bpm
98s 161bpm
96s 162bpm
47s 163bpm
result: 11:59.8
Footnote:
Here's the rule we race under:
RULE 21 ASSISTANCE
(1) The following shall be interpreted as assistance
(a) Pacing by persons not participating in a race, unless assisting a blind or partially sighted runner.
(b) Receiving advice or similar assistance during an event from an individual located within the competition area.
(c) The use of any technical device.
Athletes receiving assistance as defined above are liable to be disqualified.
(2) The following shall not be interpreted as assistance:
(a) Communication during an event between athletes, and other
persons not within the competition area.
(b) A medical examination during the progress of an event by medical personnel solely to determine whether an athlete is fit enough to continue in the competition.
(c) The use of heart monitors in races in excess of 10000m.
My interpretation of the above is that even wearing a watch is illegal, however Kelly Holmes crossed the line for Olympic Gold wearing the same Polar HRM I wear.
I assume she wasn't wearing the chest strap though. Clearly she wasn't taking splits as I assume she didn't have time to start it, however she would have had the advantage of the stadium clock anyway. I don't look at my watch anyway as I can usually judge the laps from the timekeeper calling the times from the track side. The data is useful for post-race analysis though. I've never been challenged, but I wonder if some over-zealous official might one day want to flex his muscles?
Monday, June 02, 2008
The marathon that never was: Edinburgh 2008
I've waited 8 days before blogging my Edinburgh Marathon experience - more a matter of internet availability than hesitation over what to write.
This was the first race I've ever failed to finish. At 10 miles, having just passed the finish at Musselbrough Race Course, with a 16 mile loop still to run, having battled 30mph headwinds for 5 miles and another 8 miles of headwind to go, being unable to sustain the pace required form sub-3:15, I bailed. I was very happy. Normally I'd feel a terrible sense of having not given my best - "Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever" said Lance Armstrong. In this particular case though, it was the right decision.
They say that to run a marathon you have to have forgotten your previous marathon. The memories of London 2008 were still very much to the fore! I left a bit of my soul (and sole!) on the streets of London. "I can't imagine putting in that much effort ever again" I said to someone after slumping to the kerb in the baggage retrieval area on The Mall. That was a touch of the Steve Redgraves, but it was largely true. I think to ever put that level of effort into another race I will have to have got the desire back: I will need to have forgotten just how much that hurt!
In the weeks following London I felt ill. For 17 days (I counted) I felt exhausted; I felt like I had the flu (I'm fairly sure I didn't though). My legs recovered but I still lacked energy. My dreadful experience of the Alton 10 after 4 weeks, I put down to the fierce heat, but with hindsight I was still suffering from London. This was a very different experience from my Boston recovery: my quads were trashed after the marathon but I soon got my energy back and positively bounded around Alton, albeit in much cooler conditions. The following week I felt great for the Isle of Wight marathon, only 5 weeks after London, picking up a Hampshire gold medal in the process.
A possible difference between the 2 scenarios was the different nature of the Boston and London courses: Boston is hilly and London is pretty flat. Though the hills in Boston can punish the unwary, and certainly got me, I think they at least give your legs a bit of a change of scenery. In London, you are using the same muscle group for a full 26.2 miles, and that will wear you down.
I entered Edinburgh as a safety net. If the weather in London had been hot again and I'd fallen short of my target, at least I'd be able to try again 6 weeks later. This happened to a friend last year: she ran 3:28 in the heat of London, but 3:13 in the rain of Edinburgh. This year though the adverse conditions were reversed: near perfect conditions in London, and a strong headwind in Edinburgh which was destined to add at least 5 minutes to runners times.
So at 10 miles into Edinburgh, realising that I wasn't going to make my target, and not wanting to subject myself to another month in a dark pit of fatigue, and realising for every extra step I took I was going to have to walk an extra step back to the warmth of my rucksack on the baggage lorry, I baled.
Suddenly the world seemed a nicer place: I was going to be able to devote energy to the dear friends I was staying with, whom I hadn't seen for a few years. I was going to be able to do races in the coming weeks that I wouldn't have been able to do. I was going to be able to get back to proper training and simply run! - I love the simple act of running, and to be able to run 10 miles to Roslin Chapel (of Da Vinci code fame) 2 days later, in the cold and wet, was a joy in itself - impossible if I'd just raced 26.2 miles.
As luck would have it I met my friend's son on the way back to the finish at the race course. We were able to sit in the relative warmth of the grandstand (it was still a cold day despite the sunshine) and cheer his mum home to a victory in the W50 category (an astonishing achievement, after so many injury problems, that had me in tears).
We had a great time at the finish soaking up the atmosphere. It's a great location for the finish of what potentially is a very fast marathon. Vicarious marathon running is great fun, if a little emotional!
The application letter for a championship place in the Flora London Marathon 2009 has now been sent, based on my 3:15:18. I couldn't help mentioning the time I spent waiting to get past the Maasai warriors in the opening mile.
It's only 18 seconds.
Pretty please?
This was the first race I've ever failed to finish. At 10 miles, having just passed the finish at Musselbrough Race Course, with a 16 mile loop still to run, having battled 30mph headwinds for 5 miles and another 8 miles of headwind to go, being unable to sustain the pace required form sub-3:15, I bailed. I was very happy. Normally I'd feel a terrible sense of having not given my best - "Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever" said Lance Armstrong. In this particular case though, it was the right decision.
They say that to run a marathon you have to have forgotten your previous marathon. The memories of London 2008 were still very much to the fore! I left a bit of my soul (and sole!) on the streets of London. "I can't imagine putting in that much effort ever again" I said to someone after slumping to the kerb in the baggage retrieval area on The Mall. That was a touch of the Steve Redgraves, but it was largely true. I think to ever put that level of effort into another race I will have to have got the desire back: I will need to have forgotten just how much that hurt!
In the weeks following London I felt ill. For 17 days (I counted) I felt exhausted; I felt like I had the flu (I'm fairly sure I didn't though). My legs recovered but I still lacked energy. My dreadful experience of the Alton 10 after 4 weeks, I put down to the fierce heat, but with hindsight I was still suffering from London. This was a very different experience from my Boston recovery: my quads were trashed after the marathon but I soon got my energy back and positively bounded around Alton, albeit in much cooler conditions. The following week I felt great for the Isle of Wight marathon, only 5 weeks after London, picking up a Hampshire gold medal in the process.
A possible difference between the 2 scenarios was the different nature of the Boston and London courses: Boston is hilly and London is pretty flat. Though the hills in Boston can punish the unwary, and certainly got me, I think they at least give your legs a bit of a change of scenery. In London, you are using the same muscle group for a full 26.2 miles, and that will wear you down.
I entered Edinburgh as a safety net. If the weather in London had been hot again and I'd fallen short of my target, at least I'd be able to try again 6 weeks later. This happened to a friend last year: she ran 3:28 in the heat of London, but 3:13 in the rain of Edinburgh. This year though the adverse conditions were reversed: near perfect conditions in London, and a strong headwind in Edinburgh which was destined to add at least 5 minutes to runners times.
So at 10 miles into Edinburgh, realising that I wasn't going to make my target, and not wanting to subject myself to another month in a dark pit of fatigue, and realising for every extra step I took I was going to have to walk an extra step back to the warmth of my rucksack on the baggage lorry, I baled.
Suddenly the world seemed a nicer place: I was going to be able to devote energy to the dear friends I was staying with, whom I hadn't seen for a few years. I was going to be able to do races in the coming weeks that I wouldn't have been able to do. I was going to be able to get back to proper training and simply run! - I love the simple act of running, and to be able to run 10 miles to Roslin Chapel (of Da Vinci code fame) 2 days later, in the cold and wet, was a joy in itself - impossible if I'd just raced 26.2 miles.
As luck would have it I met my friend's son on the way back to the finish at the race course. We were able to sit in the relative warmth of the grandstand (it was still a cold day despite the sunshine) and cheer his mum home to a victory in the W50 category (an astonishing achievement, after so many injury problems, that had me in tears).
We had a great time at the finish soaking up the atmosphere. It's a great location for the finish of what potentially is a very fast marathon. Vicarious marathon running is great fun, if a little emotional!
The application letter for a championship place in the Flora London Marathon 2009 has now been sent, based on my 3:15:18. I couldn't help mentioning the time I spent waiting to get past the Maasai warriors in the opening mile.
It's only 18 seconds.
Pretty please?
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Compression Socks
In the heat of Alton 10 days ago I wore compression socks for the first time in a race to see how they felt. I'd say they felt hot, so it maybe wasn't the best circumstances in which to try them. I would say that my calves felt very comfortable though, having suffered a bit from tight calves lately in the aftermath of London and my calf niggles and cramping problems (post race cramping, that is). Despite the hilly course, which made my hamstrings sore the next day, my calves felt fine, so maybe there's something to recommend them.
I wore them again on Monday evening for the 3000m and my (potentially) sore calves certainly felt very comfortable and trouble free.
Do they make you quicker? This is a claim I've seen in advertising blurb, but in the words of Public Enemy 'Don't Believe The Hype'. I had to find out for myself whether there could be any noticeable speed benefit.
If they do indeed make you faster then you should be able to see this as a lower heart rate when running at a particular pace. This would be such a subtle effect that there's no way you'd see this on the road with all the vagueries of terrain and weather, so I decided to conduct a treadmill test: running at 12kph or 8:00/mile I ran an interval session, alternating ordinary socks with compression socks. I'd warm up in ordinary socks for 10 minutes and then record heart rate for the last minute, then during a 2-minute sitting recovery I'd swap socks and run a 3 minute interval in compression socks, again recording heart rate for the last minute. I'd then swap socks during another 2 minute sitting recovery and continue with the 3 minutes on, 2 minutes off format.
Rather than rely on the HRM to give me the average HR for the final 1 minute of effort in each interval, I took the individual readings and averaged them myself, as I realised I'd need a better resolution than 1bpm as any effect was likely to be subtle.
The results were a bit disappointing. The first interval in the compression socks was indeed a beat lower, but this was simply because my HR hadn't had long enough to get back up after the 2 minute recovery. I knew that it would take a few intervals to reach a steady state, but what I saw was anything but steady. Due to the heat in the gym my HR kept rising during the first few intervals after the initial drop, but once I'd started sweating then my HR started to drop back down again. Of the 8 intervals, 4 in compression socks, there was no real pattern other than a sort of oscillation of HR back and forth which initailly favoured the compression socks but ultimately favoured the ordinary socks.
I won't publish the figures as they are frankly rubbish. The compression socks did average out with a fractionally lower HR, but considering there were as many intervals where the ordinary socks scored better, then the results are pretty meaningless.
I need to see if I can come up with a better protocol which gives steadier results. My only thought is that the test needs to go on a lot longer so that hopefully I reach a steady state without this oscillation between different HR levels. I will also run a control at some point with the same protocol but without swapping socks, just to confirm I get a similar result. Science!
So inconclusive on whether compression socks make you faster, but I'd say they do have an effect on calf comfort. If you tend to suffer with calf trouble in marathons then I'd say give them a go.
For reference, the socks I tested were Medilast Sport.
If Edinburgh is cool then I may well give them a try.
I wore them again on Monday evening for the 3000m and my (potentially) sore calves certainly felt very comfortable and trouble free.
Do they make you quicker? This is a claim I've seen in advertising blurb, but in the words of Public Enemy 'Don't Believe The Hype'. I had to find out for myself whether there could be any noticeable speed benefit.
If they do indeed make you faster then you should be able to see this as a lower heart rate when running at a particular pace. This would be such a subtle effect that there's no way you'd see this on the road with all the vagueries of terrain and weather, so I decided to conduct a treadmill test: running at 12kph or 8:00/mile I ran an interval session, alternating ordinary socks with compression socks. I'd warm up in ordinary socks for 10 minutes and then record heart rate for the last minute, then during a 2-minute sitting recovery I'd swap socks and run a 3 minute interval in compression socks, again recording heart rate for the last minute. I'd then swap socks during another 2 minute sitting recovery and continue with the 3 minutes on, 2 minutes off format.
Rather than rely on the HRM to give me the average HR for the final 1 minute of effort in each interval, I took the individual readings and averaged them myself, as I realised I'd need a better resolution than 1bpm as any effect was likely to be subtle.
The results were a bit disappointing. The first interval in the compression socks was indeed a beat lower, but this was simply because my HR hadn't had long enough to get back up after the 2 minute recovery. I knew that it would take a few intervals to reach a steady state, but what I saw was anything but steady. Due to the heat in the gym my HR kept rising during the first few intervals after the initial drop, but once I'd started sweating then my HR started to drop back down again. Of the 8 intervals, 4 in compression socks, there was no real pattern other than a sort of oscillation of HR back and forth which initailly favoured the compression socks but ultimately favoured the ordinary socks.
I won't publish the figures as they are frankly rubbish. The compression socks did average out with a fractionally lower HR, but considering there were as many intervals where the ordinary socks scored better, then the results are pretty meaningless.
I need to see if I can come up with a better protocol which gives steadier results. My only thought is that the test needs to go on a lot longer so that hopefully I reach a steady state without this oscillation between different HR levels. I will also run a control at some point with the same protocol but without swapping socks, just to confirm I get a similar result. Science!
So inconclusive on whether compression socks make you faster, but I'd say they do have an effect on calf comfort. If you tend to suffer with calf trouble in marathons then I'd say give them a go.
For reference, the socks I tested were Medilast Sport.
If Edinburgh is cool then I may well give them a try.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Southern Vets League Basingstoke: 3000m
What a contrast to Alton last week! I was standing watching the pole-vaulting in the middle of the field wearing multiple layers and gloves, freezing my gluteus maximus off.
Yes, watching the pole-vault. After last year's debacle there's no way I was pole-vaulting only 6 days before a marathon. I would like to have a go later in the season though, being better prepared through weight training and the willingness to let my muscles recover before any intense marathon training. Last night though I had to watch poor Havant team-mate Amanda make some abortive attempts to get over the bar, having never done it before. Amanda could have high jumped the height, but the pole floored her so to speak. I left Lynne to win it for Portsmouth (presumably - I didn't check the result).
So to the 3000m, and after a lengthy warm up to make sure my tired hamstrings behaved I was standing in crop-top, shorts and compression socks (more on those in a later post) at the start, freezing my gluteus maximus, medius, minimus, gemellus, obturator and piriformis off! Fortunately we didn't have too long to wait.
As ever I went off too fast - more like mile pace than 3k pace - not helped by having unfamiliar faces around me, as my team mate Bev went off with 2 Winchester women and a Woking woman. It took me half a lap to realise I wasn't going to be able to keep up with them, and another half lap to get into my own rhythm. Unfortunately this left me in no-mans-land back from the lead group, running on my own.
It took me another lap to realise that my anticipated pace of 93s per lap was a tad ambitious as Bev disappeared off chasing close behind the lead Winchester woman. There then followed the usual 5 laps of mind games:
"It's starting to hurt..." "Don't you dare slow down..." "Keep pushing through the pain..." "You can do this..." "Just 4 more laps - less than a mile"
It helped in the closing stages that I had a tail-ender to chase down and lap. It's so much easier when you aren't running on your own! I then had a Winchester woman ahead of me. Had I caught the A-string runner? Surely not. I'm fairly sure I was lapping her, but she didn't seem like an over-50. The single letter on her back seemed to imply she was A-string. Maybe I was lapping a guest runner. Until I see the full results I won't know the answer to that one.
Whatever her status, she helped me keep my pace going over the last 200m and push hard for the line, before collapsing on my back on the track gasping for air, as seems to be my habit.
12:05.3
I'm a bit disappointed with that time as it's 20s slower than last year. I was hoping for a confidence boost before Edinburgh. My pace wasn't for lack of trying though - my throat was raw afterwards, and my heart rate was where I'd expect it to be at the end. Looking back at last year's stats I was generally a beat or 2 down though, which might account for 1 or 2 seconds per lap.
My stats:
90s 134bpm
95s 151bpm
97s 152bpm
97s 154bpm
99s 156bpm
101s 156bpm
98s 156bpm
47s 158bpm
Bev had a great race, finishing a minute ahead of me. Apparently it was a close run race with the Winchester runner just pipping her to the win. Both Bev and I finished 2nd in our respective A and B races.
It was a good night for the club. I haven't seen the full results yet, but with the javelin still going on when we left, we were leading the match by a healthy margin. I think the men were 2nd, but don't quote me.
I was hoping for better - my fear being that I've lost a little fitness since London, but I've done all the preparation I can for Edinburgh so must now try to look forward. Can I now get myself in the mental frame of mind for another 26.2 miles of maximum effort? How much of me did I leave on the streets of London? 5 days to find the answer.
Yes, watching the pole-vault. After last year's debacle there's no way I was pole-vaulting only 6 days before a marathon. I would like to have a go later in the season though, being better prepared through weight training and the willingness to let my muscles recover before any intense marathon training. Last night though I had to watch poor Havant team-mate Amanda make some abortive attempts to get over the bar, having never done it before. Amanda could have high jumped the height, but the pole floored her so to speak. I left Lynne to win it for Portsmouth (presumably - I didn't check the result).
So to the 3000m, and after a lengthy warm up to make sure my tired hamstrings behaved I was standing in crop-top, shorts and compression socks (more on those in a later post) at the start, freezing my gluteus maximus, medius, minimus, gemellus, obturator and piriformis off! Fortunately we didn't have too long to wait.
As ever I went off too fast - more like mile pace than 3k pace - not helped by having unfamiliar faces around me, as my team mate Bev went off with 2 Winchester women and a Woking woman. It took me half a lap to realise I wasn't going to be able to keep up with them, and another half lap to get into my own rhythm. Unfortunately this left me in no-mans-land back from the lead group, running on my own.
It took me another lap to realise that my anticipated pace of 93s per lap was a tad ambitious as Bev disappeared off chasing close behind the lead Winchester woman. There then followed the usual 5 laps of mind games:
"It's starting to hurt..." "Don't you dare slow down..." "Keep pushing through the pain..." "You can do this..." "Just 4 more laps - less than a mile"
It helped in the closing stages that I had a tail-ender to chase down and lap. It's so much easier when you aren't running on your own! I then had a Winchester woman ahead of me. Had I caught the A-string runner? Surely not. I'm fairly sure I was lapping her, but she didn't seem like an over-50. The single letter on her back seemed to imply she was A-string. Maybe I was lapping a guest runner. Until I see the full results I won't know the answer to that one.
Whatever her status, she helped me keep my pace going over the last 200m and push hard for the line, before collapsing on my back on the track gasping for air, as seems to be my habit.
12:05.3
I'm a bit disappointed with that time as it's 20s slower than last year. I was hoping for a confidence boost before Edinburgh. My pace wasn't for lack of trying though - my throat was raw afterwards, and my heart rate was where I'd expect it to be at the end. Looking back at last year's stats I was generally a beat or 2 down though, which might account for 1 or 2 seconds per lap.
My stats:
90s 134bpm
95s 151bpm
97s 152bpm
97s 154bpm
99s 156bpm
101s 156bpm
98s 156bpm
47s 158bpm
Bev had a great race, finishing a minute ahead of me. Apparently it was a close run race with the Winchester runner just pipping her to the win. Both Bev and I finished 2nd in our respective A and B races.
It was a good night for the club. I haven't seen the full results yet, but with the javelin still going on when we left, we were leading the match by a healthy margin. I think the men were 2nd, but don't quote me.
I was hoping for better - my fear being that I've lost a little fitness since London, but I've done all the preparation I can for Edinburgh so must now try to look forward. Can I now get myself in the mental frame of mind for another 26.2 miles of maximum effort? How much of me did I leave on the streets of London? 5 days to find the answer.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Pompey played up, Susie sweated.
"One more - come on!!" "Uggh! Aaaah! F**k! F****k!! F*********k!!!".
These were the sounds almost drowning out my earphones, as I tried to watch the FA Cup Final from the sanctuary of a treadmill set at 11.3kph.
12 miles of easy but hot and sweaty running and your local team wins 1-0. It's not often I watch a football match, but that's one hell of a good way to watch one, ignorant brutes aside.
Once the brutes had departed, the gym was 100% female, perhaps not surprisingly. I found it odd that there seemed to be little interest in the football though - most of the personal TV screens showing music videos and feature films - I thought there would at least be an academic interest in a major local event.
At the final whistle though the woman opposite me let out a polite "yeah!" with a raised fist, before pulling her hand down with an apologetic smile. That small gesture made my day - very amusing.
What a contrast to the foul-mouthed brutes of the first half!
1-0 to Pompey. A polite "yeah!" to that!
These were the sounds almost drowning out my earphones, as I tried to watch the FA Cup Final from the sanctuary of a treadmill set at 11.3kph.
12 miles of easy but hot and sweaty running and your local team wins 1-0. It's not often I watch a football match, but that's one hell of a good way to watch one, ignorant brutes aside.
Once the brutes had departed, the gym was 100% female, perhaps not surprisingly. I found it odd that there seemed to be little interest in the football though - most of the personal TV screens showing music videos and feature films - I thought there would at least be an academic interest in a major local event.
At the final whistle though the woman opposite me let out a polite "yeah!" with a raised fist, before pulling her hand down with an apologetic smile. That small gesture made my day - very amusing.
What a contrast to the foul-mouthed brutes of the first half!
1-0 to Pompey. A polite "yeah!" to that!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Trapped in the kitchen: The Alton 10
I found history repeating itself yesterday. In the Totton 10k last year, a week before London, I reached half way dizzy and sick and for the first time in a 10k I walked.
At the Alton 10 yesterday in 27°C of blazing sun I got to the 2nd water stop at 7 miles thinking not again!. My head throbbed, my arms tingled, and my motivation for doing the race, with the Edinburgh Marathon 2 weeks away, was not great. I walked. This was a pattern that I kept up for another 2 miles, seeing a hill as an excuse to walk. There are a lot of hills in the Alton 10!
I wasn't the only one having a bad day though: I'd dropped team-mate Graham earlier in the race, when he started to struggle in the heat. He caught me again in my walk breaks and I guess kept me going for a while. He wasn't able to respond though when I decided I ought to at least run the last mile to claw back a few points for the team. At least I was able to overtake most of the women who had overtaken me in the last walk break. Team-mate Shelly finished just behind me and so I assume, having also picked off the same runners I'd overtaken, must have finished strongly.
I love running in the heat, I really do! Long runs, interval sessions, general training runs - the summer sun just makes you want to get out there and do it. Even track races can be fun in the heat - even a 5000m is only just long enough for you to start feeling the heat. Anything longer though, and I'm toast (almost literally!).
The race yesterday wasn't even supposed to be an all out effort - with Edinburgh in mind I'd decided to peg my pace back to marathon effort, running on heart rate. Trouble was, I'd done an 18-mile run on Friday evening, already feeling tired from the Promenade 5k, and I wasn't at my freshest for Alton. Marathon effort in cooler weather would have felt tough, but in the heat it nearly finished me off.
And why did I think it was a good idea to "find some shade" afterwards and try to cool off lying on the floor of a hot airless school gym? I lay there pouring with sweat, expecting to feel cooler, but continued to boil and feel dizzy. Only once I'd gone back into the sun and Diana had poured water over me did I start to feel OK.
I was amazed at how some people seemed to cope with the heat. Tony led our boys home to a very impressive, and much needed, team 5th place. Toby Lambert won the race in a faster time than last year's winner (in cool weather).
"At least the forecast for Edinburgh is perfect - cool and damp" I said to someone afterwards. Unfortunately that forecast had changed by the time I got home to warm and sunny. Nooo! Please let it be cool. I really can't stand the heat and I really can't get out of the kitchen. Fortunately as I write this the forecast has gone back to cool and cloudy, such is the vague nature of a 14-day forecast.
Last year's hot Totton was a warning of what to expect in London. Let's hope the hot Alton doesn't predict the one thing that will stop me going sub-3:15 in Edinburgh.
At the Alton 10 yesterday in 27°C of blazing sun I got to the 2nd water stop at 7 miles thinking not again!. My head throbbed, my arms tingled, and my motivation for doing the race, with the Edinburgh Marathon 2 weeks away, was not great. I walked. This was a pattern that I kept up for another 2 miles, seeing a hill as an excuse to walk. There are a lot of hills in the Alton 10!
I wasn't the only one having a bad day though: I'd dropped team-mate Graham earlier in the race, when he started to struggle in the heat. He caught me again in my walk breaks and I guess kept me going for a while. He wasn't able to respond though when I decided I ought to at least run the last mile to claw back a few points for the team. At least I was able to overtake most of the women who had overtaken me in the last walk break. Team-mate Shelly finished just behind me and so I assume, having also picked off the same runners I'd overtaken, must have finished strongly.
I love running in the heat, I really do! Long runs, interval sessions, general training runs - the summer sun just makes you want to get out there and do it. Even track races can be fun in the heat - even a 5000m is only just long enough for you to start feeling the heat. Anything longer though, and I'm toast (almost literally!).
The race yesterday wasn't even supposed to be an all out effort - with Edinburgh in mind I'd decided to peg my pace back to marathon effort, running on heart rate. Trouble was, I'd done an 18-mile run on Friday evening, already feeling tired from the Promenade 5k, and I wasn't at my freshest for Alton. Marathon effort in cooler weather would have felt tough, but in the heat it nearly finished me off.
And why did I think it was a good idea to "find some shade" afterwards and try to cool off lying on the floor of a hot airless school gym? I lay there pouring with sweat, expecting to feel cooler, but continued to boil and feel dizzy. Only once I'd gone back into the sun and Diana had poured water over me did I start to feel OK.
I was amazed at how some people seemed to cope with the heat. Tony led our boys home to a very impressive, and much needed, team 5th place. Toby Lambert won the race in a faster time than last year's winner (in cool weather).
"At least the forecast for Edinburgh is perfect - cool and damp" I said to someone afterwards. Unfortunately that forecast had changed by the time I got home to warm and sunny. Nooo! Please let it be cool. I really can't stand the heat and I really can't get out of the kitchen. Fortunately as I write this the forecast has gone back to cool and cloudy, such is the vague nature of a 14-day forecast.
Last year's hot Totton was a warning of what to expect in London. Let's hope the hot Alton doesn't predict the one thing that will stop me going sub-3:15 in Edinburgh.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Portsmouth Promenade 5k Race 1
This was a last minute decision. That's a truly rare event in the Windsurfin'Susie world of running. Usually things are meticulously planned: key races identified and schedules shaped, training planned around other races where points are needed for the team, and, if the schedule permits or requires it, sharpeners identified which help bring me to a peak for the target races.
After last year's injury, I had a score to settle. I was placed well in the Promenade 5k after 2 races, with all to play for in the last race, and a prize up for grabs. My little pole-vaulting come over-training, come bizarre gym psoas minor tear incident put paid to all that.
I wanted to do the series, but with under a week to go till the first race my legs were still feeling the effects of the London Marathon. While still hopeful I'd be recovered in time, how would the 5k sit with me doing the Alton 10, 2 weeks before the Edinburgh Marathon, followed by a 3000m 6 days before the marathon? While I had no doubt I could recover from any one of these races, I wasn't so sure running them all flat out would leave me time to recover and be properly fresh for Edinburgh. After much debate, I finally decided that running a hilly 10-mile race flat out only 2 weeks before a marathon and only 4 weeks after the previous marathon was not such a good idea. Alton would be run at marathon effort, the track 3000m on the Monday before Edinburgh would be run flat out as my last bit of speedwork, and the Promenade 5k was on.
There have been some minor alterations to the course this year due to the new swimming pool slowly emerging from the ground at the Mountbatten Centre. One course alteration happened at the very last minute when the council decided to dig up the path into the park, leaving us with a very sharp left turn with 200m to go. As race plans have to be lodged with the authorities in order to get a race permit, why are race organisers never consulted over planned road works? The Bramley 20 was cancelled this year when the village was dug up with very little notice. Is it no wonder that road races are under threat?! At least the parking was OK despite the building works and the cycle race taking place in the stadium.
Back to the race though, and what a contrast to the weather of last year! Gone were the howling gales and we had ourselves a beautiful hot summer's spring evening - too hot for any distance over 5k, but perfect weather for this race. It was lovely being able to stand around with most of one's flesh exposed (and in my case just about as much as I could legally get away with) without feeling cold. A nice bit of heat acclimatisation in case Edinburgh is warm. (At the moment the forecast for Edinburgh is cool and damp, ie perfect, not that you can trust such a long range forecast.)
I hadn't tapered for this race, and in fact was treading the fine line between the need to recover from London and getting some final hard training in before tapering for Edinburgh. I wasn't expecting much from the race except some solid points on the board and the hope of at least beating last year's time of 21 minutes in the strong winds. Talking to Havant team mate Jane before the race (I was in my first claim Victory colours tonight) I thought that maybe I could keep up with her. Once the gun went though it was quite obvious she was still her usual speedy self as she steadily pulled away from me. I noticed that Stubbington Susie was keeping pace with her though, confirming my suspicions that she's come on quite well recently. I'll have to train hard this summer if I'm to keep pace with them!
I managed to keep a good pace going, but without a prospect of catching the AFD woman ahead of me I admit I settled back a bit in the 4th kilometre. A final push though saw me across the line in a reasonable 20:42. I was left questioning whether I should have tapered (I'd done 6 miles the night before and hadn't rested for 10 days), as my heart rate data made it quite clear that I should have been a place higher and nearly a minute quicker, but I guess I've now got a target for next time. The fact that my 5k PB is now 2 years old is starting to get to me. Oh dear, if I'm not competing with those around me I'm competing with my own times!
There were some good runs from team mates Richard, Richard and Jo. Well done too to local star Karrie for being first lady. I haven't seen the other results yet to know how the others got on. Thanks go to TR, Dave and Gina (marshalling) for their much appreciated support, and to Lynne, Pete, Gerry and the team for another great race.
As a social event, it was very enjoyable, bumping into on-line friends, chatting sports science to fellow coaches, renewing acquaintances with other runners.
Now was it really Bradley Wiggins I spotted watching the cycle racing?
After last year's injury, I had a score to settle. I was placed well in the Promenade 5k after 2 races, with all to play for in the last race, and a prize up for grabs. My little pole-vaulting come over-training, come bizarre gym psoas minor tear incident put paid to all that.
I wanted to do the series, but with under a week to go till the first race my legs were still feeling the effects of the London Marathon. While still hopeful I'd be recovered in time, how would the 5k sit with me doing the Alton 10, 2 weeks before the Edinburgh Marathon, followed by a 3000m 6 days before the marathon? While I had no doubt I could recover from any one of these races, I wasn't so sure running them all flat out would leave me time to recover and be properly fresh for Edinburgh. After much debate, I finally decided that running a hilly 10-mile race flat out only 2 weeks before a marathon and only 4 weeks after the previous marathon was not such a good idea. Alton would be run at marathon effort, the track 3000m on the Monday before Edinburgh would be run flat out as my last bit of speedwork, and the Promenade 5k was on.
There have been some minor alterations to the course this year due to the new swimming pool slowly emerging from the ground at the Mountbatten Centre. One course alteration happened at the very last minute when the council decided to dig up the path into the park, leaving us with a very sharp left turn with 200m to go. As race plans have to be lodged with the authorities in order to get a race permit, why are race organisers never consulted over planned road works? The Bramley 20 was cancelled this year when the village was dug up with very little notice. Is it no wonder that road races are under threat?! At least the parking was OK despite the building works and the cycle race taking place in the stadium.
Back to the race though, and what a contrast to the weather of last year! Gone were the howling gales and we had ourselves a beautiful hot summer's spring evening - too hot for any distance over 5k, but perfect weather for this race. It was lovely being able to stand around with most of one's flesh exposed (and in my case just about as much as I could legally get away with) without feeling cold. A nice bit of heat acclimatisation in case Edinburgh is warm. (At the moment the forecast for Edinburgh is cool and damp, ie perfect, not that you can trust such a long range forecast.)
I hadn't tapered for this race, and in fact was treading the fine line between the need to recover from London and getting some final hard training in before tapering for Edinburgh. I wasn't expecting much from the race except some solid points on the board and the hope of at least beating last year's time of 21 minutes in the strong winds. Talking to Havant team mate Jane before the race (I was in my first claim Victory colours tonight) I thought that maybe I could keep up with her. Once the gun went though it was quite obvious she was still her usual speedy self as she steadily pulled away from me. I noticed that Stubbington Susie was keeping pace with her though, confirming my suspicions that she's come on quite well recently. I'll have to train hard this summer if I'm to keep pace with them!
I managed to keep a good pace going, but without a prospect of catching the AFD woman ahead of me I admit I settled back a bit in the 4th kilometre. A final push though saw me across the line in a reasonable 20:42. I was left questioning whether I should have tapered (I'd done 6 miles the night before and hadn't rested for 10 days), as my heart rate data made it quite clear that I should have been a place higher and nearly a minute quicker, but I guess I've now got a target for next time. The fact that my 5k PB is now 2 years old is starting to get to me. Oh dear, if I'm not competing with those around me I'm competing with my own times!
There were some good runs from team mates Richard, Richard and Jo. Well done too to local star Karrie for being first lady. I haven't seen the other results yet to know how the others got on. Thanks go to TR, Dave and Gina (marshalling) for their much appreciated support, and to Lynne, Pete, Gerry and the team for another great race.
As a social event, it was very enjoyable, bumping into on-line friends, chatting sports science to fellow coaches, renewing acquaintances with other runners.
Now was it really Bradley Wiggins I spotted watching the cycle racing?
Friday, May 02, 2008
Back on track
My recovery is progressing nicely as I start to build (and taper!) towards the Edinburgh Marathon in 3 weeks time.
I've just done my first bit of speedwork since London: 8x400m at 10k pace with 100m jog recoveries, followed by 4x300m at 5k pace with 100m walk recoveries. I confess I was making it up on the spot as I had no idea how I would feel. There's no doubt I still have a touch of marathon in my legs, but what a contrast to earlier in the week:
On Monday, 15 days after London, I felt awful. I had done a very gentle 8 miles the previous day, my first longish run since the marathon, and had felt OK, but later on that day was starting to feel really tired. By Monday I was a complete zombie. OK, my flesh wasn't grey and putrid, but I did get a strange desire to eat my colleague's brain after a difficult meeting. My higher thought processes seemed absent and I spent much of the day staring blankly at a computer screen. (Please stifle any urge to say "So what's new?"!)
How could I feel so bad so suddenly? I'd rested for a week, and then introduced gentle running on alternate days, no more than 5 miles at a time, before doing that gentle 8 miles: pretty much my usual plan for marathon recovery. After 2 weeks I'd usually expect to start feeling better, but here I was thinking there was something wrong with me.
What a contrast the following day though!
I made sure I had nearly 10 hours sleep on Monday night; I've been typically getting at least 9 hours a night since the marathon. On the Tuesday I was feeling much better. I even managed a couple of near-marathon-effort miles in the Tuesday night club run. Things were looking up!
By Wednesday I was feeling generally OK - quite a turn around.
So for the record, it's taken me 17 days to feel like I'm back to normal.
The caveat of course is that I still have the marathon in my legs and don't expect to be back at my best for at least another week, but at least I've got over the general malaise that always dogs me post-marathon.
So having originally thought that this marathon had hit me harder than any of my previous marathons, in fact it's pretty much the same recovery time, albeit with 'Black Monday' thrown in to the mix!
And so to Edinburgh...
I've just done my first bit of speedwork since London: 8x400m at 10k pace with 100m jog recoveries, followed by 4x300m at 5k pace with 100m walk recoveries. I confess I was making it up on the spot as I had no idea how I would feel. There's no doubt I still have a touch of marathon in my legs, but what a contrast to earlier in the week:
On Monday, 15 days after London, I felt awful. I had done a very gentle 8 miles the previous day, my first longish run since the marathon, and had felt OK, but later on that day was starting to feel really tired. By Monday I was a complete zombie. OK, my flesh wasn't grey and putrid, but I did get a strange desire to eat my colleague's brain after a difficult meeting. My higher thought processes seemed absent and I spent much of the day staring blankly at a computer screen. (Please stifle any urge to say "So what's new?"!)
How could I feel so bad so suddenly? I'd rested for a week, and then introduced gentle running on alternate days, no more than 5 miles at a time, before doing that gentle 8 miles: pretty much my usual plan for marathon recovery. After 2 weeks I'd usually expect to start feeling better, but here I was thinking there was something wrong with me.
What a contrast the following day though!
I made sure I had nearly 10 hours sleep on Monday night; I've been typically getting at least 9 hours a night since the marathon. On the Tuesday I was feeling much better. I even managed a couple of near-marathon-effort miles in the Tuesday night club run. Things were looking up!
By Wednesday I was feeling generally OK - quite a turn around.
So for the record, it's taken me 17 days to feel like I'm back to normal.
The caveat of course is that I still have the marathon in my legs and don't expect to be back at my best for at least another week, but at least I've got over the general malaise that always dogs me post-marathon.
So having originally thought that this marathon had hit me harder than any of my previous marathons, in fact it's pretty much the same recovery time, albeit with 'Black Monday' thrown in to the mix!
And so to Edinburgh...
Thursday, April 24, 2008
New training method?
My fellow coach Pete suggested we should adopt the following training method in our club:
I think it has legs!
I think it has legs!
Monday, April 14, 2008
18 seconds: The Flora London Marathon 2008
3:15:18
That's almost a race report in itself. I wanted 3:15, and I'll be telling people my PB is now "3:15", but will that time be enough to get me on the elite start next year, for which a time of under 3:15:00 is needed (the organisers are always careful to include the ":00" on the end!)?
I'm delighted, but at the same time a little concerned. It's a huge PB, but is it what I wanted? Could I have mustered just a little extra effort and managed 18s quicker? Hindsight's so very easy after the event.
If you'd offered me that time the day before the marathon I'd have grabbed it straight away. My calf muscles had been a problem for the final days of the taper - the right calf had gone into spasm during a gentle run on Tuesday and although the Thursday massage hadn't revealed a problem, it tightened again during a gentle 3 miles that evening. The calf had been sore all day Friday and had been tingling on Saturday. I thought maybe it had settled down by Saturday evening, but as I climbed the stairs for bed, it again 'grabbed' - I was worried. On the morning of the marathon I was still very concerned about how tight my calf muscles were - they didn't feel right.
In the event, the calves weren't a problem, so maybe it was pre-marathon paranoia as my friends had claimed. I felt uncomfortable for the first 2 miles but my calves relaxed off and I didn't notice them again - until after the finish that is! I staggered through the finish, grabbed medal, refreshment and baggage, and as I lifted my foot over a kerb I got hit by the most almighty cramp. I've never experienced that before! I've had night cramps but I've never cramped after a race, or during for that matter. Ouch! Was it the suspected damage, or was it simple dehydration? I felt a little like the hypochondriac who had "I told you I was ill" on his tomb-stone. My calves feel dodgy today, but hopefully I haven't done too much damage.
Back to the race, the story is best illustrated by looking at my splits and how my intermediate times compared to the 3:15 steady pace schedule:
I wasn't able to get up to pace immediately, being quite far back from the green start line. It also didn't help that the Maasai Warriors were attracting quite a number of hangers-on and were blocking the road somewhat. Once I got past them, and presumably a host of other celebs positioned ahead of us on the start line, I started to run at nearer my natural pace. I have every respect for the Maasai Warriors, but it does bug me how they position the celebrities on the start line and then put a selection of the country's fastest runners behind them. Just how does Amanda Holden's mum get on the green start for her first marathon when the rest of us have to qualify for the privilege?
Back to the race.
As you can see, after a couple of miles I was back on track and making up time. I was soon into my running and happy that I was able to run the required pace with my heart rate nicely under control. In fact I felt really good!
I could hear regular shouts of "Go Suzy", but as I hadn't got my name on my crop top I realised it was another runner with whom I'd kept pace for a few miles. I realised it was the Cornwall AC runner ahead and I introduced myself, establishing that we were both targetting 3:15. Suzy was great. We ran together for 10 miles or more, sharing water and pacing each other. Suzy seemed very strong, and I felt strong too. I was grinning as a realised that I was on for a big PB at the very least.
We pressed on and built up a nice cushion against our schedule. Soon we had made up the delay in crossing the start line and the course clock was now showing that we were ahead of schedule. In reality we were some 90s ahead of schedule.
At 17 miles I still felt good, but as Suzy pushed up the slight hill at Mudchute I couldn't quite keep up with her and the elastic that had kept us together for 10 miles broke. I still felt strong, but clearly Suzy was on great form. That was the last I saw of her. Post race analysis revealed that she accelerated at that point and was able to run the last half of the race faster than the first - a negative split - so difficult to do in a marathon. She finished in 3:12 - great performance!
The weather had been kind to us this year. Temperatures were cool - perfect in fact. We started in sunshine and finished in sunshine but had some quite heavy rain mid-race. Some people were bothered by the rain, but I found it OK - it didn't get me cold. If anything it might have helped me push my pace. After Suzy had dropped me, the rain stopped. I actually wonder if I could have kept the pace up if the rain had persisted. I like rain!
I just had to hold it together. I was still on pace but by 20 miles I was starting to lose time by a few seconds per mile. By 23 miles I was still what appeared at the time to be a minute ahead, and still optimistic, but it was getting harder to maintain pace. The presence of friend Graham on the sidelines - my only spectator sighting - had helped, but I now had to dig deep. I could see the time ticking away, but at 25 miles I was still just ahead. Surely I could keep it going with a last big push?
I was amazed to see people walking on Birdcage Walk within 800m of the finish. Surely they could keep going? Runners were shouting at them to keep running. There's no way I would ever stop, but I guess if they were targetting 3:15 and they realised they'd missed it then the mind just switches off? I was still hopeful, but as I turned into the Mall and sprinted for the finish I realised I'd lost the battle with the clock. Even sprinting the fastest I could muster, I barely managed to get back onto scheduled pace - I still lost a few seconds in the last 385 yards. At least that makes me feel good that I'd given it everything I had.
I crossed the line in 3:15:18, to be presented with a medal by the woman I'd met 2 days earlier on a customer visit to the Forestry Commission in Hampshire. Well they say it's a small world!
I'm really pleased with that performance, but I hope that 18 seconds doesn't come back to haunt me!
That's almost a race report in itself. I wanted 3:15, and I'll be telling people my PB is now "3:15", but will that time be enough to get me on the elite start next year, for which a time of under 3:15:00 is needed (the organisers are always careful to include the ":00" on the end!)?
I'm delighted, but at the same time a little concerned. It's a huge PB, but is it what I wanted? Could I have mustered just a little extra effort and managed 18s quicker? Hindsight's so very easy after the event.
If you'd offered me that time the day before the marathon I'd have grabbed it straight away. My calf muscles had been a problem for the final days of the taper - the right calf had gone into spasm during a gentle run on Tuesday and although the Thursday massage hadn't revealed a problem, it tightened again during a gentle 3 miles that evening. The calf had been sore all day Friday and had been tingling on Saturday. I thought maybe it had settled down by Saturday evening, but as I climbed the stairs for bed, it again 'grabbed' - I was worried. On the morning of the marathon I was still very concerned about how tight my calf muscles were - they didn't feel right.
In the event, the calves weren't a problem, so maybe it was pre-marathon paranoia as my friends had claimed. I felt uncomfortable for the first 2 miles but my calves relaxed off and I didn't notice them again - until after the finish that is! I staggered through the finish, grabbed medal, refreshment and baggage, and as I lifted my foot over a kerb I got hit by the most almighty cramp. I've never experienced that before! I've had night cramps but I've never cramped after a race, or during for that matter. Ouch! Was it the suspected damage, or was it simple dehydration? I felt a little like the hypochondriac who had "I told you I was ill" on his tomb-stone. My calves feel dodgy today, but hopefully I haven't done too much damage.
Back to the race, the story is best illustrated by looking at my splits and how my intermediate times compared to the 3:15 steady pace schedule:
| Lap | Split | HR | Schedule | Actual | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 07:48 | 130bpm | 07:27 | 07:48 | -21s |
| 2 | 07:23 | 137bpm | 14:53 | 15:12 | -19s |
| 3 | 06:52 | 140bpm | 22:20 | 22:05 | 15s |
| 4 | 07:14 | 142bpm | 29:46 | 29:19 | 27s |
| 5 | 07:04 | 145bpm | 37:13 | 36:24 | 49s |
| 6 | 07:36 | 144bpm | 44:39 | 44:00 | 39s |
| 7 | 07:30 | 144bpm | 52:06 | 51:30 | 36s |
| 8 | 07:12 | 144bpm | 59:32 | 58:42 | 50s |
| 9 | 07:28 | 144bpm | 01:06:59 | 01:06:11 | 48s |
| 10 | 07:21 | 142bpm | 01:14:26 | 01:13:33 | 53s |
| 11 | 07:10 | 144bpm | 01:21:52 | 01:20:43 | 69s |
| 12 | 07:28 | 144bpm | 01:29:19 | 01:28:12 | 67s |
| 13 | 07:22 | 145bpm | 01:36:45 | 01:35:34 | 71s |
| 14 | 07:14 | 142bpm | 01:44:12 | 01:42:50 | 82s |
| 15 | 07:14 | 142bpm | 01:51:38 | 01:50:04 | 94s |
| 16 | 07:25 | 143bpm | 01:59:05 | 01:57:30 | 95s |
| 17 | 07:18 | 145bpm | 02:06:31 | 02:04:48 | 103s |
| 18 | 07:19 | 146bpm | 02:13:58 | 02:12:07 | 111s |
| 19 | 07:39 | 146bpm | 02:21:24 | 02:19:46 | 98s |
| 20 | 07:37 | 143bpm | 02:28:51 | 02:27:25 | 86s |
| 21 | 07:42 | 142bpm | 02:36:18 | 02:35:07 | 71s |
| 22 | 07:35 | 143bpm | 02:43:44 | 02:42:42 | 62s |
| 23 | 07:46 | 143bpm | 02:51:11 | 02:50:29 | 42s |
| 24 | 07:26 | 144bpm | 02:58:37 | 02:57:55 | 42s |
| 25 | 08:02 | 145bpm | 03:06:04 | 03:05:58 | 6s |
| 26 | 07:42 | 147bpm | 03:13:30 | 03:13:40 | -10s |
| 26.2 | 01:38 | 149bpm | 03:15:00 | 03:15:18 | -18s |
I wasn't able to get up to pace immediately, being quite far back from the green start line. It also didn't help that the Maasai Warriors were attracting quite a number of hangers-on and were blocking the road somewhat. Once I got past them, and presumably a host of other celebs positioned ahead of us on the start line, I started to run at nearer my natural pace. I have every respect for the Maasai Warriors, but it does bug me how they position the celebrities on the start line and then put a selection of the country's fastest runners behind them. Just how does Amanda Holden's mum get on the green start for her first marathon when the rest of us have to qualify for the privilege?
Back to the race.
As you can see, after a couple of miles I was back on track and making up time. I was soon into my running and happy that I was able to run the required pace with my heart rate nicely under control. In fact I felt really good!
I could hear regular shouts of "Go Suzy", but as I hadn't got my name on my crop top I realised it was another runner with whom I'd kept pace for a few miles. I realised it was the Cornwall AC runner ahead and I introduced myself, establishing that we were both targetting 3:15. Suzy was great. We ran together for 10 miles or more, sharing water and pacing each other. Suzy seemed very strong, and I felt strong too. I was grinning as a realised that I was on for a big PB at the very least.
We pressed on and built up a nice cushion against our schedule. Soon we had made up the delay in crossing the start line and the course clock was now showing that we were ahead of schedule. In reality we were some 90s ahead of schedule.
At 17 miles I still felt good, but as Suzy pushed up the slight hill at Mudchute I couldn't quite keep up with her and the elastic that had kept us together for 10 miles broke. I still felt strong, but clearly Suzy was on great form. That was the last I saw of her. Post race analysis revealed that she accelerated at that point and was able to run the last half of the race faster than the first - a negative split - so difficult to do in a marathon. She finished in 3:12 - great performance!
The weather had been kind to us this year. Temperatures were cool - perfect in fact. We started in sunshine and finished in sunshine but had some quite heavy rain mid-race. Some people were bothered by the rain, but I found it OK - it didn't get me cold. If anything it might have helped me push my pace. After Suzy had dropped me, the rain stopped. I actually wonder if I could have kept the pace up if the rain had persisted. I like rain!
I just had to hold it together. I was still on pace but by 20 miles I was starting to lose time by a few seconds per mile. By 23 miles I was still what appeared at the time to be a minute ahead, and still optimistic, but it was getting harder to maintain pace. The presence of friend Graham on the sidelines - my only spectator sighting - had helped, but I now had to dig deep. I could see the time ticking away, but at 25 miles I was still just ahead. Surely I could keep it going with a last big push?
I was amazed to see people walking on Birdcage Walk within 800m of the finish. Surely they could keep going? Runners were shouting at them to keep running. There's no way I would ever stop, but I guess if they were targetting 3:15 and they realised they'd missed it then the mind just switches off? I was still hopeful, but as I turned into the Mall and sprinted for the finish I realised I'd lost the battle with the clock. Even sprinting the fastest I could muster, I barely managed to get back onto scheduled pace - I still lost a few seconds in the last 385 yards. At least that makes me feel good that I'd given it everything I had.
I crossed the line in 3:15:18, to be presented with a medal by the woman I'd met 2 days earlier on a customer visit to the Forestry Commission in Hampshire. Well they say it's a small world!
I'm really pleased with that performance, but I hope that 18 seconds doesn't come back to haunt me!
Sunday, April 06, 2008
A tale of 2 cities: Totton 10k 2008
I had a shock when I looked out of the window this morning.
I'd had a leisurely breakfast, showered, and had pretty much got ready to leave for the race before I opened the curtains. I saw a scene I've never seen before in my 20 years on the south coast: blizzard conditions! I scraped 4" of snow off the car and set out for Totton in extremely unsafe conditions, with cars crawling along the M27 in the worst snow I've ever driven in (and I lived in France once, driving regularly to the Alps!). Changing lane was really not the thing to do as you had to drive through the ridge of snow on the white line, but I really hadn't got time to wait behind someone doing 15mph on the motorway! The traffic report on the radio painted a picture of doom saying that conditions were nearly impassable nearer Totton between junctions 4 and 6. This was starting to worry me!
I got to the dreaded junction 6 to find the snow had stopped falling, the road was clear and there was just a sprinkling of snow by the side of the road. I arrived in Totton in plenty of time to find the sun starting to show itself, making the light dusting of snow on top of the hedgerows sparkle. Quite a contrast.
Having feared that the race would be cancelled, we now had pretty good conditions, albeit a tad chilly. Trouble was, did we have a team? A lot of my club mates had decided to take the advice offered on the radio and stay at home. Oh dear!
We just managed to field a men's and women's team but there were a lot of no-shows. This was going to bias the race rather unfairly against those from the Portsmouth area. Southampton's revenge for Harry Redknapp taking Pompey to the cup final?
The race plan for me remained unaltered. After last year's fiasco in the heat, this was going to be strictly marathon pace, saving myself for London next week. I warmed up for a couple of easy miles and lined up in all my winter woollies: hat, gloves, leggings, long sleeves - not my usual race apparel!
The race went well, and we finished in bright sunshine - what a contrast! I stuck to my game plan, keeping to marathon heart rate, with my pace spot on the 7:15/mile I need to do in London (I only need 7:25/mile for 3:15, but I always lose 10s/mile in London for whatever reason). John M was supporting from the roadside and pointed out I had a Winchester woman behind me, so I allowed myself a flourish in the last 300m, picking my pace and HR up somewhat.
I'd been just behind team mate Graham for much of the race, but couldn't quite close him down, sticking to my HR plan. He finished just ahead of me to become the first Victory man across the line, much to his surprise. If I'd allowed myself 1bpm more, I'd have been the first Victory runner over the line, male or female - an illustration of how depleted we were.
It was nice to meet an old friend afterwards, who I confess I didn't realise was a runner, as I jogged back down the field to add a couple of miles. Poor Lisa was struggling somewhat with an ankle problem.
We did get a men's and women's team result in the end, so well done to everyone for having the courage to press on out of Portsmouth. The race didn't seem unusually thin on numbers so I suspect we've been penalised somewhat by the hand of fate!
Here are my stats:
1 4:38 no HR 7:27/mile
2 4:30 140bpm 7:14/mile
3 4:29 141bpm 7:13/mile
4&5 4:32 144bpm 7:18/mile
6 4:30 144bpm 7:14/mile
7 4:30 145bpm 7:14/mile
8 4:32 146bpm 7:18/mile
9 4:42 145bpm 7:34/mile
10 4:11 148bpm 6:44/mile
Total 45:09 144bpm ave 7:16/mile
5th place W45
I was running in heavy shoes and full kit, so hopefully will be quicker still on marathon day, although these figures are exactly what I need (7:15/mile 144bpm). Also, I was a little heavy legged from doing some lab tests yesterday - more on this soon (boy, it was fun!). I've always claimed that fatigue doesn't affect my pace/HR relationship - let's hope I'm wrong and I'll find myself flying along in London - fingers crossed!
I'd had a leisurely breakfast, showered, and had pretty much got ready to leave for the race before I opened the curtains. I saw a scene I've never seen before in my 20 years on the south coast: blizzard conditions! I scraped 4" of snow off the car and set out for Totton in extremely unsafe conditions, with cars crawling along the M27 in the worst snow I've ever driven in (and I lived in France once, driving regularly to the Alps!). Changing lane was really not the thing to do as you had to drive through the ridge of snow on the white line, but I really hadn't got time to wait behind someone doing 15mph on the motorway! The traffic report on the radio painted a picture of doom saying that conditions were nearly impassable nearer Totton between junctions 4 and 6. This was starting to worry me!
I got to the dreaded junction 6 to find the snow had stopped falling, the road was clear and there was just a sprinkling of snow by the side of the road. I arrived in Totton in plenty of time to find the sun starting to show itself, making the light dusting of snow on top of the hedgerows sparkle. Quite a contrast.
Having feared that the race would be cancelled, we now had pretty good conditions, albeit a tad chilly. Trouble was, did we have a team? A lot of my club mates had decided to take the advice offered on the radio and stay at home. Oh dear!
We just managed to field a men's and women's team but there were a lot of no-shows. This was going to bias the race rather unfairly against those from the Portsmouth area. Southampton's revenge for Harry Redknapp taking Pompey to the cup final?
The race plan for me remained unaltered. After last year's fiasco in the heat, this was going to be strictly marathon pace, saving myself for London next week. I warmed up for a couple of easy miles and lined up in all my winter woollies: hat, gloves, leggings, long sleeves - not my usual race apparel!
The race went well, and we finished in bright sunshine - what a contrast! I stuck to my game plan, keeping to marathon heart rate, with my pace spot on the 7:15/mile I need to do in London (I only need 7:25/mile for 3:15, but I always lose 10s/mile in London for whatever reason). John M was supporting from the roadside and pointed out I had a Winchester woman behind me, so I allowed myself a flourish in the last 300m, picking my pace and HR up somewhat.
I'd been just behind team mate Graham for much of the race, but couldn't quite close him down, sticking to my HR plan. He finished just ahead of me to become the first Victory man across the line, much to his surprise. If I'd allowed myself 1bpm more, I'd have been the first Victory runner over the line, male or female - an illustration of how depleted we were.
It was nice to meet an old friend afterwards, who I confess I didn't realise was a runner, as I jogged back down the field to add a couple of miles. Poor Lisa was struggling somewhat with an ankle problem.
We did get a men's and women's team result in the end, so well done to everyone for having the courage to press on out of Portsmouth. The race didn't seem unusually thin on numbers so I suspect we've been penalised somewhat by the hand of fate!
Here are my stats:
1 4:38 no HR 7:27/mile
2 4:30 140bpm 7:14/mile
3 4:29 141bpm 7:13/mile
4&5 4:32 144bpm 7:18/mile
6 4:30 144bpm 7:14/mile
7 4:30 145bpm 7:14/mile
8 4:32 146bpm 7:18/mile
9 4:42 145bpm 7:34/mile
10 4:11 148bpm 6:44/mile
Total 45:09 144bpm ave 7:16/mile
5th place W45
I was running in heavy shoes and full kit, so hopefully will be quicker still on marathon day, although these figures are exactly what I need (7:15/mile 144bpm). Also, I was a little heavy legged from doing some lab tests yesterday - more on this soon (boy, it was fun!). I've always claimed that fatigue doesn't affect my pace/HR relationship - let's hope I'm wrong and I'll find myself flying along in London - fingers crossed!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Weather: The Compton Downland Challenge 20
The average person's body has about 400-500g of stored glycogen.
I started the race today with 400g less glycogen than most people!
Ooh that was a tough one! We started in gale force driving snow. That was a first for me!
The snow lasted for well over an hour before it became mere snow showers. Eventually we had a couple of sunny intervals. These were accompanied by horizontal hail. We really did have it all today.
I've trained hard this week: a hard hill run on Tuesday evening, weights Wednesday morning, 12 miles Wednesday evening, 4 miles Thursday morning, a Kenyan Hills session Thursday evening with very sore glutes and adductors from the weights and a double on Friday with 5 miles in the morning and another 5 miles in the evening.
This was never really going to be a comfortable 20-miler!
The original plan was to take it easy in the first half and then push it on in the second half with some marathon effort. By 4 miles though I was really hungry and running on empty. It was then just a matter of gritting my teeth against the snow and pushing on. It wasn't pretty, but I finished feeling fairly comfortable for a nice easy 20-mile training run, although in terms of effort expended it was more the equivalent of a 24-mile flat tarmac run. Despite the lack of marathon specific quality, I guess a 24-miler must count for something.
The course is a lovely bit of off-road, ignoring the weather for a moment, with 2200ft of climbing. I particularly liked the run through the woods to emerge on the high downs above the Thames - shame we had to contend with a freezing cold gale full in our faces as we descended the downs. Fortunately I was wearing 2 Helly-Hansen's, a club vest, a Gore-Tex jacket, hat and gloves - the most I've ever worn in a race.
I felt sorry for those who carried on at the end, to do the 40-mile option, although some decided to call it quits at 20. Judging by the laughter of those around me, some were enjoying the prospect of 40 miles though. It amused me when one guy referred to me doing the "sprint option".
It was nice to see all the old forum faces: RichK, RFJ, Gobi, Tigger's mate Roo. Well done to club mate Steve for finishing 3rd - top performance!
An experience!
I started the race today with 400g less glycogen than most people!
Ooh that was a tough one! We started in gale force driving snow. That was a first for me!
The snow lasted for well over an hour before it became mere snow showers. Eventually we had a couple of sunny intervals. These were accompanied by horizontal hail. We really did have it all today.
I've trained hard this week: a hard hill run on Tuesday evening, weights Wednesday morning, 12 miles Wednesday evening, 4 miles Thursday morning, a Kenyan Hills session Thursday evening with very sore glutes and adductors from the weights and a double on Friday with 5 miles in the morning and another 5 miles in the evening.
This was never really going to be a comfortable 20-miler!
The original plan was to take it easy in the first half and then push it on in the second half with some marathon effort. By 4 miles though I was really hungry and running on empty. It was then just a matter of gritting my teeth against the snow and pushing on. It wasn't pretty, but I finished feeling fairly comfortable for a nice easy 20-mile training run, although in terms of effort expended it was more the equivalent of a 24-mile flat tarmac run. Despite the lack of marathon specific quality, I guess a 24-miler must count for something.
The course is a lovely bit of off-road, ignoring the weather for a moment, with 2200ft of climbing. I particularly liked the run through the woods to emerge on the high downs above the Thames - shame we had to contend with a freezing cold gale full in our faces as we descended the downs. Fortunately I was wearing 2 Helly-Hansen's, a club vest, a Gore-Tex jacket, hat and gloves - the most I've ever worn in a race.
I felt sorry for those who carried on at the end, to do the 40-mile option, although some decided to call it quits at 20. Judging by the laughter of those around me, some were enjoying the prospect of 40 miles though. It amused me when one guy referred to me doing the "sprint option".
It was nice to see all the old forum faces: RichK, RFJ, Gobi, Tigger's mate Roo. Well done to club mate Steve for finishing 3rd - top performance!
An experience!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Go Team! Go me! Eastleigh 10k 2008
Well done girls!
1st vet team: Miranda, Susie, Shelly
3rd senior women's team: Miranda, Susie, Shelly, Lucy
I didn't fare badly either:
Bronze Medal South of England Championships W45
Silver Medal Hampshire W45
3rd place W45
I picked up 3 lots of B&Q vouchers, and even more should I forget to hand the others theirs! ;-)
I so desperately wanted a PB but I was a minute out. I quote the results page:
The strong North wind (averaging about 20mph at the time of the race) slowed times considerably.
I reckoned after the race that I lost 30 secs to the wind, but it might have been more. Some of the lead men lost a minute over last year and the lead woman, Natalie Harvey, lost over 30s. Due to possible fatigue my heart rate was slightly down on last year so I guess I need to be happy that I'm as fit as last year and in good shape for London. How can I be unhappy after that prize haul? Our vets beat Winchester for heaven's sake!
I got to meet my online pals hilly and BR whom I haven't seen for ages. I also had a chat with our marathon hero Dan Robinson (good luck in London!), and met Leon Taylor, our Athens silver medal diver (yum!).
What of the race? I had a little virtual partner on my Garmin, which was me running the race last year - I'd know at any point how far I was behind PB schedule - nice feature. Unfortunately we started straight into the strong headwind and the little virtual me was soon leaving me behind. That just left me to focus on the real people around me, such as Stubbington Bev, my Havant track partner, and her Stubby team mate Susie. I caught the 2 of them at half way and dropped Bev, but Susie pulled away from me, finishing just ahead. That wind was particularly cruel on the run in around the edge of the playing fields - it was pretty much a re-run of 2 years ago, although without the sunshine. I've just noticed I mentioned Dan Robinson in the report 2 years ago, having watched him get Commonwealth Bronze - how spooky is that?
A very good day at the office!
Finally, as always, the heart rate data. Notice how much higher my HR was 2 years ago!
4:10 139bpm
4:11 148bpm
4:12 150bpm
4:37 152bpm (slight uphill)
4:01 150bpm (slight downhill)
4:09 153bpm
4:12 154bpm
4:14 152bpm
4:17 152bpm
4:24 153bpm (into the wind)
42:26 150bpm ave
1st vet team: Miranda, Susie, Shelly
3rd senior women's team: Miranda, Susie, Shelly, Lucy
I didn't fare badly either:
Bronze Medal South of England Championships W45
Silver Medal Hampshire W45
3rd place W45
I picked up 3 lots of B&Q vouchers, and even more should I forget to hand the others theirs! ;-)
I so desperately wanted a PB but I was a minute out. I quote the results page:
The strong North wind (averaging about 20mph at the time of the race) slowed times considerably.
I reckoned after the race that I lost 30 secs to the wind, but it might have been more. Some of the lead men lost a minute over last year and the lead woman, Natalie Harvey, lost over 30s. Due to possible fatigue my heart rate was slightly down on last year so I guess I need to be happy that I'm as fit as last year and in good shape for London. How can I be unhappy after that prize haul? Our vets beat Winchester for heaven's sake!
I got to meet my online pals hilly and BR whom I haven't seen for ages. I also had a chat with our marathon hero Dan Robinson (good luck in London!), and met Leon Taylor, our Athens silver medal diver (yum!).
What of the race? I had a little virtual partner on my Garmin, which was me running the race last year - I'd know at any point how far I was behind PB schedule - nice feature. Unfortunately we started straight into the strong headwind and the little virtual me was soon leaving me behind. That just left me to focus on the real people around me, such as Stubbington Bev, my Havant track partner, and her Stubby team mate Susie. I caught the 2 of them at half way and dropped Bev, but Susie pulled away from me, finishing just ahead. That wind was particularly cruel on the run in around the edge of the playing fields - it was pretty much a re-run of 2 years ago, although without the sunshine. I've just noticed I mentioned Dan Robinson in the report 2 years ago, having watched him get Commonwealth Bronze - how spooky is that?
A very good day at the office!
Finally, as always, the heart rate data. Notice how much higher my HR was 2 years ago!
4:10 139bpm
4:11 148bpm
4:12 150bpm
4:37 152bpm (slight uphill)
4:01 150bpm (slight downhill)
4:09 153bpm
4:12 154bpm
4:14 152bpm
4:17 152bpm
4:24 153bpm (into the wind)
42:26 150bpm ave
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
The 20-miler
I thought I'd share my controversial views on 20-milers. I say controversial, as what I'm about to say seems to offend some people, but it's my blog and I'll say what I want. So here goes:
Do not race 20-milers!
I need to explain that one a bit of course, so first of all let me say that this is very much in the context of marathon training. I should also say that I'm not suggesting you don't do 20-mile races - they are excellent training. I should also say that I have done more than a dozen 20-mile races, but the closest I've come to racing one flat out was last year at Worthing where I jogged the first 5 miles, then picked the pace up and ran much of the remainder at marathon pace, finishing in 2:31:33 - an average pace of 7:33/mile, which was actually faster than the pace I subsequently ran the (very hot) London Marathon in! That was a measured effort and I recovered well for London 3 weeks later - it was the heat that did me in on the day, or so I believe - but this hints at the problems of using 20-mile races as marathon training.
What I mean by racing a 20-miler is putting maximum effort into your run to achieve the best time you can. I have never done this, I confess, but I know many people who have regretted racing 20 (some deny the 20 caused the problem but in the context of their training I believe it was a, or even the, major factor). The problem is simply the amount of recovery needed afterwards. It can take a full 3 weeks to recover from 20 miles of maximum effort, and that ignores the effect of whatever training you choose to do subsequently.
Most people are pushing it quite hard in the run up to a marathon. 20-mile training runs are all part of the formula, and very necessary too, but there are much better ways to tackle the 20-mile training run than running it flat out. The 20-miler should be one component of a balanced training program, allowing sufficient recovery to perform your interval sessions and tempo runs. Jog a 20-miler and you should be feeling fairly fresh 2 days later for your tempo run or your mile reps. Race a 20-miler though, and the following week you are feeling jaded and unable to put any effort into the training. You try harder and push all you can to achieve the right paces but just can't manage it. Of course that's the optimistic outlook. At worst you push too hard, get ill or injured and miss the marathon completely.
20-mile races, flat out, are hard. It should be fairly evident that their impact is almost as great as that of a marathon. One unseen risk is that your immune system pretty much collapses for 24 hours afterwards, laying you wide open to whatever bugs are around. You push on with your training and a week or 2 later you are laid up in bed with flu symptoms.
Even running a 20-mile race at marathon pace is hard. It's 20/26th of the effort of a marathon: 77% of a marathon is very tough!
20-mile races, as training, are however very useful. They are brilliant practise for getting your fuelling and hydration strategy right. What better way to do a training run than in company with others and having drinks laid on for you without the need to run with a bottle belt or camelbak? You need to view them as training runs though and run them sensibly.
Early in your marathon program I'd suggest just jogging them. Take them nice and easy and don't worry about the clock, other than to make sure you are at least a minute/mile slower than your marathon pace. There is a school of thought that says you shouldn't do your long runs too slowly as they are not specific enough. While I can see that it might come as a bit of a shock doing 26.2 miles at 7:30/mile when you've only run at 11:00/mile in training, as long as you have been doing tempo runs, and you do include some faster long runs then the occasional reeeeaaally slow run won't do any harm. Generally try to keep them between 1 and 2 minutes/mile slower than marathon pace.
Later in your program, with maybe 6 weeks to go to the marathon, try adding a fast finish to the run. Jog the first 15 miles and then try lifting the pace up to marathon pace for the last 5 miles. Make sure you carbo-load for the race as you'll find this very tough if you're low on fuel.
The hardest I reckon you should run is 15 miles of marathon effort (although I personally think that 10 miles of marathon effort is sufficient). Try this 3 weeks out, no closer. Jog the first 5 miles and then pick up the pace for the last 15. Remember that 15 miles of marathon pace is a very hard training run. Don't do this closer than 3 weeks to the marathon. Give yourself a day or 2 of recovery and you should be OK but look for signs of fatigue. If you attempt a 20-miler only 2 weeks out then jog it - don't attempt a large amount of marathon pace running so close to the marathon.
Of course people will still want to race a 20-miler, but if you absolutely must then I'd say: don't try this within a month of the marathon, consider taking several days off afterwards, and cut right back on the training afterwards with little or no speedwork for a week or 2. Bear in mind the context in which you do the race. How much other racing have you done? What is your training load? Remember that the marathon is (probably) your target. If the 20-miler is your target though, then good luck to you - you obviously won't mind if you don't do that well in the marathon.
It's amazing how heated on-line discussions can get when I say "Don't race 20-milers", but hopefully I've presented a balanced view on the topic.
Do not race 20-milers!
I need to explain that one a bit of course, so first of all let me say that this is very much in the context of marathon training. I should also say that I'm not suggesting you don't do 20-mile races - they are excellent training. I should also say that I have done more than a dozen 20-mile races, but the closest I've come to racing one flat out was last year at Worthing where I jogged the first 5 miles, then picked the pace up and ran much of the remainder at marathon pace, finishing in 2:31:33 - an average pace of 7:33/mile, which was actually faster than the pace I subsequently ran the (very hot) London Marathon in! That was a measured effort and I recovered well for London 3 weeks later - it was the heat that did me in on the day, or so I believe - but this hints at the problems of using 20-mile races as marathon training.
What I mean by racing a 20-miler is putting maximum effort into your run to achieve the best time you can. I have never done this, I confess, but I know many people who have regretted racing 20 (some deny the 20 caused the problem but in the context of their training I believe it was a, or even the, major factor). The problem is simply the amount of recovery needed afterwards. It can take a full 3 weeks to recover from 20 miles of maximum effort, and that ignores the effect of whatever training you choose to do subsequently.
Most people are pushing it quite hard in the run up to a marathon. 20-mile training runs are all part of the formula, and very necessary too, but there are much better ways to tackle the 20-mile training run than running it flat out. The 20-miler should be one component of a balanced training program, allowing sufficient recovery to perform your interval sessions and tempo runs. Jog a 20-miler and you should be feeling fairly fresh 2 days later for your tempo run or your mile reps. Race a 20-miler though, and the following week you are feeling jaded and unable to put any effort into the training. You try harder and push all you can to achieve the right paces but just can't manage it. Of course that's the optimistic outlook. At worst you push too hard, get ill or injured and miss the marathon completely.
20-mile races, flat out, are hard. It should be fairly evident that their impact is almost as great as that of a marathon. One unseen risk is that your immune system pretty much collapses for 24 hours afterwards, laying you wide open to whatever bugs are around. You push on with your training and a week or 2 later you are laid up in bed with flu symptoms.
Even running a 20-mile race at marathon pace is hard. It's 20/26th of the effort of a marathon: 77% of a marathon is very tough!
20-mile races, as training, are however very useful. They are brilliant practise for getting your fuelling and hydration strategy right. What better way to do a training run than in company with others and having drinks laid on for you without the need to run with a bottle belt or camelbak? You need to view them as training runs though and run them sensibly.
Early in your marathon program I'd suggest just jogging them. Take them nice and easy and don't worry about the clock, other than to make sure you are at least a minute/mile slower than your marathon pace. There is a school of thought that says you shouldn't do your long runs too slowly as they are not specific enough. While I can see that it might come as a bit of a shock doing 26.2 miles at 7:30/mile when you've only run at 11:00/mile in training, as long as you have been doing tempo runs, and you do include some faster long runs then the occasional reeeeaaally slow run won't do any harm. Generally try to keep them between 1 and 2 minutes/mile slower than marathon pace.
Later in your program, with maybe 6 weeks to go to the marathon, try adding a fast finish to the run. Jog the first 15 miles and then try lifting the pace up to marathon pace for the last 5 miles. Make sure you carbo-load for the race as you'll find this very tough if you're low on fuel.
The hardest I reckon you should run is 15 miles of marathon effort (although I personally think that 10 miles of marathon effort is sufficient). Try this 3 weeks out, no closer. Jog the first 5 miles and then pick up the pace for the last 15. Remember that 15 miles of marathon pace is a very hard training run. Don't do this closer than 3 weeks to the marathon. Give yourself a day or 2 of recovery and you should be OK but look for signs of fatigue. If you attempt a 20-miler only 2 weeks out then jog it - don't attempt a large amount of marathon pace running so close to the marathon.
Of course people will still want to race a 20-miler, but if you absolutely must then I'd say: don't try this within a month of the marathon, consider taking several days off afterwards, and cut right back on the training afterwards with little or no speedwork for a week or 2. Bear in mind the context in which you do the race. How much other racing have you done? What is your training load? Remember that the marathon is (probably) your target. If the 20-miler is your target though, then good luck to you - you obviously won't mind if you don't do that well in the marathon.
It's amazing how heated on-line discussions can get when I say "Don't race 20-milers", but hopefully I've presented a balanced view on the topic.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Going downhill fast
After our 'Kenyan Hills' session on Thursday some concerns were raised about doing a session that required running downhill at speed. I completely understand these concerns and the perceived danger of damage to the legs that running downhill can cause, but as we'll see, there's a lot we can do to avoid such problems.
First, let me recap the session for those of you who weren't there. The idea is to run the session close to threshold effort. Rather than run flat out up hill and jog back down, we throttle back a bit on our uphill efforts and push the pace downhill to keep the effort going. In heart rate terms, rather than see the HR rocket during the efforts and drop right down on the recoveries, it peaks a lot lower, around or just above threshold level, and drops only a little on the run back down the hill. The session then becomes more of a tempo run, but with a whole lot of hills thrown in. We still get the strength benefits of a hill session, but now we are targeting our aerobic system rather than it being a predominantly anaerobic session. As you know, I'm passionate about focussing on the most appropriate energy system to us as endurance runners. The session also has an added benefit in that it's a form of race rehearsal: in races you need to keep your effort fairly even over hills, throttling back on the speed uphill and being able to power over the crest and off downhill. Pushing hard uphill so that your legs turn to jelly and then staggering over the crest will simply mean that all the people you overtook on the way up will come screaming past you on the downhill.
Incidentally, in Lanzarote I was trained by the man who first coined the expression 'Kenyan Hills': Keith Anderson. Keith had the opportunity to go and train with the Kenyans in the Ngong hills. He saw how they ran tempo sessions over a rolling hill course, and the brought the session back to the UK. We can learn a lot from those Kenyans!
So why is running downhill seen as such a damaging thing to do? The answer lies with what's known as eccentric muscle contractions. Imagine holding a dumbell in your relaxed arm and doing a biceps curl. As you draw the dumbell up towards you, your biceps contract and shorten. This is called a concentric contraction. Now lower the dumbell in a controlled manner. As you lower, the biceps are still contracted, under tension, and doing work, but this time they are lengthening. This is called an eccentric contraction. The training effect of an eccentric contraction is greater than that of a concentric contraction, as the tiny amounts of damage done by the loading, which give the training effect, are greater under eccentric loading than concentric loading. For this reason it is important that you should always lower the dumbell in a controlled fashion, during the eccentric phase, as this is where the most training benefit is. This concept should be familiar to those of you who weight-train.
So now let's look at what happens when you run downhill. As your foot hits the ground in front of you, it has dropped further than usual and your momentum going into the foot strike is a lot greater. Your leg then flexes to absorb the shock of the landing and much of this is taken by the quads as they lengthen to absorb the impact. In other words your quads are under eccentric loading - they are being worked hard and potentially could be left quite sore by a heavy session of this.
Let me give you a couple of examples of the damage potential of downhill running, both from the granddaddy of the downhill: the Boston Marathon. The course is characterised by an opening 3 or 4 miles of continuous downhill that will pound away at the legs of the unwary. At around the 20 mile mark we then have a series of hills culminating in Heartbreak Hill followed by a mile of continuous downhill before the flat run into Boston. In 1982 Grete Waitz had been running on world record pace, helped no doubt by the opening downhill miles, before cresting Heartbreak Hill with a big lead. With just 5 miles to go she retired at the bottom of the hill, the pain in her legs being too great to continue.
My experience of Boston was that I'd trained and trained for downhill running, learning the correct technique, having been advised by a former London Marathon winner Mike Gratton. On the day though I wasn't able to execute the plan, for reasons I'll explain shortly, resulting in pain in my knees by half way. The descent of Heartbreak Hill was excruciating - despite the steep hill I was no faster downhill than I was on the flat, such was the pain with every downhill stride. I finished the marathon is a respectable 3:31, but 2 days later I was barely able to walk. My legs buckled as I was handed my cases at Heathrow and the other passengers had to help me to my feet, the destruction of my quads now being complete.
All is not lost though. With correct technique we can avoid such problems. This is why I was careful on Thursday to talk about the proper technique for downhill running.
The key to comfortable downhill running is to avoid the eccentric loading of our quads as much as possible. This is done 2 ways:
We can achieve a smooth light gait by another couple of techniques:
There will come a time when the hill is too steep to be able to do the above and the heels start to dig. On the road, these hills tend to have road signs warning motorists of the gradient, and we don't tend to encounter them too often. Farlington Avenue in Portsmouth is just about at the limit of where I can comfortably employ this technique. The Boston Marathon certainly has nothing anywhere near this gradient, so is eminently suitable for this.
At steeper gradients there is a different, 'Gazelle', technique used by fell runners, but this requires a lobotomy, and besides is really a racing technique rather than something designed to preserve your quads. Having said that, I do find it more comfortable to employ the 'Gazelle' technique on steep off road than try to hobble down slowly, but the ankle-turning potential is great. Maybe I'll describe it in a later article.
So having described the technique, and told of how I practised it meticulously in preparation for Boston, why did Boston go so wrong? Two things conspired against me at the start:
So the gun went and for the first 3 miles I had to keep my pace in check, unable to run freely. I was digging in my heels, trying to slow down to avoid bumping into people, and it all went wrong from there. My pace was conservative from the gun, but unlike other marathons where this would have been a virtue, it actually helped to tire my quads. If I'd been able to relax and let my pace flow, my quads would have been in far better shape by the end.
So next time you are out for a run and encounter a downhill, try practising the technique. You don't have to wait until the next hill session. Your quads (and knees and everything else connected to them) will thank you for it!
First, let me recap the session for those of you who weren't there. The idea is to run the session close to threshold effort. Rather than run flat out up hill and jog back down, we throttle back a bit on our uphill efforts and push the pace downhill to keep the effort going. In heart rate terms, rather than see the HR rocket during the efforts and drop right down on the recoveries, it peaks a lot lower, around or just above threshold level, and drops only a little on the run back down the hill. The session then becomes more of a tempo run, but with a whole lot of hills thrown in. We still get the strength benefits of a hill session, but now we are targeting our aerobic system rather than it being a predominantly anaerobic session. As you know, I'm passionate about focussing on the most appropriate energy system to us as endurance runners. The session also has an added benefit in that it's a form of race rehearsal: in races you need to keep your effort fairly even over hills, throttling back on the speed uphill and being able to power over the crest and off downhill. Pushing hard uphill so that your legs turn to jelly and then staggering over the crest will simply mean that all the people you overtook on the way up will come screaming past you on the downhill.
Incidentally, in Lanzarote I was trained by the man who first coined the expression 'Kenyan Hills': Keith Anderson. Keith had the opportunity to go and train with the Kenyans in the Ngong hills. He saw how they ran tempo sessions over a rolling hill course, and the brought the session back to the UK. We can learn a lot from those Kenyans!
So why is running downhill seen as such a damaging thing to do? The answer lies with what's known as eccentric muscle contractions. Imagine holding a dumbell in your relaxed arm and doing a biceps curl. As you draw the dumbell up towards you, your biceps contract and shorten. This is called a concentric contraction. Now lower the dumbell in a controlled manner. As you lower, the biceps are still contracted, under tension, and doing work, but this time they are lengthening. This is called an eccentric contraction. The training effect of an eccentric contraction is greater than that of a concentric contraction, as the tiny amounts of damage done by the loading, which give the training effect, are greater under eccentric loading than concentric loading. For this reason it is important that you should always lower the dumbell in a controlled fashion, during the eccentric phase, as this is where the most training benefit is. This concept should be familiar to those of you who weight-train.
So now let's look at what happens when you run downhill. As your foot hits the ground in front of you, it has dropped further than usual and your momentum going into the foot strike is a lot greater. Your leg then flexes to absorb the shock of the landing and much of this is taken by the quads as they lengthen to absorb the impact. In other words your quads are under eccentric loading - they are being worked hard and potentially could be left quite sore by a heavy session of this.
Let me give you a couple of examples of the damage potential of downhill running, both from the granddaddy of the downhill: the Boston Marathon. The course is characterised by an opening 3 or 4 miles of continuous downhill that will pound away at the legs of the unwary. At around the 20 mile mark we then have a series of hills culminating in Heartbreak Hill followed by a mile of continuous downhill before the flat run into Boston. In 1982 Grete Waitz had been running on world record pace, helped no doubt by the opening downhill miles, before cresting Heartbreak Hill with a big lead. With just 5 miles to go she retired at the bottom of the hill, the pain in her legs being too great to continue.
My experience of Boston was that I'd trained and trained for downhill running, learning the correct technique, having been advised by a former London Marathon winner Mike Gratton. On the day though I wasn't able to execute the plan, for reasons I'll explain shortly, resulting in pain in my knees by half way. The descent of Heartbreak Hill was excruciating - despite the steep hill I was no faster downhill than I was on the flat, such was the pain with every downhill stride. I finished the marathon is a respectable 3:31, but 2 days later I was barely able to walk. My legs buckled as I was handed my cases at Heathrow and the other passengers had to help me to my feet, the destruction of my quads now being complete.
All is not lost though. With correct technique we can avoid such problems. This is why I was careful on Thursday to talk about the proper technique for downhill running.
The key to comfortable downhill running is to avoid the eccentric loading of our quads as much as possible. This is done 2 ways:
- Lean forward down the hill - this reduces the amount of extra height we get with each step and reduces the impact of each stride.
- Avoid heel striking - it is natural when running downhill to dig your heels in to slow you down, but it is this that causes all the pounding and eccentric loading. You need to be as light on your feet as possible and try to land more on your forefoot. Natural forefoot runners have an advantage in this respect, but we should all try to achieve this.
We can achieve a smooth light gait by another couple of techniques:
- Relax! Play the rag doll and keep your upper body really loose. If you tense you will start to dig your heels in.
- Let gravity take over. Pick up your cadence and let the hill do the work. (This is pretty much the same point as above.)
- Consciously lift your heels behind you, more than you normally would. This will help you land more on your forefoot, and will help lengthen your stride downhill without digging your heels in. It will also help with the gravity assisted increase of pace.
There will come a time when the hill is too steep to be able to do the above and the heels start to dig. On the road, these hills tend to have road signs warning motorists of the gradient, and we don't tend to encounter them too often. Farlington Avenue in Portsmouth is just about at the limit of where I can comfortably employ this technique. The Boston Marathon certainly has nothing anywhere near this gradient, so is eminently suitable for this.
At steeper gradients there is a different, 'Gazelle', technique used by fell runners, but this requires a lobotomy, and besides is really a racing technique rather than something designed to preserve your quads. Having said that, I do find it more comfortable to employ the 'Gazelle' technique on steep off road than try to hobble down slowly, but the ankle-turning potential is great. Maybe I'll describe it in a later article.
So having described the technique, and told of how I practised it meticulously in preparation for Boston, why did Boston go so wrong? Two things conspired against me at the start:
- The crowds - we were packed into the pens like sardines, and although we were running smoothly from the gun, there wasn't room to get comfortable and relaxed.
- My natural pace, resulting in a finish time of 3:31, was far greater than my qualifying time of 3:47 would indicate, so I was in a pen with slower runners.
So the gun went and for the first 3 miles I had to keep my pace in check, unable to run freely. I was digging in my heels, trying to slow down to avoid bumping into people, and it all went wrong from there. My pace was conservative from the gun, but unlike other marathons where this would have been a virtue, it actually helped to tire my quads. If I'd been able to relax and let my pace flow, my quads would have been in far better shape by the end.
So next time you are out for a run and encounter a downhill, try practising the technique. You don't have to wait until the next hill session. Your quads (and knees and everything else connected to them) will thank you for it!
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