We're really lucky as we have the South Downs to play with.
I'll let the pictures do the talking.
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!
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