Merry Christmas everyone!
I did a tempo run this morning, the first bit of sustained speed I've done for 5 months. It was tough but I'm glad I could do it.
Without the power of massage I doubt I would have been able to run this morning. I've been relying on my massage therapist to keep me going over the last few weeks as I've built back up quickly. With Xmas upon us I've had to rely on my own self massage to keep me going.
My calves were the first to complain, but I was able to keep them nice and loose with some regular gentle massaging (Molton Brown massage oil - fragrant!). Then after the 9-mile Sunday run my knee was aching because of a tight quad. More Molton Brown and a bit of vigorous massage and it was all fixed. (It's tough doing an intense massage yourself - it felt like quite a workout.)
Then yesterday I stepped off the bottom stair to be greeted by an intense pain in the ball of my left foot. It was a slight concern as I've never had anything like that before, but I realised it was most probably a tight muscle in my foot trapping a nerve; the foot muscles don't get used during cycling so they have presumably took a bit of a beating since my return to running. I iced and heated during the day and tried rolling a tennis ball under my foot, but when I did my core exercises in the evening I was still getting pain. I got the oil out and had a real good go at the sole of my foot. I could feel a mass of tight muscle back towards my heel and a slightly crunchy feeling in the middle of foot. A few minutes of vigorous fiddling later and the pain was gone.
This morning I applied a heat pack and did some more gentle massage before my run as my foot ached a bit. The run felt fine - my foot had a rather warm feeling to it but there was no sign of pain or soreness. Massage rules!
I won't try to teach massage techniques on this blog - you can google "self massage" if you want to. What I will say is always use oil, massage towards the heart (or you could damage your veins by creating a back pressure), and don't press hard on any trigger points you find, just keep moving firmly over them until they ease. (You may want to google "trigger points" too.)
Happy seasonal massages!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Speed returns
I've spent a few weeks now building up gradually on the treadmill. I've been doing some low key speed sessions on the treadmill and building it up gradually so that my return to the faster stuff wouldn't be such a shock to the system. So last night it was time for my first proper speed session (even though it was only my 3rd outing on tarmac!).
The details:
10x400m with 155m jog recovery:
1:42 effort, 57s recovery
1:46 effort, 57s rec 127bpm minimum during recovery
1:44 effort, 57s rec 128bpm
1:42 effort max 148bpm, 57s rec 133bpm
1:42 effort max 149bpm, 58s 131bpm
1:43 effort max 150bpm, 58s 134bpm
1:40 effort max 152bpm, 60s 134bpm (training partner picked it up a bit)
1:43 effort max 151bpm, 62s 133bpm (me leading once more)
1:42 effort max 151bpm, 72s 122bpm (longer rec to let HR drop to 125bpm)
1:41 effort max 153bpm
The higher HRs are the maximum I reached at the end of the interval. The lower HRs are what it dropped to during recovery. The HRs compare pretty well with the last time I ran this 8 months ago, but my times were only 4 or 5s slower, so I'm pretty pleased with that. My calves are a bit sore today, but tonight's gentle 4 miles seemed OK. It seems I've kept my cardio fitness going quite well, but I just have to get my legs used to the pounding again.
The details:
10x400m with 155m jog recovery:
1:42 effort, 57s recovery
1:46 effort, 57s rec 127bpm minimum during recovery
1:44 effort, 57s rec 128bpm
1:42 effort max 148bpm, 57s rec 133bpm
1:42 effort max 149bpm, 58s 131bpm
1:43 effort max 150bpm, 58s 134bpm
1:40 effort max 152bpm, 60s 134bpm (training partner picked it up a bit)
1:43 effort max 151bpm, 62s 133bpm (me leading once more)
1:42 effort max 151bpm, 72s 122bpm (longer rec to let HR drop to 125bpm)
1:41 effort max 153bpm
The higher HRs are the maximum I reached at the end of the interval. The lower HRs are what it dropped to during recovery. The HRs compare pretty well with the last time I ran this 8 months ago, but my times were only 4 or 5s slower, so I'm pretty pleased with that. My calves are a bit sore today, but tonight's gentle 4 miles seemed OK. It seems I've kept my cardio fitness going quite well, but I just have to get my legs used to the pounding again.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
I'm back!
I've been somewhat quiet on this blog for many months now. That's what injury does to me. I don't like blogging despair and despondency, and there's been a bit of that lately. However, things are getting better so hello again!
As you have now gathered, I got injured. The short headline is I damaged a stomach muscle pole-vaulting. The longer version is it's a little more complicated than that and could in fact have been mostly a back problem.
Back in July, after 3 hard races in the space of a week, and during a full 70-mile week of marathon training I decided to try pole-vaulting. Initial impressions were good - I can pole-vault! The following day though my hip flexors were sore, to the point that I was having trouble lifting my left leg. If I'd taken a few days rest then I think that would have been the last of it, but of course I kept the training going as it didn't seem to affect my running. After a full week of training I ran a 20-miler, suffering what I thought was stitch for just about the whole way. Maybe it was that run, or maybe the crunches I did in the gym the following day, but I'd seriously damaged my psoas minor. I tried a few days rest, I tried running on grass, I tried doing just drills (heel flicks, fast feet, and high steps didn't seem to hurt - it was only the forward stride which was the problem), but after a couple of weeks I realised I was going to have to stop running completely to allow it to heal.
It's easy to blame the pole-vault, but it's not that simple. The day before the pole-vault session I ran a 5000m track race. During the warm up I remember commenting to team mate Gina that I had stitch before I'd even started. Stitch had been an increasing feature of my races but as always I'd try to massage it away, sometimes successfully, or just ignore it and carry on. I didn't actually tear anything during the pole-vault and the soreness I felt the following day was on the left hand side, not the right where the stitch problems and subsequent injury problems were.
Once I'd accepted the full seriousness of the injury then the real frustrations set in. I couldn't run - that was a simple fact. The sharp burning sensation in my crotch was worrying, presumably caused by the psoas minor locked in spasm across the right hand side of my pelvis pulling my symphysis pubis (the pubic joint between the 2 halves of the pelvis) apart. Walking was painful too. I could walk up and down stairs OK but every step forward on level ground was accompanied by pain from the psoas minor. I could cycle without pain, but everything else seemed to aggravate it. Rest just seemed to make things worse as the muscle just tightened.
The psoas minor runs from your lower back, just under the ribs (T12/L1) to your pubic bone and is mostly deep inside under several layers of abdominal muscle. You can massage the very top of the muscle in your back, or the very bottom of the muscle (actually the tendon) near your crotch, but you can't really get at the bulk of the muscle, making treatment a problem. An annoying aspect of all this is that 40% off the population don't actually have a psoas minor! There was me thinking that we're pretty much all muscular copies of each other and there are a whole load of folks, men and women, out there who don't have this muscle to injure! I read various reports on the internet about how this injury can be worse than achilles problems and how some people resort to surgery to have the tendon cut, effectively removing the muscle. This didn't help - there's no way I was going to resort to surgery!
Through all this, my old back problems came back - not helped by the cycling which always affects my back. I needed to do my core exercises to help the back, but any form of abdominal exercise hurt the injury. I was receiving regular physio to my back and stomach but independent of this I discovered that if I really dug my thumb into the vertebra around the origin of the psoas I could get some relief from the psoas spasm/pain. The idea that somehow the injury was back related started to form, but as the pain was in my crotch and the back soreness was quite a distance away, I wasn't entirely sure.
I went to spectate the Toronto marathon. I had tried to get my money back from my 'Sports Direct' holiday insurance, but apparently coverage for 'Cancellation due to injury' only applies to injuries serious enough to stop you travelling. I'd read all the small print and thought I was covered - another lesson learnt there. I made the most of my trip but it was tough watching the marathon from the sidelines having travelled all that way - at least my trip to Niagara Falls the following day made up for what was a pretty lousy weekend. Perhaps the hindsight highlight of the trip though was a chance encounter with a chiropractor at the marathon expo. I described my symptoms, suspicious of the fact that my back problems were part of the overall problem and the chiro seemed certain that he could fix my problem with just some back manipulation. He reckoned the nerve supplying the psoas minor was being trapped and not allowing the muscle to relax, explaining that you need a nerve supply to both tense a muscle and also to relax it. I ought to book some sessions with him. Shame he was in Toronto!
I returned to the UK with renewed hope that treating my back was the way forward. I enrolled in a back class and went to see a chiropractor, in addition to the physiotherapy I'd been having every week since the injury. There was no miracle cure but I did start to notice improvements. The first few back classes were a little disconcerting at first with the pain, albeit slight, that I was getting during the abdominal exercises, but a few weeks later I was able to do the class without pain. I returned to the gym and discovered that I could use the cross trainer. In fact the only exercises I couldn't do in the gym were the treadmill and lunges. My spirits lifted at the realisation that I could do full gym sessions with aerobic exercise that was closely related to running. After a few more weeks of gym I was able to tolerate brief spells on the treadmill provided I kept the gradient flat and the speed low.
All these improvements came when I started with the chiropractor. The chiro will of course tell you that he fixed me, but of course I was still having physio and going to the back class and then gym. I suspect the treatment wouldn't have been effective without the exercise - it's a whole synergy thing.
It has now got to the stage where I have run 3 miles on grass without pain. I ran onto the tarmac afterwards and realised I still have a little way to go yet as the hard surface still jarred a lot. I think I'll wait another week or 2 before declaring myself injury free but I think I'm back now.
Only 4 months 7 days 19 hours to go until the London Marathon!
As you have now gathered, I got injured. The short headline is I damaged a stomach muscle pole-vaulting. The longer version is it's a little more complicated than that and could in fact have been mostly a back problem.
Back in July, after 3 hard races in the space of a week, and during a full 70-mile week of marathon training I decided to try pole-vaulting. Initial impressions were good - I can pole-vault! The following day though my hip flexors were sore, to the point that I was having trouble lifting my left leg. If I'd taken a few days rest then I think that would have been the last of it, but of course I kept the training going as it didn't seem to affect my running. After a full week of training I ran a 20-miler, suffering what I thought was stitch for just about the whole way. Maybe it was that run, or maybe the crunches I did in the gym the following day, but I'd seriously damaged my psoas minor. I tried a few days rest, I tried running on grass, I tried doing just drills (heel flicks, fast feet, and high steps didn't seem to hurt - it was only the forward stride which was the problem), but after a couple of weeks I realised I was going to have to stop running completely to allow it to heal.
It's easy to blame the pole-vault, but it's not that simple. The day before the pole-vault session I ran a 5000m track race. During the warm up I remember commenting to team mate Gina that I had stitch before I'd even started. Stitch had been an increasing feature of my races but as always I'd try to massage it away, sometimes successfully, or just ignore it and carry on. I didn't actually tear anything during the pole-vault and the soreness I felt the following day was on the left hand side, not the right where the stitch problems and subsequent injury problems were.
Once I'd accepted the full seriousness of the injury then the real frustrations set in. I couldn't run - that was a simple fact. The sharp burning sensation in my crotch was worrying, presumably caused by the psoas minor locked in spasm across the right hand side of my pelvis pulling my symphysis pubis (the pubic joint between the 2 halves of the pelvis) apart. Walking was painful too. I could walk up and down stairs OK but every step forward on level ground was accompanied by pain from the psoas minor. I could cycle without pain, but everything else seemed to aggravate it. Rest just seemed to make things worse as the muscle just tightened.
The psoas minor runs from your lower back, just under the ribs (T12/L1) to your pubic bone and is mostly deep inside under several layers of abdominal muscle. You can massage the very top of the muscle in your back, or the very bottom of the muscle (actually the tendon) near your crotch, but you can't really get at the bulk of the muscle, making treatment a problem. An annoying aspect of all this is that 40% off the population don't actually have a psoas minor! There was me thinking that we're pretty much all muscular copies of each other and there are a whole load of folks, men and women, out there who don't have this muscle to injure! I read various reports on the internet about how this injury can be worse than achilles problems and how some people resort to surgery to have the tendon cut, effectively removing the muscle. This didn't help - there's no way I was going to resort to surgery!
Through all this, my old back problems came back - not helped by the cycling which always affects my back. I needed to do my core exercises to help the back, but any form of abdominal exercise hurt the injury. I was receiving regular physio to my back and stomach but independent of this I discovered that if I really dug my thumb into the vertebra around the origin of the psoas I could get some relief from the psoas spasm/pain. The idea that somehow the injury was back related started to form, but as the pain was in my crotch and the back soreness was quite a distance away, I wasn't entirely sure.
I went to spectate the Toronto marathon. I had tried to get my money back from my 'Sports Direct' holiday insurance, but apparently coverage for 'Cancellation due to injury' only applies to injuries serious enough to stop you travelling. I'd read all the small print and thought I was covered - another lesson learnt there. I made the most of my trip but it was tough watching the marathon from the sidelines having travelled all that way - at least my trip to Niagara Falls the following day made up for what was a pretty lousy weekend. Perhaps the hindsight highlight of the trip though was a chance encounter with a chiropractor at the marathon expo. I described my symptoms, suspicious of the fact that my back problems were part of the overall problem and the chiro seemed certain that he could fix my problem with just some back manipulation. He reckoned the nerve supplying the psoas minor was being trapped and not allowing the muscle to relax, explaining that you need a nerve supply to both tense a muscle and also to relax it. I ought to book some sessions with him. Shame he was in Toronto!
I returned to the UK with renewed hope that treating my back was the way forward. I enrolled in a back class and went to see a chiropractor, in addition to the physiotherapy I'd been having every week since the injury. There was no miracle cure but I did start to notice improvements. The first few back classes were a little disconcerting at first with the pain, albeit slight, that I was getting during the abdominal exercises, but a few weeks later I was able to do the class without pain. I returned to the gym and discovered that I could use the cross trainer. In fact the only exercises I couldn't do in the gym were the treadmill and lunges. My spirits lifted at the realisation that I could do full gym sessions with aerobic exercise that was closely related to running. After a few more weeks of gym I was able to tolerate brief spells on the treadmill provided I kept the gradient flat and the speed low.
All these improvements came when I started with the chiropractor. The chiro will of course tell you that he fixed me, but of course I was still having physio and going to the back class and then gym. I suspect the treatment wouldn't have been effective without the exercise - it's a whole synergy thing.
It has now got to the stage where I have run 3 miles on grass without pain. I ran onto the tarmac afterwards and realised I still have a little way to go yet as the hard surface still jarred a lot. I think I'll wait another week or 2 before declaring myself injury free but I think I'm back now.
Only 4 months 7 days 19 hours to go until the London Marathon!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
SCVAC finals Ashford
I wasn't taking part in the finals due to injury (I'll blog an injury update shortly), so I went along as supporter and photographer. The team did really well, leading at first, to eventually finish 2nd to Blackheath.
Well done girls!
Well done girls!
Friday, July 20, 2007
2 week summary - 11 weeks to go
I've missed a week of summarising so here're the previous 2 weeks:
|
| a.m. | p.m. | ||
| Miles | Notes | Miles | Notes | |
| Mon 02 Jul | Rest |
|
|
|
| Tue | 0 |
| 4.1 | easy recovery 08:54/mile 114bpm. |
| Wed | 0 |
| 5.6 | Promenade 5k. 4th place, losing a finishing straight sprint. very windy!Splits/ave HRs: |
| Thu | 2 | Gym sesh | 6.1 | jogged club sesh at Staunton park 09:27 /mile 102bpm. |
| Fri | 0 |
| 13.6 | long run. Bit tired towards end. Blustery wind 08:22/mile 122bpm. |
| Sat | Rest |
|
|
|
| Sun | 5.9 | easy run round Stansted 10:42/mile 106bpm. | 0 |
|
| Total | 37.3 |
|
|
|
|
| a.m. | p.m. | ||
| Miles | Notes | Miles | Notes | |
| Mon 09 Jul | 0 |
| 6.1 | SCVAC Hants & Surrey 5000m. 2nd A-string, 4th on track. 20:05.4 |
| Tue | 0 |
| 2 | easy jog at the track after pole vault session, plus some drills 08:45/mile 119bpm. |
| Wed | 0 |
| 11 | First time I've done a midweek 11-miler in under 90mins! Warm! 08:10/mile 125bpm. |
| Thu | 2 | Gym sesh | 8.9 | long handicap, run at mara pace. Paces between gates: |
| Fri | 4.5 | easy run along seafront 09:20/mile 106bpm. | 4.9 | Beaulieu social run 09:36/mile . |
| Sat | 7.1 | Lactate test session - bit disappointed as there were some dodgy readings: | 0 |
|
| Sun | 20.1 | Easy paced run up to Rowlands castle, with a loop through Chalton and a lovely forest loop to finish. 09:10/mile 116bpm. | 0 |
|
| Total | 66.6 |
|
|
|
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Pole vault!
I discovered yesterday evening I can pole vault!
After a few drills, I sailed over the opening height first time, with coach Lynne commenting that that was all I had to do to score points. She then started talking about the height I needed to do at the southern finals and had me thinking "ooh, that sounds a bit tougher - maybe I won't be scoring after all". It then turned out she was talking about the height I needed to win it! I sailed over the bar within 20cm of that height, and definitely feel I could challenge that with another session.
I only had a couple of failures as Lynne put the bar up, and again, and again...
I feel I could have gone the extra 20cm as I didn't have any failures on the final height, but I was getting a bit tired by then. Waaaheeey!
It was such a buzz - I've not had that adrenaline tingle since my wave-sailing days - that bar is not dissimilar in feeling to approaching an 8ft wave at speed - total commitment required.
I've a few sore bits today - left lateral deltoid, right brachialis - but nothing I can't work on in the gym.
Wow!
You'll note I haven't quoted any heights - I'm being coy for now - Isinbayeva has her spies out and I don't want to give anything away before Beijing.
After a few drills, I sailed over the opening height first time, with coach Lynne commenting that that was all I had to do to score points. She then started talking about the height I needed to do at the southern finals and had me thinking "ooh, that sounds a bit tougher - maybe I won't be scoring after all". It then turned out she was talking about the height I needed to win it! I sailed over the bar within 20cm of that height, and definitely feel I could challenge that with another session.
I only had a couple of failures as Lynne put the bar up, and again, and again...
I feel I could have gone the extra 20cm as I didn't have any failures on the final height, but I was getting a bit tired by then. Waaaheeey!
It was such a buzz - I've not had that adrenaline tingle since my wave-sailing days - that bar is not dissimilar in feeling to approaching an 8ft wave at speed - total commitment required.
I've a few sore bits today - left lateral deltoid, right brachialis - but nothing I can't work on in the gym.
Wow!
You'll note I haven't quoted any heights - I'm being coy for now - Isinbayeva has her spies out and I don't want to give anything away before Beijing.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
SCVAC League Hants & Surrey Division Portsmouth 5000m
First the headline: We beat Winchester and have made the southern vet finals in Ashford. Hooray for Havant!
I found myself running as A string runner tonight, with Gina, whom I've never beaten, as B string. I started confidently, perhaps too confidently, leading Lucy Elliott, British international, round the first bend - out the corner of my eye I thought she was Jan, also from Winchester, with whom I've had some good tussles. I was sensible enough to let Lucy run off into the distance as I established my own pace. This left me leading the remainder of the pack round the track for the next 7 or 8 laps. It was quite tough into the wind down the back straight - a good effort needed in the F3-4. Everyone was careful to shelter behind me - the other Winchester runner Sue thanked me for that afterwards - cheers! ;-)
I realised I was outside 20 minute pace at this point. In a really nice gesture, Gina then took on the pace setting, deliberately to try to get me under 20. Gina led for a few laps but then the other 2 Winchester women started to pull away from us and with 600m to go I started to wind it up and pulled away from Gina.
I finished 4th on the track behind the 3 Winchester women, but was only 10s behind 2nd place Jan so I'm quite pleased with that. I was 2nd A-string, finishing ahead of Gina (for the first time!) who was 2nd B-string.
Poor Ceal was running as A-string for Portsmouth - there wasn't a W60 race, but due to absences she wasn't even W50! She got a 93.5% age grading for her performance though, which after an earlier 200m is pretty good going - no doubt a UK leading performance!
A mention too for Marilyn who scored well in the W50 class behind Jan and Jane. She had just done the 800m but even so managed to top 80% age grading. We vets like to keep tabs on our age gradings - it's something to hang on to as we get slower. Here's a link to an age grading calculator.
For my part I guess I can tell everyone I finished 2nd to Lucy Elliott after leading her in the first part of the race?
There's a tinge of disappointment failing to get under 20 minutes, finishing in 20:05.4, but the wind was a factor, as presumably were the 2 races the previous week. It was still a big PB though, so I need to learn to be satisfied with my performances!
Splits:
93s 130bpm
99s 148bpm
98s 151bpm
96s 153bpm
97s 155bpm
97s 157bpm
97s 158bpm
96s 158bpm
96s 158bpm
97s 158bpm
97s 156bpm
141s 156bpm =94s/lap (focussed, so missed the final 200m split)
20:05.4 153bpm ave 78.2% age grading.
Interesting how once again my HR dropped at the end despite an increase in pace. I felt absolutely wrecked on crossing the line - major effort.
I found myself running as A string runner tonight, with Gina, whom I've never beaten, as B string. I started confidently, perhaps too confidently, leading Lucy Elliott, British international, round the first bend - out the corner of my eye I thought she was Jan, also from Winchester, with whom I've had some good tussles. I was sensible enough to let Lucy run off into the distance as I established my own pace. This left me leading the remainder of the pack round the track for the next 7 or 8 laps. It was quite tough into the wind down the back straight - a good effort needed in the F3-4. Everyone was careful to shelter behind me - the other Winchester runner Sue thanked me for that afterwards - cheers! ;-)
I realised I was outside 20 minute pace at this point. In a really nice gesture, Gina then took on the pace setting, deliberately to try to get me under 20. Gina led for a few laps but then the other 2 Winchester women started to pull away from us and with 600m to go I started to wind it up and pulled away from Gina.
I finished 4th on the track behind the 3 Winchester women, but was only 10s behind 2nd place Jan so I'm quite pleased with that. I was 2nd A-string, finishing ahead of Gina (for the first time!) who was 2nd B-string.
Poor Ceal was running as A-string for Portsmouth - there wasn't a W60 race, but due to absences she wasn't even W50! She got a 93.5% age grading for her performance though, which after an earlier 200m is pretty good going - no doubt a UK leading performance!
A mention too for Marilyn who scored well in the W50 class behind Jan and Jane. She had just done the 800m but even so managed to top 80% age grading. We vets like to keep tabs on our age gradings - it's something to hang on to as we get slower. Here's a link to an age grading calculator.
For my part I guess I can tell everyone I finished 2nd to Lucy Elliott after leading her in the first part of the race?
There's a tinge of disappointment failing to get under 20 minutes, finishing in 20:05.4, but the wind was a factor, as presumably were the 2 races the previous week. It was still a big PB though, so I need to learn to be satisfied with my performances!
Splits:
93s 130bpm
99s 148bpm
98s 151bpm
96s 153bpm
97s 155bpm
97s 157bpm
97s 158bpm
96s 158bpm
96s 158bpm
97s 158bpm
97s 156bpm
141s 156bpm =94s/lap (focussed, so missed the final 200m split)
20:05.4 153bpm ave 78.2% age grading.
Interesting how once again my HR dropped at the end despite an increase in pace. I felt absolutely wrecked on crossing the line - major effort.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Portsmouth Promenade 5k
A few days late with my race report, but I've been waiting to see the results for confirmation of my series position.
It was yet another windy promenade race, this time F5-6. It was mostly a problem coming back in along the prom, but with the prom snaking round there were times going out too when we were into the wind. After a gale force Victory 5 last December, a near gale first 5k in May and a fresh breeze for the D-day 10k, wind appears to be the main spoiler of what could be a very fast flat course.
The hope before the race had been to dip under 20 minutes for the first time, but I soon realised that the wind was going to make this a problem. I started promisingly though with a 4 minute first kilometre but from then on I tried to just tuck in behind the other runners and save what energy I could.
For the next couple of kms I was tucked behind first a City of Portsmouth woman, and then ran a threesome on the return down the prom with women from Stubbington and Winchester. I always feel I have a disadvantage into the wind, being quite tall. I was trying to shelter behind other runners, but with hindsight I should have had the confidence to push on past these runners.
At 4km I felt strong and was able to push past the other 2 quite easily. My target was then an Aldershot Farnham and District woman 100m ahead. I was able to slowly reel her in over the last kilometre until by the time we entered the park for the finish I was just behind her.
It was here I made a tactical error!
I was aware that I wasn't far outside my PB and didn't want to waste any time sitting behind the AFD woman. With only 150m to go just how much time did I think I was going to lose? I ran past her immediately on catching her and pushed on for the line. On seeing me, she kicked hard for the line and I didn't have a reply. I finished just behind her.
What I didn't realise was that sprint was for 3rd place! I should have held back and kicked hard close to the line to take her by surprise. Club mate Kevin was spectating and immediately afterwards commented on my tactical blunder - it was quite obvious!
The significance of losing 3rd place didn't fully come to light until I saw the results yesterday. I'm now 2 points behind 3rd place in the series. In the next race I have to finish 2 places ahead of my nearest rival. If I'd won that sprint I would have just had to beat her to get 3rd place in the series. Now I can't race her, but have to push on ahead and try to put some distance between us.
I'm not entirely sure how the prizes are allocated for the series, but I'm 2nd W45 with no chance of catching Jane, leader of the W45s and 2nd in the series. There are only prizes for the first runner in each category. I hope I don't get the situation of a prize going to a younger slower runner!
It's going to be a very competitive next race. Should be good!
Splits/ave HRs:
3:59 141bpm
4:05 153bpm
4:11 156bpm
4:12 156bpm
4:00 158bpm
20:30 153bpm ave
4th woman, 2nd W45
It was yet another windy promenade race, this time F5-6. It was mostly a problem coming back in along the prom, but with the prom snaking round there were times going out too when we were into the wind. After a gale force Victory 5 last December, a near gale first 5k in May and a fresh breeze for the D-day 10k, wind appears to be the main spoiler of what could be a very fast flat course.
The hope before the race had been to dip under 20 minutes for the first time, but I soon realised that the wind was going to make this a problem. I started promisingly though with a 4 minute first kilometre but from then on I tried to just tuck in behind the other runners and save what energy I could.
For the next couple of kms I was tucked behind first a City of Portsmouth woman, and then ran a threesome on the return down the prom with women from Stubbington and Winchester. I always feel I have a disadvantage into the wind, being quite tall. I was trying to shelter behind other runners, but with hindsight I should have had the confidence to push on past these runners.
At 4km I felt strong and was able to push past the other 2 quite easily. My target was then an Aldershot Farnham and District woman 100m ahead. I was able to slowly reel her in over the last kilometre until by the time we entered the park for the finish I was just behind her.
It was here I made a tactical error!
I was aware that I wasn't far outside my PB and didn't want to waste any time sitting behind the AFD woman. With only 150m to go just how much time did I think I was going to lose? I ran past her immediately on catching her and pushed on for the line. On seeing me, she kicked hard for the line and I didn't have a reply. I finished just behind her.
What I didn't realise was that sprint was for 3rd place! I should have held back and kicked hard close to the line to take her by surprise. Club mate Kevin was spectating and immediately afterwards commented on my tactical blunder - it was quite obvious!
The significance of losing 3rd place didn't fully come to light until I saw the results yesterday. I'm now 2 points behind 3rd place in the series. In the next race I have to finish 2 places ahead of my nearest rival. If I'd won that sprint I would have just had to beat her to get 3rd place in the series. Now I can't race her, but have to push on ahead and try to put some distance between us.
I'm not entirely sure how the prizes are allocated for the series, but I'm 2nd W45 with no chance of catching Jane, leader of the W45s and 2nd in the series. There are only prizes for the first runner in each category. I hope I don't get the situation of a prize going to a younger slower runner!
It's going to be a very competitive next race. Should be good!
Splits/ave HRs:
3:59 141bpm
4:05 153bpm
4:11 156bpm
4:12 156bpm
4:00 158bpm
20:30 153bpm ave
4th woman, 2nd W45
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Weekly summary - 13 weeks to go
A bit late getting this summary together - this is for a week ago.
The weeks to go count has skipped a couple of weeks because this is now the count down to the Toronto Waterfront Marathon on September 30th. I've not booked yet, but I am fairly certain this is the one I am now doing.
The weeks to go count has skipped a couple of weeks because this is now the count down to the Toronto Waterfront Marathon on September 30th. I've not booked yet, but I am fairly certain this is the one I am now doing.
|
| a.m. | 0 | p.m. | 0 |
|
| Miles | Notes | Miles | Notes |
| Mon 25 Jun | 2 | Gym sesh - now up to 61kg deadlift! | 6.2 | Easy run. Felt pretty tired at first, but warmed up and finished well. 08:38/mile 112bpm. |
| Tue | 4.5 | easy run along seafront past ferry 09:22/mile . | 7.3 | 12x400m off 45s, 2min rest after first 6 reps. Alternate reps into wind - tough to maintain pace. |
| Wed | 0 |
| 11. | Steady run in the rain. Got some proper soakings from passing cars! 08:14/mile 118bpm. |
| Thu | 0 |
| 4.1 | Club short handicap, jogged. Felt awful! Probably hadn't eaten enough after previous night's 11- miler 08:50/mile . |
| Fri | Rest |
|
|
|
| Sat | Rest |
|
|
|
| Sun | 6.6 | Pubrook Ladies 5mile 7th place. Splits: | 3 | easy run - stitch! 08:59/mile 116bpm. |
| Total | 44.7 |
|
|
|
Sunday, July 01, 2007
So close: The Purbrook Ladies 5
I was so proud of the team today!
I love this race. It's a tough one, hilly, but it's such a great atmosphere. It's nice to do a road race where you can start on the actual start line. Once the gun goes, you know exactly who you are racing and where you are in the race and it makes for some really good racing. That's my perception from the sharp end, but I guess from my past experiences it's nice to do a friendly race where you are not self conscious and don't have to worry about all the sweaty men rushing past you.
Have you ever seen such a relaxed start as this? Proper racing!:
Before the start, I'd had a good look at the start list and realised we had a strong team with Chris and Gina. I was eagerly telling Chris that we had a chance to win the team prize. This was till I spotted Shona at the start. With Kath that makes 2 Winchester elite ladies. Guess I spoke a little too soon. Oops!
Not surprisingly Kath and Shona left the rest of us standing at the start. That's 6mins/mile worth of standing - they can certainly shift, those two. I slotted in behind team-mate Gina and Jane from Havant. I would dearly have loved to have tried to keep pace with them, but I was aware of the need to tread carefully in the first mile: with a steady uphill opening half mile, followed by a steep downhill, it's very easy to overdo it before the mile's out. I kept in touch with the two of them though but realised that perhaps I wasn't going to catch them.
I had a bit of a tussle with a Norwich woman at the first mile mark, running shoulder to shoulder, but she had the measure of me and pulled away as the road once more turned uphill.
The course is a tricky one. It never really levels out. It seems to be always either uphill or downhill, with some tricky little steeper bits, and a strength sapping long uphill in the 4th mile. Not a course for PBs then, except if, like me, it's the only 5-mile you've been doing in the last 3 years!
We were so lucky with the weather. It remained dry for the entire race. We even had some sun for a mile or so.
Hills are not exactly a speciality of mine, being tall and relatively heavy, but I wasn't doing too badly. I kept Gina in my sight all the way, and watched as the Norwich runner caught her. Someone shouted that I was well ahead in 6th place with just over a mile to go. I wasn't going to glance back, but I could judge from the marshals' applause that there was someone behind me and it sounded like she was getting closer. I should be able to hold her off for the remaining mile though.
Well no actually.
As we crested the last hill before the final down-up into the finish, Chris, my team mate, came past me. That girl loves those hills! I made an effort to stay with her but it wasn't to be. It was bitter-sweet, as I would have loved to beat her, but what a finish we had in prospect with Gina, Chris and myself in close order, finishing 5th, 6th and 7th. Victory power!
At the finish Chris revealed just how much effort she'd put into getting past me. Well done Chris! My turn next time ;-)
The excitement grew though as word went round that we'd beaten Winchester! Surely not! Victory AC isn't the sort of team that beats Winchester. With Kath 1st and Shona 2nd, it all came down to where the 3rd place Winchester runner finished.
Shona 2nd, and Kath 1st:
Alas, it seems Victory AC isn't the sort of team that beats Winchester. Their 3rd runner Hannah finished 14th, meaning they beat us by just 1 point! Next time maybe?
We did really well though with Gina picking up a prize for 5th, Chris getting 1st W35 prize, I got 1st W45, Marilyn 1st W55, and we got bottles of wine for 2nd team.
Special mention for Emma, whom I waited for at the end. I ran with her down the last slope before ordering her to give it all on the final uphill 200m, telling her to catch the woman in front. She did! She caught up a big gap and finished a place or 2 higher. Well done Emma. Well paced!
The prizes. No, I'm not wearing anything underneath:
Marilyn W55:
2nd team prize:
The squad, most of us anyway:
Finally, this is my favourite photo, despite it being another team (the host club in fact). A gaggle of dead Pompey Joggers:
Thanks to Pauline, the race director, for the photos.
Finally a report from me wouldn't be complete without splits and HR data. Here they are. There might be a little fatigue evident in the low HR figures, but it's always difficult to maintain a high HR on a hilly course. I think I generally paced well, but maybe I did slow a little in the last mile - Chris will probably claim I did anyway.
Splits and ave HRs:
6:18 146bpm
6:41 154bpm
6:48 153bpm
7:30 153bpm
6:50 151bpm
34:09 (unofficial) 152bpm ave
A PB of course!
I love this race. It's a tough one, hilly, but it's such a great atmosphere. It's nice to do a road race where you can start on the actual start line. Once the gun goes, you know exactly who you are racing and where you are in the race and it makes for some really good racing. That's my perception from the sharp end, but I guess from my past experiences it's nice to do a friendly race where you are not self conscious and don't have to worry about all the sweaty men rushing past you.
Have you ever seen such a relaxed start as this? Proper racing!:
Before the start, I'd had a good look at the start list and realised we had a strong team with Chris and Gina. I was eagerly telling Chris that we had a chance to win the team prize. This was till I spotted Shona at the start. With Kath that makes 2 Winchester elite ladies. Guess I spoke a little too soon. Oops!
Not surprisingly Kath and Shona left the rest of us standing at the start. That's 6mins/mile worth of standing - they can certainly shift, those two. I slotted in behind team-mate Gina and Jane from Havant. I would dearly have loved to have tried to keep pace with them, but I was aware of the need to tread carefully in the first mile: with a steady uphill opening half mile, followed by a steep downhill, it's very easy to overdo it before the mile's out. I kept in touch with the two of them though but realised that perhaps I wasn't going to catch them.
I had a bit of a tussle with a Norwich woman at the first mile mark, running shoulder to shoulder, but she had the measure of me and pulled away as the road once more turned uphill.
The course is a tricky one. It never really levels out. It seems to be always either uphill or downhill, with some tricky little steeper bits, and a strength sapping long uphill in the 4th mile. Not a course for PBs then, except if, like me, it's the only 5-mile you've been doing in the last 3 years!
We were so lucky with the weather. It remained dry for the entire race. We even had some sun for a mile or so.
Hills are not exactly a speciality of mine, being tall and relatively heavy, but I wasn't doing too badly. I kept Gina in my sight all the way, and watched as the Norwich runner caught her. Someone shouted that I was well ahead in 6th place with just over a mile to go. I wasn't going to glance back, but I could judge from the marshals' applause that there was someone behind me and it sounded like she was getting closer. I should be able to hold her off for the remaining mile though.
Well no actually.
As we crested the last hill before the final down-up into the finish, Chris, my team mate, came past me. That girl loves those hills! I made an effort to stay with her but it wasn't to be. It was bitter-sweet, as I would have loved to beat her, but what a finish we had in prospect with Gina, Chris and myself in close order, finishing 5th, 6th and 7th. Victory power!
At the finish Chris revealed just how much effort she'd put into getting past me. Well done Chris! My turn next time ;-)
The excitement grew though as word went round that we'd beaten Winchester! Surely not! Victory AC isn't the sort of team that beats Winchester. With Kath 1st and Shona 2nd, it all came down to where the 3rd place Winchester runner finished.
Shona 2nd, and Kath 1st:
Alas, it seems Victory AC isn't the sort of team that beats Winchester. Their 3rd runner Hannah finished 14th, meaning they beat us by just 1 point! Next time maybe?
We did really well though with Gina picking up a prize for 5th, Chris getting 1st W35 prize, I got 1st W45, Marilyn 1st W55, and we got bottles of wine for 2nd team.
Special mention for Emma, whom I waited for at the end. I ran with her down the last slope before ordering her to give it all on the final uphill 200m, telling her to catch the woman in front. She did! She caught up a big gap and finished a place or 2 higher. Well done Emma. Well paced!
The prizes. No, I'm not wearing anything underneath:
Marilyn W55:
2nd team prize:
The squad, most of us anyway:
Finally, this is my favourite photo, despite it being another team (the host club in fact). A gaggle of dead Pompey Joggers:
Thanks to Pauline, the race director, for the photos.
Finally a report from me wouldn't be complete without splits and HR data. Here they are. There might be a little fatigue evident in the low HR figures, but it's always difficult to maintain a high HR on a hilly course. I think I generally paced well, but maybe I did slow a little in the last mile - Chris will probably claim I did anyway.
Splits and ave HRs:
6:18 146bpm
6:41 154bpm
6:48 153bpm
7:30 153bpm
6:50 151bpm
34:09 (unofficial) 152bpm ave
A PB of course!
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