Weekly summary - 14 weeks to go

An easier week leading up to Stubbington, but I think I was still a bit tired for the race. The gym sessions are quite tiring and I think are a significant training load - on Friday my glutes were quite sore from the weights.

Stubbington was a good stake in the ground from which to build: I'm looking forward to next week and the start of the doubles.

Monday	1 mile	Easy jogging	Coaching a group of beginners
Tuesday	7 miles	Hill run 133bpm	HR lower than I would have liked - fatigue no doubt
Wednesday	8.2 miles	am:2 miles treadmill+weights pm: 6.2 miles 9:37/mile no HR data
Thursday	5.9 miles	Easy run 118bpm
Friday	Rest		Drove 180miles up to the Midlands
Saturday	4.6 miles	easy run 8:54/mile 115bpm	Hilly run around Shropshire lanes, + drive back
Sunday	8.9miles	Stubbington 10k +warmup/down 6:55/mile 148bpm
Total	35.6 miles

Stubbington 10k

Oops! How did I find myself on the red start for sub-40 runners?

I'd been apologising to folks, insisting that no way could I have put sub-40 down on the entry form, but there in black and white on the entry list was 40:00. OK I confess then.

To be fair, when I entered this race back in the summer I was at my peak. I'd just run a 42:08 10k on a hilly(ish) course on a hot day, as part of an 85-mile week, 7 days after sauntering around a 28-mile trail marathon. I figured I could definitely run 41:00 when fresh, on a cool flat course, so 40:00 in 5 months time? No problem! Sub-40 is still an ambition of mine, but after a month off with shin splints and being forced to build back up gradually, then hands up, I'll admit I hadn't exactly earned my place among the fast guys. (I also didn't know there was going to be a separate start for sub-40 when I entered - this was new for this year)

Still, there were Jane and Tina: fast girls for sure, but sub-40? And then what about all these runners around me with white numbers? Maybe I'm not so out of place.

I looked up at the clear blue sky, let the sun warm my face, and drank in what was looking to be near-perfect conditions for a 10k.

Off we went and Tina sped off looking very comfortable. I later learned she'd just recovered from broken ribs sustained in the Victory 5. Ouch! Clearly her recovery from broken ribs was more complete than mine from shin splints, but I was feeling pretty comfortable anyway.

I was a bit concerned at half a mile to see a guy crouched on the road clutching his chest, being shielded from the mass of runners parting around him by a female competitor - I hope he was OK! There was also a guy leaping around in agony in a driveway - a torn muscle or bad cramp. I feel less sorry for him as that just seems part of the running game - chest pains are another thing entirely! Things comes in threes, and there was team-mate Brian jogging back to the start. He didn't look too injured - maybe he was being cautious.

As we ran I was hearing all the familiar shouts of encouragement: "Go Tina", "Go Paula". Tina was pulling ahead - I could see her. Paula must be behind me - good news - I don't think I've beaten her before - I must be having a good day. I passed team-mate Ruth, having presumably had a flyer from the front of the white start, and there was sometime team-mate Liz, running for her first claim club. I eased past Liz, silhouetted in the bright sunlight. This really was going well: lovely day, I felt good and I felt strong. Paula passed me. Ah!

We were now on the only incline on the course and I wondered if this might make a difference - 'hills' were always a weakness of mine. I felt good though and pulled back up to Paula. I'd shown good pace on our club hill run on Tuesday, so maybe I'm getting better at hills - maybe the strength training is paying off. I made my move on Paula and powered on, confidence growing.

I'd noticed my heart rate was quite low for what I'd normally expect from a 10k, and wondered if maybe I was pushing enough. At 6km things definitely started to feel tough though so I decided my pace judgement was fine and it was wise to not try to push any harder. My splits were looking remarkably even!

The rest of the race was a matter of focussing on runners ahead and picking them off. As ever, the longer the race went on, the more I overtook, as people's pace started to drop.

I was now sitting on the shoulder of an Aldershot runner, evoking memories of Steph Twell from the XC the previous weekend. As thoughts went through my mind of playing a waiting game and outsprinting her at the end, I realised there was a Pompey Jogger and an Isle of Wight Road Runner ahead who should be the focus of my attention - this was after all the Hampshire championships. At this point Brian, who was now a spectator, shouted encouragement to me and alerted Ms Aldershot to my presence, just as I'd been alerted to Paula's earlier. Ms Aldershot glanced over her shoulder. Did she see my wry smile? That decided it and I pushed on to chase Ms IOW.

I overtook Ms IOW, but despite closing on Ms Pompey I was running out of road. I crossed the line in 42:59. As I walked up the funnel, team-mate Pete tapped me on the shoulder. He'd been tracking me the whole way, but had never quite been able to close on me. I think that's the first time I've beaten Pete - chuffed!

So that was 51secs slower than my best, pretty much as expected, and not bad under the circumstances. I was 5th W45, not bad, but not good enough for a Hampshire medal as all the women ahead were locals - blimmin locals!

Ruth finished a minute behind me, with Shelly and Amanda following her home, giving us a vet ladies team result of 3rd behind Winchester A and Winchester B, ie second club. Fantastic result girls! Shelly got a Hampshire W40 bronze - Marilyn warned me about the quality of the local 45s compared to the 40s - well done nevertheless Shelly.

Special mention to Emma finishing her first ever 10k in 64 mins. Sub-60 beckons. Well done Emma!

Lee had a great run in 33:25 finishing 13th - serious quality. He even beat the leading lady - just! ;-)


And so to the technical data. It made interesting reading. Here it is, followed by an explanation of why I'm quite pleased by it:

1 4:17 135bpm
2 4:15 146bpm
3 4:18 147bpm
4 4:16 148bpm
5 4:17 149bpm
6 4:17 150bpm
7 4:18 150bpm
8 4:19 151bpm
9 4:22 152bpm
10 4:14 153bpm
Total 42:59
Average HR: 148bpm

If you compare this to the Everton 10k you'll see it's 4bpm lower on average. Compare it with the Totton 10k where I averaged 155bpm and there's an even bigger gap.

It may be that because I haven't done much speed and tempo work lately my lactate threshold is lower, and I can't sustain the levels I used to be able to. This is good news because that will all come back to me as the training progresses - it's just the nature of the comeback from injury, with lots of slow running, that is temporarily suppressing my LT.

Another, possibly more accurate, explanation is that I'm simply tired. I had the Hants XC last weekend which was tough - I felt quite tired for the club run on Tuesday, and definitely couldn't push the pace, but had a really hard run all the same. Despite the relatively low mileage lately I have been training hard, particularly the gym sessions which have left my glutes and hamstrings aching, so I'm probably just fatigued - I rested on Friday as my 'taper', but that has been my only rest day for the last month, and anyway I spent it driving up to the Midlands and back to fetch my family.

At the Everton 10k I was tired as evidenced by my lower average HR compared to Totton. I reasoned then that it would give me an extra 30secs when fresh: each 1bpm being about 3 seconds/mile in pace. The 7bpm difference of this race would be an extra 20secs/mile or 2mins over the course of a 10k. This would put me ahead of my Everton time by some way!

Whether it's the quick fix offered by rest and recovery, or the slightly slower fix of threshold training, the fact remains that there is a 2 minute gain to be had by the time the next 10k comes round at Eastleigh.

OK, it's maybe lies, damned lies and statistics, but I'd like to put it another way:

I'm back baby. I'm back!

Weekly summary - 15 weeks to go

I guess I'd better start the weekly summaries now that I'm back on track. I suppose it would also be useful to see my runs summarised for my comeback from injury - maybe later.

I'm still strapping my leg, but I managed to only strap 3 times last week, although my leg felt a bit iffy after the XC and 2 days of not strapping. I think I need to strap for the long run for another week or 2, but I'm just about there now.

I dropped a gym session on Friday as I was feeling quite tired and didn't want to do the XC feeling heavy legged. The gym sessions have had quite a negative impact on my energy levels - they're tough! I'm definitely seeing strength improvements though, and I seem to be a better hill runner now, maybe as a result.

Monday	6.3 miles	easy run round Shropshire lanes	New Years's day - no hangover!!
Tuesday	7.6 miles	am: 1.5 miles treadie + weights pm: club winter handicap 5km in 22:56, ran as tempo run
Wednesday	7.8 miles	steady run 118bpm 8:58/mile	very windy - struggled after half way running back into the wind
Thursday	6 miles	steady 126bpm 8:21/mile	club fartlek session run steady
Friday	4 miles	Ran Garmin course as a fitness test 9:00/mile 114bpm	Encouraging - not the best ever, but a good indication I'm getting back to pre-Abingdon fitness. I follow the 'virtual me' at an easy 9:00/mile on a course round my home streets and the lower the resulting HR the better
Saturday	7.3 miles	Hants XC championships 3rd F45	Good pace 7:33/mile 150bpm in mud
Sunday	16.4 miles	2hrs29 9:07/mile 119bpm hilly	Up at 6am to run to join the club for their 8-miler. Felt surprisingly good after XC (soft ground saves the legs?)
Total	55.4 miles

Hampshire Cross Country Championships

Well that was entertaining!

This was my first Hampshire Cross Country, championships or league, and I was impressed with the organisation. A lot of effort had gone in to laying out the course, which wound its way around the grounds of Basingstoke's War Memorial Park. I feel sorry for the groundsman for the state we left it in. Honourable mention too for whoever has to clean the changing rooms - boy were they muddy!

Ah yes the mud!

It didn't seem too bad as we lined up on the start line - a gentle drizzle with barely a breeze, but we knew it was going to be muddy after the game we'd had getting the car into the grass parking area (rear wheel drive with me pushing from behind). I felt quite privileged to have Steph Twell, the European junior XC champion, a few places to my left - a quality field. That our team matched that quality goes without saying of course, with Chris, Belinda, Suzy, Jan and Marilyn next to me on the start line.

The gun went and we were off with me haring round the first bend. Oops! A tad quick I fear. I settled into a steady rhythm aware that I was ahead of the experienced Chris, wondering how long it would stay that way.

About half distance is the answer to that.

As I struggled with stitch, no doubt caused by my over-exuberant pace, Chris took over, and the natural order was restored. Could I pace off her and limit the damage?

Mike Gratton was a brilliant help, cropping up seemingly at every corner to shout encouragement and advice. That's the benefit of having a twisty turny parkland course. He was shouting things like "There's 4 places for you there. Now concentrate on the blue vest further ahead". The blue vest was Chris. She and Mike towed me through the remaining 2km and helped keep my placing respectable. I finished just behind Chris, and with her and Mike's help managed to overtake an Overton Harrier for 3rd F45! Shame they no longer give out bronze medals. :-(

Marilyn meanwhile finished 2nd F55 with Jan 3rd F55 - a brilliant effort in what some would describe as her "rookie year". We finished 7th senior team and 4th vet team in some very lofty company. Fantastic!

There was controversy at the sharp end when a marshall ushered the leading senior woman up the (shorter) junior finish line, assuming she was Steph Twell. I'm surprised Steph wasn't leading the field at that point but maybe she was holding back with the Edinburgh international XC next week. Steph won the under-20s by a minute in any case. I'm assuming the poor senior woman was disqualified. The results say there was a protest, but don't say whether the winner, Joanne McGarry, was the one being ushered up the wrong finish.

And so to the men. Oh dear!

We got an absolute soaking watching from the sidelines. There were some very miserable faces out there. Graham retired saying he was just too cold. As we watched the mudfest a squall came through. The brolly protecting our bags was sent flying, almost into the path of the runners. Mike's "2:09 events" tent hadn't been tied down - there was no wind initially. Fortunately those sheltering under it were able to hold it down as it prepared for take-off in the direction of Winchester.

Neil led the guys home, with Alex keeping us amused as he crossed the line with the leaden weight of his soaking shorts providing some fine bum cleavage! A 22nd place senior team and 17th vet team summed up the day for the men I think.

I was soooo cold at the end - shivering in the wet.

I loved it!!

Mr Pig presents... the wobble cushion

Hi, Mr Pig here again after what seems like quite an absence. Here's Susie's latest piece of kit: the wobble cushion.

The idea is that it is very unstable so you engage lots of underused muscles in order to balance on it. It works the legs and core deceptively hard. Susie has started using it to progress the gym session, by doing her single leg exercises on it. It's very hard work.

Here's her session from this morning:

1 mile treadie 8:58
Ball bouncing - left, right, centre - on wobble cushion. 30secs each leg x 3
Bend knees, forward onto toes, straighten, lower onto heels. 2x5kg dbells. 6 reps each leg x 3
Single leg dips on cushion. 10 reps each leg. 5 reps x 2 each leg with 10kg barbell. 10 reps each leg 15kg barbell.
Dead lift. 41kg. 10 reps x 2
Standing from seated 15reps x 2 each leg.
Cushion on step box. Dip to touch toe on floor. 15 reps x 2 each leg
Lunge. 2x9kg dbell. 10reps x 2 each leg.
20 crunches on gym ball
10 dorsal lifts on gym ball
20 asymmetric crunches on gym ball
Side raises on gym ball 10 reps on each side
Head and shoulders on gym ball, raise leg, 10 each leg
Hanging knee raises with ankle weights 3x10
Face up, shoulders on floor heels on gym ball. Single leg hamstring curls 5 each leg
Face down on gym ball on step, holding step, raise legs 2 x 10
Sit on gym ball 1 min
Kneel on gym ball 1 min
1 mile treadie 8:40
Full stretches

...and now a word from Susie:

Generally the running has been going well. I'm back to daily running and will soon start doubles. Blogwise, I'll start doing the weekly summaries, and maybe summarise what I've been doing since the injury. I've been strapping my leg, but have started alternating runs without strapping. For the last few days my leg has felt absolutely 100% - something which hasn't been the case since the injury, largely because the gym work has been working my calves really hard and I've done a lot of runs on tired legs. It's all coming together now though!

Merry Xmas

How remiss of me! A belated Merry Xmas to you all!


(And in answer to Highway Kind, yes, she really did say "He hates joggers". Fortunately, the yorkie was wearing a muzzle or I really would have had to kick him - that muzzle was making repeated contact with my legs)

Woof

"Yap yap gnrrrraaarggg!"
"Get off!"
"I'm sorry, he hates joggers"
"Yeah? Well I hate dogs!"
"Grrrrarfarf"
"Come here!"
"I will kick you!"
"Gnrrraargh........"


Yo ho ho!

The treadmill from hell

I have a love hate relationship with treadmills. They are useful tools used in the right way. They are useful for gym warm-ups. They are useful for examining running form, or at least that's what you can claim when looking at your gorgeous self in the mirror as you run. If you get bored with running (I don't!), you can watch videos as you run. They are warm in the winter, although I'd suggest you just wear more layers if cold is your problem. They are reasonably low impact if you are recovering from injury, but again, they probably aren't as good as a muddy field (some of you will have to find a dictionary with the appropriate definition of 'good' for that one).

Treadmills have their place.

The treadmills in my usual gym are fairly friendly beasts. You hit the 'Quick start' button and off it goes straight away with no fuss. You can then up the speed, set an incline, and ignore its pleas for you to enter your weight. That's all there is to a treadmill. Running is simple. Running on a treadmill is simple.

Or so I thought!

I had a session with my personal trainer this morning at another gym. I climbed on the treadmill to do my warm up and found myself in a fight for supremacy with its control system. This treadmill had attitude!

First off I hit the 'Quick start' button. Problem. This was not a 'Quick start' button, but a piece of text on the control panel which read: "For Quick Start, press the Enter key". Hmm.

I pressed the 'Enter' key.

Nothing happened.

Why wasn't I moving? There was now some flashing text asking me to enter my weight. I pressed 'Cancel'. No change. Apparently the first thing this machine wanted to know was not "how fast?", but "how heavy?", and it was not going to be swayed.

I typed '70' and hit the enter key.

Nothing.

I was now being asked to enter a time! So its next piece of critical information required is "how long?". Where is the free-spirit attitude of leaving your front door and just running? I now had to think about this. Was this infernal contraption going to stop when I hit the end time? Why does a session on a treadmill have to have a hard end point? I was not liking the fascistic attitude it was giving me.

I entered '20'.

Nothing.

What now?

Now I have to enter a 'program'. We had a choise of 'Aerobic', 'Fatburn', 'Hills' and various other options. None of them said 'Running'! I pressed 'Manual', half dreading that it was going to start quoting me its entire user manual, but at least hoping I could at last get running.

Nothing.

Finally it was asking for a speed. At last! I triumphantly entered 11.0, and off we went.

Well nearly.

This idiot contraption was creeping up to speed slowly. I was walking leisurely when what I really wanted to be doing was RUNNING!!!

After what seemed like an eternity I was finally up to a magnificent 11kph. I now tapped the incline up to 1°.


On the off chance that there are any treadmill designers reading this (maybe treadmill designers regularly type "treadmill design" into Google?), please take note. Running is a simple action. As a sports corporation once said you "just do it!". Why do these machines insist on tying you into a 'program'.

Treadmills have their place, but treadmills should know their place.

Modified gym

Things are starting to get back to normal with a double yesterday. I did a full gym session in the morning and a gentle 5-miler in the evening. My shin feels fine!

Elaine, my personal trainer, has had me drop most of the double leg exercises from my routine, eg the barbell work, in favour of single leg exercise, working the left leg more than the right. Once my legs are balanced, the barbell will be brought back, but probably favouring the Dead Lift rather than the Clean, as I'll be able to lift more weight. I think the Clean may have benefits in terms of explosive power, but I'll see what Elaine thinks.

My new routine, or at least what I did yesterday, is as follows:

Warm up 10 min Xtrainer, aerobic level 12

Balance on one leg - bounce gym ball on each side and out in front - 30s on each leg x 3

Standing. Bend knees. Lift heels. Roll forwards onto toes. Straighten legs keeping on toes. Slowly relax heels to the floor.
Both legs 10 reps x 2. Single legs 5 reps x 3

Back against wall, slide down slowly and return. 30 secs rest between sets
Left leg 8 reps x 4
Right leg 5 reps x 3
There's too much friction, particularly if I'm sweaty - I'll probably start using a gym ball between me and the wall.

Single leg dip (down until knee covers toe), with 14kg dumb-bell in each hand
Left leg 10 reps x 3
Right leg 6 reps x 3

Lunges (keep front leg 90°, back knee 1 inch from floor). 9kg dumb-bell in each hand
5 reps x 4 each leg

Standing from seated position, individual legs
Left leg 8 reps x 4
Right leg 5 reps x 3

Single leg press 50kg. 8-10 reps x 3 left leg

That's Elaine's program. I also added:
10 gym ball crunches
10 gym ball dorsal raises
20 gym ball left, right, centre crunches
10 gym ball side raises each side
10 gym ball leg raises face down on Step.

5 mins cool down on air bike.

Full stretches, emphasing left soleus (which is much less flexible than right)


I hope I have the discipline to keep that going once I am back up to full mileage!

Dean's run home

In Boston I met a hero. One of the planet's great men. His name is Dean Karnazes. Here's the link to my Boston Report - page down to the picture of the two of us.

He's the author of Ultra Marathon Man - Confessions of an all-night runner. His ultra-running exploits are phenomenal: blessed with near-perfect biomechanics he can just run, and run, and run...

Ending with the New York Marathon he's just completed the 'Endurance 50' - 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. This put him a long way from his home in California, so the obvious thing to do next was to run home!

He is currently running west across the USA, back to CA, during the middle of winter, into the prevailing winds (he's just had a nightmare couple of days running into freezing gales). You can read his blog here, and track his progress here. He's raising money for his charity Karno Kids, to get America's kids running - click the About menu on the Ultra Marathon Man link.

Dean is a great writer - I can thoroughly recommend his book, and his blog is equally engaging. I hope you feel inspired to get out there!