Go Mo Go Mo!

Wow!   I have been glued to the TV over the past few days as the best athletes in the world compete in the World Championships in Korea.

Today reminded me why I love athletics.....

The 10,000m full of drama, emotion and effort.  Despite a 53 second last lap Mo Farah was pipped at the post for the Gold Medal by a relatively unknown Ethiopian athlete Ibrahim Jeilan...I loved the interview with Mo afterwards when he was told he had run a 53 second final lap...yes it was fast but not fast enough he said!  I was on the edge of my seat!  

Just as I thought there could be nothing more dramatic than the 10,000 came the 100m.   The showboating Bolt, who was head and shoulders favourite to win and could have waited for everyone to start and still win,  unbelieveably false started and was given the red card joining Chambers, Ohuruogu and a poor lone athlete from the Niger in the "False Start Hall of Shame!".    Gripping stuff!

Cant wait to get my next fix of the champs tomorrow but I dont think it will top the drama of today.

Apparently as well there was a football match in Manchester as well today...Manchester United 8 Arsenal 2....What a day for sport!

My own training is going well and I am looking forward to Middlesbrough 10km next Sunday.   Despite the wind tonight I ran a five miler averaging 6 minutes per mile.   My thoughts turned to the 10,000m in the last mile as I turned back into the wind.....I seemed to find an extra gear and managed a 5-44 final mile...is that the power of Mo!

Nice bit of bling mo!



Decisions Decisions!

I have officially switched allegiance to Brooks shoes after a long and happy marraige with my Saucony Omni's I have decided to see what the fuss is about with the new Brooks DNA...cradle type thing - apparently it is like a memory foam for your feet...sounds good.   With a load of race vouchers in my hand I ventured to Up and Running in Darlington and made the purchase of a nice shiny pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11s.   No miles yet run in them but a quick check on the treadmill gait analysis confirmed the shoes are a good un.  

BUT........on closer inspection out of the box what do I find...they have only gone and put two sets of laces in the box...A nice corporate grey pair that match the shoes very nicely...and a bright yellow pair that say "look at me I am making a statement!"

After much dilemma and soul searching I asked the family....Wife Alison said grey....Youngest Son - got to be yellow they look cool....Oldest son....Couldn't care less - running is rubbish anyway!

What have I decided ?....one of each...Yes I am going to go totally crazy and wear one grey and one yellow!   I know I know it's a bit mad but hey life is about living right?

Cant wait to get stuck into the viewing of the World Champs from Daegu this week...Go Mo Go Mo!   I will be looking out for other crazy dudes wearing shoelaces of different colours!

Happy Running Folks!

4 x 1 mile hard in the rain!

I love running in the rain!    I'm not sure that extends to running intervals in the rain!   Tonight I opted for a hard option rather than an easy option of a steady run in the rain.   4 x 1 mile with 2 minutes recovery.   With only a short time before Middlesbrough 10km I want to get a few key sessions in and this was one of those sessions.   I wanted to hit under 5-30 pace for the four intervals to equate to around 34 minute pace for 10km.  Typically a still night on our estate didnt mean a still night on the coast road and intervals one and three would be into a slight headwind - rain and wind - nice!
Mile 1 :  5:29
Mile 2:   5:21
Mile 3:   5:27
Mile 4 :  5:24

Job done and back home for a shower and some warm (we are still in August aren't we?).   Must have worked hard tonight as cramped up on the cool down - no pain no gain!

Darlington 10km

Bit overdue but here is a belated blog about Darlington 10km.   This was never an A race for me but I thought after putting in some decent mileage on holiday I thought a 10km would have been a useful indicator of my fitness at the moment.    I finished in 34.28 which gave me 14th place overall and 1st veteran over 40 which was a good result for me for a few reasons...........

1. My first over 40 win.
2. My Darlington 10km pb - previous best on this course was 34-52.
3. My Over 40 pb (12 seconds quicker than the Great North 10km).

Things are definitely going in the right direction although the last two miles at Darlington were tougher than they should have been and I probably lost a good few places and about 15-20 seconds as my pace slowed rapidly on the second lap.   As I write this we are only two weeks away from Middlesbrough 10km - plenty of people will be targetting this as it is a fast and flat course with great pb potential.  Last year I didn't have a great run there as I tweaked a hamstring about two miles into the race and carried on not feeling good for a 35.19. 

After darlington 10km I had a visit to the physio - the ITB still feels like a rod of iron at the moment so a good old loosener was needed...after half an hour in the hurt locker I feel it is making good progress but not quite 100%.....must keep up the foam rolling!

Another good mileage week this week with 55 miles and a 400m interval session on grass.   This week looking to get a couple of good sessions in the legs ready to toe the start line at Middlesbrough 10km in pb shape!

Camp Clumber!

Its been a while since my last blog...as a bit of a catch up since my last blog I have not raced since Sunderland 5km (where I enjoyed a good blast over 5km in 16.32)....lots of non running things going on like a great family wedding, helping organise the first ever Redcar Triathlon and a camping holiday in Clumber Park!

I managed to keep a decent amount of running going in Clumber and covered about 72 miles over 9 days - mostly off road with some decent efforts over 9 miles at a decent pace (between 6 and 6-15 miling).   Coming back I feel pretty good despite the over indulgence in red wine (i believe compulsory when camping!)

My ITBS (and associated knee pain) seems to be generally on the mend although at times It sends a few reminders to get me back on the foam roller again.  

Sunday's Darlington 10km will be a test for me and see where I am.  I have raced the Darlo 10km three times and amazingly ran each time within three seconds (34-52, 34-54 and 34-53).  It's a challenging course but I feel a 34-30 might be on the cards this year but my main aim is Middlesbrough 10km in three weeks time.   Havn't done a speed session for a few weeks but enjoyed a decent run out last night on my usual Ings course and managed my second best time ever so I know I am in decent shape.

My holiday read was Mark Cavendish's Boy Racer.   That guy (Cavendish) is some racer and a real hero of British Cycling...One thing that came through in his book was the passion and determination he has for his sport...he is often misunderstood and at odds with the establishment but the book made me feel a great respect for the guy who has won some 20 stages in the Tour De France and this year winning the coveted Green Jersey - the guy is a legend in my eyes!  I would recommend the book to anyone who has a love for sport and wants to understand a bit more behind the scene of cycling as a sport.

Darlo here I come on Sunday !