An odd distance.....

Tonight I tested myself on my old favourite tempo course.   It's not a fantastic scenic route, or particularly fast course and it's an odd distance (3.94 miles)!   It is however a course with some history for me as I have used this course for about 5 years and have built up a "bank" of times that I can use to assess my fitness.  

I intended to use this course tonight to see how I was.  I have done this course twice in 2011 clocking 22.24 and 22.09.   It is about two months since I last ran it and have trained reasonably well since then and clocked up a few good 10ks in the past few weeks.

Five minutes before setting off the heavens opened and the wind whipped up...tonight's run could be a challenge!    The start of the run is about half a mile away so I jogged to the start and did my usual limbering and stretching.    The first mile into the wind I clocked 5.32 and felt comfortable.  Mile 2 5.33 and Mile 3 5.35.    Encouraged by these mile splits and feeling realtively comfortable I pushed on thinking a sub 22 might be on the cards.   This would be a best ever clocking on this course (previous best ever 22.09).    I wanted to stay as relaxed as possible on the last section and maybe this was my downfall as I clocked 22.03 for the course.   I'm happy with that effort which was an average of 5.36 miling!  Still though the Sub 22 eludes me!  It's getting closer though!

I'm reading an interesting book called  "Run - the Mind Body Method of Running by Feel" by Matt Fitzgerald.   In this book the author talks about "making it matter".    Quote:  " the degree of suffering that a runner is willing to tolerate is largely dependent upon the perceived importance of the effort".   For me this sums up why I use this tempo as a regular effort.   I could choose a better course, a more even distance, less traffic, flatter, faster etc etc but this course has become important to me because I have used it for some time.....It means something to me...it has history...it is screaming at me to get a sub 22!     Tonight it told me "I'm ready and in better shape than I have been for a while!"  

Roll on Chester!

Taper time!

Thursday night's track session took a lot out of my legs...I know that because the last three days of running since Thursday has felt heavy legged, hard work and at times a bit of a struggle!   That said after an easy Friday I managed 11.5 miles at a fairly decent 6.14 per mile on saturday and today an 8.5 miler at 5.59 pace.  Today's run really pleased me - that one second under 6 min miling made all the difference to me at the finish!  After 5 miles my intended sub 6 minute mile pace was slipping away as a combination of tired legs, wind and rain made the run  seem harder than it should be.  I thought about easing off and just running the last three miles at an easy pace back home but (after a mental kicking up the backside) I upped the effort a bit more and managed three consectutive miles at 5.59 pace.   This just left a mere half mile to make sure that the Garmin showed 5.59 ave per mile and not 6.00 or worse 6.01!     In reality the second or two difference in my average mile speed today would be no big deal on any normal day.  This however was the last "effort" before I line up in the Chester Half Marathon next weekend. 

I have done Chester twice before with a best place of 10th in 2007 with 77.22.  I was in much better shape when I returned in 2008 but suffered with the after effects of a heavy cold in the week leading up to the race and finshed 13th in 79.04.      Some unfinished business with the race it seems and it would be great to get close to or under 75 minutes with a Top 10 finish thrown in!

My build up has been good and I feel in good shape.   Now just have to get through the next 6 days remaining injury free, not overdoing it and making sure I line up fresh and raring to go next week!

A sub 75 next week will also get me a place in the London Marathon 2012 as the championship race is open to those who have done a full marathon in 2.45 or a half in under 75 minutes.   All being well I will get one of these times under my belt sometime in 2011 but I would prefer to get it out of the way early in the year.   I have pencilled in Nottingham Marathon in September but if Sunday goes to plan then I will revert to the Half in Nottingham and concentrate on shorter distances over the summer. 

It's always nice to go back to Chester to race as it was whilst living and studying in Chester that all my current pb's were achieved.   Quite appropriate then that I will set my first pb as a Vet 40 in Chester!

Cracked it!

I planned a 6 x 1 mile session tonight and it was weighing on my mind throughout the day...I know it will do me good and once I finish the session I will feel good.  The problem is it is so damn hard to do!

It looked like it would be a windy night so instead of using the usual mile course in Saltburn we (Graham Youngson and I) opted for the track at Guisborough.  Graham opted for a session of 12 x 400's while I kept to my plan of a 6 x 1 mile session with three and a half mins recovery.     It was great to see the track so busy tonight with  lots of enthusiastic kids, committed coaches and some familiar faces all busy undertaking various track and field training.   I was aiming for a session under about 5-30 pace and once I go going found that I was running well under that.  First mile rep done in 5-18 and only another five to go!   By the end of my second mile (5-17) the track was emptying, the sky was becoming darker but  now I was running in the "zone".   The next four miles were done in 5-18, 5-15, 5-17 and finally 5-24.   Cracked it!

The track at Guisborough is such a great place to train - It is a great asset to Athletics in our area and will be a venue that I will use more often in my quest for a speedy summer of running!    Now time for shower, pasta and a shuffle to the polling station.....

Its all about recovery!

After Sunday's race it was time for a few easy days running....or so I thought!    Monday became my Saturday Morning out and back session where I usually push it hard on the way back to make it a meaningful tempo type effort.  As I ran out with the wind behind me I felt fresh and easy despite the race the day before.   On the turn back I realised the wind was against me so the second half was a bit of an effort!  I did 8.5 miles in under 6-15 min miling so happy with that and seemingly no ill effects from the race.     As often happens its the day after the day after a  race that the dreaded DOMS hits you.  

This morning I got out of bed slightly apprehensive about a run but having made a commitment to run early before work I set about my morning shuffle...Once the first mile was out of the way I felt normal again and finished my three miler without resorting to a crawl!    Tonight's run a different story with a quick four miler under my belt at a shade under 6 minute miling...all recovered and ready for a good session of 6 x 1 mile intervals planned for Thursday.   Seems my powers of recovery are pretty good at the moment! 

Next race is Chester Half in less than a fortnight....those on the other side of the Pennines better watch out cos I'm on a winning streak!

Victory on a plate....

What a great race....the atmosphere was superb, the sun shining and the hills looking inviting!   Pre race was all about the tractor parade, kids races and tea and cakes in the village hall!   The warm up was a good opportunity to look at the hill everyone was talking about and it was certainly one that would be a challenging one.    My target today was just to have a good strong run and not be too worried about my time as the course, the weather and the strong breeze were not going to make the race a quick one.   The intention was to take a steady first mile or so then push on from there.    Once the race got underway I wondered if there was a prize for the first to hit the top of the hill as a group of four runners went off at break neck speed while I settled into my steady pace.  At the first corner I was in 5th place but realised that the four "fast boys" were not as fast as they maybe thought and I soon passed them and found myself in the lead after 1km and settled into my rhythm with the lead car setting a nice pace for me.  Soon it became clear that as long as I continued to work hard off the hill and keep a good hard pace a gap would be established.   Daylight appeared and by 3km or so I was well ahead of the field.   I must have missed the km markers and had no idea what speed I was going (having left my Garmin at home!) so settled into a decent pace that was comfortably hard.   I realised at 8 km into the race that the time I was likely to post would be around about 35 minutes which I would be happy with considering the conditions and the course.   The best bit of the race was to come with hundreds lining the main road in Kirby Moorside cheering and clapping as the lead car and I came into view.   To mark the fact that this would be my last race as a senior man (the next race I will be a Veteran!!!) I wondered if maybe an aeroplane type celebration, fist clenching in delight or even a cartwheel might be appropriate....in the end I settled for a few "hand slaps" with a few of the local kids who previously had raced the kids dash.    35-20 was my watch time but I await the official results!

After a warm down around the local countryside of Kirkby Moorside it was off to the presentation to pick up my piece of local pottery which turned out to be a rather large plate!   It also seems that the NYMAC boys had also secured the Male Team Prize with myself (1st) Brendan Anglim (3rd) and Phil Musgrave (PB and 7th Place) plus a mystery NYMAC runner (we await the official results to find out who!).

So old father time moves on and next time I put on my race kit I will be a Veteran of 40 years and above....Thanks to the Race Referee today who must have known this as he shook my hand and said "Well done young un!"   I thanked him and jogged off at a rather sprightly pace!