Cross Country 2011/12 up and running!

Enjoyed the first cross country of the season on Sunday with a 9th place overall, 1st Vet 40 and part of a winning NYMAC Team.   The course was a long 6.75 miles and after a competitive first two laps the race settled down and I found myself in a reasonable position inside the Top 10.  

NYMAC had a great turnout with 18 male runners and a solitary lady - well done Clare Lowe!  Its always good to catch up with some old faces on the Cross Country circuit and enjoy the banter of the event!

The senior mens event was won by Marc Scott of Richmond and Zetland in 37.08.  

1st Marc Scott (R+Z) 37.08 (1st U20)
2nd Paul Bentley (NYM) 37.53
3rd Dean Moore (NYM) 38.04
4th Daniel Hardy (Shildon) 38.10
5th Shaun O'Grady (NMH) 38.23
6th Alan Piggford (NMH) 38.41
7th James Askew (Aye) 38.53
8th Adam Mitchell (Midd) 39.04
9th Andy Pearson (NYM) 39.18 (1st Vet 40)
10th Richard Hunt (R+Z) 39.33 (vet 40)

Thanks to Dave Aspin of New Marske Harriers for the photos.  

I heard a funny story on the news that someone in the Keilder Marathon had hopped on a bus part way through the event (presumably to drop out!) only to be reinvigorated and decide to rejoin the race and finish 3rd overall (Wonder what he consumed on the bus to revive himself - it must have been good!)   He was only found out when the runner who was third overall complained that he had only been given fourth place!   The guy in question was a local club runner and you can just imagine now the kind of ribbing he will face on the long sunday club runs!

All Change!

Sometimes you just dont feel right and yesterday afternoon I got a wave of tiredness that has resulted in me changing my plans from going down to Sheffield and running in the 10km to staying closer to home and running in the NYSD at Acklam.  Having had a busy week at work, a lads curry night out in Whitby on Friday and a trip to the cinema and Pizza Hut yesterday with six kids for a birthday party meant I didnt fancy the thought of a 200 mile round trip to Sheffield and It sounds like we have a great team going along to Acklam so I'm looking forward to mixing it with all the usual crowd of mud lovers!

Spikes are ready and raring to go and I'm looking forward to start of the XC season...there is just something about Cross Country that is hard to resist! 

For those people who like a podcast and are interested in Scott Overall's Marathon build up, race day approach etc there is a fantastic interview that is well worth listening to.  Scott ran a debut 2-10 marathon in Berlin recently and the interview can be found at.. http://www.marathontalk.com/

Check it out!   Will "Double blog" today with news on the NYSD. Bring on the mud!

Pre Race Nerves!

24 hours to go until the Sheffield 10km.     I have been happy with my training over the past few weeks and all signs are looking good for a decent race tomorrow.   I decided to do my interval session this week on Monday to allow an extra bit of recovery.   Most of my recent 10kms have been a case of a fast first 4 or 5 miles then a bit of a struggle in the final mile.    I'm hoping tomorrow that with a slighty more cautious start I can crack the final mile and achieve the goal of a sub 34.   There is nothing quite like the feeling of getting a race right and finishing strong at the end.   Compare that to the feeling of getting it wrong and finishing like Bambi on ice and you will know what I mean!

Once tomorrows race is done and dusted it will be cross country all the way for me for the winter.  Tomorrow sees the first NYSD Fixture at Acklam Grange.  The spikes will be in the car just in case I manage to negotiate getting out of Sheffield and get to the start in time. It will only be a case of making up the numbers if I need to...otherwise I will enjoy the first cross of the season as a spectator!

On Thursday I was a spectator again on the track as I put three athletes through a decent session of 6 x 800m alternating 10km pace with 5km pace.    Well done to Jayne Parkin, Clare Lowe and Eddie Meehan who put in masses of effort and showed super pace judgement.  Looking forward to regular track sessions over the winter both as a coach and as a participant - you can't beat it!

I will be using the NYSD League races as decent hard efforts and concentrate on the North Eastern Championships in December and Northern Cross Country Championships in January.

I love cross country!
  

8 x 800 - an old classic!

Feeling the effects this morning of an 8 x 800m session on the roads of Saltburn.  It marked the third tough session in three days and was the last tough session before Sheffield 10km on Sunday.     Just easy running now before Sunday, lots of stretching (holding for 30 seconds of course!) and plenty of work on the ITB using the foam roller.

It was a windy night last night but managed to complete a good set of 8 x 800m with 3 mins recovery.   A nice consistent set with interval times of 2-40, 2-38, 2-41, 2-40, 2-38, 2-38, 2-35, 2-38, 2-39. 

A good session also by Phil Musgrave who showed some of the start of year form that smashed his 5km pb and led to good performances in the relays and at Thirsk 10. 

A few things from the Athletics World this week that deserve a mention....

Scott Overall  who ran a great debut marathon in Berlin did so without wearing a watch or a GPS device on which proves you can get it right without worrying about your mile splits or your average pace per mile etc.  His splits are pretty impressive with 10km in 30.46, Half way in 65.17 and a 2-10.55 finish (2nd half in 65-38).   Respect!

International Cross Country runner Steph Twell returned to racing at the Southern Road Relays on the 25th September having recovered from a badly broken ankle in January in a Cross Country race.  she posted the 8th fastest time of the day which is great news for her.   It's always good to hear of an athlete coming back from a serious injury and I am sure she is working hard to gain full fitness again. 

Sometimes its a long road back from injury and most runners will make this journey on more than one occasion!  Its never easy!

Everything hurts!

Over the past few months I have been getting a bit of treatment on my ITB that has been a bit niggly...I have also had a few massages just to "keep me right!"   On Saturday I decided to do my usual out steady and tempo back session early in the morning and go off for a relaxing sports massage to end another 50 mile week.   The tempo session went well with a decent 4 mile effort (after a four mile steady out).  The average for the session out was about 6-25 min per mile and I came back averaging 5-41 per mile.   It wasn't as quick as a session two weeks ago but all the same it was a decent effort considering the early start and the hot weather.

So onto the massage....  a little tightness on the left hamstring, ITB a little bit tight but other than that am ok was the reply to the physio when she asked me if I had any injury issues. 45 minutes later as I struggled to get up from the treatment table and tried to bend down to put my shoes on I learned that......

1.   My calf muscles were full of knots and painful areas skillfully found by the physio and worked on...the dreaded question was asked "do you hold your stretch for 30 seconds?"  This threw me as I usually do stretch but have to admit it's not usually for 30 seconds...the pause before I answered was enough to confirm that I didnt!

2.   Hamstrings were worked on and the ITB was pummelled...."Your ITB is like a rope!"   The tone of the voice was enough to convince me this was not a compliment...My ilio tibial band is my nemesis at the moment...despite lots of attention with the foam roller it seems to be winning the battle!    Massage seems to be the only thing that is making a difference but now armed with a new super stretch (and holding it for 30 seconds) I will be attacking it more regularly from now on.

Having endured 30 minutes of pain so far the finale was the quads...no problems anticipated there as they felt fine going into the massage.   Ouch!   Plenty of wincing still to be had as the physio successfully located plenty of painful areas to work on.

Todays run was an interesting affair...feeling stiff from a combination of the massage and from yesterdays tempo I decided to go for a longer run aiming to get a minimum of 10 miles at a pace close to 6.15 pace.   Took me a while to get into my stride with the first 6 miles all around 6-20 pace but managed to push on and ran a further six miles at about 6-10 pace.  12 miles in total at an average of 6-15.  

Its a bit of a taper week ahead for me as I intend to race Sheffield 10km on Sunday...Sunday is also the first NYSD Cross Country of the season so am a bit gutted that I might miss that.   I dont know too much about the Sheffield course but the winning times in the past four years have been quick so I am hopeful of a decent race.

MEN
2010 Craig Mottram (AUS) 28:50
2009 Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 28:30
2008 Mustafa Mohamed (SWE) 29:10
2007 John Kibowen (KEN) 28:40

WOMEN
2010 Freya Murray (GB) 33.01
2009 Freya Murray (GB) 32:38
2008 Grace Momyan (KEN) 32:44
2007 Benita Johnson (AUS) 32:55

I just hope this Indian Summer doesn't last...a nice cool, drizzly Yorkshire day would be nice next Sunday!