An odd week!

Had a bit of an up and down week really since Sunderland 5km last week.   My tender knee and tight ITB has definitely improved...its not quite fully cleared up but I have not missed a run because of it and am managing to keep on top of the tightness in my ITB and the resulting pain in my knee.   The advice from the physio has been spot on and the tendoachilles retraining exercises have really helped the sore achilles...managing the ITB with foam rolling has been helpful and self massage on my knee to cause a "bit of havoc" has managed to reduce the pain to a dull ache.

I managed 52 miles last week (including two races) and this week have put in two good quality sessions so things are really back on track.   The first session was a tempo session of almost 9 miles out and back on my favourite Lazenby course.  After a first mile of 6-11 to get into the "groove" I clocked miles of 5-54, 5-54, 5-55, 5-54, 5-53, 5-53, 5-59 and finished with a 5-56 average!   Mr Consistency strikes again! Runs like this will become a feature of my training in August as I build up the mileage again looking towards the Nottingham Half Marathon on 11th September.   Looking for anothr sub 75 clocking on a challenging course.

A slightly different session tonight was on the cards as I met up with Messrs Hepples and Mussett for a "bit of short stuff!".   After a steady warm up we decided on 16 x 1 minute hard with 1 minute recovery.    I knew from the start this session was going to be a tough one - its the kind of session where the recovery starts to reduce and disappear...more time on each interval is spent with hands on the knees sucking in air and all the time the legs are filling up with lactate.   The other thing about this type of session is that you do not get a reward for running fast...You run eyeballs out for one minute...no extra few seconds recovery for finishing a rep in 57 seconds!   The session just gets harder as it goes along...great when you finish but it just hurts!  

Actually it turned out to be a good session.   First five intervals only one was at an average of under 5 min miling...slow start!   From interval six we seemed to bounce off each other a bit and the pace picked up...maybe getting a bit competitive as well which is one of the advantages of being in a group.   The next eleven intervals were all at an average of under 5 minute miling so we really finished off with a bang!   Session done and dusted and shuffled home to the foam roller!

The feeling of finishing a session like that is great...leaves you on a big high!   Just got to prepare myself for the big low tomorrow morning as I struggle down the stairs and shuffle out for the morning run....In the bigger picture the session will help no end but there are no instant results...you dance with the devil and now and again you get burned...I'm not sure of the relevance of that but what I think I mean is tonight I felt like I was flying...tomorrow I will be well and truly grounded!    Might even hit the pool for a bit of aquajogging!

So far this year I have clocked 1515 miles which equates to 51 miles per week...I think it is probably my most consistent period of running ever and the results seem to be showing...just got to be careful not to dance with the devil too often!

A Flying Start!

Enjoyed the experience of the Sunderland 5km tonight.   Lots of quality athletes on show and with a couple of Northern Veteran legends in Brian Rushworth and Stewy Bell in the field this race was going to be ultra competitive!

Very fast and furious start (reminded me of the start of the Northern Road Relays only loads more people crammed into a small space!).   A first mile of 5-12 didnt do it justice as I probably went off too conservatively and ended up being boxed in!   I didnt really pay any attention to times tonight as I was concentrating on fast running and racing.   Ended up reeling in Stewy Bell only to see him out run me in the last 800m...that guy is super strong!   Looked at my watch at the finish and clocked 16-31.  (Official time 16-32 and 20th place!.  Bell 16-29 and 19th place!)  

Mixed feelings about the race really...happy with the time although with a stronger finish a sub 16-30 was definitely on the cards.  I think the time was lost in the first mile to be honest as the fast downhill start was an opportunity to hit the ground running and bank some time instead I had to use energy to get past people which was difficult at times.

Splits tonight (for the record) were 5-12 for 1 mile, 10-29 for two miles and 15-51 for three miles.

Well done also to training partners Phil Musgrave and Steve Mussett who both had decent races tonight.   Results are here:  http://www.sunderlandharriers.org/results/2011/sundlnd_5k_2011.htm
Thats three races in six days for me...think I will have an easy week now and allow a bit of recovery time.   When did I become Mr Sensible?     Thoughts will now be turning to distance again with a focus on 10km as I am entering Middlesbrough 10km in September and the Great Yorkshire Run in October. http://www.greatrun.org/Events/Event.aspx?id=11

The Hills of Gateshead!

Undulating...hilly....challenging...tough....some of the words I have seen used to describe the course on Sunday.   Actually I didnt think it was too bad but I must admit that hill at 9km was an experience not to be forgotten in a hurry! 

Having struggled with my knee in the lead up I was glad to feel ok and up for the race as I stood on the start line.   I had a yellow number which got me into the elite pen at the front of the field.   It was all a bit hectic in the hour leading up to the race...first the struggle to find a toilet, the persistent rain, checking out the start and then finding somewhere to warm up and get focussed on the task ahead.   I managed to find some quiet space in a building adjoining the stadium...turned out to the the English Institute of Sport....no queues for the toilets, space to get changed and a chance to get out of the rain.

The race itself was a good one for me.  Two groups were established early on...a lead group consisting of some big names - Overall, Hudspith, Swinburn etc and a second group with Louise Damen (2:30 Marathon in London this year) setting a good strong pace.   I decided this was the group to be in and hung on for the first two miles at a decent pace (5.13 and 5.24).  It was clear the course was going to be a tough one - lots of ups and downs that would soon become down and ups on the way back!   These fast miles did whittle the second group down to just three of us with Louise Damen looking strong setting the pace.  I hung on to halfway and at the turn was on my own...Damen increasing the distance in front and the group behind becoming more detached.  

My halfway split of 16-48 and 11th place had been hard work and any thought of a sub 34 was going to be tough.   Maybe the past few days of managing a sore knee, the first 5km of racing and thoughts turning to the Sunderland 5km on Wednesday meant a more controlled second half might not be a bad thing.   I went through 5 miles in 27.22...still on my own.....just the "hill" to get up!   Finished in the stadium in 34.40 for 11th place overall.   Very happy with that....especially considering the tough course.   Well done to Louise Damen for a great sub 34 posting on a testing course.

That result was a Vet 40 pb that puts me almost in the Top 100 V40 rankings on power of 10...101st...just a couple of seconds off the top 100 - there will be other races on less challenging courses to really have a go at a time before the end of the year!   Still happy to finish 2nd Vet 40 overall behind the legendary Ian Hudspith.

Woke up this morning (Monday) to a tender knee again....talk about coming back down to earth!   I decided to get a physio appointment to get it checked out....after an assessment and an hour of deep massage on my insertion point, massage on my ITB and my calf, a bit of ultrasound, lazer treatment on my achilles and (nearly forgot!) acupuncture on my ITB - ouch!.   The diagnosis - probably ITB, left glute not helping my hamstring enough, some friction on my knee and some irritation over my hip - thankfully all treatable and nothing major so I should be ok to run another race!   All being well with a rest day tomorrow (that is except for a few prescribed exercises, stretches and a bit of foam rolling I should be good to go on Wednesday for the Sunderland 5km. 

http://www.greatrun.org/News/NormalNews.aspx?nid=7512

The Day Before!

Today I'm still nursing a bit of a niggle!   Yesterdays day off has improved my tender knee no end but it is still there...niggling away.   I know I will be ok to run it's just a case of getting to the start line in the best possible shape.   The diagnosis from "Doctor" Rose the medical man is that it might be linked to tight calves...or a hamstring problem...remedy...rest and ice should do the trick and plenty of stretching....Do you Stretch?  Not as often as I should! 

I tried a steady jog this morning and managed 5 miles at a fairly leisurely 6-40 ish pace without too much of a problem with my knee except for a bit of low level uncomfortableness (not sure if there is such a word!).  On a pain threshold level of 1 to 10 I would give it a 5...it was there being annoying!   I then hit the pool for a quick swim (is this the Triathlon comeback or just a runner with a niggle?  Answers on a postcard please!).   Actually it was far too busy for a swim so I decided on Aquajogging...if it is good enough for Paula Radcliffe and Mo Farah it is good enough for me.  

The good thing about aqua jogging is that you dont need much space or equipment!  I dont use a belt as I find that I float relatively well.  This is an article about aquajogging and its benefits! 

http://runnersfeed.com/water-running-a-k-a-aqua-jogging/

25 minutes of aqua jogging has to be the most mind numbingly boring thing to do but it made me feel much better....now for some of that Ice and Rest that the "doctor" ordered!

Tees Forest 5km at Cowpen Bewley

Despite a slight mishap at the start which sent the leaders off course (I may have been the culprit missing the first turn!) it was an enjoyable night in Cowpen Bewley for the Tees Trail 5km.   The outcome of the mishap was that I found myslelf going from leader to something like 15th and had to put in a 5-25 first mile to recover my position.   I then enjoyed a good tussle with Gary Grounds before he gained an advantage going into the last lap.  

Finished in 2nd place in the end about 25 seconds behind Gary who looked as strong as ever.  That is three 2nd place finishes for me so hopefully I have done enough to win the Vet 40 section!   Averaged 5-44 pace overall for the race so it was a good workout in the end.   Now easy for a few days before Sunday.   Hopefully I wont find myself in the position of leading the field off track again!   The moral of the story is always listen to the Race Directors instructions on the start line!

Tonight post race (compression socks on and using a bit of ice on the knee) I was flicking through Athletics Weekly and was reading about the World Masters Track and Field Championships in Sacramento.  Curiosity took me to the results to se what the World M40 guys were doing.  The mens V40 5000m was won in a very creditable 15.22.30 by an Argentinian Athlete called Castro...good work.   What really caught my imagination though was the M95 - 99 category.   It seems this guy is the one to look out for...Antiono Fonseca

Antonio Fonseca - Brazilian Legend!

Triple World Champion in the 100m (26.27 secs) the Shot Putt (7.01m) and the Discus (14.97m).....I bet he is a total hit on the beach with the ladies as well!  Nice Work Antonio!   I bet he cant wait to hit the 100 to move up another category to bag some more medals!