So after the drinking excess of the England Vs Italy game I decided to track the food and drink I ate this week. It highlighted how much bad food I ate, but did have the positive effect of making me eat 3 square meals a day. I really struggle with Breakfast in the mornings but managed to get at least a bowl of cereal in me everyday.
The football went badly again this week with England being knocked out on Thursday. It has been frustrating to lose two tight games and on such small margins. Hope we get some goals and points on the board in the final match against Costa Rica tomorrow.
Finally to the main purpose of this blog the running, and that went ok this week. Just the four runs:
1 x 7.5 mile Commute home from the office - Steady
1 x 5 mile tempo. 7:15-7:20 mile pace. Fitted in between work and round a friends for the football.
1 x 5 mile steady
1 x 10 mile medium long run. 9 min miles.
I should have run 10km on Friday but had a dinner offer and couldn't refuse. Was pleased to fit in my tempo run on Thursday when I could easily have skipped it. The run on Saturday was tough and I had no energy for it. Recovered slightly on Sunday, but the 15 mile target was too ambitious and I worked hard to make the 10 mile minimum. 6/10 I'd say.
If I apply myself this week I should comfortably have the biggest mileage month of my life somewhere around 125 miles. So some encouraging early signs.
Monday, 23 June 2014
Monday, 16 June 2014
Countdown to Chelmsford Marathon 2014 - Week 2 of 20 - Bday, BBQ, Booze, Balotelli.
After the disappointment of Southend Half Marathon last week I was keen to have a big mileage week in week 2. These are the runs I managed to do:
5 - Recovery/Easy Runs 8:45-9:00 Mins/Mile
2 x 10km
1 x 5 Miler
2 x 7.5 Miles
Total Mileage 33 Miles.
There wasn't too much to report my body was tired from the Half Marathon and so I didn't want to push the pace. Just nice and steady in the hopes of something approaching 40 miles for the week. I over did the drinking on Saturday for a friend's Birthday BBQ and then into the England game, meant I was sick all Sunday morning. Had to cancel a planned cycle with my brother, but after a BBQ round my parent's for Fathers Day I did manage to summon the energy to go for a 7.5 miler before settling down for some World Cup action.
So a good mile accumulating week and my biggest mileage week since the Tenerife Training Camp. Will look for a similar week next week, with the addition of a 15 mile run in place of the 7.5 mile run this week. Depending on energy levels will also convert one of the easy 10km's into a tempo effort.
Starting to look at the other factors affecting my performance and so will be taking a closer look at what I eat, the alcohol I drink and the sleep I'm getting. No stone will be left unturned in my quest for a decent Marathon performance.
5 - Recovery/Easy Runs 8:45-9:00 Mins/Mile
2 x 10km
1 x 5 Miler
2 x 7.5 Miles
Total Mileage 33 Miles.
There wasn't too much to report my body was tired from the Half Marathon and so I didn't want to push the pace. Just nice and steady in the hopes of something approaching 40 miles for the week. I over did the drinking on Saturday for a friend's Birthday BBQ and then into the England game, meant I was sick all Sunday morning. Had to cancel a planned cycle with my brother, but after a BBQ round my parent's for Fathers Day I did manage to summon the energy to go for a 7.5 miler before settling down for some World Cup action.
So a good mile accumulating week and my biggest mileage week since the Tenerife Training Camp. Will look for a similar week next week, with the addition of a 15 mile run in place of the 7.5 mile run this week. Depending on energy levels will also convert one of the easy 10km's into a tempo effort.
Starting to look at the other factors affecting my performance and so will be taking a closer look at what I eat, the alcohol I drink and the sleep I'm getting. No stone will be left unturned in my quest for a decent Marathon performance.
Sunday, 8 June 2014
Countdown to Chelmsford Marathon 2014 Week 1 of 20 - Southend Half Marathon 2014 Report
So here we have the first of twenty blogs to document my journey on the way to Chelmsford Parks Marathon 2014.
My training this week consisted of:
4 runs
1 - 5 Mile steady (Nice run, listening to my new running playlist)
1 - 2 Mile WU, 2 Mile HM target pace, 1 Mile WD. (Had a play around with this session, the 7:30 mile pace felt really tough)
1 - 4 Mile General (Intended to be gentle run a couple of days before the HM, but was working far to hard and was just fried)
1 - Half Marathon race (A really disappointing race, the blow by blow details are below)
Shocker at the Southend HM. Really must rank right up there in term of race disappointments, with results compared to expectations.
Had done a 10k at the end of May and did 44:00, so should have been able to achieve 1:38 today, worst case 1:40. Went out aiming for 7:30 miles and was too fast early on, the cramped streets and no attempt to filter people based on estimated times mean lots of dodging needed.
Made it down to the seafront at 2 miles and was working hard, tried to settle down and find my own space and pace. Managed to rein it in and went through 4 miles slightly ahead of the 7:30 average but I was working far too hard for it. Was already thinking of ways to manage the blowup.
Did miles 5 and 6 in 8 minute miles and then mile 7 in just under 8:30. My first walk was just after 7.5 miles, was gutted. Hoped it was temporary and I could settle into 8 minute miles and come home in 1:45ish, but I was bushed and the walks were coming more often.
The Heart Rate for the first 8 miles of 175beats a minute as an average looks too high based on 190 Max HR that is 92%. Hopefully shows that it was physical as well as mental weakness.
The 2nd half of the race was just a grim battle with the heat and my body. Apart from mile 9 it looks like I found some kind of run/walk pattern to do 9:30 minute miles and had enough energy in the last 400m to put a good burst for home.
Really gutted by today's race, but it was my 6th Southend HM and I haven't missed one since my debut in 2009. I could so easily have sacked it in and walked off today, was just blown. So pleased to keep the run of races up though.
I won't dwell on it too long, I have done 2 10 milers since Manchester Marathon at around 9minute miles. My consistent 25 mile weeks of 4 or 5 runs of 5 miles or 10k are great and a building block but obviously lead to decent shorter distance results. The way I'm set up at the minute with no cycling to bale me out, I need to do the medium and long runs for decent Half Marathon and Marathon performance.
I'll be blogging each week to let you know of my training progress and have some fuller blogs when the week involves some racing. I might do a parkrun, but my next official race is a 10k in July and I hope to perform much better there than I did today in the heat of Southend.
Below are the eye wateringly bad splits, just noticed that my mile pace gets slower and slower without fail, miles 1 through 9. Ouch!
Split Summary
===
1) 1m - 7:11(7:11/m) 171/178bpm
2) 1m - 7:22(7:22/m) 176/181bpm
3) 1m - 7:32(7:32/m) 176/178bpm
4) 1m - 7:38(7:38/m) 175/178bpm
5) 1m - 7:59(7:59/m) 176/178bpm
6) 1m - 8:00(8:00/m) 175/178bpm
7) 1m - 8:25(8:25/m) 174/176bpm
8) 1m - 9:07(9:07/m) 171/176bpm
9) 1m - 10:30(10:30/m) 162/173bpm
10) 1m - 9:39(9:39/m) 135/154bpm
11) 1m - 9:35(9:35/m) 140/166bpm
12) 1m - 9:31(9:31/m) 166/173bpm
13) 1m - 9:23(9:23/m) 168/178bpm
14) 0.13m - 48(6:18/m) 178/179bpm
My training this week consisted of:
4 runs
1 - 5 Mile steady (Nice run, listening to my new running playlist)
1 - 2 Mile WU, 2 Mile HM target pace, 1 Mile WD. (Had a play around with this session, the 7:30 mile pace felt really tough)
1 - 4 Mile General (Intended to be gentle run a couple of days before the HM, but was working far to hard and was just fried)
1 - Half Marathon race (A really disappointing race, the blow by blow details are below)
Shocker at the Southend HM. Really must rank right up there in term of race disappointments, with results compared to expectations.
Had done a 10k at the end of May and did 44:00, so should have been able to achieve 1:38 today, worst case 1:40. Went out aiming for 7:30 miles and was too fast early on, the cramped streets and no attempt to filter people based on estimated times mean lots of dodging needed.
Made it down to the seafront at 2 miles and was working hard, tried to settle down and find my own space and pace. Managed to rein it in and went through 4 miles slightly ahead of the 7:30 average but I was working far too hard for it. Was already thinking of ways to manage the blowup.
Did miles 5 and 6 in 8 minute miles and then mile 7 in just under 8:30. My first walk was just after 7.5 miles, was gutted. Hoped it was temporary and I could settle into 8 minute miles and come home in 1:45ish, but I was bushed and the walks were coming more often.
The Heart Rate for the first 8 miles of 175beats a minute as an average looks too high based on 190 Max HR that is 92%. Hopefully shows that it was physical as well as mental weakness.
The 2nd half of the race was just a grim battle with the heat and my body. Apart from mile 9 it looks like I found some kind of run/walk pattern to do 9:30 minute miles and had enough energy in the last 400m to put a good burst for home.
Really gutted by today's race, but it was my 6th Southend HM and I haven't missed one since my debut in 2009. I could so easily have sacked it in and walked off today, was just blown. So pleased to keep the run of races up though.
I won't dwell on it too long, I have done 2 10 milers since Manchester Marathon at around 9minute miles. My consistent 25 mile weeks of 4 or 5 runs of 5 miles or 10k are great and a building block but obviously lead to decent shorter distance results. The way I'm set up at the minute with no cycling to bale me out, I need to do the medium and long runs for decent Half Marathon and Marathon performance.
I'll be blogging each week to let you know of my training progress and have some fuller blogs when the week involves some racing. I might do a parkrun, but my next official race is a 10k in July and I hope to perform much better there than I did today in the heat of Southend.
Below are the eye wateringly bad splits, just noticed that my mile pace gets slower and slower without fail, miles 1 through 9. Ouch!
Split Summary
===
1) 1m - 7:11(7:11/m) 171/178bpm
2) 1m - 7:22(7:22/m) 176/181bpm
3) 1m - 7:32(7:32/m) 176/178bpm
4) 1m - 7:38(7:38/m) 175/178bpm
5) 1m - 7:59(7:59/m) 176/178bpm
6) 1m - 8:00(8:00/m) 175/178bpm
7) 1m - 8:25(8:25/m) 174/176bpm
8) 1m - 9:07(9:07/m) 171/176bpm
9) 1m - 10:30(10:30/m) 162/173bpm
10) 1m - 9:39(9:39/m) 135/154bpm
11) 1m - 9:35(9:35/m) 140/166bpm
12) 1m - 9:31(9:31/m) 166/173bpm
13) 1m - 9:23(9:23/m) 168/178bpm
14) 0.13m - 48(6:18/m) 178/179bpm
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Great North Run 2013 - Race Report
The weekend started with a long, tough, wet drive up to Middlesbrough. To put it mildly Lauren was unimpressed with my driving skills in the wet, but we made it up there safely and were welcomed by an excited leaping Henley, Lauren's favourite pup in the world.
I took myself up to bed fairly promptly ready for the early morning start for parkrun, but on waking Lauren said she was tired, and I was happy to miss the parkrun as it wasn't ideal prep for the Great North Run the next day and I had intended to run at my estimated race pace rather than racing it. So I stayed in bed and watched some Triathlon while Lauren went and played with Henley.
I did manage to get myself out for a run in the sun, just a gentle 6km or so around a small circuit behind Jan's house. Then it was a pretty relaxed Saturday with a couple of walk/run/sniffs/sit downs with Henley. The pre-race dinner was not the usual pasta based dish and instead was a lamb roast. The cooking instructions were just plain wrong and so I carved us up some pretty raw looking meat, but after a zap in the microwave we had us a tasty roast dinner. This was followed up with some apple crumble and custard, and then it was early to bed to rest up.
My pre-race breakfasts are pretty legendary. The yet to be beaten Solero pre Edinburgh Marathon will go down in history. For the GNR this year I opted for a slice of Jamaican Ginger Cake and that was it. I did manage to get a bottle of water at the start, but that was going to fuel me all the way to South Shields.
I thought me and Lauren had left plenty of time to get to the start, but the logistics of the race meant I was more rushed than I would have liked. Nearly an hour drive to the end, park the car, say goodbye to Lauren, jump on a bus to Haymarket, and then walk to the start and my pen. We left Laurens at 7:45 and I made it into my start pen at 10:15, effort! I tried to settle myself down as the mass warm-up went on around me, I've never been much of a dancer and that wasn't going to change now.
So after some athlete introductions and in particular one Mo Farah we were set off at 10:40. I made it over the line after 2.5 minutes and soon got into a rhythm. As always there were people who had either snuck into the wrong pen or who had lied/over estimated on their entry forms about their predicted times. This meant there were human statues and walkers within the first half mile. I dodged them without too much bother and before you knew it we were heading over the Tyne Bridge. We were too early for the Red Arrows, but I probably wouldn't have noticed them anyway as I was focused on picking my way through the slower runners. I was making steady progress, as the course ebbed and flowed. I was probably pushing a little too hard on the up slopes but wanted to maintain the momentum. My earlier stress and bad mood was starting to ease as I concentrated on the task at hand.
The promised winds and rain were not apparent for the first part of the race, and the temperature was pretty ideal for running, the Km's were getting ticked off and my average pace was 4:36-4:38 a little slower than my most optimistic goal of 1:36 but nicely ahead of the 4:45's needed for 1:40. The official splits have me going through the 5km point in 22:46 around 1:33's. Looking at the course profile this is net downhill and it felt it as well.
The race does then climb a little more through the next two miles to reach the highpoint after about 5 miles. The road surface is almost exclusively on the motorways which is fast, but the terrain is definitely undulating and with the crowds of runners throughout the course you couldn't always attack the up and downhill’s as you would choose to. I went through 10Km in 46:26 so a (23:40 5km split) and 4:44's a steadying of my pace and this section was also net uphill.
I must have gone through halfway in around 48:30 so on for around 1:37 but I could feel my energy levels dropping and my pace was going to slow rather than quicken over the 2nd half of the race. I did get a surprise visitor around this point when the guy from parkrun eased past me and said hello. I had seen him at Silverstone HM with Luke and Southend so it was funny to see him once again. He is in much better shape than me and so I think he would have really upped the pace in the 2nd half, and I didn't seem him again.
With a 3rd of the race still to run, I really did go into a holding strategy, my legs were tired and a big part of me wanted to slow it right down. My focus was now very much on sub 1:40 and I reckoned I needed 5min or so km's all the way to the end to make it. I went though 15km in 1:09:51 (23:25 5km split) 4:41’s and so I had steadied the ship.
I knew the course from having run it twice previously that there was one long drag up to South Shields before you drop down to the seafront for the final mile. The waiting for it was agony, and the climb itself was every bit as bad as I had expected. I knew it was about 2km to the sea and I was continuously checking the Garmin, so keen was I to be put out of my misery! But right on cue there it was, the steep drop where you try to not fall head over heels before the super flat run to the finish.
This was one of the few parts of the course where I felt the wind against us, but I was getting stronger and trying to pick my way through the field as the road was narrow and so it was crowded. Others were also weakening on the run in, so you had to keep your wits all the way to the end. 800m to go, 400m to go, 200m, each marker was a relief and then finally the turn onto the grass and over the line. Garmin stopped at 1:39:36 and that is the official time too.
On the stretch to the line I looked down at my Garmin to see 1:39, but after an hour I lose the seconds, so it was a tense sprint for the line knowing that any second it might tick over and I would just miss my target. Thankfully that wasn't the case and I was chuffed to have made it. After the line I kept on moving, through the long finish funnel, excited to see Lauren. I grabbed my goody bag with medal and t-shirt then headed for the car.
It was all a bit mad and I managed to get myself on the wrong side of the road. I didn't fancy the walk back around and there wasn't the crossing point I was anticipating so I chose to improvise. The crowd of runners was so thick that there wasn't a sufficient gap to cross. I elected to get back on course run towards the finish a little and drift off to the right hand side gradually then asking the crowd to part a little to let me through. I got a few odd looks, but I had run my race and collected my medal and I wanted out of there! The official photos are now out and if you have a keen eye you will spot a picture of me with my white finisher’s bag on my shoulder attempting to exit stage right.
Lauren and I were finally reunited back at the car, and we made our way out of the carpark slowly due to the crowds of cars still trying to get into the carpark as we made our exit. But then we on the roads home to Rayleigh via Great Ayton.
It has now been over a week since the Great North Run, I have watched the highlights and unfortunately they cut to the kids races highlights just as I was coming up to the finish and so didn't get my two seconds of fame this year. My body is fully recovered and my motivation has gone quiet for the week post race. I often struggle to get out the door that first week, but I am now refocused and ready to get back on it in a big way. The 5k in October and the 10k in November should both be interesting gauges of my fitness over the shorter distance. October is also when I find out if I have been successful in the ballot for the London Marathon. If that is confirmed then I have the Barcelona Half Marathon on my 30th Bday and the Marathon as my A goals for early 2014. Plenty of reasons for me to get out the door!
I took myself up to bed fairly promptly ready for the early morning start for parkrun, but on waking Lauren said she was tired, and I was happy to miss the parkrun as it wasn't ideal prep for the Great North Run the next day and I had intended to run at my estimated race pace rather than racing it. So I stayed in bed and watched some Triathlon while Lauren went and played with Henley.
I did manage to get myself out for a run in the sun, just a gentle 6km or so around a small circuit behind Jan's house. Then it was a pretty relaxed Saturday with a couple of walk/run/sniffs/sit downs with Henley. The pre-race dinner was not the usual pasta based dish and instead was a lamb roast. The cooking instructions were just plain wrong and so I carved us up some pretty raw looking meat, but after a zap in the microwave we had us a tasty roast dinner. This was followed up with some apple crumble and custard, and then it was early to bed to rest up.
My pre-race breakfasts are pretty legendary. The yet to be beaten Solero pre Edinburgh Marathon will go down in history. For the GNR this year I opted for a slice of Jamaican Ginger Cake and that was it. I did manage to get a bottle of water at the start, but that was going to fuel me all the way to South Shields.
I thought me and Lauren had left plenty of time to get to the start, but the logistics of the race meant I was more rushed than I would have liked. Nearly an hour drive to the end, park the car, say goodbye to Lauren, jump on a bus to Haymarket, and then walk to the start and my pen. We left Laurens at 7:45 and I made it into my start pen at 10:15, effort! I tried to settle myself down as the mass warm-up went on around me, I've never been much of a dancer and that wasn't going to change now.
So after some athlete introductions and in particular one Mo Farah we were set off at 10:40. I made it over the line after 2.5 minutes and soon got into a rhythm. As always there were people who had either snuck into the wrong pen or who had lied/over estimated on their entry forms about their predicted times. This meant there were human statues and walkers within the first half mile. I dodged them without too much bother and before you knew it we were heading over the Tyne Bridge. We were too early for the Red Arrows, but I probably wouldn't have noticed them anyway as I was focused on picking my way through the slower runners. I was making steady progress, as the course ebbed and flowed. I was probably pushing a little too hard on the up slopes but wanted to maintain the momentum. My earlier stress and bad mood was starting to ease as I concentrated on the task at hand.
The promised winds and rain were not apparent for the first part of the race, and the temperature was pretty ideal for running, the Km's were getting ticked off and my average pace was 4:36-4:38 a little slower than my most optimistic goal of 1:36 but nicely ahead of the 4:45's needed for 1:40. The official splits have me going through the 5km point in 22:46 around 1:33's. Looking at the course profile this is net downhill and it felt it as well.
The race does then climb a little more through the next two miles to reach the highpoint after about 5 miles. The road surface is almost exclusively on the motorways which is fast, but the terrain is definitely undulating and with the crowds of runners throughout the course you couldn't always attack the up and downhill’s as you would choose to. I went through 10Km in 46:26 so a (23:40 5km split) and 4:44's a steadying of my pace and this section was also net uphill.
I must have gone through halfway in around 48:30 so on for around 1:37 but I could feel my energy levels dropping and my pace was going to slow rather than quicken over the 2nd half of the race. I did get a surprise visitor around this point when the guy from parkrun eased past me and said hello. I had seen him at Silverstone HM with Luke and Southend so it was funny to see him once again. He is in much better shape than me and so I think he would have really upped the pace in the 2nd half, and I didn't seem him again.
With a 3rd of the race still to run, I really did go into a holding strategy, my legs were tired and a big part of me wanted to slow it right down. My focus was now very much on sub 1:40 and I reckoned I needed 5min or so km's all the way to the end to make it. I went though 15km in 1:09:51 (23:25 5km split) 4:41’s and so I had steadied the ship.
I knew the course from having run it twice previously that there was one long drag up to South Shields before you drop down to the seafront for the final mile. The waiting for it was agony, and the climb itself was every bit as bad as I had expected. I knew it was about 2km to the sea and I was continuously checking the Garmin, so keen was I to be put out of my misery! But right on cue there it was, the steep drop where you try to not fall head over heels before the super flat run to the finish.
This was one of the few parts of the course where I felt the wind against us, but I was getting stronger and trying to pick my way through the field as the road was narrow and so it was crowded. Others were also weakening on the run in, so you had to keep your wits all the way to the end. 800m to go, 400m to go, 200m, each marker was a relief and then finally the turn onto the grass and over the line. Garmin stopped at 1:39:36 and that is the official time too.
On the stretch to the line I looked down at my Garmin to see 1:39, but after an hour I lose the seconds, so it was a tense sprint for the line knowing that any second it might tick over and I would just miss my target. Thankfully that wasn't the case and I was chuffed to have made it. After the line I kept on moving, through the long finish funnel, excited to see Lauren. I grabbed my goody bag with medal and t-shirt then headed for the car.
It was all a bit mad and I managed to get myself on the wrong side of the road. I didn't fancy the walk back around and there wasn't the crossing point I was anticipating so I chose to improvise. The crowd of runners was so thick that there wasn't a sufficient gap to cross. I elected to get back on course run towards the finish a little and drift off to the right hand side gradually then asking the crowd to part a little to let me through. I got a few odd looks, but I had run my race and collected my medal and I wanted out of there! The official photos are now out and if you have a keen eye you will spot a picture of me with my white finisher’s bag on my shoulder attempting to exit stage right.
Lauren and I were finally reunited back at the car, and we made our way out of the carpark slowly due to the crowds of cars still trying to get into the carpark as we made our exit. But then we on the roads home to Rayleigh via Great Ayton.
It has now been over a week since the Great North Run, I have watched the highlights and unfortunately they cut to the kids races highlights just as I was coming up to the finish and so didn't get my two seconds of fame this year. My body is fully recovered and my motivation has gone quiet for the week post race. I often struggle to get out the door that first week, but I am now refocused and ready to get back on it in a big way. The 5k in October and the 10k in November should both be interesting gauges of my fitness over the shorter distance. October is also when I find out if I have been successful in the ballot for the London Marathon. If that is confirmed then I have the Barcelona Half Marathon on my 30th Bday and the Marathon as my A goals for early 2014. Plenty of reasons for me to get out the door!
Sunday, 18 August 2013
New Goals and Renewed Motivation
After the disappointment of the Thunder Run I was keen to focus my efforts on my next race the Great North Run 7 weeks later. 3 weeks have passed since and I've been really pleased with how I have managed to remotivate myself, and have used the Thunder Run as a push out the door when I have contemplated sacking off a run.
The weeks post Thunder have looked as follows:
1 - 15.80 miles ( 4 runs - longest of 5.1 miles) - 1st week post TR24, nice and steady recovery stuff. Just to keep myself moving.
2 - 31.60 miles ( 6 runs - longest of 6.2 miles) - A good week, not often I run 30 + miles. Nothing too long, just consistent, did have some quality in there with an interval session as well as a parkrun at Southend. Managed to run my fastest time there since they extended the course to the true 5km distance.
3 - 38.8 miles ( 6 runs - longest of 10.1 miles) - I was off work this week and so managed to string together some really good runs. Including 2 runs of 10 miles plus another parkrun, a touch slower than the previous week but a very satisfying 6 runs.
Looking back pre TR24 I managed 6 weeks of training between 20-30 miles averaging nearly 26 miles per week, before I overdid the taper heading into the race and so only did 3 short runs in the fortnight leading up to the Thunder Run. So that is 3 months of pretty sustained training by my standards. I have also achieved the following mileages in the months of:
June - 106 miles (previous June best 95 miles)
July - 112 miles (previous July best 78 miles)
August - 82 miles (As of the 18th so 13 days left to get myself well over 120 miles)(previous August best 72 miles)
100 mile months are rare for me and particularly in those 3 calendar months. With the days long, and the weather fair, you would expect me to run regularly over this period. But for whatever reason I have always struggled to get out the door, perhaps finding more enjoyable ways to spend the long summer evenings. In addition most of the big races, particularly marathons are in the spring and so my bigger mileage months tend to be December - March.
So as you can see on a lot of measures this block of training is something to be pleased with. However I am not going to set myself a crazy Great North Run goal, I am still not super sharp and with my recent parkrun best of 20:51 this is way short of my 19:21 PB and also well short of sub 20 which I see as key indicator of how I will race, particularly up to Half Marathon distance. I ran Southend HM in 1:43 in June and so I will be pleased with anything under 1:40. I also have parkruns planned for the rest of the year as well as a 10km race at the start of November in Billercaey. I hope to run well at these, but I still don't feel I will be in PB shape by the time the races roll around.
The remainder of 2013 is there for me to build a really good base, and to get myself sharp to really attack my PB's across all distances in the early part of 2014. I haven't booked any races yet but my calendar looks like this:
- Benfleet 15 - Cross-country PB - 2:06:41
- Great Bentley HM - PB - 1:30:05
- Essex 20 - PB - 2:50:28
- London Marathon - PB 3:34:28
- Great Baddow 10 - PB - 1:12:05
- BUPA 10K - PB - 42:09
There are definitely some soft PB's the 15 miler is cross country, but definitely beatable. Whilst the Essex 20 miler is definitely one I should comfortably beat. I am desperate to get PB's again, and ones without the assistance of 1000 miles of cycling in 2 weeks to boost my cardio. These new PB's are going to come from slogging it out and running biggish miles.
So there you have it, the current state of affairs with my running. I'm feeling good, and just need to keep on trucking even with my return to work tomorrow as well as listening to my body so as not to injury myself and undo the good work thus far. Will report back in 4 weeks time to let you know how the Great North Run went.
The weeks post Thunder have looked as follows:
1 - 15.80 miles ( 4 runs - longest of 5.1 miles) - 1st week post TR24, nice and steady recovery stuff. Just to keep myself moving.
2 - 31.60 miles ( 6 runs - longest of 6.2 miles) - A good week, not often I run 30 + miles. Nothing too long, just consistent, did have some quality in there with an interval session as well as a parkrun at Southend. Managed to run my fastest time there since they extended the course to the true 5km distance.
3 - 38.8 miles ( 6 runs - longest of 10.1 miles) - I was off work this week and so managed to string together some really good runs. Including 2 runs of 10 miles plus another parkrun, a touch slower than the previous week but a very satisfying 6 runs.
Looking back pre TR24 I managed 6 weeks of training between 20-30 miles averaging nearly 26 miles per week, before I overdid the taper heading into the race and so only did 3 short runs in the fortnight leading up to the Thunder Run. So that is 3 months of pretty sustained training by my standards. I have also achieved the following mileages in the months of:
June - 106 miles (previous June best 95 miles)
July - 112 miles (previous July best 78 miles)
August - 82 miles (As of the 18th so 13 days left to get myself well over 120 miles)(previous August best 72 miles)
100 mile months are rare for me and particularly in those 3 calendar months. With the days long, and the weather fair, you would expect me to run regularly over this period. But for whatever reason I have always struggled to get out the door, perhaps finding more enjoyable ways to spend the long summer evenings. In addition most of the big races, particularly marathons are in the spring and so my bigger mileage months tend to be December - March.
So as you can see on a lot of measures this block of training is something to be pleased with. However I am not going to set myself a crazy Great North Run goal, I am still not super sharp and with my recent parkrun best of 20:51 this is way short of my 19:21 PB and also well short of sub 20 which I see as key indicator of how I will race, particularly up to Half Marathon distance. I ran Southend HM in 1:43 in June and so I will be pleased with anything under 1:40. I also have parkruns planned for the rest of the year as well as a 10km race at the start of November in Billercaey. I hope to run well at these, but I still don't feel I will be in PB shape by the time the races roll around.
The remainder of 2013 is there for me to build a really good base, and to get myself sharp to really attack my PB's across all distances in the early part of 2014. I haven't booked any races yet but my calendar looks like this:
- Benfleet 15 - Cross-country PB - 2:06:41
- Great Bentley HM - PB - 1:30:05
- Essex 20 - PB - 2:50:28
- London Marathon - PB 3:34:28
- Great Baddow 10 - PB - 1:12:05
- BUPA 10K - PB - 42:09
There are definitely some soft PB's the 15 miler is cross country, but definitely beatable. Whilst the Essex 20 miler is definitely one I should comfortably beat. I am desperate to get PB's again, and ones without the assistance of 1000 miles of cycling in 2 weeks to boost my cardio. These new PB's are going to come from slogging it out and running biggish miles.
So there you have it, the current state of affairs with my running. I'm feeling good, and just need to keep on trucking even with my return to work tomorrow as well as listening to my body so as not to injury myself and undo the good work thus far. Will report back in 4 weeks time to let you know how the Great North Run went.
Monday, 29 July 2013
Rain Stops Play
I'm not sure where to start with this blog. The overriding feeling from the Thunder Run is one of disappointment and wondering what might have been. The Thunder Run definitely didn't end as I would have wished, but I had a lot of fun before it ended prematurely. So lets start from the beginning.
I jumped on the train and met Lauren at Rayleigh station at half 5 on the Friday night and we headed up with the intention of going straight to Catton Park to register and pitch the tent before darkness. We made surprisingly good progress, with the traffic alert warning of delays but thankfully they always seemed to be behind us or further along the road than we were going. We were keen to avoid the M6 toll as we approached it and so tried to divert around it, we managed to do this after a little bit of a panic. The timings were always tight and I didn't want to stress the night before the big event and so we pulled the plug on tent pitching and headed straight for the hotel.
We arrived at the Premier Inn just a few miles away from Catton Park at around half 8, quickly checked in and then headed for dinner. A platter to share to start followed by a Lasagne, not ideal pre-race food but far from my worse selection ever, I even managed to stick to Diet Coke. Then it was back to the room in time to watch Bolt win in a leisurely 9:85, amazing! Sleep soon followed, keen to get as much as possible with the challenge that lay ahead in the morning.
Lauren and I went down to the restaurant for our 'Premier' Breakfast around 9am, unfortunately the blue rinse brigade all had the same idea, and so breakfast was a little slow in coming and a little low on quality when it arrived. But I had some Sausage, Bacon, Egg and Beans inside me and I was ready to go. We then headed straight to Catton Park.
We found Pete's tent easily enough but couldn't quite decide on a pitch but eventually settled on a spot. Then Lauren and I got to work attempting to get the tent up. As anticipated this was slow going and thankfully we were saved by the arrival of Mike, Pete's brother as well as a negotiated mallet. With much huffing and puffing we got the tent somewhere approaching done in half an hour, at least it wasn't going to blow away and I knew once out on course Lauren could get some expert help to get it sturdy.
Pete soon arrived and the support team began to gather. I got my race number and timing chip as well as picking up my flash Adidas Thunder Run T-shirt and was told that writing 'Solo' on the back of both legs was the way to go. Lauren then enthusiastically went about marking me. I was now in my kit ready for the first stint, a little lube in sensitive areas and it was just a case of listening to the safety briefing before the 12 noon start.
I had read the race instructions and the briefing didn't add a great deal, but we were advised that IPod’s could be used but if we just had one earphone in. I had charged a couple of IPod shuffles in anticipation of using them, but in the end I ran music free the entire time. Martin, Pete and I all gathered near the back after a last minute photocall and then we were off!
The start was slow going as anticipated and we were in no rush, we had 24 hours to get through! Pete and Martin had walked the early part of the course and so knew there was a steep hill very early on and that it would all grind to a stand still there. It duly did as people walked up the steep, tree root lined incline. My intention was to run when I felt like it on that first lap and get the lie of the land, and definitely walking any proper hills. There must have been at least 5 of those on the 10km loop. But there was no frustration I was happy to be slowed up and it helped rein me in a little. We saw the whole support team at around 2.5km and it was great to see everyone, this spot would become a regular pick me up as the day wore on. Pete and I were still together at this point, but as the crowds thinned out, I let Pete gently drift away from me, but he stayed in sight for much of the first half of the loop which was a nice marker.
The loop was definitely front loaded with the hills and the second half of the lap was net downhill even though it did still have some very decent climbs in it as well. The markers I had through the course were:
- Stretch to the first climb
- Walk up the steep first climb
- A little running before the 1km marker
- The guys at 2.5km
- The climb up to the 5km point after a nice downhill stretch.
- The Conti climb just after the water station.
- The maze at 7km
- The flat stretch around 8km before the big downhill.
- The super steep downhill just before 9km.
- The campsite lined km before the run into the finish.
As the laps went on these markers really helped to keep me focused. Particularly when I was walking up the hill, it was nice to know when the next downhill bit was coming. On the first lap it was easy to tell who the solos were and who the relays were. On a particularly steep hill there were 3 or 4 of us Solos who began to walk at the base of the hill and did all the way to the top, whilst the enthusiastic relay runners who knew they had a break to look forward to rushed up there at full speed. There were a few old Ultra heads around me and overhearing their conversation, this was probably their 2nd or 3rd Ultra of the month! Those guys are made of oak!
The first lap was done and dusted in just under 65 minutes, even with all the stop, start stuff at the beginning of the lap. I saw the team again and grabbed a bottle of water and was off on lap two. I took it steady and continued to walk the hills and run when I felt the urge, particularly on the long downhill sections. I wasn't seeing many Soloists now, distinctive with their leg markings, white number on their backs and yellow numbers on their fronts but there was always a constant stream of relay runners about. I walked a little more on this lap but still made it round in 73 minutes. I decided after 2 laps and nearly a half marathon that I should come off course and get some food and drink in me and relax with the support team. They were all brilliant, swarming around me, nothing was too much trouble. Lucozade, water, crackers, crisps, sweets, even trying to force feed me a bagel or some tiger bread. My appetite was never particularly high, your mouth is dry and so wet food is definitely the preference but I was grabbing what I could. Pineapple was the find of the day, but some salty mini cheddars also hit the spot. I think I stopped for a little under 10 minutes and I was then out on to course again for lap number 3.
I had my first stop at the portaloo at 2km, and Ben Rockett the World Record Holder and Ultra Endurance guru said this was great, if you stop peeing you are holding onto waste products and that's no good for anyone! Thankfully I stayed regular throughout the race. Too much information? Sorry, this is a blog for you guys, but it's also for my future reference and so I can't go missing details. What I won't tell you is what Ben gets up to on his long bike challenges, thank God for black bike shorts!
I came through my third lap in a total time of 3:44:05 and a lap time of around 87 minutes (including that 10minute pitstop after lap 2) So a little running pace fade but nothing too dramatic or unexpected. I had another leisurely stop here and remember coming out again for lap 4 at 4:03 so around a 20 minute stop. I enjoyed the stops, and took them for me, but it was nice to see the friendly, smiling faces who had all given up so much to come and support me over this crazy weekend. In addition to the friends and family who were there to support me, I also had the support of pretty much everyone in Catton Park! The yellow number was a one way ticket to cheers and clapping. I have always been envious of runners who have their names on their shirts and are cheered all-round the course and at the Thunder Run I got that kind of treatment. Throughout the daylight hours there were shouts of 'Solo,Solo!' 'You're incredible' 'Go 12!' Every shout and cheer really picked me up. I ran with a guy from a relay team on one of the later laps, and as I was getting cheered for the 2nd or 3rd time since he had been with me he asked 'Do you get that a lot?' I was like 'Yeah pretty much the whole way round' he loved it and said it was like having your own cheer squad. I couldn't agree with him more.
The whole atmosphere at the Thunder Run was incredible, and something I haven't experienced before. I am usually very focused at races and so don't chat to other runners or high five spectators, but at Thunder Run my goals and mentality were different and so I high fived the kids in the crowd and chatted away to other runners when I could. I spoke to an older lady, maybe 60 plus and she couldn't believe she was pacing herself off me, when I was going for 24hours and she was doing one lap as part of a relay. It was a great leveller :-) There were also some super-fast club runners flying past us, and they were all keen to get moving and shouts of passing on your left or right happened, particularly as I slowed, but they were all very polite. I also chatted to a guy in a parkrun 50 t-shirt who had run this a few years ago with his wife and they were back for a 2nd go hoping to better their previous best of 2 laps each before injury got the better of him. He had set himself the target of 5 laps each this time.
Luke ran with me on my 4th lap which was fantastic, although not against the rules as far as I can tell, it felt a little cheeky. I justified it to myself as I didn't think I got any performance advantage out of his company but it did make the 7km or so we ran together much more pleasant. Luke got a good idea of the course that I would be drudging through over the next day. I was still feeling fresh and gave Luke a few little bursts of speed in amongst the walking and jogging. My favourite speed section was around the 7km point, where the course is very tight and technical and I hated to hold up the relay runners and so when the mood and my energy levels allowed I dashed through this leaping from foot to foot and jumping tree roots along the way. Luke thought I was nuts, but in a race of 24 hours I needed a little something to put a smile on my face, and to make me feel like it was a running race, rather than a shuffleathon. Luke peeled away before the final climb of the lap and the finish, and that hour or so we ran together was definitely my favourite of the whole event.
My memory is already starting to fade and so I might miss important bits or fluff the timeline abit but to be fair a looped course doesn't help with the old memory retention. I finished my 4th lap so nearly a marathon in 5:23:42 for a lap time of around 99 minutes including that 20minute break after the last lap. So still running pretty well in amongst the walk breaks.
Lap 5 included the Conti climb time trial section. 100m or so up a steep incline. The timing mat would take your time there between 6-7pm and the fastest person up there would get some flash trainers for every member of the team. I was solo and had been travelling for 6.5 hours by the time I reached the climb and this challenge wasn't particularly aimed at the Solo's but I thought I'd give it a bash and so went full gas and managed to take over 5 or 6 runners on the climb to the top. Much to the delight of the few spectators and Marshalls who were there. I then walked it off, and probably paid for my exertions for much of the rest of the lap, but it was good to have a little sprint again. I got a second wind later in the lap, but every time I tried to push the speed a little I felt the calves tightening and so I knew then that my interval training bursts were pretty much over for the rest of the Thunder Run. I came through 5 laps and 50km in 7:08:49. I took another 10minute break and then headed off with a kit change, a new shirt and my trail shoes ready to meet the team for head torch pickup at 2.5km.
After getting through the first serious climb of the lap and then down again to the 2km point I met up with the team for the drink and light pick up and was off for the dreaded night section. Shortly after leaving the team the Thunder and Lightning that had been forecast came. Starting with a little light rain before the serious stuff came. It was scary, with the lightening getting closest as I walked up the conti-climb and I was pleased after an hour when it stopped but the rain began to get heavier and it really settled in. I thought of the poor support team, and was going to tell my parents to go back to the hotel for dinner and bed when I got round to the end of the 6th lap but thankfully when I arrived there at 9:20 pm I was told they had left at half 8 when the rain really started so that was a relief. It was at the end of the 6th lap when we tried to check my position that we encountered problems. Luke typed in number 12 into the competitor search and it came back as 0 laps and 0 time. After the farce of getting the wrong chip at the Outlaw Triathlon I was gutted for it to happen again. Luke was great though and dealt with it, the techno guy thought chips might have been swapped but I had been given a duff one, apparently they had all been checked Thursday. Luke pieced together my splits as best as he could from memory and the 9:20 through 6 laps was definitely right. Looking back at my Mum's great photography I think I have pretty much all the splits now. It was a stress I could have done without though.
The hard-core support team gave me a cup of tea which was incredible and I was then towelled down and given a fresh t-shirt and my lightweight running jacket a good sit down for 10minutes and I was out for some more punishment. The rain was consistently heavy on that 7th lap and I was soaked through, my jacket sticking to my arms and the course was a mud bath in lots of areas. I was now walking pretty much the entire lap, and on the narrow and well-worn sections I was sliding all over the shop. In the course of two laps I must have seen 10 or so people hit the deck and just pick themselves up and carry on. I was getting down as I trudged through the woods, standing in another ankle deep puddle and soaking my feet completely. The fast runners were still running regardless of conditions underfoot and I got out of the way as best I could. The head torch wasn't powerful enough so I would pick up a hazard just as I stood in it, but the head torch did pick up the white painted roots and stumps which helped keep me on my feet and not on my butt. My mind was in a dark place at this point and had been for much of the last four hours. Heavy rain will do that to a guy! I got through the zigzag maze at 7km, and had to walk it due to the dark and underfoot conditions and managed to move aside for the faster runners as I exited it. The large puddle from the beginning of the day which you could skirt around was now a lake and so I picked my spot and dove in. My trail shoes now full of water. Just 3 km or so to the end and a warm food tent.
My mind however had wandered to thoughts of the warm hotel room and shower that we had booked for Lauren to go and recover in that was sitting there waiting for me. I just thought of my minimum target of 10 laps and 100km and that meant another 6 hours of slogging around in the rain and the mud. I just couldn't face it, I couldn't find a good enough reason to walk and slip around a boggy 10km for another 30km and so at that point I had given in. I knew Luke, Amber and Lauren would be gutted and try to talk me out of it, and I spent the next 45mins slip sliding through the rest of the course coming up with good reasons for my lack of mental fortitude. I made it back to the finish of that 7th lap at just after half 11 to be greeted by the 3 of them. All enthusiastic and with a game plan to get me through the night. I just told them I couldn't face it, and their poor faces just dropped. They tried to talk me out of it, to come up with another solution. Get warm, get in the tent, and hit it again in the morning. I was just mentally gone and knew that even if the weather improved the course was going to be a bog the next day. After 10 minutes of negotiating they let it lie and operation get Simon back to the hotel began. Pete Scull however was on another planet and still going strong and came through the finish as we headed for the car. Luke then switched to Operation quick change on the move. It was so impressive 5 or 6 people with Umbrellas as Pete changed his shirt and jacket after he had been dried off. All done in 400 metres and with military precision. Luke then returned to help me into the car and set me and Lauren on our way. I left there with no regrets, I was soaked through, cold and miserable, I couldn't find a reason to be out there through the night trudging through the mud. But with time to contemplate it, the small niggling doubts and regrets start to come in, they always do the further away you get from an event. You downplay the state you were in and wish you had stayed out. The weather beat me, the 24 hour challenge by itself was enough without the added rain and mud bath, but ultimately what let me down was a lack of mental toughness to suck it up and get back out there. I could have done with this Saturday night!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J0Ahh3UxbM
Lauren and I came back the next morning at 9 or 10 and watched the runners still trucking on, many of them covered in mud, some of it in unusual places. Obviously from falling during the night. It was that final couple of hours watching the reception that the Solo runners got as they completed their final laps that were really gutting. I hadn't just sacrificed my 100km target by bailing out, I had sacrificed that amazing finishing reception. I don't like Marathons much and I really don't like Ultras. I said to Luke, Amber and Lauren I would never do an Ultra again and I probably shouldn't , but me and the Thunder Run have unfinished business. If I find out in October that I haven't got an entry into the London Marathon, there is a very real possibility that I will sign up for the Thunder Run when entries open in November 2013 for the July 2014 addition. I get in, come hell or high water I am getting round 13 laps.
Special mention to Pete Scull who made it round 19 laps in 25 hours, just an incredible physical and mental performance. Out of this world! 2nd Solo Male and the most well earnt rain jacket ever! Such an inspiration, will definitely use that performance as fuel for my fire in the build-up to Thunder Run 2014. Also huge congratulations to Martin, sorry I didn't see you much. You were just behind me most of the way before I took the soft option, and you just kept on moving for 13 laps. A beer to celebrate and then driving yourself home, all off minimal training. You make it look so easy!
Thanks firstly to my wife Lauren. I can't thank you enough for your unwavering support through all of this. The prep, the tent making, the sun cream in the eye, force feeding me dry bagels, I'm sorry I let you down in flaking out after 12 hours. I'll get it right next time. Thanks to all the other support crew Mum, Dad, Luke, Amber, Mike, Niki, Ben, Rosa. You all worked tirelessly for Me, Pete and Martin and we really appreciated everything you did. Hats off to the lady that rocked up on her own in the car and crewed for herself. Hardcore! Thanks Thunder Run what a challenge! See you again, Saturday July 26th 2014 at Midday. This time you're mine!
Unofficial Splits
10Km – 1:04:41
20Km – 2:17:52
30Km – 3:44:05 (10min stop)
40Km – 5:23:42 (20min stop)
50Km – 7:08:49 (15min stop)
60Km – 9:20:00 (10 min stop)
70Km – 11:30:00 (15min stop)
Sunday, 9 June 2013
Southend Half Marathon 2013 - Report
The Southend Half Marathon was the first race that I did, 4 long years ago. A lot has changed in those four years. Lauren is now my wife, we own a house, I can drive, I've changed jobs, Lauren's been promoted but one constant throughout it all has been my running. In that time I have had some great highs, as well as a sprinkling of lows when results have not gone the way I would have wished. Today's Southend Half Marathon marked my 65th event (including 26 parkruns) and it was also my fifth consecutive running of the race. My results have been as follows:
2009 - 2:17:48 - First event, 5 weeks training, 5 mile longest run.
2010 - 1:45:40 - Arm in plaster cast after breaking my arm ice skating.
2011 - 1:32:09 - PB at the time and still a Course record. ITB gave up on crossing the finish line.
2012 - 1:58:02 - Exhausted from Ultra Marathon and a shocker at Edinburgh Marathon Two Weeks before.
2013 - 1:43:15 - Injured after Brighton Marathon so very light on training.
So a mixed bag of results at Southend, but the focus of this blog is the 2013 instalment of the Southend HM. Since I last blogged about the Brighton Marathon, I managed to injury myself, my first proper injury. Straining the tendon connecting my knee to my Quad in my right leg. This hampered me greatly in the two weeks post Brighton meaning a few short runs each week totalling just 10km each week. I grudgingly visited my physio and was told at least two weeks of no running which I did reluctantly but knowing it was for the best. The next week was a couple of gentle runs to ease my body back into it before the final 3 weeks into Southend where I have started to do something approaching reasonable training. The majority of which was back to back runs with Luke of 12 miles and 10 miles over the Bank Holiday weekend. The remaining training was 5K or 5 Mile steady runs and a parkrun or two.
This lack of quality training in the build up lead to me struggling to come up with a realistic target time, initially post injury just happy to get round in 2hours. As the training picked up in the lead up, 1:50 seemed to something I could shoot at, but anything faster than that was just dreaming. Thus my time today of low 1:43 has really got me happy. It has far exceeded my expectations and even though it is a minute a mile off my HM PB it really does rank right up there in terms of my Half Marathon performances and I have had 16 goes at the distance!
So now you know the result, you may decide to cease reading the blog, but if you do wish to carry on reading the blog to it's conclusion I will fill you in on some of the days details. My prep before the race included a 30th Bday party in Cambridge, so I was on Diet Coke for the evening and drove Lauren and I home and had us in bed around half past midnight. I opted for Steak and Chips for dinner rather than my usual pasta dish, I nearly regretted it as well, with the steak definitely more on the rare side of medium rare!
Waking up tired, but with no other ill effects I drove us to pick up Giuseppe and then headed to the start around 9am, an hour before race start. But as is so often the case at Southend, traffic was heavy and slow moving on the way into the Garrison and Lauren took over the driving as Giuseppe and I headed for the start on foot. Lauren drove to the Kursaal ready to see us at miles 4 and 9. The congestion worsened and so as was the case a few years ago the race start time was put back to 10:15. This was frustrating, particularly given the cooler than expected weather. But Giuseppe and I met up with our boss and had a chat before we let him get off to find a good viewing spot.
The race did eventually get going just after 10:15 and as is the norm the tight, narrow, first mile made the going tough and the first Km was my slowest of the race. Once the first few miles are navigated and you find your way to the seafront, the roads widen and things settle down a little. I was taking it very easy, comfortable with people moving past me as they went off fast. I got into a nice ryhtym and felt good early on, the pace hovering around 5:00km after the initial congestion. This soon moved downwards, and by the time I saw my cheer squad of Ian, Graeme, Mum, Dad and Lauren at mile 4 the average pace was more like 4:50 per km. This is where it remained for much of the remainder of the race. With it being on the seafront, gradients weren't a factor, but there was a decent breeze which particularly effected miles 4-6 and 9-11 but I managed to maintain fairly consistent splits regardless.
I turned around at mile 7 ready for the 2nd loop and saw Giuseppe running really well and gave him a wave. It was at this point that my race got harder though. The legs were that bit heavier and the light, effortless rhythm of earlier was starting to fade, but the pace stayed around 4:50 as my effort level increased. The cheer squad was depleted on the second lap with Lauren, Mum and Dad still cheering me on and taking some great photos. I turned for home at mile 9 and headed into the wind. The fatigue was starting to set in, and my mind was constantly working through calculations of how badly I could fade and still achieve a 1:50. I had been on for a 1:42 for much of the race, but with 5K to go I wasn't particularly targeting that as I could feel my body straining. Giuseppe and I high fived as we crossed over a final time. I then turned left off the seafront and up the only incline of note on the course and on towards the finish. This final two miles or so is always tough for me, mentally and physically and it really was a case of just turning my legs over and getting myself to the finish. Do that and the time took care of itself.
It was then off the seawall and onto the road again as we headed into the final 400m, and the finish couldn't come fast enough! I ran through the line strong and received my medal and some much needed water. Water was the only thing I took all race, no gels or lucozade but I didn't miss them. I did also manage to get a cereal bar in me prior to the race. I rang Lauren and we managed to find each other and headed back to the finish to wait for Giuseppe. He had a tough last few miles but made it home in around 2:11 just outside his target time of 2:10 but 50 minutes ahead of last years time. We all headed home, very pleased with our mornings work.
Lauren and I enjoyed a BBQ at my parents, and I am about to go and take a nap after this weekends exploits. Thanks again to all my on the day supporters as well as those that tracked me on Runkeeper. What a fantastic invention that is! Until next time, keep running....!
2009 - 2:17:48 - First event, 5 weeks training, 5 mile longest run.
2010 - 1:45:40 - Arm in plaster cast after breaking my arm ice skating.
2011 - 1:32:09 - PB at the time and still a Course record. ITB gave up on crossing the finish line.
2012 - 1:58:02 - Exhausted from Ultra Marathon and a shocker at Edinburgh Marathon Two Weeks before.
2013 - 1:43:15 - Injured after Brighton Marathon so very light on training.
So a mixed bag of results at Southend, but the focus of this blog is the 2013 instalment of the Southend HM. Since I last blogged about the Brighton Marathon, I managed to injury myself, my first proper injury. Straining the tendon connecting my knee to my Quad in my right leg. This hampered me greatly in the two weeks post Brighton meaning a few short runs each week totalling just 10km each week. I grudgingly visited my physio and was told at least two weeks of no running which I did reluctantly but knowing it was for the best. The next week was a couple of gentle runs to ease my body back into it before the final 3 weeks into Southend where I have started to do something approaching reasonable training. The majority of which was back to back runs with Luke of 12 miles and 10 miles over the Bank Holiday weekend. The remaining training was 5K or 5 Mile steady runs and a parkrun or two.
This lack of quality training in the build up lead to me struggling to come up with a realistic target time, initially post injury just happy to get round in 2hours. As the training picked up in the lead up, 1:50 seemed to something I could shoot at, but anything faster than that was just dreaming. Thus my time today of low 1:43 has really got me happy. It has far exceeded my expectations and even though it is a minute a mile off my HM PB it really does rank right up there in terms of my Half Marathon performances and I have had 16 goes at the distance!
So now you know the result, you may decide to cease reading the blog, but if you do wish to carry on reading the blog to it's conclusion I will fill you in on some of the days details. My prep before the race included a 30th Bday party in Cambridge, so I was on Diet Coke for the evening and drove Lauren and I home and had us in bed around half past midnight. I opted for Steak and Chips for dinner rather than my usual pasta dish, I nearly regretted it as well, with the steak definitely more on the rare side of medium rare!
Waking up tired, but with no other ill effects I drove us to pick up Giuseppe and then headed to the start around 9am, an hour before race start. But as is so often the case at Southend, traffic was heavy and slow moving on the way into the Garrison and Lauren took over the driving as Giuseppe and I headed for the start on foot. Lauren drove to the Kursaal ready to see us at miles 4 and 9. The congestion worsened and so as was the case a few years ago the race start time was put back to 10:15. This was frustrating, particularly given the cooler than expected weather. But Giuseppe and I met up with our boss and had a chat before we let him get off to find a good viewing spot.
The race did eventually get going just after 10:15 and as is the norm the tight, narrow, first mile made the going tough and the first Km was my slowest of the race. Once the first few miles are navigated and you find your way to the seafront, the roads widen and things settle down a little. I was taking it very easy, comfortable with people moving past me as they went off fast. I got into a nice ryhtym and felt good early on, the pace hovering around 5:00km after the initial congestion. This soon moved downwards, and by the time I saw my cheer squad of Ian, Graeme, Mum, Dad and Lauren at mile 4 the average pace was more like 4:50 per km. This is where it remained for much of the remainder of the race. With it being on the seafront, gradients weren't a factor, but there was a decent breeze which particularly effected miles 4-6 and 9-11 but I managed to maintain fairly consistent splits regardless.
I turned around at mile 7 ready for the 2nd loop and saw Giuseppe running really well and gave him a wave. It was at this point that my race got harder though. The legs were that bit heavier and the light, effortless rhythm of earlier was starting to fade, but the pace stayed around 4:50 as my effort level increased. The cheer squad was depleted on the second lap with Lauren, Mum and Dad still cheering me on and taking some great photos. I turned for home at mile 9 and headed into the wind. The fatigue was starting to set in, and my mind was constantly working through calculations of how badly I could fade and still achieve a 1:50. I had been on for a 1:42 for much of the race, but with 5K to go I wasn't particularly targeting that as I could feel my body straining. Giuseppe and I high fived as we crossed over a final time. I then turned left off the seafront and up the only incline of note on the course and on towards the finish. This final two miles or so is always tough for me, mentally and physically and it really was a case of just turning my legs over and getting myself to the finish. Do that and the time took care of itself.
It was then off the seawall and onto the road again as we headed into the final 400m, and the finish couldn't come fast enough! I ran through the line strong and received my medal and some much needed water. Water was the only thing I took all race, no gels or lucozade but I didn't miss them. I did also manage to get a cereal bar in me prior to the race. I rang Lauren and we managed to find each other and headed back to the finish to wait for Giuseppe. He had a tough last few miles but made it home in around 2:11 just outside his target time of 2:10 but 50 minutes ahead of last years time. We all headed home, very pleased with our mornings work.
Lauren and I enjoyed a BBQ at my parents, and I am about to go and take a nap after this weekends exploits. Thanks again to all my on the day supporters as well as those that tracked me on Runkeeper. What a fantastic invention that is! Until next time, keep running....!
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