Two days ago, on Thursday, I ran with Otley AC for the first time since ... last August probably. It's been a long time and there was a few new faces but it was good to be back with old friends.
The following day I decided to run 3.2 km at tempo pace. Not knowing what that would be at the moment I looked at all my race times over the past twelve months and putting the figures into various online forms such as this one from Runner's World I came up with 4:18 to 4:21 per km.
I haven't done any type of paced running in 10 months so I didn't know what 4:20 per km feels like. I did know that I could adjust my pace as necessary every kilometre and that wouldn't be too bad. Also, I vaguely remembered how my body felt running at tempo pace (breathing, tiredness, etc) so that's what I aimed for.
The first k passed in an amazing 3:59. Couldn't believe that, I then expected to blow up or not even complete the whole distance. So, I slowed down a bit and the second k took 4:04. Something wasn't right, I thought, I shouldn't be feeling so good running so quickly ... I'm not fit enough for this. Slowing down even more, the third kilometre took 4:12 and the final 200m took 50s.
So my overall target was to run 3.2 km between 13:51 and 14:00. I managed 13:09 and felt OK doing so. Next time I think I'll have to up the distance to 4k perhaps (or maybe more). And the temperature at the local weather station was over 26 degrees C whilst I was out running.
Pleased with how this week has gone.
Other pace calculators can be found at Running for Fitness, HillRunner.com, Runworks, Attackpoint, Santa Clarita Runners and many others. Almost all of them are based Jack Daniels Running Formula and the idea of the vdot.
Showing posts with label Otley AC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Otley AC. Show all posts
Saturday, 20 July 2013
Saturday, 6 July 2013
now what ?!
Everything's fine ... hunky dory ... A OK ... great ... now what ?
Well, for a start I can now begin to train properly after three months of no running (and minimal strength work) followed by six months of a strict rehab regime.
Although I've been given the all clear it doesn't mean I'm going to immediately include all the things I did twelve months ago. That would be stupid. So, over the next few weeks I'll be introducing - one at a time - hill reps, fartlek, speed work, tempo runs, long runs. I finally feel as if I've been let off the leash ... a bit.
Cycling will continue much as before but weight training will shift from an emphasis exclusively on muscular strength (especially ankle) to a mixture of strength and endurance.
So the next few weeks will be a period of transition from rehab to training. And during that time I'll be looking around for some long races to enter (especially as I'll be 50 years old in February) ... any ideas ?
I feel that in one unexpected way this rehab stuff has had a positive effect though. It has taken a certain mental strength to adhere strictly to the regime when it would have been all too easy to, for example, enter a race or run further/harder than I should ... especially when the ankle has been feeling great for the past few weeks and I only live five minutes walk away from where Otley AC train. I think that will stand me in good stead for the training and racing to follow.
Much to look forward to then, including running with my club (Otley AC) occasionally on training nights and in the odd race and handicap events (autumn relays perhaps).
Finally, the doctor told me that the medication for gout is working fine and there's no need to change or adjust the dose. It's not affecting my running at all and everything's under control.
Well, for a start I can now begin to train properly after three months of no running (and minimal strength work) followed by six months of a strict rehab regime.
Although I've been given the all clear it doesn't mean I'm going to immediately include all the things I did twelve months ago. That would be stupid. So, over the next few weeks I'll be introducing - one at a time - hill reps, fartlek, speed work, tempo runs, long runs. I finally feel as if I've been let off the leash ... a bit.
Cycling will continue much as before but weight training will shift from an emphasis exclusively on muscular strength (especially ankle) to a mixture of strength and endurance.
So the next few weeks will be a period of transition from rehab to training. And during that time I'll be looking around for some long races to enter (especially as I'll be 50 years old in February) ... any ideas ?
I feel that in one unexpected way this rehab stuff has had a positive effect though. It has taken a certain mental strength to adhere strictly to the regime when it would have been all too easy to, for example, enter a race or run further/harder than I should ... especially when the ankle has been feeling great for the past few weeks and I only live five minutes walk away from where Otley AC train. I think that will stand me in good stead for the training and racing to follow.
Much to look forward to then, including running with my club (Otley AC) occasionally on training nights and in the odd race and handicap events (autumn relays perhaps).
Finally, the doctor told me that the medication for gout is working fine and there's no need to change or adjust the dose. It's not affecting my running at all and everything's under control.
Monday, 31 December 2012
my year in brief
Well ... the end of another year and for me it was a year of three parts.
The first part was spent recovering from a broken bone in my foot - falling down a flight of steps at home is not a good idea.
The second (and best ...) part was training for, and taking part in, two long ultra distance races. The first was the ULTRArace 100 mile event around the Cotswolds in England. Really enjoyed this race in stunning scenery and good weather. It was good to have Hugh Pearson (Otley AC clubmate) crewing for me and hopefully we'll be able to continue that relationship as his running and coaching experience is invaluable. My report can be read here.
The second - and most important - race was the World 24 hour Championships which were held in Poland at the beginning of September. The first 21 hours of that race were fantastic as I was on schedule for well over 240 km .. and feeling good too. The atmosphere was terrific and the crewing was brilliant (thanks go to Eleanor Robinson, Richard Brown, Adrian Stott, Rory Coleman, Marco Consani and Andy Smith). My brief report can be read here.
The third part of my running year began at 9:00am on Sunday 9 September. Injury struck during that 24 hour race as it did for about 10% of the runners. I've since learned that the IAU considered moving the race to a different part of the park because of the poor condition of the road surface and sharp corners. This report by US runner Jonathan Savage explains ...
Although I seem to have now recovered from that badly sprained ankle I was also struck down by gout in late November and early December which delayed my return to running somewhat. Thaings are now progressing nicely though and today's 20 minute run scored an encouraging 97.5 % although the abysmal weather made it very hard work.
That's a brief account of my running year but there has been other highlights too. Most notably Keir successfully passing his A levels and getting into the university of his choice - Ulster - to read History. That's been his plan for a few year's now and I'm pleased that it's come off for him. I'm so proud of his achievements too. He's worked hard for that and he deserves it ... I remember spending about an hour a day for three or four years helping him with speech therapy exercises.
And next year ... more races of course ... have fun and take care.
The first part was spent recovering from a broken bone in my foot - falling down a flight of steps at home is not a good idea.
The second (and best ...) part was training for, and taking part in, two long ultra distance races. The first was the ULTRArace 100 mile event around the Cotswolds in England. Really enjoyed this race in stunning scenery and good weather. It was good to have Hugh Pearson (Otley AC clubmate) crewing for me and hopefully we'll be able to continue that relationship as his running and coaching experience is invaluable. My report can be read here.
The second - and most important - race was the World 24 hour Championships which were held in Poland at the beginning of September. The first 21 hours of that race were fantastic as I was on schedule for well over 240 km .. and feeling good too. The atmosphere was terrific and the crewing was brilliant (thanks go to Eleanor Robinson, Richard Brown, Adrian Stott, Rory Coleman, Marco Consani and Andy Smith). My brief report can be read here.
The third part of my running year began at 9:00am on Sunday 9 September. Injury struck during that 24 hour race as it did for about 10% of the runners. I've since learned that the IAU considered moving the race to a different part of the park because of the poor condition of the road surface and sharp corners. This report by US runner Jonathan Savage explains ...
Although I seem to have now recovered from that badly sprained ankle I was also struck down by gout in late November and early December which delayed my return to running somewhat. Thaings are now progressing nicely though and today's 20 minute run scored an encouraging 97.5 % although the abysmal weather made it very hard work.
That's a brief account of my running year but there has been other highlights too. Most notably Keir successfully passing his A levels and getting into the university of his choice - Ulster - to read History. That's been his plan for a few year's now and I'm pleased that it's come off for him. I'm so proud of his achievements too. He's worked hard for that and he deserves it ... I remember spending about an hour a day for three or four years helping him with speech therapy exercises.
And next year ... more races of course ... have fun and take care.
Friday, 27 July 2012
very short race
Each year Otley AC organise two track races for members only. The first is a one mile race and the second is 3000m. The first one of 2012 took place last night and I was quite looking forward to it as I hadn't taken part in a mile race for almost five years. It being a whole lot different from my usual race meant that I had absolutely no idea about pacing this one so I began by looking back at my previous times:
5:19 ... 15 Sep 1998 (age graded 5:13)
5:37 ... 24 Aug 2004 (age graded 5:18)
5:41 ... 23 Aug 2005 (age graded 5:19)
5:40 ... 30 Aug 2007 (age graded 5:13)
I then looked at my current times in training and decided that I should be able to manage somewhere between 5:45 and 5:50
At the track I was surprised that only seven people had turned out. I'm sure we used to have enough runners for two or more races. One of those looking for a short race was president Mick Jeffrey who, I felt sure, was after the M60 club record of 6:08
After half an hour warming up and waiting in vain for other runners to arrive we decided to race. The only problem was ... we didn't have a timekeeper. So, the ever resourceful Richard Hamer persuaded a member of staff to help out for a few minutes.
And then we were off. Graham Lake shot to the front and after about 100m I knew I wouldn't be able to compete with that pace. My only hope of winning was if he blew up. I went through 400m in about 85s with Mick hot on my heels. I was working hard but expected to be able to keep that pace going. Mick was still tailing me at the half mile and, more significantly, Graham was not increasing his lead - it was remaining constant at about 25m.
The third lap saw Mick lose touch and I reached the bell in about 4:17 gaining slightly on Graham. With about 350m remaining I lapped Antonio and down the back straight I began to think the leader was beginning to tire too much and that I might just catch him if I could muster a sprint finish.
That wasn't to be though. My final lap was my fastest (about 1:22) and I suspect that Graham just started his finishing spurt a bit later than me. I was well pleased with my time of 5:39 which is an M45 pb and also an age graded pb (see this page for details).
The race was won with 5:28 and the president equalled the club's M60 record with his 6:08 although he probably could have gone a bit quicker with better pacing.
Finally ... to all those running in the Lake District this coming weekend (100 miles & 50 miles) I hope the weather stays kind and that you all have good and enjoyable races. Especially John Kynaston and Sarah Fuller.
5:19 ... 15 Sep 1998 (age graded 5:13)
5:37 ... 24 Aug 2004 (age graded 5:18)
5:41 ... 23 Aug 2005 (age graded 5:19)
5:40 ... 30 Aug 2007 (age graded 5:13)
I then looked at my current times in training and decided that I should be able to manage somewhere between 5:45 and 5:50
At the track I was surprised that only seven people had turned out. I'm sure we used to have enough runners for two or more races. One of those looking for a short race was president Mick Jeffrey who, I felt sure, was after the M60 club record of 6:08
After half an hour warming up and waiting in vain for other runners to arrive we decided to race. The only problem was ... we didn't have a timekeeper. So, the ever resourceful Richard Hamer persuaded a member of staff to help out for a few minutes.
And then we were off. Graham Lake shot to the front and after about 100m I knew I wouldn't be able to compete with that pace. My only hope of winning was if he blew up. I went through 400m in about 85s with Mick hot on my heels. I was working hard but expected to be able to keep that pace going. Mick was still tailing me at the half mile and, more significantly, Graham was not increasing his lead - it was remaining constant at about 25m.
The third lap saw Mick lose touch and I reached the bell in about 4:17 gaining slightly on Graham. With about 350m remaining I lapped Antonio and down the back straight I began to think the leader was beginning to tire too much and that I might just catch him if I could muster a sprint finish.
That wasn't to be though. My final lap was my fastest (about 1:22) and I suspect that Graham just started his finishing spurt a bit later than me. I was well pleased with my time of 5:39 which is an M45 pb and also an age graded pb (see this page for details).
The race was won with 5:28 and the president equalled the club's M60 record with his 6:08 although he probably could have gone a bit quicker with better pacing.
Finally ... to all those running in the Lake District this coming weekend (100 miles & 50 miles) I hope the weather stays kind and that you all have good and enjoyable races. Especially John Kynaston and Sarah Fuller.
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
The last few days
Yesterday's long run went without hitch. I decided to run two separate 18 mile (29 km) routes with no rest between them - mainly to avoid carrying lots of refreshments. It could have been a bit boring but by choosing the routes wisely that was avoided.
So, overall I ran 36.4 miles (58.6 km) in five hours exactly. Very pleased with that as the weather has decided to give us something resembling summer ... at last. Very warm and sunny towards the end (23.8 C/74.8 F).
Only strength work today but tomorrow it's an 8 mile (13 km) tempo run and on Thursday it's the club's annual 1 mile track race over in Keighley. Looking forward to that.
And congratulations to Simon Anderson on joining the Bob Graham club at the weekend. His time of 22 hours 33 was fantastic and well deserved.
Also well done to all the runners at the Anglo Celtic Plate who successfully proved their fitness to the selectors for the World 24 hr Championships. Especially the English women who retained the team title.
So, overall I ran 36.4 miles (58.6 km) in five hours exactly. Very pleased with that as the weather has decided to give us something resembling summer ... at last. Very warm and sunny towards the end (23.8 C/74.8 F).
Only strength work today but tomorrow it's an 8 mile (13 km) tempo run and on Thursday it's the club's annual 1 mile track race over in Keighley. Looking forward to that.
And congratulations to Simon Anderson on joining the Bob Graham club at the weekend. His time of 22 hours 33 was fantastic and well deserved.
Also well done to all the runners at the Anglo Celtic Plate who successfully proved their fitness to the selectors for the World 24 hr Championships. Especially the English women who retained the team title.
Friday, 20 July 2012
stuff ...
Yesterday evening Otley AC had one of their monthly handicap races. This one was 2.9 miles (4.7 km) around woodland to the south of Otley. With one large hill at about half way.
Having ran 28 miles (45 km) the day before and 6 miles (10km) eleven hours before the handicap I wasn't expecting anything fantastic in terms of time. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if I'd finished last. Especially with all that mud.
I started with three other runners [Lloyd Best, Simon Toyne and Richard Smith] and they immediately sped off into the distance, as expected. After about a mile (1.6 km) I realised that I was actually closing quite rapidly on one of them. Passed Lloyd going up the hill and then closed the gap significantly on Simon and Richard. Unfortunately they took a slight wrong turn just after 2 miles (3.2 km) and I passed them both at that point and stayed in front. Shortly afterwards I began overtaking many of the runners who had started before me although I was never overtaken by any faster runner who started behind me.
So, a very good run be me ... and an excellent time too. 19:18 is just one second slower than my best on that course which dates back to June 2007.
This event was followed by a much enjoyed barbecue at Otley Cricket Club where it was good to see and catch up with long standing member Phil Robinson who's still recovering slowly after a horrific cycling accident about 12 months ago.
Also in news ... best wishes to Simon Anderson on this weekend's attempt at a Bob Graham Round. And then there's the Anglo Celtic Plate 100k in south Wales on Sunday - all the best to those runners (especially the England team, of course).
And finally some sad news for music fans. Jon Lord - keyboard player with The Artwoods, Deep Purple and Whitesnake - died earlier this week after suffering a pulmonary embolism. His work with those bands was outstanding (especially with his Hammond organ) but he has also been quite prolific in recent years as a writer of classical music. BBC Radio 4 aired an obituary this afternoon during which someone mentioned that Jon Lord was the only person ever to have been #1 in the classical music chart and #1 in the pop music chart.
Having ran 28 miles (45 km) the day before and 6 miles (10km) eleven hours before the handicap I wasn't expecting anything fantastic in terms of time. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if I'd finished last. Especially with all that mud.
I started with three other runners [Lloyd Best, Simon Toyne and Richard Smith] and they immediately sped off into the distance, as expected. After about a mile (1.6 km) I realised that I was actually closing quite rapidly on one of them. Passed Lloyd going up the hill and then closed the gap significantly on Simon and Richard. Unfortunately they took a slight wrong turn just after 2 miles (3.2 km) and I passed them both at that point and stayed in front. Shortly afterwards I began overtaking many of the runners who had started before me although I was never overtaken by any faster runner who started behind me.
So, a very good run be me ... and an excellent time too. 19:18 is just one second slower than my best on that course which dates back to June 2007.
This event was followed by a much enjoyed barbecue at Otley Cricket Club where it was good to see and catch up with long standing member Phil Robinson who's still recovering slowly after a horrific cycling accident about 12 months ago.
Also in news ... best wishes to Simon Anderson on this weekend's attempt at a Bob Graham Round. And then there's the Anglo Celtic Plate 100k in south Wales on Sunday - all the best to those runners (especially the England team, of course).
And finally some sad news for music fans. Jon Lord - keyboard player with The Artwoods, Deep Purple and Whitesnake - died earlier this week after suffering a pulmonary embolism. His work with those bands was outstanding (especially with his Hammond organ) but he has also been quite prolific in recent years as a writer of classical music. BBC Radio 4 aired an obituary this afternoon during which someone mentioned that Jon Lord was the only person ever to have been #1 in the classical music chart and #1 in the pop music chart.
Sunday, 15 July 2012
The next few weeks
Since my last post my training has been:
FRIDAY 13 JULY ... 8.5 miles (13.7 km) tempo. The plan was to run at about 6:52 per mile (4:16 per km) but I can't say I was looking forward to it because of the strong winds. Half way through I felt very good - and the wind was proving to be no problem at all - so I just continued at the same pace and finished in 57:23 (6:45 per mile/4:12 per km). Really pleased with that.
SATURDAY 14 JULY ... just an 8 mile (13 km) recovery run.
SUNDAY 15 JULY ... hill reps up (and down) Newall Carr Bank just to the north of Otley. Fourteen times, not excessive but that will increase to twenty by the middle of August.
Today also marks the beginning of proper training again after three weeks recovery from the ULTRArace 100. If you haven't read it yet, my report is here. Only eight weeks now to the World Championships which will be five weeks training and three weeks tapering. The next five weeks (running) training will be:
MONDAY 16 JULY ... long run fartlek (25 miles/41 km)
TUESDAY 17 JULY
WEDNESDAY 17 JULY ... long run (28 miles/45 km)
THURSDAY 19 JULY ... steady (9 miles/15 km)
FRIDAY 20 JULY ... tempo (9 miles/14 km)
SATURDAY 21 JULY ... steady (9 miles/15 km)
SUNDAY 22 JULY
MONDAY 23 JULY ... long run (39 miles/63 km)
TUESDAY 24 JULY
WEDNESDAY 25 JULY
THURSDAY 26 JULY ... tempo (8 miles/13 km)
FRIDAY 27 JULY
SATURDAY 28 JULY ... 200m reps
SUNDAY 29 JULY ... steady (6 miles/10 km)
MONDAY 30 JULY ... long run fartlek (26 miles/42 km)
TUESDAY 31 JULY ... long run (29 miles/46 km)
WEDNESDAY 1 AUGUST
THURSDAY 2 AUGUST ... hill reps
FRIDAY 3 AUGUST ... tempo (7 miles/11 km)
SATURDAY 4 AUGUST ... steady (6 miles/10 km)
SUNDAY 5 AUGUST ... 1 mile/1.6 km reps
MONDAY 6 AUGUST
TUESDAY 7 AUGUST ... long run fartlek (27 miles/43 km)
WEDNESDAY 8 AUGUST ... long run (29 miles/47 km)
THURSDAY 9 AUGUST ... steady (6 miles/9 km)
FRIDAY 10 AUGUST ... hill reps
SATURDAY 11 AUGUST
SUNDAY 12 AUGUST ... steady (5 miles/9 km)
MONDAY 13 AUGUST ... long run fartlek (27 miles/43 km)
TUESDAY 14 AUGUST ... long run (30 miles/48 km)
WEDNESDAY 15 AUGUST
THURSDAY 16 AUGUST ... hill reps
FRIDAY 17 AUGUST ... tempo (6 miles/10 km)
SATURDAY 18 AUGUST
I'll also try to fit in a few of the upcoming club events:
2.9 mile (4.7 km) handicap on Thursday 19 July
Golden Acre Relay on Wednesday 25 July
1 mile (1.6 km) track race on Thursday 26 July
3000m track race on Thursday 16 August
On to other stuff now.
There's a great new e mag put together by Paul Ali called Ultra Tales and the second edition has just been released. See here for all the details and a great read. And then there's the new book from Tim Noakes (Waterlogged) who argues that the human body is quite capable or regulating it's own hydration and electrolyte status - so long as we don't interfere by doing things such as drinking to excess or ignoring thirst. That book is a fascinating read - see what the fuss is all about here.
Finally let me tell about something which happened on today's training run when four cyclists passed by ...
the first cyclist turned to me and said "100 miles today, Chris ?"
"Not today" I replied.
The second cyclist looked at us both in surprise then said "we are"
the third cyclist then piped up "but we're on bikes, you fool"
the fourth cyclist just laughed as they sped off into the distance.
FRIDAY 13 JULY ... 8.5 miles (13.7 km) tempo. The plan was to run at about 6:52 per mile (4:16 per km) but I can't say I was looking forward to it because of the strong winds. Half way through I felt very good - and the wind was proving to be no problem at all - so I just continued at the same pace and finished in 57:23 (6:45 per mile/4:12 per km). Really pleased with that.
SATURDAY 14 JULY ... just an 8 mile (13 km) recovery run.
SUNDAY 15 JULY ... hill reps up (and down) Newall Carr Bank just to the north of Otley. Fourteen times, not excessive but that will increase to twenty by the middle of August.
Today also marks the beginning of proper training again after three weeks recovery from the ULTRArace 100. If you haven't read it yet, my report is here. Only eight weeks now to the World Championships which will be five weeks training and three weeks tapering. The next five weeks (running) training will be:
MONDAY 16 JULY ... long run fartlek (25 miles/41 km)
TUESDAY 17 JULY
WEDNESDAY 17 JULY ... long run (28 miles/45 km)
THURSDAY 19 JULY ... steady (9 miles/15 km)
FRIDAY 20 JULY ... tempo (9 miles/14 km)
SATURDAY 21 JULY ... steady (9 miles/15 km)
SUNDAY 22 JULY
MONDAY 23 JULY ... long run (39 miles/63 km)
TUESDAY 24 JULY
WEDNESDAY 25 JULY
THURSDAY 26 JULY ... tempo (8 miles/13 km)
FRIDAY 27 JULY
SATURDAY 28 JULY ... 200m reps
SUNDAY 29 JULY ... steady (6 miles/10 km)
MONDAY 30 JULY ... long run fartlek (26 miles/42 km)
TUESDAY 31 JULY ... long run (29 miles/46 km)
WEDNESDAY 1 AUGUST
THURSDAY 2 AUGUST ... hill reps
FRIDAY 3 AUGUST ... tempo (7 miles/11 km)
SATURDAY 4 AUGUST ... steady (6 miles/10 km)
SUNDAY 5 AUGUST ... 1 mile/1.6 km reps
MONDAY 6 AUGUST
TUESDAY 7 AUGUST ... long run fartlek (27 miles/43 km)
WEDNESDAY 8 AUGUST ... long run (29 miles/47 km)
THURSDAY 9 AUGUST ... steady (6 miles/9 km)
FRIDAY 10 AUGUST ... hill reps
SATURDAY 11 AUGUST
SUNDAY 12 AUGUST ... steady (5 miles/9 km)
MONDAY 13 AUGUST ... long run fartlek (27 miles/43 km)
TUESDAY 14 AUGUST ... long run (30 miles/48 km)
WEDNESDAY 15 AUGUST
THURSDAY 16 AUGUST ... hill reps
FRIDAY 17 AUGUST ... tempo (6 miles/10 km)
SATURDAY 18 AUGUST
I'll also try to fit in a few of the upcoming club events:
2.9 mile (4.7 km) handicap on Thursday 19 July
Golden Acre Relay on Wednesday 25 July
1 mile (1.6 km) track race on Thursday 26 July
3000m track race on Thursday 16 August
On to other stuff now.
There's a great new e mag put together by Paul Ali called Ultra Tales and the second edition has just been released. See here for all the details and a great read. And then there's the new book from Tim Noakes (Waterlogged) who argues that the human body is quite capable or regulating it's own hydration and electrolyte status - so long as we don't interfere by doing things such as drinking to excess or ignoring thirst. That book is a fascinating read - see what the fuss is all about here.
Finally let me tell about something which happened on today's training run when four cyclists passed by ...
the first cyclist turned to me and said "100 miles today, Chris ?"
"Not today" I replied.
The second cyclist looked at us both in surprise then said "we are"
the third cyclist then piped up "but we're on bikes, you fool"
the fourth cyclist just laughed as they sped off into the distance.
Friday, 29 June 2012
Harrogate League 2012
Let's begin by saying a big 'well done' to everyone from Otley AC who turned out for the final Harrogate League race yesterday evening.
The off-road 8k course was exceptionally muddy and, in places, it was like trying to run on an ice skating rink. I slipped, of course, at about halfway but got up (covered in mud, grazes and bruises) and managed to run strongly and pull back lots of places helping the club to their first overall League win since 2009.
The women also won their competition, for only the second time ever. And we also won the elite competition ... that's three wins out of six team competitions. Fantastic.
Thanks too to Nidd Valley Road Runners and Vocalink RC for organising the race, and to Paul Wood for all his hard work compiling results.
Last night I finished in 57th position (out of 232) with a time of 35:49. I know it's not too fast but I'm happy with that for three reasons:
1 - it was only six days after a 100 miler and I just ran how I felt ... faster if I felt good, slower if I didn't
2 - the mud was terrible, I never feel comfortable when slipping and sliding everywhere
3 - I beat at least five runners that I expected to finish behind
Also ... I won a prize in the raffle. Some electrolyte tablets which will be very useful indeed.
Well, that's all for now. I've got a race report to write.
The off-road 8k course was exceptionally muddy and, in places, it was like trying to run on an ice skating rink. I slipped, of course, at about halfway but got up (covered in mud, grazes and bruises) and managed to run strongly and pull back lots of places helping the club to their first overall League win since 2009.
The women also won their competition, for only the second time ever. And we also won the elite competition ... that's three wins out of six team competitions. Fantastic.
Thanks too to Nidd Valley Road Runners and Vocalink RC for organising the race, and to Paul Wood for all his hard work compiling results.
Last night I finished in 57th position (out of 232) with a time of 35:49. I know it's not too fast but I'm happy with that for three reasons:
1 - it was only six days after a 100 miler and I just ran how I felt ... faster if I felt good, slower if I didn't
2 - the mud was terrible, I never feel comfortable when slipping and sliding everywhere
3 - I beat at least five runners that I expected to finish behind
Also ... I won a prize in the raffle. Some electrolyte tablets which will be very useful indeed.
Well, that's all for now. I've got a race report to write.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Otley 10
Spent much of yesterday helping out at the annual 10 mile road race organised by my club (Otley AC). OK, OK the club doesn't belong to me but you know what I mean.
This year was the 28th staging of the popular evening race which, strangely enough, seemed to enjoy much better weather when it was held in mid May. The course itself winds it's way through beautiful countryside to the north of Otley and is well known across northern England for the two rather large hills - see the course profile here. I don't believe this course was particularly designed to be difficult, it's just that it wasn't easy for the club at that time to find a suitable route locally for a road race without incorporating some hills. I now think it's quite rare for such a long standing race to have a course record which is over 50 minutes.
The course records are: 50:56 (Colin Moore - 1989) and 57:40 (Veronique Marot - 1989)
This year's winner was Matt John (Otley AC) who finished in just over 56 minutes.
Colin Best deserves much credit for organising the race this year (and last year too). Hopefully he can continue for many years to come and also hopefully I can be of more help than I was this year as the race has always been a bit special for me. I was race director from 2000 to 2008/9 but had to resign when the pressures of Running to London and trying to secure selection for the 2009 Commonwealth Championships began to take their toll.
I'm sure Colin would want to join me in saying 'thank you' to all the marshals and other helpers who make this race possible. I think that many people not involved in organising a race fail to appreciate the manpower needed to stage an event like this.
This year was the 28th staging of the popular evening race which, strangely enough, seemed to enjoy much better weather when it was held in mid May. The course itself winds it's way through beautiful countryside to the north of Otley and is well known across northern England for the two rather large hills - see the course profile here. I don't believe this course was particularly designed to be difficult, it's just that it wasn't easy for the club at that time to find a suitable route locally for a road race without incorporating some hills. I now think it's quite rare for such a long standing race to have a course record which is over 50 minutes.
The course records are: 50:56 (Colin Moore - 1989) and 57:40 (Veronique Marot - 1989)
This year's winner was Matt John (Otley AC) who finished in just over 56 minutes.
Colin Best deserves much credit for organising the race this year (and last year too). Hopefully he can continue for many years to come and also hopefully I can be of more help than I was this year as the race has always been a bit special for me. I was race director from 2000 to 2008/9 but had to resign when the pressures of Running to London and trying to secure selection for the 2009 Commonwealth Championships began to take their toll.
I'm sure Colin would want to join me in saying 'thank you' to all the marshals and other helpers who make this race possible. I think that many people not involved in organising a race fail to appreciate the manpower needed to stage an event like this.
Saturday, 2 June 2012
this week
It's been quite a busy few days since my last post ...
Tuesday 29 May - Keir's 18th birthday. He had already told us that he didn't want to spend too long celebrating as he wanted to not be distracted from his exams (which have already started). We still managed to ensure he had a memorable day though.
Wednesday 30 May - long run. Over thirty miles in the morning and strength work in the evening. My last long run before the ULTRArace 100.
Thursday 31 May - 5.5 mile race (8.9 km) race in Yeadon which forms part of the Harrogate League series. I ran 38:11 on the muddy (and slippery) trails and finished in 45th position (out of 262). Quite surprised by this for two reasons: (1) only one day after a very long run and only 6 seconds behind my best on that course, (2) I, along with about half a dozen other runners, lost about 30 seconds after taking a wrong turn in Esholt just before the long climb through the woods.
My club, Otley AC, seems to be doing very well indeed so 'well done everyone'.
Friday 1 June - 7.6 mile tempo run (12.2 km) in the afternoon. The target was 6:51 per mile (4:15 per km) and I thought I might struggle with that less than 24 hrs after quite a hard race. However, without pushing too hard, I managed 6:43 per mile (4:10 per km). The idea was to run quite fast but also to 'run to feel' - always being in control of any residual niggles from the race or long run. Pleased with that. More strength and core work in the evening.
Day off today but thing about those running the Grand Union Canal Race, especially Debs, Jerry, Pat R, Mike B and Richard Q.
Back to training tomorrow but I'm now in tapering mode for three weeks. I just hope the recent summer weather holds out and we don't have 12 hours of rain on 22/23 June.
Tuesday 29 May - Keir's 18th birthday. He had already told us that he didn't want to spend too long celebrating as he wanted to not be distracted from his exams (which have already started). We still managed to ensure he had a memorable day though.
Wednesday 30 May - long run. Over thirty miles in the morning and strength work in the evening. My last long run before the ULTRArace 100.
Thursday 31 May - 5.5 mile race (8.9 km) race in Yeadon which forms part of the Harrogate League series. I ran 38:11 on the muddy (and slippery) trails and finished in 45th position (out of 262). Quite surprised by this for two reasons: (1) only one day after a very long run and only 6 seconds behind my best on that course, (2) I, along with about half a dozen other runners, lost about 30 seconds after taking a wrong turn in Esholt just before the long climb through the woods.
My club, Otley AC, seems to be doing very well indeed so 'well done everyone'.
Friday 1 June - 7.6 mile tempo run (12.2 km) in the afternoon. The target was 6:51 per mile (4:15 per km) and I thought I might struggle with that less than 24 hrs after quite a hard race. However, without pushing too hard, I managed 6:43 per mile (4:10 per km). The idea was to run quite fast but also to 'run to feel' - always being in control of any residual niggles from the race or long run. Pleased with that. More strength and core work in the evening.
Day off today but thing about those running the Grand Union Canal Race, especially Debs, Jerry, Pat R, Mike B and Richard Q.
Back to training tomorrow but I'm now in tapering mode for three weeks. I just hope the recent summer weather holds out and we don't have 12 hours of rain on 22/23 June.
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
coming along nicely thank you ...
After Saturday's good 4.9 mile race I had a recovery day on Sunday before embarking on my 50k training run. The route from Otley was up the valley to Burley then over the hill into the next valley (Airedale). I then ran up that valley to Saltaire where I joined the Leeds Liverpool Canal.
Ran eastwards along the towpath for a eleven miles or so (17.3 km) to Kirkstall before climbing the hill to Headingley. From there I ran over the hill and back into Wharfedale and Otley. A few hills to climb but a nice downhill finish.
Overall I didn't push the pace at all, I treated it as just another long run but with ample opportunity to test new foods. Very pleased to arrive back home in 4h 25 feeling as if I could have continued all day !!!
Later I looked at last years training and came across an entry in my diary for 9 May 2011. On that day I ran the same route in 4h 33 but had a bad patch about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) from home. A definite improvement this year I think.
A few congratulations to end this post:
1) Sharon Gayter recently broke the north south end to end record in Ireland ...
2) Elizabeth Grayson [another ultra runner from Otley] ran in the Glasgow Edinburgh Double Marathon recently and bettered her time from last year by 43 minutes
3) Otley AC have qualified to run in the National 12 Stage Road Relay which will be held on 14 April in Birmingham. The A team earned that by finishing in the top 25 last Saturday.
Well done to all involved.
Ran eastwards along the towpath for a eleven miles or so (17.3 km) to Kirkstall before climbing the hill to Headingley. From there I ran over the hill and back into Wharfedale and Otley. A few hills to climb but a nice downhill finish.
Overall I didn't push the pace at all, I treated it as just another long run but with ample opportunity to test new foods. Very pleased to arrive back home in 4h 25 feeling as if I could have continued all day !!!
Later I looked at last years training and came across an entry in my diary for 9 May 2011. On that day I ran the same route in 4h 33 but had a bad patch about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) from home. A definite improvement this year I think.
A few congratulations to end this post:
1) Sharon Gayter recently broke the north south end to end record in Ireland ...
2) Elizabeth Grayson [another ultra runner from Otley] ran in the Glasgow Edinburgh Double Marathon recently and bettered her time from last year by 43 minutes
3) Otley AC have qualified to run in the National 12 Stage Road Relay which will be held on 14 April in Birmingham. The A team earned that by finishing in the top 25 last Saturday.
Well done to all involved.
Sunday, 1 April 2012
very short race
A good day yesterday at Sefton Park in Liverpool. As mentioned previously I was running for Otley AC in the North of England 12 stage road relay - I was running stage 7 for the B team [we've never managed two teams before so that was excellent news for the club].
My relay leg was 4.9 miles (7.9 km) and, based on current training, I expected a time of about 32:30. I know that isn't very quick I've only resumed proper training in the last couple of months and I didn't really expect to have regained my old speed as yet. When the team captain, Mick Jeffrey, reported that he had run 31:41 on a very good course [no big hills, no wind, etc] I started to think that maybe I should aim for a quicker time.
With no mile (or km) markers on the course it's always a case of running to feel in these type of events and so I set off at a pace I felt comfortable with but at the same time knowing that I could respond if pushed at the end of my run. By coincidence Huw Illingworth was beginning his run about 20 seconds or so after me - he was in the A team though - so I expected him to pass me after not too long. Sure enough he stormed past after about a mile and by the time he got to the flock of pigeons on the course he was about 30 - 40m ahead of me. As he ran through them they all scattered but to my surprise they all landed again in the same place before I arrived. This unexpected obstacle wasn't so easy to deal with and at times I almost trod on a couple of birds and had to deal with panicking pigeons flying into me and another runner just behind. Luckily that wasn't a problem on the second lap.
At the end I did manage a sprint finish with another guy from a different club and to my surprise my time was 29:09. Very happy with that. In terms of speed I was the fastest runner in the B team and quicker than two from the A team.
In fact, on checking my previous races, I haven't run so quickly since late August 2010 when I completed a 5k parkrun in 18:17. So, the speed seems to have returned.
Otley A finished a good 28th and Otley B finished 46th. Overall there 46 complete teams finished along with 11 incomplete ones. Full results are here and there are lots of photos here.
Thanks to Mick Jeffrey for organising teams and Huw Illingworth for driving.
And tomorrow there's a 50k training run.
My relay leg was 4.9 miles (7.9 km) and, based on current training, I expected a time of about 32:30. I know that isn't very quick I've only resumed proper training in the last couple of months and I didn't really expect to have regained my old speed as yet. When the team captain, Mick Jeffrey, reported that he had run 31:41 on a very good course [no big hills, no wind, etc] I started to think that maybe I should aim for a quicker time.
With no mile (or km) markers on the course it's always a case of running to feel in these type of events and so I set off at a pace I felt comfortable with but at the same time knowing that I could respond if pushed at the end of my run. By coincidence Huw Illingworth was beginning his run about 20 seconds or so after me - he was in the A team though - so I expected him to pass me after not too long. Sure enough he stormed past after about a mile and by the time he got to the flock of pigeons on the course he was about 30 - 40m ahead of me. As he ran through them they all scattered but to my surprise they all landed again in the same place before I arrived. This unexpected obstacle wasn't so easy to deal with and at times I almost trod on a couple of birds and had to deal with panicking pigeons flying into me and another runner just behind. Luckily that wasn't a problem on the second lap.
At the end I did manage a sprint finish with another guy from a different club and to my surprise my time was 29:09. Very happy with that. In terms of speed I was the fastest runner in the B team and quicker than two from the A team.
In fact, on checking my previous races, I haven't run so quickly since late August 2010 when I completed a 5k parkrun in 18:17. So, the speed seems to have returned.
Otley A finished a good 28th and Otley B finished 46th. Overall there 46 complete teams finished along with 11 incomplete ones. Full results are here and there are lots of photos here.
Thanks to Mick Jeffrey for organising teams and Huw Illingworth for driving.
And tomorrow there's a 50k training run.
Monday, 5 March 2012
better than expected
Yesterday it was Otley AC's turn to host an event for the Yorkshire Veterans Athletic Association. It was only 5.8 miles (9.3 km) but if a club belongs to an association such as that then it should expect to stage a race once in a while. And if a person belongs to a running club they should expect to help out as a marshal, or similar, once or twice a year. It's not fun standing around in the rain on a cold March afternoon for 90 minutes though .
Good to see Helen Barber (Horsforth H) running well on the multi terrain course. You may remember that she and her partner (Tony Hazell) provided much help during my Run To London back in 2009. Wow, was that really three years ago ?
Today was different though. Went for a long run this morning. Well, about 21.3 miles (34.2 km) up the valley to Addingham and back. Not hilly but far from flat either. Without pushing the pace at all I was out for about 2h 52 ... more than happy with that.
The sun was shining, it was a little breezy but all in all it felt warmer than expected and as promised a few days ago I just had a fun three hours (almost).
Feeling good ... fitness coming back ... testing nutritional stuff ... very happy ... expecting a better year than 2012.
Good to see Helen Barber (Horsforth H) running well on the multi terrain course. You may remember that she and her partner (Tony Hazell) provided much help during my Run To London back in 2009. Wow, was that really three years ago ?
Today was different though. Went for a long run this morning. Well, about 21.3 miles (34.2 km) up the valley to Addingham and back. Not hilly but far from flat either. Without pushing the pace at all I was out for about 2h 52 ... more than happy with that.
The sun was shining, it was a little breezy but all in all it felt warmer than expected and as promised a few days ago I just had a fun three hours (almost).
Feeling good ... fitness coming back ... testing nutritional stuff ... very happy ... expecting a better year than 2012.
Friday, 16 December 2011
This weekend
Just time to let you know about a couple of things happening this weekend in the world of ultra running:
First of all Sharon Gayter is on a treadmill at Teeside University going well in her attempt to record the farthest distance ever in a seven day period. The current record is 753 km by Lee Chamberlain back in 2009. All the news is on Sharon's website.
Then, over in Spain, there's the Barcelona 24 hr race. I know there's at least three British runners out there - Heather Foundling-Hawker, Paul Hart and Jen Salter. I wish I could be there but, apart from my injury, I'll be flying to Rome this afternoon with Keir as he's been invited to look around the university there as it's his favoured place of undergraduate study at the moment. He'll be reading Roman History from September 2012.
I wish the Scots, English and Welsh runners all the best.
Finally ... Athletics Weekly have just published, in their latest edition, something I wrote a week or two ago. This is a good move as the media do tend to ignore ultra running a bit. For instance, in the same issue, they have a month by month review of the year in athletics terms ... but for September no mention is made of the Commonwealth Championships despite all the home countries medals (and world best performance). Not had time to check everything yet but I hope there's no typos and that any photos have been correctly attributed. My apologies if anything is amiss.
And then there's the Otley AC Christmas handicap. The culmination of a running competition lasting almost twelve months ...
First of all Sharon Gayter is on a treadmill at Teeside University going well in her attempt to record the farthest distance ever in a seven day period. The current record is 753 km by Lee Chamberlain back in 2009. All the news is on Sharon's website.
Then, over in Spain, there's the Barcelona 24 hr race. I know there's at least three British runners out there - Heather Foundling-Hawker, Paul Hart and Jen Salter. I wish I could be there but, apart from my injury, I'll be flying to Rome this afternoon with Keir as he's been invited to look around the university there as it's his favoured place of undergraduate study at the moment. He'll be reading Roman History from September 2012.
I wish the Scots, English and Welsh runners all the best.
Finally ... Athletics Weekly have just published, in their latest edition, something I wrote a week or two ago. This is a good move as the media do tend to ignore ultra running a bit. For instance, in the same issue, they have a month by month review of the year in athletics terms ... but for September no mention is made of the Commonwealth Championships despite all the home countries medals (and world best performance). Not had time to check everything yet but I hope there's no typos and that any photos have been correctly attributed. My apologies if anything is amiss.
And then there's the Otley AC Christmas handicap. The culmination of a running competition lasting almost twelve months ...
Sunday, 23 October 2011
Welcome back ...
Recently had a week or two break from training and that's been really enjoyable. Still been running but not training ... I feel that there is a difference. Sometimes a big one.
For the past two or three days I've started looking at possible races for next year. Ideally I'd like a 24 hr race in May followed by the World & Euro 24 hr race in September (to be held in Poland) and finally a long ultra toward the end of the year. Possibly Barcelona to make up for having to miss it this year.
Also I'd like, if possible to run the Round Rotherham 50 in October. I've done that one a couple of times now and really enjoyed it. I know I can't be competitive in that type of race but I still found it enjoyable. And it's not far from home either.
A few days ago our energy supplier told us that our monthly payments should be raised from £83 to £130. Needless to say we were not impressed. I know prices are rising at the moment but 56% is not on. We put in an official complaint and we're waiting to hear back ...
Last night was a strange night. At about 10.00pm I was coming down the stairs at home when I slipped. Badly. From about two thirds of the way up. By the time I reached the bottom I had a bruised left heel and left ankle, bruised right thigh and cuts to both of my elbow. At the time it was a bit scary and I suppose I was lucky to escape with only a few cuts and bruises. Iced my ankle for a while and cleaned my cuts before taking some ibuprofen and going to bed in a sorry state.
This morning, after not a good night's sleep [painful elbows!!!] I took part in the monthly Otley AC handicap. This month it was from a local village named Esholt. The weather was wonderful - warm and sunny - but I was unsure how I would manage. mainly because of last night's incident but also because I hadn't done anything other than steady running since before the Commonwealth Championships.
The sticking plasters on both elbows didn't hinder me too much although the left ankle was a bit painful for running ... but I was well pleased with my 32:45 on an undulating multi-terrain 5 mile route. Especially as I had to stop at least three times to allow other people past on some of the narrow footpaths [walkers coming in the opposite direction].
To help pay some of the extra energy bills ...
Over a number of years now I have found that writing an account of a race or other challenge or explaining some aspect of training and/or racing has been an increasingly enjoyable part of my running. Hopefully other people enjoy what I write and get something from it. Be it training knowledge, inspiration or something else. I know at least one person has taken to ultra running as a direct result of reading my words.
My work has appeared in various magazines, websites, club newsletters so: if you are a magazine/newspaper editor or journalist interested in commissioning me to write for your publication about any aspect of ultra distance running please feel free to get in touch by leaving a comment on a blog post or using the contact details here. You can also contact me via facebook.
For the past two or three days I've started looking at possible races for next year. Ideally I'd like a 24 hr race in May followed by the World & Euro 24 hr race in September (to be held in Poland) and finally a long ultra toward the end of the year. Possibly Barcelona to make up for having to miss it this year.
Also I'd like, if possible to run the Round Rotherham 50 in October. I've done that one a couple of times now and really enjoyed it. I know I can't be competitive in that type of race but I still found it enjoyable. And it's not far from home either.
A few days ago our energy supplier told us that our monthly payments should be raised from £83 to £130. Needless to say we were not impressed. I know prices are rising at the moment but 56% is not on. We put in an official complaint and we're waiting to hear back ...
Last night was a strange night. At about 10.00pm I was coming down the stairs at home when I slipped. Badly. From about two thirds of the way up. By the time I reached the bottom I had a bruised left heel and left ankle, bruised right thigh and cuts to both of my elbow. At the time it was a bit scary and I suppose I was lucky to escape with only a few cuts and bruises. Iced my ankle for a while and cleaned my cuts before taking some ibuprofen and going to bed in a sorry state.
This morning, after not a good night's sleep [painful elbows!!!] I took part in the monthly Otley AC handicap. This month it was from a local village named Esholt. The weather was wonderful - warm and sunny - but I was unsure how I would manage. mainly because of last night's incident but also because I hadn't done anything other than steady running since before the Commonwealth Championships.
The sticking plasters on both elbows didn't hinder me too much although the left ankle was a bit painful for running ... but I was well pleased with my 32:45 on an undulating multi-terrain 5 mile route. Especially as I had to stop at least three times to allow other people past on some of the narrow footpaths [walkers coming in the opposite direction].
To help pay some of the extra energy bills ...
Over a number of years now I have found that writing an account of a race or other challenge or explaining some aspect of training and/or racing has been an increasingly enjoyable part of my running. Hopefully other people enjoy what I write and get something from it. Be it training knowledge, inspiration or something else. I know at least one person has taken to ultra running as a direct result of reading my words.
My work has appeared in various magazines, websites, club newsletters so: if you are a magazine/newspaper editor or journalist interested in commissioning me to write for your publication about any aspect of ultra distance running please feel free to get in touch by leaving a comment on a blog post or using the contact details here. You can also contact me via facebook.
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Continuing my preparation for the Commonwealth Championships I've just begun the second week of tapering (out of three). Last week the mileage was 30 miles, this week it will be 40 and for the final week 20 [not including the race].
If that seems a little strange it's because the final week before tapering was my crash training period and to help recovery after that intense seven day period I half my normal weekly mileage.
Also in the final three weeks I try to include some heat training sessions, ie training with lots of clothes.
Yesterday afternoon I took part in another relay for Otley AC. This time it was the Yorkshire Road Relay Championships at Headingley, Leeds. I completed the windy 4 miles (6.4 km) in 24:20 which I'm very pleased about as that's the equivalent of about 18:50 for 5k.
Fifteen teams started. The A team finished third and the B team (for which I ran the first stage) finished ninth.
Also, for the first time ever, Otley AC had a women's team taking part. In my time as secretary (1999 to 2009) I tried incessantly to get a women's team together for various road relays. Always without success for one reason or another. It didn't help that some senior women seemed to have the attitude that in general the club's women were not up to the required standard.
I always thought that was irrelevant and that it was the taking part that was most important. If the team came last then at the very least they would have learned from the experience. So, well done to Tamara Weatherhead, Liz Ashton, Liz Fawcett and Caron Ralph.
If that seems a little strange it's because the final week before tapering was my crash training period and to help recovery after that intense seven day period I half my normal weekly mileage.
Also in the final three weeks I try to include some heat training sessions, ie training with lots of clothes.
Yesterday afternoon I took part in another relay for Otley AC. This time it was the Yorkshire Road Relay Championships at Headingley, Leeds. I completed the windy 4 miles (6.4 km) in 24:20 which I'm very pleased about as that's the equivalent of about 18:50 for 5k.
Fifteen teams started. The A team finished third and the B team (for which I ran the first stage) finished ninth.
Also, for the first time ever, Otley AC had a women's team taking part. In my time as secretary (1999 to 2009) I tried incessantly to get a women's team together for various road relays. Always without success for one reason or another. It didn't help that some senior women seemed to have the attitude that in general the club's women were not up to the required standard.
I always thought that was irrelevant and that it was the taking part that was most important. If the team came last then at the very least they would have learned from the experience. So, well done to Tamara Weatherhead, Liz Ashton, Liz Fawcett and Caron Ralph.
Thursday, 1 September 2011
crash training (day 6)
7.30am ... stretching
8.20am ... just over 15 miles steady (at my usual pace - no problem)
1.05pm ... cycling
2.05pm ... strength work (upper body, core and legs)
5.50pm ... stretching
7.45pm ... Otley AC 3000m track race. I ran unofficially 11:16 which I'm very pleased with considering it came near the end of a very big training week.
8.20am ... just over 15 miles steady (at my usual pace - no problem)
1.05pm ... cycling
2.05pm ... strength work (upper body, core and legs)
5.50pm ... stretching
7.45pm ... Otley AC 3000m track race. I ran unofficially 11:16 which I'm very pleased with considering it came near the end of a very big training week.
Sunday, 21 August 2011
possible changes
Just a brief post to explain that there are a couple of POSSIBLE changes to my racing plans for the remainder of the year.
On Thursday 1 September I was hoping to take part in my club's annual 3000m track race which, this year, is on the new track in Keighley. However ... yesterday an important meeting was called by the local Group Scout Leader to take place on the same evening. Perhaps I can get out of it but being the chairman maybe not ...
In December I was looking to take part in the Barcelona 24 hour race but this is looking increasingly unlikely. Keir is due to start university in 2012 and at the moment is in the process of applying for courses, visiting universities, going for interviews, etc. One such visit, to Rome, coincides with the Barcelona race and requires him and me to be there for a couple of days. I am trying to get it rearranged but I don't hold out much hope.
I'll keep you all informed though.
On Thursday 1 September I was hoping to take part in my club's annual 3000m track race which, this year, is on the new track in Keighley. However ... yesterday an important meeting was called by the local Group Scout Leader to take place on the same evening. Perhaps I can get out of it but being the chairman maybe not ...
In December I was looking to take part in the Barcelona 24 hour race but this is looking increasingly unlikely. Keir is due to start university in 2012 and at the moment is in the process of applying for courses, visiting universities, going for interviews, etc. One such visit, to Rome, coincides with the Barcelona race and requires him and me to be there for a couple of days. I am trying to get it rearranged but I don't hold out much hope.
I'll keep you all informed though.
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Recent training
Recent training has been going well and I've now started including more speedwork as it's only 10 weeks before the Commonwealth Championships. The organising committee have set up a new website at http://www.cmudc2011.org/en/ Well worth a look.
A couple of long runs last Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning showed that I've recovered from the 100 miler. The Monday run especially as that was my first long fartlek since 31 May.
Yesterday evening I took part, again, in the Otley AC organised Washburn Valley Relay for the club's B team. Sadly I'm not quick enough any more for the A team although someone mentioned that for a club to have an international runner in their B team ...
I ran the first leg (of three) and covered the 3.02 undulating miles in about 20:30. Pleased with that as it improves my course best by about 50 seconds. An excellent event at which there appeared to be a record number of teams taking part - the large car park was overflowing. Official results are not available yet but check the club's website in a few days and I'm sure they'll be there. Thanks to Nick Hodgkinson, John Dade, Andrew Robertshaw and Julian Mawson for their work in organising this relay in, what regular readers will know, is my favourite local running location.
This morning, bright and early [well it was when I left home !!!] I ventured out for a session of hill reps up and down Newall Carr Bank on the northern outskirts of Otley. After about 20 minutes it began raining and progressively got worse over then next hour or so. I just smiled to myself as I remembered the ULTRArace.100 in the Cotswolds when it rained continually for 12 hours or so.
After that deluge I'm sure I'll never be put off by rain ever again.
A couple of long runs last Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning showed that I've recovered from the 100 miler. The Monday run especially as that was my first long fartlek since 31 May.
Yesterday evening I took part, again, in the Otley AC organised Washburn Valley Relay for the club's B team. Sadly I'm not quick enough any more for the A team although someone mentioned that for a club to have an international runner in their B team ...
I ran the first leg (of three) and covered the 3.02 undulating miles in about 20:30. Pleased with that as it improves my course best by about 50 seconds. An excellent event at which there appeared to be a record number of teams taking part - the large car park was overflowing. Official results are not available yet but check the club's website in a few days and I'm sure they'll be there. Thanks to Nick Hodgkinson, John Dade, Andrew Robertshaw and Julian Mawson for their work in organising this relay in, what regular readers will know, is my favourite local running location.
This morning, bright and early [well it was when I left home !!!] I ventured out for a session of hill reps up and down Newall Carr Bank on the northern outskirts of Otley. After about 20 minutes it began raining and progressively got worse over then next hour or so. I just smiled to myself as I remembered the ULTRArace.100 in the Cotswolds when it rained continually for 12 hours or so.
After that deluge I'm sure I'll never be put off by rain ever again.
Friday, 17 June 2011
Aaarrrgh ... Keir has a bad cold. I hope he stays away from me, I definitely don't want a cold so close to a 100 mile race. Luckily for me he's a teenager which means he spends most of his time either in his bedroom or outside.
Heat training has been going well generally but causing lots of extra laundry. Running with lots of extra clothes is quite a bit harder sometimes and about a week ago I found a 6 mile tempo run to be extremely difficult when wearing 2 T shirts, a long sleeved top, a sweatshirt and also tracksters and tract suit bottoms.
Tomorrow, with only a week to go, I start on the beetroot juice. You may remember that I drank 500ml per day in the week before the Perth 24 hr race last September - with excellent results. It does taste better than expected and 500ml isn't too much really ...
All the best to those who are running the West Highland Way Race - I hope the weather holds out for you all, or at least that it doesn't rain solidly for the entire race.
And watch out for Richard Hamer - Otley AC member - who set off yesterday to walk the route. I hope he doesn't get in the way too much !!!
This morning I noticed the route changes for next week's race. Especially the major one involving the first 8 miles or so. Looking at the map (and being a former Race Director) I can understand the reasoning behind it but personally I would have preferred the original route as footpaths on the course of old railways tend not to be too inspiring - those I have used anyway.
So long as the overall distance is the same. That's the main thing I suppose, along with runner's safety.
Heat training has been going well generally but causing lots of extra laundry. Running with lots of extra clothes is quite a bit harder sometimes and about a week ago I found a 6 mile tempo run to be extremely difficult when wearing 2 T shirts, a long sleeved top, a sweatshirt and also tracksters and tract suit bottoms.
Tomorrow, with only a week to go, I start on the beetroot juice. You may remember that I drank 500ml per day in the week before the Perth 24 hr race last September - with excellent results. It does taste better than expected and 500ml isn't too much really ...
All the best to those who are running the West Highland Way Race - I hope the weather holds out for you all, or at least that it doesn't rain solidly for the entire race.
And watch out for Richard Hamer - Otley AC member - who set off yesterday to walk the route. I hope he doesn't get in the way too much !!!
This morning I noticed the route changes for next week's race. Especially the major one involving the first 8 miles or so. Looking at the map (and being a former Race Director) I can understand the reasoning behind it but personally I would have preferred the original route as footpaths on the course of old railways tend not to be too inspiring - those I have used anyway.
So long as the overall distance is the same. That's the main thing I suppose, along with runner's safety.
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