Diary Of A Road Runner

5k Time Trial - Cold and Grey - 24m 00s PB!

I haven’t slept much all week and have had some kind of stomach bug. Was feeling really tired this morning and had restless legs again as well as still feeling a bit queasy from the bug/food poisoning or whatever it was.

Although I didn’t feel up to it much, I wanted to get out to keep the legs turning over, so planned a 5k jog. It was freezing, so I didn’t hang around too much but set off a bit quickly to get warm. Did the first k in 4:50 then just decided to keep it going. Fourth k really hurt as the split shows, slowed to 5 mins per k after doing my fastest k split to date of 4:34. Desperation to get under 24 minutes kept the legs going near the end but staggered over 5k as Garmin clocked the last metre and 1 tenth of a second over 24 minutes

Still, a PB despite feeling totally rubbish when I walked out the door, and didn’t do much of a warmup either, so there has been improvement even though I took a week off, which must have done me some good too!

Splits were:

4:50
4:45
4:34
5:00
4:48

Boggart Chase 10k Race - Hot & Sunny - 51m 40s PB!

This was a race I had been a bit apprehensive about, not least because I had been feeling so tired earlier in the week. I took 3 days off running to try to let my energy levels return to normal, and concentrated on some other stuff. I was also thinking the nature of the course (undulating) would prevent me from another PB, just when I was on a roll!

The race started at 11:15, so I had ordered my taxi for 10. I got there with plenty of time to spare and managed to locate the toilets. I also had chance to enjoy watching the 3k fun run for young athletes before getting myself geared up for the main event. I did some stretches and for a minute thought I had damaged my hamstring but it was just a spasm as I managed to go and jog around the track a few times, and after a few trips to the loo it was time to be under starters orders!

This was quite a small race compared to some I’ve done, so I milled around near the back of the pack as usual, and then the horn went. Starting off on the track was a bit confusing - we did 2 and a bit laps before heading off on to the road, so I asked this lady I was passing if it was all on the track, lol! I set off pretty slowly, trying not to go off madly, and just get into a rhythm, as I knew some hills were coming and didn’t want to blow up half way through the race. Off we went on to the road and things were already thinned out where I was. A veteran lady (Louise Gilchrist) I have seen at other races came past me, and we headed into the park, down something of a slope, as I clocked the first k in 4:39, and then another couple of ladies overtook me, then we reached the first hill, where I powered up and overtook the ladies and the veteran, and left them behind, as well as leaving behind some people who were clearly knackered by the top of the hill and I must admit my legs felt a bit wobbly, but I just carried on trying to maintain my pace. Weaving around the park was lovely, it was lovely and sunny but I was feeling pretty hot already, just kept reminding myself of all the training, and just to keep going.

Further on, the veteran lady and the other two ladies came past me again as we went round an out and back cone extension thing, and then we got to the biggest hill of the course and I took them again there and left them behind again. Just after the cone extension there were some small dogs wandering around off leads, the marshall nearby had obviously told this woman to leash them, because she was yelling, “Yeah, I’m selfish aren’t I, you miserable, nasty old bast&*$”. I’m sure she would have been delighted if a runner had run into one of the beasts injuring the thing. By that point I had been running sub 50 pace, my splits for the first 3-4 k were all under 5 minutes but the hills were double whammies - first slowing me going up them, and then the sapping effect they had on legs and energy, so about k’s 6. 7 and 8 I lost quite a bit of time. I kept digging deep, and there were some people in the distance in front of me who I caught over the last 2k. The ladies and veteran caught me again, but I left them on the hill again, and thereafter I overtook some people and there was one chap I clung to like glue but he still passed the line a second before me - the hills had taken it out of my legs, and although I was motoring the last 200m, I couldn’t really call it a sprint! I stopped the Garmin at 51:40 - and was amazed that I had had taken a chunk off my PB again - when the last PB was gained on a flat PB course in perfect conditions

My Garmin went a bit haywire in the last 2k - it was clocking k’s just shy of the markers all the way round, and then towards the end it showed 8.4k, and next time I looked it had gone down to 8.27, and was stuck at 8.5 when I went past the 9k marker. Figure it must have been the extesive foliage overhead, as I don’t have a supersensitive GPS model, just the old Forerunner 101! Still, it did me good for the time and the early splits - I know now on a flat course, I can run sub 50 pace for the first 5k, and without hills to sap my speed and energy, I feel confident I could maintain that for another 5k. Now I just need another 10k race, but there may not be one until the spring, so it’s time to look at my winter strategy and I aim to smash through 50 minutes first race back next season

17km Long Run - Sunny - Canal towards Marple - 1h 43m 07s

First really long run in a couple of weeks, and at 17k or about 10.5 miles, the longest I have done to date!

There was a carnival parade on outside my house, so I took a detour round some back streets instead of heading straight down the road to the woods. This got me nicely warmed up though. I was planning to do 8 miles, but to carry on beyond that if I felt like doing more, so I got to the canal trail heading towards Marple, and whereas last time I had turned back at the long tunnel (Woodley Tunnel), this time I braved this dark and dank 160 metre long affair, with a nice splash into God knows what in the pitch darkness near the middle of the tunnel! Running through a dark tunnel with uncertain footing was certainly a test, but I kept going and made it through to daylight!

I decided to keep going along the interminable canal path until I got to 10k, and then turn back - anything else was madness, as the path goes on for many miles and branches off onto other canal networks further on, so I didn’t want to get carried away and strand myself!

I was feeling good all this time, and even managed little bursts of extra pace now and then, but was generally going very slowly (about 6 mins per k). On the way back I did start to look forward to stopping, and by the time I got to the 17k mark, I considered carrying on up Stockport Road to make it a round 11 miles, but decided my legs had had enough without adding a steep hill into the equation, and I think I was right as my legs felt very wobbly on the 10 minute walk home.

All in all a good run and didn’t feel too bad afterwards, apart from feeling pretty sleepy a few hours later!

Birchwood 10k Road Race - 52m 49s PB!

This was my fourth race, and like the last one it was a fair distance to travel, although this time I was using a combination of bus and train!

I got up early and set off after forcing some breakfast down. It was a really cold morning (surprisingly cold for August - I could swear the cars along a road I walked actually had ice on the windows) although the sun was out. I got to Oxford Road Station in plenty of time and hopped on the Liverpool bound train (although had a dodgy moment when the doors wouldn’t open and everyone was wondering what was going on!), then got off at Birchwood. By now it was raining and looking pretty overcast and miserable - awful for hanging around in, but I figured it would be good for running in! I could already see a few runners warming up, including one or two faces I was sure I’d seen before at recent races!

I had a wander round and went in the Birchwood shopping centre to try to keep warm, before spotting a Marshall and finding out where the start line was. I started warming up with a little jog and some stretches then made a last trip to the loo before assembly at the start. I tried not to get too near the front, there were quite a lot of runners, I think I was about half way back from the front. Being a fledgling, I find it quite psychologically damaging during a race if loads of people are going past me. Just makes me feel slow, so I tend to quicken up when I shouldn’t - and early on that can cripple me for the later sections of the race!

Anyway the horn went, and everyone surged forward - then stopped - then started again! I don’t know what that was about, really! But then I was off, and the amount of people around meant I was forced to start of pretty damn slowly - but that was a good thing for me! I took it really easy up to about 3k, but was still overtaking people, and getting overtaken by one or two, until everyone was evened out into their own pace and race. I felt far too comfortable at 3k, so accelerated and started overtaking people - I felt really good, although at the back of my mind wondered if I was going off too quickly. Still, I felt good, and checked the Garmin at 5k and saw I had done the first 5k in just under 25 minutes. I thought I was going way too fast, as that was going to hurt later on, as I was already starting to feel it - so I went into a gentler pace for a couple of k, tucking in behind two runners who seemed to be going at a nice gentle pace, and forcing myself not to overtake them - but once I had recovered I sped up once again, and other people were going quicker now too - then at about 7 or 8k there was this pretty steep hill. I remembered thinking about the hill I run up in training, it was nowhere near that bad, and I was already going, so I pushed on up the hill and must have taken 20 people there, a woman was making quite a noise, so I turned and asked her if she was OK before I sped on (she said she was) - talk about role reversal from my last race where I was the one wincing! I managed to keep going, although the hill did take it out of my lungs a bit - and then a bit later on there was another hill! I kept going though, playing cat and mouse with this guy in joggers - I had overtaken him way back, only for him to overtake me, then vice versa (although he beat me in the end!). I was hurting a bit by the 9k mark but not suffering too badly so I just tried to give as much as I could as I knew the end was in sight, and hopefully a PB, when I saw the finish arch I just went as fast as I could, for the first time I had a tiny bit left for a sprint finish and didn’t slow down until I was over the line! I stopped my Garmin and had done 52:50 - almost 2 minutes quicker than my previous race PB, and my Garmin had clocked an extra 100 metres with all the weaving and turns. My official time ended up being 52:49

This race, put on by Spectrum Striders Running Club was very friendly and extremely well organised - especially bearing in mind it was run on roads which weren’t fully closed off - they marshalls etc did a

fantastic job of keeping the runners and the traffic moving At the end there were children holding out flowers, but I didn’t know if they were meant for me! However I did appreciate the luxury bath towel I was given - it was bloody useful for keeping a bit warmer, as I had to wrap it round me on the way home - now it will take pride of place in my bathroom! As usual I went to the finish line and clapped in all the others still running - I will always do this when I can (although will keep a better eye on the clock next time as I missed the 11:49 train and had to wait for for 12:37 back to Manchester!)

Although only my fourth race, the experience of the first three helped a lot - I was much better able to switch gears, alternating between full race pace and cruise pace, and also felt much more aware of how I felt and knew when I was able to give more or was giving too much - and also managed to set off more gently to warm up better for the later stages instead of being spent! All in all very pleased - now I am going to put the work in to get that sub 50

5k Time Trial - Cold and Cloudy - 24m 45s PB!

About time I did one of my 5k time trials, last week I ran more miles than ever before in a week with a mixture of an easy run and a couple of longer runs, but have been getting slower and slower - so wanted to get back to some quicker running over a shorter distance to make sure there is some speed in my legs!

The weather was kind today - almost chilly and threatening to rain, overcast but not humid. Set off a bit too fast I thought, but was able to keep going at that pace for 4k and felt great, although in the last k I could feel I was tiring. Pushed on and went as quick as I could for the last few 100 yards, but seemed to overshoot my normal lampost finish by a good few strides before the Garmin clocked 5k - but still finished 5k in 24m 45s - a new PB for my personal time trials!

City of Manchester 10k Road Race - Cold - 54m 36s PB

The City of Manchester 10k at the Regional Athletics Stadium, Sportcity, East Manchester - only my second race ever, had done well in training so thought I would do really well, so here is the story!

Got up really early, as I had a taxi booked for 8am to get to Sportcity in East Manchester in plenty of time. The weather looked really cold and overcast, so I was wondering if I would get soaked before even starting, as I just turned up already changed for the race.

Got there and things were a bit quiet as I was quite early, but there were a few other runners wandering around. I went into the complex/warm up track behind the stadium and it was warmer in there and I located the toilets - important, as nerves seem to make me want to keep using the loo, so wanted to make sure I didn’t get caught short on the starting line.

I did some stretches and did a lap round the warmup track, but not too much, then after a last nip to the loo made my way out on to the track and walked round a few times, doing some stretches, then entered the starting lineup with a few minutes to go. I was fairly near the front, with hindsight it might have been an idea to go nearer the back.

Anyway, off we went, the race started by the Lord Mayor of Manchester, and raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. I was going to try to pace myself, but got a bit caught up at first, saw someone start walking almost as soon as we’d left the complex (not 100m covered) was surprised by that, but just tried to keep to my own pace, as I was both overtaking and being overtaken. I checked my Garmin, which had clocked 1.09km before the first official KM marker came into sight, and it was this that would play tricks on my mind during the race, as well as the people overtaking me.

I did manage to get into a rhythm, but was never really comfortable throughout the race, and was thankful that I’d stuck it out through a lot of hard training sessions, which gave me the endurance, and more importantly the mental toughness to keep going even when my legs and lungs were telling me they’d had enough! At one point a guy who must have been 30 years older than me (well maybe 25!) drew level with me, and just went past, I tried to keep with him, or at least keep him in sight, but he soon vanished, so I was left to pick off less speedy runners, at one point playing cat and mouse with a female runner, overtaking her, only for her to get her revenge a few minutes later! Well done that lady, but she did help me go a little faster for that stretch!

I was relieved to come round to the last KM marker and start the re-entry into the Regional Athletics Stadium at Sportcity, I tried to inject some extra pace and compete with the people sprinting towards the line but really had nothing left, I crossed the line and was glad to stop and get my breath back, before wandering off to get some water, my chip removed, and my goody bag! Once I had recovered a little I went to the stadium entry to clap in the rest of the runners, it brought a lump to my throat to see the sheer determination on their faces, they deserved a clap and cheer. And then this chap in a skeleton suit ran in, so I shouted “Go skeleton!” and he turned to me and said he was 18 stone when he started the race which gave me a chuckle

My chip time was 54:36, a definite and dramatic improvement from the 58:12 I ran in the BUPA Great Manchester Run on May 18th - but having run a little faster in training I though t the cool race conditions would drag me along to something much faster. So remains to be seen whether racing will actually make me run faster - although on a side note, my Garmin had clocked 10.2k, am not sure if that was inaccuracy, or because my weaving around the course, going wide etc, added that much extra distance - which at my pace is another minute.

I heard some good advice on http://runnersforum.co.uk though, which was not to compare race and training times too much, as the conditions are so different, what with having to overtake people etc.

All in all am pleased to have got a PB and broke 55 minutes - now the hard work begins to break 50, no idea if I can do much better than that, but it’s something to go for now and feel it is something within my abilities! Will just try to do it a minute at a time, and have my eye on a couple of races between now and the Great Yorkshire run in September.