Diary Of A Road Runner

Hip Injury Update 2 - Saddlesore!

Well it will be 3 weeks tomorrw that I bust my hip, and it’s only been this week that I’ve started being able to walk more or less normally. The pain subsided a lot earlier in the week, but I’m not counting any chickens yet, as I went walking around town yesterday and the more ground I covered, the more I started to become aware of a little discomfort around the area - so had to slow my walking pace.

So it looks like a while yet until I can run again. In fact running is becoming a bit of a distant memory and I almost don’t think of myself as a runner any more

I’ve been doing some work on the exercise bike but need to work hard to get my lungs going at anywhere near capacity as the leg muscles need working up. I did manage to do 5 miles a couple of times, and much faster the 2nd time, but ended up with huge sore welts on my bottom from the saddle So having to give that a rest for a little while now as well.

I guess all I can say is that sporting challenges very finely focus human motivation and the ability to triumph, but these are traits that nonetheless can be repeated in every aspect of our lives. Sometime the challenge is getting a PB on a race day, or running further than ever before. But at times the challenge is just getting through the day, or staying mentally strong to get over an injury, or coming through any of the other 100’s of trials and perils we face on a daily basis.

Mizuno Trafford 10k Sept 2008 - Cold - 51m 57s PB!

The Mizuno Trafford 10k.

After an easy training week, I had nonetheless been feeling tired in the week and over the weekend, so it was with some trepidation that I rose at 7am on Sunday morning and got ready for this race. After such a good PB in my last race, I was wondering if I could repeat such feats, and was even dreaming of a sub 50. I looked out and the weather was blessed - cold and wet!

My taxi arrived and off I went on a 20 mile Odyssey to Partington on the other side of Manchester. Had a chat with the taxi driver, and then was mostly quiet. Arrived at Partington Leisure Centre in plenty of time and had leisure to find the few toilets and the start, then soaked up the atmosphere and jogged around a bit to get warmed up.

The lineup was a bit chaotic at first, I thought we were starting at a gate, but we needed to exit the gate and then line up facing the right way (I know what I mean!). I was fairly near the back, but this has worked for me in the past. Off went the horn and off everyone went, although it took me a small while to actually reach the start line. It was all pretty crowded at first and I felt I was going slowly, so darted about a bit to get some clear road. The plan had been to start off quite slowly, about 5:10 per k, and slowly build up. I did feel I was going slowly, but the Garmin clicked over 1k in 4:30 - way too fast. But then it was another 30-40 seconds of running before the official 1k marker came up, and I thought oh no, it’s like the City of Manchester 10k all over again - that time the discrepancy between my Garmin and the markers had really messed me up, but experience must have helped this time, and I thought I would just run to the Garmin and then see what the time was at the end. So I kept going, and slowed noticeably according to the Garmin, although I didn’t feel I was going that much slower. In the early stages a few people overtook me and I overtook quite a few, a lot of the way it was fairly even. A couple did overtake me very early on and I kept them in my sights, they never got out of sight, at least! I was glad when 5k came up and I kept trying to at least not lose pace even if I didn’t feel I could increase it - I was feeling frustrated because the sense of ease I had felt in my last race wasn’t coming and I knew I would have to push my legs hard all the way to the end.

At about 8k I caught up the small group that had overtaken me earlier, and bided my time, hanging on their shoulder. At 9k, my legs were feeling heavy and I was breathing hard, but I found something within me to accelerate past them and one or two others as well, and when I looked back they weren’t going to catch me, even though I had started hurting by then and wondering if my legs were going to give out under me as I sprinted hard for the finish! I overtook another lady, and then this other lady grabbed her child from the crowd and started doing a victory approach with him, which was touching. I almost kind of let them win, but sprinted past them on the line, not because I wanted to beat them, but to get as fast a time as possible. I had not been convinced I was even on PB pace (by 5 KM I knew I would struggle to do a sub 50 for sure), but after a fumble with the Garmin which stop-started it instead of stopping it, I came out with a time of 51:57 - almost another minute off my PB of a few weeks ago, and the Garmin said I completed 10.2k as well (in which case I would have passed 10k at 51:05 according to my lap counter!). My official time was 52:08, but it took 11 seconds after the horn to actually reach the start line!

So having done a number of races, some are spot on with the Garmin, others I seem to end up running over distance - but it’s just one of those things. The sure thing is, even though I found this race harder than the last one, I in fact ran a whole minute faster than the last one - maybe that’s why it hurt! But that 4:30 start off pace needs working down, unless I can work out a way to start off like that and keep it going

Doing the Big Race Shuffle

It had to happen sooner or later! I had two races come up on the same day, and had to make a choice between the two.

I entered the BUPA Great Yorkshire Run shortly after I had completed the Great Manchester Run, as I had such a thirst for the atmosphere and the experience of running with other people; at the time I had no idea there were plenty of smaller accessible races for mere newbies like me - I thought the Great Runs would be my only opportunity, and with the Manchester one only coming round once a year, I would have to travel to get a taste more often than that!

Thank heavens for the smaller races, and sites like Runners World for providing so much information about all the races in one place - I have been spoilt for choice at times!

I was looking forward to the Great Yorkshire Run, but logistics and cost issues finally swayed me to run in my own back yard so I’ve pulled out of Sheffield and opted for the Mizuno Trafford 10k instead - and I hear the course is fast and flast and good for a PB (a sub 50, who knows - I have a bit of a rivalry going with a nice chap from Runners’ Forum to see who can get sub 50 first!). Mind you the last race I did, they said was flat, and it had a few big hills near the end - but of course the earth isn’t flat, as most will acknowledge!

So instead of Sheffield, it’s Trafford here I come - but I would recommend the Great Runs to anyone who is thinking of entering a run for the first time, you don’t even have to run the whole way, unless you want to!

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

Running is good for you - and keeps you younger!

Some people have said to me that running is bad for you, and just wears out the body quicker! I find these are usually people who are a bit jealous thay I’ve got off my backside and have got fit, and usually they smoke and drink and have a lot of ailments, and don’t do 30 minutes exercise in a year, never mind a few times a week!

So I was delighted to read news of a serious long term study which appears to prove that running IS good for you, and keeps you looking and feeling younger and healthier even as you grow older

Running on a regular basis can slow the effects of ageing, a study by US researchers shows.

Experts said the findings in Archives of Internal Medicine reinforced the importance that older people exercise regularly.

Read more from this BBC Article…