Bridlington Half Marathon

A GOOD CLUB TURNOUT

CREATE YOUR OWN CAPTION

Thank you to Bridlinton Road Runners and their local Rotary Club for putting on a well organised and enjoyable event. The news of the day had to be Andrew Pearson winning in 1:05:48 on an undulating course with a headwind on the final mile. The second runner was almost 5 minutes behind, making this a victory by a country mile. I can't wait to see whether he puts in an appearance at the Thirsk 10 (Northern 10 Mile Championships).

My own performance was acceptable given my level of preparation, what with having been quite busy with back to back trials. The results are here and as can be seen, I was 35th out of 684 in 1:24:02. Even if I had been 'race sharp' I don't think that I could have gone more than 2 minutes faster on this course, and so am pleased that I held it together for the duration and didn't fall apart when the temptation came at between 5 to 7 miles. I've no idea what happened, but suddenly some self-doubt crept in to my mind as my legs began to tire of the hills and a pack of 5 (including Helen Cross) overtook. All that I could think was "oh blow I'm about to become a target". Somehow or other I turned it around and persevered to have quite a rewarding final 3 miles patiently picking off those who didn't have the legs for the distance. I'd say that I overtook as many as came past me, although admittedly not all the same people. If I learnt nothing else I can at least now say that I've discovered how to keep my neurosis in check during a race.

There were two other occurrences of note. First, a certain 69 year-old gentleman completed his 100th half that day, and I had the honour of having lunch with him afterwards. Well done Peter, you're an inspiration! Second, we won the team prize! It was handed over less than magnanimously with the announcer carping on about how 2 other teams could have won it if they'd pre-entered. Fortunately for me, Fr Julian and The Best that they didn't, and we each pocketed £30.

You might have noticed that I'm less of a blogger of late. The reality is that I began to lose the pleasure of diarising events when my form plummeted after coming back from injury at the start of the summer. I'm now feeling far more positive. Looking forward to winter training for a spring marathon (Paris?), followed by a summer on the fells, then the XC next autumn. Next year I commence my BGR preparations and endeavour to become 'fell hard' with some lengthy exploits in the mountains. Perhaps even venture in to mountain marathons... Let's see.

Wednesday evenings are now occupied with track sessions at Carnegie run by our Ilkley bretheren. Not only am I grateful for the effort put in to organising this, but I'm noticing incremental improvements. Let's see what happens at the Preston 10 this Sunday.

PS Well done to David McGonigal on completing is first half-marathon last weekend. Are you addicted yet?

Wetherby 10K

WETHERBY 10K - 37.41

On 14th September I popped over to Wetherby for a cracking little Yorkshire run. Thank you very much to Robert Gray and his gang at Wetherby Runners for hosting a race that lives up to its billing. This is a rapid course, but which tends to attract a relatively mortal standard of competitor.

Mercury came 2nd, hot on the heels of Dunn Running. White Knight was also blistering. Dare I say it, so was I, right up until the point when I had to stop and walk. With 1KM to go there came a stabbing pain - a bit like the others that I've been suffering for around a year now - except this was enough to halt me in my tracks. Somewhat miffed, I soldiered on to cross the line in a respectable enough time, all things considered. My aim was to run a sub 37m race, and I would doubtless have been very close but for the casual stroll at the end.

The upshot of all this is that I've been referred to a Cardiologist to see whether we can get to the bottom of the problem. Crossing the line clutching your chest and being surrounded by St John's ambulance crew (not for the first time) is probably a sign worth heeding. Tomorrow morning I have an EEG scheduled for 24 hours, with a track session planed for the evening. Imagine the perplexed expression on the face of the person who examines that print out!

Anyway, I loved my first 10k. What a fun distance. All out 'spill yer guts on the pavement slogging through the pain barrier' kind of fun. Oh, and I almost forgot - we won the 2nd team prize and as our third counter (29th) I was £10 up! That covered the fish and chips that we pilled in to the Wetherby Whaler for after the event.

The following Sunday I went for a trot round Lake Ullswater with the wet nosed four legged hairy rabbit chaser. It was right up there with running up Ingleborough in deep virgin snow last Easter Sunday as one of the most beautiful runs I've ever done. You may get an impression of this from clicking on the satellite image below. The lad and I saw a red deer stag taking his family of three out for a stroll over Place Fell, which together with the breathtaking view that greeted us as we came round the fell to face the Helvellyn range, were the highlights of the morning. Pure soul running.

The Ilkley Incline

New lungs and legs please!

Ilkley Harriers and AC deserve enormous gratitude for laying on the Ilkley Incline on Wednesday evening, despite the awful autumnal conditions and merciless midges.

For those of you unfamiliar with the format of the race, it's a one mile course up a steep hill. Simple, except not quite. I had done a 10 x 400 around the park on the evening before, and was also part way through a trial, so perhaps should have side stepped this event. At least that's what I was thinking at around the half way mark as my body was begging my mind to stop driving it in defiance of gravity, and I was cursing my sense of spontaneity for ever having decided to enter.

My idea of a conservative start was a touch more like Usain Bolt's notion of propulsion. Far far too fast to comprehend. In my defence, I had absolutely no idea that the first half mile was vomit inducing. Rather than taking the lead of my more experienced club mates, I pelted off and set myself up as their targets, and had been completely reeled in by the half way mark. Next year....

The results are here. Congratulations to Graham Peace, who was half a minute up on Zeus' time from last year! I was 2 minutes behind in 9:15. Judging from how my gleuts felt the next evening I would say that it's time to get back in hill training for the autumn winter. My lungs were raw and wretched afterwards, as anyone who heard me coughing up on the jog back down could bear witness.

Perhaps some gym work might now be called for, but I'm struggling to find the time to run as it is just at the moment. Happily I'm very well professionally occupied and have been for some time, so any complaints would be misplaced.

Perfect session

Tonight's mile rep session was absolutely perfect. Just look at the heart rate line (red). Each rep was around the lactate threshold level, but essentially not too stressful. What was going on with the sky rocketing heart rate during my warm up though?

It felt like a really comfortable cruising pace, and one that I would expect to be able to sustain for the Wetherby 10K. Bearing in mind that this will be my first proper competitive 10K, what do you think my time will be? A guaranteed PB!

Lap one: 5:47 (touch too fast) - Interval 0.15 miles: 1:23

Lap two: 5:54 - Interval 0.15 miles: 1:28

Lap three: 5:54 - Interval 0.15 miles 1:28

Lap four: 5:54 - Warm down.

Bang on. What should my next mile rep session goal be - add 1 more rep at the same pace, or perform the same number of reps increased by 5 seconds?

Erratum

Fr Julian has just prised each and every one of my fingers from the wrong end of the stick.

Apparently even had the organisers of the Burnsall 10 included Running Bear in the team results we would have still triumphed.

OAC had 2+4+8=14, Bingley had 3+5+7=15. Oops.

Time to dismount the soap box.

The Burnsall Feast

Racing over the bridge at the start of the Burnsall 10

Ambivalence best describes my view of Saturday's Burnsall 10. Disappointment that I was daft enough to enter. Relief that I didn't allow myself to get drawn in to racing. Satisfaction with a result that was faster than I expected and pleasure at having had an idyllic summer afternoon in the joyful company of close family and friends. Let's not dwell on the roguish dog.

Last week saw me finally begin to enjoy my running again with a dusk outing on Ilkley Moor. It was Wednesday evening and all there is to say is that I reconnected with the essence of running without any other distractions contaminating my mind. So delightful was the experience that in my exuberance I ran down from the 12 Apostles whooping out aloud with my arms stretched out horizontally at my sides and danced over the rocks like a schoolboy. Without keeping an eye on the miles - I accidentally racked up 14 and came home shattered.

Consider that Wednesday was supposed to be an easy session recovering from the mile reps that I'd done the day before and you can see why I shouldn't have been racing. Factor in to that the fact that on the Saturday morning I woke having been deprived of sleep and eaten by midges with the appetite of pterodactyls. Camping is a liberating and cleansing experience, when you're not stuck in your tent and covered in mud. Unfortunately the porch area of our tent had been inundated by a heavy overnight downpour, and the youngsters woke up with the cockerel. I've also since learned that midges are attracted to Co2 and lactic acid in sweat. Marvelous.

If by this point you think my race preparations were going none too well, imagine how I felt at 2.29 pm (1 minute before the start) when I realised that all I'd had to drink was a mug of tea and a cafeteria of coffee - all day. My food intake had consisted of a packet of kid's cereal and a muffin. Then there was the blazing sunshine, which I had been standing around in for hours. Running in the sun in never comfortable for anyone, but some runners undoubtedly perform better on hot days as Fr Julian openly admitted.

Being honest with yourself, in what weather do you more often set your PB's? For me it's when the temperature is low enough to suppress my sweat, say around 5 degrees Celsius. Any hotter and I sweat like a bear in a turkish bath. As if that wasn't bad enough, I also lose a lot of salt. So much so that after the Humber Half Marathon in June I was covered in a fine powdery layer of the stuff.

Why bother then? Well because it's Burnsall of course. What other reason is required?

The race demands little analysis as the data below provides the unassailable evidence of how I performed. For the first 3 miles I kept The Tease in the zero of my sights, then arrived in Hebden to discover that there was no water table, and immediately thereafter witnessed my will to live jump under the wheels of a passing bus. The plan was then to preserve myself by running at an optimum comfortable pace and treat the event as a pleasant training run. Even so, I still put the occasional spurt in whenever anyone came past me, just for the pure mischief of making them work for their position. That said, The Courtier came past me with great gusto and has patently been working hard in training.

The race data

By the time I reached the (solitary) water table (6.8 miles!) I had resolved to stop and properly rehydrate. During this period of spectatorship 4 others glided past, and I happily let them go. After the Humber Half I said that I'd never run distance races in hot weather again. It seems that I had that lesson in the back of my mind when I eased off the throttle, and mercifully finished quite fresh and in 1:06 something or other! Quite unbelievable when I look back at how much I slackened off, although if the complete truth be known I heard The Beast et al trying to catch me coming back down in to the village and so slammed on the gas for a quick finish to fend off the challenge. It's going down in my diary as a threshold run.

After the Humber I was nauseous and had to take the following day off running having been chauffeured home. After Burnsall I spent the remainder of the day frolicking with the kids. Lesson half learned, although I still shouldn't have entered in such conditions and when woefully underprepared.

Zeus came 2nd. Apparently he'd heard on the grapevine that the winner would be subjected to a compulsory gender test in the bogs of the Red Lion. Well done most notably Fr Julian and The Courtier who both ran their socks off.

Next year I'll be racing the Classic Fell race instead. Honest. Really.

The team on the green

Normally I might take the trouble to thank the race organisers, but on this occasion I'm more inclined to advise that they go stand in a corner and have a strong word with themselves about their chauvinism. Get with the plan guys - this is 2009. 'First three team members home' can include women you know, or "ladies" as you patronisingly prefer to call them. Congratulations to Bingley, the rightful winners of the team prize. Commiserations also to the Keighley women's team who, despite coming first, were not offered a prize on the grounds of their gender. So, women don't count at all then, how enlightened!

If this scandal is repeated next year then I'm grassing them up to the armed wing of the WI. Word.

Oh, and another thing. More water stations please.

Roll on Wetherby.

PB at the Sale 10

It has been a fortnight since I raced the Sale 10, then drove to Paris as my legs muscles slowly contracted. The intervening holiday and busy week on my return prevented me filing my race report, so let me commence by saying that the results are here, and I came 63rd in new a PB of 1:02:23.

Just look at the times for the first three and weep:

1  Ezekiel Chebon Birchfield/Kenya   47:35   

2  Mark Miles     Belgrave Harriers  47:40   

3  David Webb     Leeds City AC      47:47

This was beyond doubt the most high class field of any race I've ever entered outside cross-country championships and international marathons. The organisers have me down as sixth female finisher. Let's just say that the first woman beat me by a country mile, and a little bit more for good measure. From what I saw of her afterwards I can say that she had the body fat composition of a rescued greyhound. Maybe it's time that I tried to lay off the cake again?

The PB is a bitter sweet pill because I've in fact run 3 faster times at the (accurate) 10 mile point in half marathons, but such is the nature of running. There are probably many runners who can say that they set their best 5k time during a 10K, all that means is that they set off too quickly!

HPTT

Saturday saw me do an HPTT in 18:41. The time was unspectacular, but I was pleased with the result in that my legs felt heavy after a few consistently hard weeks of training.

That same evening I celebrated my birthday in the Box Tree as part of a party of 8 who didn't leave until around 1am. Superlatives defy me in describing the 'experience'. Yum, double yum and yum again. As one friend said when the desert was produced "this is the culinary equivalent of crack cocaine". I wouldn't disagree.

This led to me waking up on Sunday morning and saying to myself "No Simon, don't run today". No, I didn't have a hangover. It's just that I felt tired and thought that I had earned a rest. That plus the fact that I'm trying to ensure that I'm in a well rested state next Sunday.

Let's see what a week on being unstressed achieves in Sale.

Washburn washout

Thank you to all those who organised the Otley AC Washburn Valley relay tonight.

Congratulations and thank you also to all those who attended and made this event a great night despite the terrible weather.

I'd like to say that I had a great run, yet the truth is that I spilled my guts charging round and still only managed to run at the same pace as I did around Fewston on 21st April. Admittedly the course was far windier and overgrown tonight, and my heart rate was more stable than 3 months ago - so technically I have made an improvement. What I want to know is how am I supposed to run faster?

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

I've just done the maths and the results are - that it took 75 fewer heart beats to propel me round the 4 mile course tonight that it did on 21st April. Now how many miles of training did that take do you think? A: Over 600. Shall I just pack up now?

The Eccup 10

Thank you to Abbey Runners for hosting such a well organised and enjoyable event. The 9.30am start was really appreciated, even if the sun wasn't too fierce this year. Unfortunately we had to contend with some unfavourable winds, which might be why my time is a fraction down on last year's. Anyway, the results are here. 28th in 1.04.29.

I had a comfortable start and just bedded down for the first 5 miles, then hit what I thought was the split button on my Garmin only to realise 2 miles later that I'd in fact depressed the stop button. Goon. So, I had to run according to how I felt, which was just fine until the last three miles when I felt plain rotten. There were some good runners around me at the 5 mile mark when I made my move, and I was quite miffed to have been so successfully held off for the second half of the race. If I seem disappointed it's simply because I feel as though I could have been a minute faster, but alas. Still, the times were slow overall and so I haven't lost heart that I'm capable of pushing myself past the 60 minute mark on a flat course. A good volume of cruise intervals may be necessary though.

Congratulations to Her Majesty who paced herself brilliantly to win the women's race, despite an exceptionally brave and tough performance from the second placed woman who had led out from the front for most of the way.

Just as I was crossing the line I was greeted by a friendly face from Wetherby Runners who is the doppelganger of John Hannah (Four Weddings / Sliding Doors). The thing is I've seen him about a few times lately and so I'm beginning to be quite anxious that I should know who he is - so if you're reading this my friend, hello and do we know each other? If I see you at Ripon please let me buy you a pint after the race.

Next race - Washburn Relay, oh, and on Tuesday I'm going to do the Ripon HDSRL handicap as a tempo run as it's such a pretty course and pleasant evening out.

HDSRL Race 5 - Otley

Congratulations Otley AC on winning the (main 10) Harrogate League, together with the individual men's, elite men's and individual women's prizes.

Commiserations to the women's team who missed out on glory by a very slim margin of 40 points.

Unfortunately the women have strength, but not quite the depth of the men's squad. To put it in context, I was our 10th counter and came 21st overall. The results are here.

Just before the start I was instructed to hold back until the hill, so I just cruised round the course until the climb to Farnley. Coming down the other side was a completely different story as I realised that I had Slick in my sights and so mounted a charge for the finish. He got away by 10 seconds, but I'm pleased with the result. It was a good confidence boost before Eccup next Sunday. A PB?

Tricky and I got talking after the race and I couldn't believe that only 6 months ago I was merely seconds behind him on a longer and more demanding course, yet was 90 seconds adrift on this approximate 10K. The difference in our training is probably the volume of gym work and interval sessions, of which I'm doing too little. Now that the Harrogate League has drawn to a close I'm now on a mission to run 10 miles in under 60 minutes, and so I'll be after some tips given that he seems to have mastered this distance already.

Today I went up to Masham to watch the Burn Valley Half Marathon. This has to be one of the most beautiful and demanding road race courses around. Zeus' course record of 71:11.11 is incredible when you consider just how many climbs there are on the route. Anyway, I took advantage of the water stops and had a pleasurable long steady run. If I'm not mistaken this was the first half for Dan Dare, so well done my friend. Most people would choose something nice and easy to start with, but I admire your approach.

HDSRL Race 4 - Richmond

Thank you to Richmond and Zetland Harriers for putting on such a splendid race.  Memorable course - it had a bit of something for everyone, and some great scenery.  The results are here.

Considering how whacked out I've been lately I'm quite pleased with that outcome.  On fresher legs I would have been in between Slick and Her Excellency, who won the women's race (yet again) and thereby secured the women's series title.  Good effort!

On Thursday afternoon I received a call to say that I was not required for work on Friday, and so decided to make the most of an opportunity and packed the camping gear in 'the hearse' and two hours later pitched at Reeth.  As soon as the tent was up I doubled back to Richmond for the race.  By 10.30pm I was tucked up in my sleeping bag with Viz resting on my legs at the bottom of the tent.  Never again am I sharing a sleeping space with that horrid beast.  There are only a limited number of times that I can be woken in the night by a wet nose pressing against my own before my patience begins to fray.  

Slideshow 

Come Friday morning I was in need of some solace, and so took the lad out for a jolly 8 mile walk up Arkengarthdale.  Somewhere where, incidentally, I had never before visited.  Hence I made a photo journalistic record of our journey.  I hope that you enjoy the above slideshow every bit as much as I did in creating it. 

Feeling tired, but at peace.

The Otley 10 and Humber Half

There's an old jewish proverb goes 'How do you make God laugh?  Just tell him your plans'.  Well he certainly had a fine chuckle at my expense last week.

Withdrew from the Otley 10 at 6 miles with a stitch.  Not a fractured leg or collapsed lung, no a pathetic mincing stitch.  What was really galling was that I was having a satisfactory run, having gone out conservatively and held back on Leathley Bank.  The down hill after 'That Hill' is so steep that every stride exacerbated the pain until it became a sharp stab under the ribs that took 15 minutes to wear off.  Put it this way, I'd have found it easier to continue running on a sprained ankle.  So Her Excellency won.   Congratulations - you wear the crown girl.  The results are here.

Then onwards to the Humber Bridge Half, believing that I'd be fresh enough as I had failed to finish 4 days earlier.  Wrong.  

The heat was too intense, I lost a lot of salty fluid and gave up competing at around mile 9.  Then guess what?  A stitch - in the final mile while going at a steady pace.  Unbelievable.  My time of 1:28 would have been sub 1:25 on this course had both I and the weather been fresh.  The results are here.  

Lessons to take away - don't turn up to 10K+ races held in the hottest part of the day.  It's not only a waste of time, but as Monday's compulsory rest day illustrated, it's knackering.  Oh, and race less. 

Am I alone in being a summer race addict?  All you need to do is write the word START in chalk on a road during the months of May to September and I'll cheerfully stand there all day until I hear the starters orders.   

HDSRL Race 3 - Harrogate

Thank you to Harrogate Harriers and congratulations on hosting such a well organised race.  The results are here. 

The weather was favourably cold and damp, in fact almost perfect racing conditions.

Unfortunately the 130+ miles that I've done in training since the last event had left my legs quite dead before the race.  Only the day before I had climbed the 3 flights of stairs leading up to my office and felt as though my leg strength had been sapped away.  Diagnosis = overtraining.  Having said as much, the Otley 10 is my target race and so this was being treated simply as hard session.

Again, Heel Snapper had a great run as also did Whiteknight, who's definitely aspiring to be our third ranked runner.   

My race went acceptably, but as the graph shows on the above image, my HR was 238 at one stage!  It went absolutely radio rental for the first three miles, then suddenly settled down to a more tolerable rhythm.  I'm therefore pleased that I started out at a more reasonable pace as that kind of heart response could have ruined my race - again...

The course was demanding yet pleasantly so.  The hills were more of a challenge than a serious obstacle.  The roads were sufficiently quiet for the traffic to be scarcely noticeable.  Whilst by no means comparable to a PB 10K course, it felt like a decent race.  

Only Slick managed to overtake me by reclaiming the place that I snatched from him at around 5 miles.  Quite confusingly I belted off thinking that we were within 800 meters of the finish, so after that half mile I was alarmed to realise that there was another damned mile left to go!  Had I timed it correctly then I'm confident that it would have been a close call between us and perhaps also Heel Snapper, who whilst 18 seconds ahead at the finish, was only 5 seconds in front when I planned my slightly premature 'spurt'.  Roll on the Otley 10.   

Today my legs feel unusually lifeless, in fact so dead that I could only manage a 5 mile easy recovery run in the afternoon.

Tomorrow I have a stag do to attend and I'm really not sure how to broach the subject of wanting to stay sober for the sake of my training regime.  Maybe I should use the tried and tested technique of simply pacing myself properly...

Anyway, thanks for the lovely cake Harrogate, I'll be back for more next year.

Keeping pace.

This morning's 4 x mile rep session around Yeadon Tarn was quite a struggle in the heat, although mercifully the whipped up wind that usually accompanies this circuit was calm.  

The times were 5:51 - 5:54 - 5:55 and 6:02 with 0.15 mile jog intervals of around 90 seconds.

I'm a touch disappointed by the time of the final rep because, as the heart rate chart reveals, I gave it some hard stick.  Cumulatively my times were a mere 17 seconds faster than on the last occasion, but the pace was more consistently even.  What the hell, I'm improving to near some sort of form and that's all that matters for the moment.  

 The stats

Run to London.

Dizzie setting off on his morning run to Trafalgar Square

Dizzie decided to knock the track on the head and run to London for a change of scenery.  From Otley.  218 miles.  I did 15.5 in my 'long run' this morning and pray that there's a large cloud hovering over his head sheltering him from the sun right now.

Say hello to Horatio from me old thing!

You can sponsor this crazy fool (sorry, remarkable endurance athlete), by following this link.

Just call me Jesus...

because as this image clearly establishes, I walk on water!

4 x mile reps tonight - 5.42 / 5.59 / 6.03 / 6.15

I last did this particular session on 30th April and took 6.04 / 6.11 / 6.11 / 6.16. 

So there's no need for despondency - I'm regaining fitness, slowly.   

Next time they will all be sub-6 minute miles.

I had the same chest pain again tonight and am confident that it's heart related.  Basically it doesn't take pleasure from being thrust past 175bpm for too long.   So, next time I race I'm going to try a little experiment and simply go as fast as my heart will allow (171bpm) i.e. my lactate threshold.

HDSRL Race 2 - Wetherby

Thank you to Wetherby Runners for hosting an excellent event last night, and a satisfying post-race spread.  What a great facility they have at their disposal.  I'd love to see something like that, perhaps with a synthetic track, on the site of the old cattle market in Otley.  Anyway, less of the pipe dreaming... 

The course was on part of the West Yorkshire Cycle Route, which Darling and I covered at the beginning of the month.  Basically it was an out and back to Spofforth along a disused railway line. Flat, fast and narrow with plenty of surface water on the sections that were not elevated.  

On a club level we had a fantastic event and have established a commanding lead in both the male and female categories.   The women's team has developed in to a good pack with a firm sense of purpose, and I'm very hopeful that their collective efforts payoff.  As for the chaps, Zeus, Fr Julian and The Black Horse deserve a special mention for their dedication to the cause.  Why?  Because they ran the Windermere Marathon 3 days before.  Mentalists.  

On a personal level I can say that I suffered a terrible injury - to my pride.  The start began perfectly with me taking a good line to the far left and ensuring that I was able to settle in to my own rhythm and wait for Slick to catch up, the plan being to run with him and see whether I could hold on for the duration.  Quite surprisingly Madam Heal Snapper appeared on his heals, and I should add stuck in there for the whole race, finishing only 4 seconds behind and first woman!  By around the 1.5 mile point I felt as though it was all coming together, and that my only task was to grit my teeth and race hard, but that's not how it panned out.

At 5pm I arrived home on dog duty and quickly wolfed down two thin slices of peanut butter on toast, rinsed off with a cuppa.  By my reckoning this should not have presented a problem at 7.45pm, so why the stabbing stitch?  By the time I crossed the line they were two minutes ahead, and I had been overtaken by around 30 people.  Ouch.  My chest felt constricted and I had a feeling not unlike heart burn.  Quite oddly, I felt myself become substantially heavier just before the turn around point.  

So naturally I asked those more knowledgeable than I for their opinions.  Slick suggested that I had an oxygen deficit, which is an ever so polite way of saying "you're just not fit son".   Ben Grant asked if I had had time off with injury or whatever, and I was impressed by his incisiveness.  Does he read this trifling piffle?  What he simply said was that often when returning from injury motivation can be a problem as we're reluctant to push ourselves because of a fear that the problem might recur.  In truth, that was the case for around six weeks after I started up again.  In fact I've only been back in 'training' for two weeks.

The reality is, by my analysis of the data in the image above, Nick was right on the money.   I'm just not fit enough to sustain the pace.  This is borne out by the plot of my heart rate, which should have rested on the lower border (and not at the top) the darkest shade.  Effectively I was running at 10K pace, but my heart was working as though it was a 5K.  That would explain the pain and feeling of heaviness.   

Hence I went out to punish myself with 2 x 4 reps on Old Hollins Hill before breakfast, and am out again for a mile reps session this evening.  There's hard work to be done, although I don't know how I can make the necessary gain in the remaining 20 days to the Otley 10. 

Just call me Lloyd.

May I first thank The Black Horse (I do hope that he doesn't mind the appellation) who on Friday evening volunteered his number for the Leeds Half, and I thought why not?

Well, let me tell you why I should have said no.  There's the slight issue of not having recovered from last weekend's BIG BIKE RIDE over the PENNINES.  Then there's the small matter of having done the HPTT yesterday morning in a scandalous 19 minutes and something or other seconds because my legs were leaden on the CLIMBS.  Oh, and the minor fact that the Leeds Half is a HILLY course.  Have you spotted the connection yet?  Yes that's correct.  I'm training like an idiot, yet again, and to such an extent that I'm burning up on gradients.  When will I learn to let my body recover from hard exertions?

Anyway, 86.53 was the time, which is actually quite satisfying.  The race plan had been to take this as an up tempo training run in around 90 minutes.  The water stops, fellow runners, traffic free course etc made it a more attractive proposition than doing the same distance along the canal towpath.  I even wore my iPod!  How do people race without being able to hear their breathing?

There results are here.

White Knight, who was out on the course with his Damsel, called out in jest 'you could at least look like you're making an effort' as I came by.  Which just about summarised my attitude to the event - stay comfortable.       

Very well done to the Coxwain and Stout on their impressive finishes.  Did we qualify for a team prize?  

Nick Richardson was 50th in a solid 81 minutes, so that's my work cut out for the summer. 

Finally, Heel Snapper would like to point out that as she's on better from than me (at present) I should amend her appellation to something more apposite.  As I told her over a tea and flapjack biscuit this evening, I wholeheartedly agree.  However I've since decided to add one stipulation, that is only if she succeeds in beating me at the Otley 10.  

Now that I've thrown down of the gauntlet, what you you like me to address you as should you defeat me in road running combat madam?  Her Excellency perhaps?     

HDSRL Race 1 - Thirsk

Thank you to Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers for their organisation of last night's race.  Congratulations also to my club mates at Otley AC who collectively put in a blinding performance, especially the ladies, who, if they attend consistently, could match the men in walking away with the team prize.  Fingers crossed for 'Laura's Lasses'.     

Zeus and Lady Heel Snapper won their respective races, the latter being our 10th counter in 33rd place.  The Black Horse put in a sterling performance in keeping with his consistent high form this year.  Good luck in the Windermere Marathon - team first?

As for me, well perhaps the lackadaisical manner is which I've been keeping up to the blog is a metaphor for how I feel about my running just at the moment.  My motivation has been at rock bottom because of my late winter/early spring injury.  Running can sometimes feel like a game of snakes and ladders.   Back in January I was on a sharp improvement trajectory, so much so that by my guesstimates I would have run a sub-36 minute 10K by now.  Unfortunately my roll of the dice in mid-February put me on a snake somewhere close to the bottom of the board.   Difficult though it is to admit, I'm also feeling more than a healthy amount of resentment for the belief that everyone around me is having a better run with the dice.  It's not that I could ever begrudge anybody the success that they've earned, it's just that I'm deeply frustrated by my loss of form.   

Last night I ran well, if not a little conservatively, right up until my shoelace came undone and I was forced to stop and tie it up at around 1.75 mile point.  Right then everything fell apart.  I lost my 'mark' (Heel Snapper), was overtaken by everyone I had worked to get past and was mentally defeated.  As if to compound the exasperation, I then picked up a stitch whenever I pushed the pace to try and catch up.  Ultimately I packed in at the 3 miles region and just half-heartedly shuffled back to the finish with my tail between my legs.

After cycling 140 miles at the weekend my backside feels as though I've just walked out of the headmaster's office.  But after last night's metaphorical kick up the posterior I now feel reinvigorated.  It's time to get back in to some very strenuous training. 

Fair weather blogger - moi?

Astride Harrison Stickle - Easter Saturday

How dare Runningbear accuse me of such a shameful betrayal of my audience as to be a fair weather blogger.  Please.  Tut tut.

Now where was I?  Ah yes, running.

Funny thing rivalry.  My arch adversary, who if I was a less sporting fellow I'd gladly trip whenever he overtakes me, ran a creditable 3:03.20 in the FLM today and I'm absolutely gutted.  I really had my fingers crossed that he'd run it in under 3 hours.  Welcome to the marathon heartbreak hotel Tricky.  Hopefully we'll both check out soon.  I'll next be presenting myself at the reception desk for the 2010 FLM, and not a moment sooner.  How about you?

What a weekend of endurance running, what with the FLM and Sheffield Half today, and the 3 Peaks yesterday.  Billy Goat had an impressive day out to come 9th in the peaks race, and there were some solid performances from my club mates in the marathon.  Zeus came 3rd in Sheffield and Fr Julian was on fire.  Well done to you all!  I'm genuinely envious not to have been amongst your number.  

What's been up I hear you ask?  Nothing now, absolutely nothing.   No moaning or winging about how hard it has been to get my act together mentally.  No fears of further or recurring injury.  No over indulgence of cake.  No, all's now fine for three principal reasons.

One, I managed to get up to 40 miles this week without woe.

Two, my HPTT time was 18:39 (according to my Garmin), which means that I'm regaining speed.   

Three, today was my first shirtless run of the year!  Big deal?  Well yes it was.  I'm not the type of exhibitionist who does this sort of thing by roadsides, but when out in the open country on a glorious spring day then yes, I strip.  Heel Snapper took me for 12 miles through the Devonshire Estate at Bolton Abbey and we had a great time.  To feel the sensuous breeze on my skin, have the fragrance of wild garlic waft softly up my nostrils and witness the lush carpets of bluebells blossom was a pleasure beyond words.   

Now all I have to do is complete my summer training and race schedule.  Race 1 - HDSRL - 5 flat miles, 7th May, Thirsk.  

Next weekend Darling and I are cycling the 150 mile West Yorkshire Cycle Route as a bank holiday get away, and I can't wait.      

Paris Marathon weekend - write up coming soon...

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL MY FELLOW PARIS MARATHON BLOGGERS!

Saturday 4th April run from Mum's home in Chatou to the expo.

8.30am looking up to the start.

Last minute water top ups.

Cheat!

The finish seen from the top of the Arc de Triumphe.

Camille insists that Paris was to be her first and last marathon.  Yeah right.

Trimpell 20 number available

I'm not up to completing the Trimpell 20 next Sunday 15th March.  Still not running.  Feel like a slob.  

Would anyone like my number?

Down Time

Being unable to run is quite a release.   Obviously I'm like a greyhound in a trap, but I'm also enjoying the rest and looking forward to getting some hard training done in the spring.  

Mentally I'm sustaining myself by imagining such seasonal joys as listening to the woodpeckers and cuckoos, watching the daffodils and hedgerows flourish and most of all witnessing the sunrise over the Chevin on my early morning dog run.

In the meantime I've been enjoying those things that get neglected during marathon training, like all other hobbies and pursuits!  Yesterday I walked Viz on the Chevin and took my Canon 450D SLR camera along to get my creative juices flowing again.  The above slideshow is the result.

As for Paris - well I''ll be fine to treat it as a training exercise, but I'm going to have to race a marathon three weeks afterwards if I'm going to do my efforts justice.  

The osteopath thinks that I've grazed my meniscus due to a misalignment of the kneecap caused by general tightness in the leg muscles.  Her deep tissue work was agonising, but certainly effective.  Lesson learned - stretch and massage more often.

Thank you all very kindly for your support - I've been in the gym (resistance and Concept II)  and dog walking, but otherwise just taking it easy and trying not to fret.  Back soon.    

Self-deception

For the past 2 weeks I've been doing an astonishing impression of somebody who isn't injured.  The human capacity for self-deception is always best illustrated when we are faced with obstacles that impede the path to our desires.  Like the morbidly obese person in a cake shop saying to themselves 'one won't hurt', I've been out pounding the streets saying to myself 'don't worry it will settle down'.  Well actually it will - but not if I continue to run on it...

My self diagnosis is a torn meniscus in my left knee that came about when preforming a recce of the Rombald's route.  Effectively a combination of rough terrain and the proceeding months of high milage on flat even roads meant that the joint was put under unusual stress during that particular 20 miler.

OK - here's the plan.  Tomorrow I see my osteopath.  I use two - Andy for problems from the pelvis up and Hannah for the pelvis down.  She's a real swine of a sadist but loves working with athletes as we take the pain and tend to be enthusiastic about our recovery.  In reality there's probably little that she can do other than to make a few corrections, bearing in mind I've been shifting my weight over to my right foot to compensate.  If she straightens me out then I'll avoid compounding the problem on my return.   

So, ice elevation and rest for 7 days.  Glucosamine sulphate is also useful in the repair and maintenance of connective tissue and I'm using it religiously.  

This week I managed 44 miles but skipped my long run when in the first mile I woke up and smelt the coffee of injury.  Who knows, this may be a concealed blessing or an opportunity waiting to be seized.  It's time to work out in the gym and see whether I'm able to swim without aggravating the problem.  If my chances of performing well in Paris take a knock back then I'll use it as a training run and have another stab at the distance before the end of May.  There are plenty of races in that window, and who knows - maybe I could beg a place in London?  In fact, what do they do about the places of people who withdraw?  

Thanks for your support guys - it has been much appreciated.  

8 weeks - the countdown begins...

52.5 miles this week with Friday off and Saturday spent on the treadmill (2 hours).  The snow/ice is frustrating my efforts but it can't last forever, even if it feels like it might.

I should be entering the build phase on my training now - ie more resistance training and speed / pace sessions.   

Should the Rombald's run?

Ilkley Moor from Otley Chevin

COUNSEL'S OPINION

Should the Rombald's run?

Having just returned from walking the dog over the first mile of tomorrow's course I decided to give the organisers a call to see whether it's still going ahead.

The contact on the LDWA website is Mark Wilson (01274) 610132

rombaldstride@btinternet.com.  

His response to the question of whether it will start was, I thought, surprisingly cavalier.  Now please don't misunderstand me, I'm not a health and safety killjoy.  Nevertheless, I am a barrister who practices in the field of personal injury law, and to my mind if anybody becomes seriously unstuck tomorrow I think that the responsibility may not entirely be that of the participants.  

When I asked Mark if the position was being kept under review he was keen to point out that if the weather was hostile then an alternative route is planned.  So at least that adequately reduces the risk of anyone becoming lost and dying of exposure on an arctic moorland - as yesterday happened to a walker in Cumbria.  There does, however, remain a risk to those who are unfamiliar with the route as there are some sections where the path will be hard to locate.   

There is a further peril that has to be taken account of and that's the risk of serious injury from falling.  Last year this event was run in snow and I was quite happy to participate but I was not alone in taking a tumble.  In fact I went over 3 times, and on the descent from Whetstone Gate to Ilkley Bottom I cracked my arm so badly that I had concerns about a possible fracture and gave serious thought to withdrawing.  You see the very first footpath that you walk on to reach the start is covered in an inch of polished ice and is, frankly, bloody treacherous.  I also doubt that any of the other paved sections of the route are in a significantly better state.  

For any seasoned LDWA walker these hazards are matters that they take in their stride, indeed some might say that the adverse conditions make the event  all the more worthwhile.  I would not descent from that view, but my concern is for the runners.   You see we're a different breed.  We are competitive and driven.   What practically this means is that the athletes at the front who take the whole business quite seriously are the people who most foreseeably are going to get injured.  

My concern is not that anybody will be left languishing in ice if they fall over on the moors.  After all, a great proportion of these people are members of the fell running fraternity and would simply never think to run past a fallen athlete.  My worry is not even that there may be incidents that require medical attention.  My true concern is that there will be injuries a plenty, and predominantly amongst the front runners.  If like Edward Scissor Feet you live for this event then good luck to you - have a great run and enjoy yourselves.  I hope that you win it Ed!    

     

For those of us who use this as a platform for our winter training regime we have to ask ourselves the question

Is this worth risking injury for?

My advice is that if you're planning a spring marathon give tomorrow a wide berth and live to run another day.  That's certainly my plan. 

GARY - I couldn't disagree with you.  That was my school background and I loath the health and safety culture that restricts such good frolicking fun amongst kids.  Tonight I walked over the Chevin at sunset and thought the whole course looked spectacular, and very very tempting.  That said, you and I both know that if it's not a target race then it's simply not worth risking the type of injury that can ruin you season.  Last year I sprained my ankle (as in a crutches job) 10 days before the Paris Marathon - which is why I'm being a blouse tomorrow and doing 30K on a treadmill - wishing that I was out on the moors!  

As for the organisers - there is a principle in law that prohibits a person from recovering damages for his injuries if he volunteers himself to the risk.  My advice would therefore be to restrict the field to those who have done the event before.  Problem solved - who could then complain that they didn't know what they were letting themselves in for?

It's all a bit of a blur

At sunset we took off for 8 miles in a blizzard.  It was the kind of poetic encounter that epitomises winter training - stealing yourself away from comfort to confront your mind in a hostile climate.  Everything was a mass of grey.  The sky, the horizon, the ground and the air were the same tone, varied only but subtle degrees.  Amongst the bleakness my mind latched on to this song from somewhere within my subconscious.  How apposite.  

Winter training used to be like the purgatory that came before the unbridled bliss of late spring.  Now I'm finally appreciating it for its own sake.  The pain is temporary, but the memories of each mile accumulate to weave a tapestry of something rich beautiful and profound. 

Doubtless this would have been lost on those few curious souls who witnessed the divine insanity of man and beast isolated on a desolate arctic moorland, running in pursuit of an absent horizon.   

Cooking on napalm!

The Rombald's Stride is not a run for softies.  In fact, chain smoking sofa surfers of a decrepit constitution need not apply.  That's why I thought I'd go do it in a snow storm - with my damn heroic dog.  Darling also took great care of me on our return - and how pleasant it was to have my feet treated as I soaked in a steaming bath.  Clearly I'm marrying well!   

The map shows our route - which incorporated 2906 ft of climb. 

59 miles covered this week and a total of 257 miles for January with 3 days of rest.   

Unfortunately I didn't feel well enough to do pace training on Thursday or a time trial on Saturday - but there's ample opportunity yet.  So to compensate I went out for a figure of eight around Swinsty and Fewston reservoirs with Lady Heel Snapper, who as it turns out had encountered the same difficulty.  What a relief it has been to get out and see 30 miles of stunning scenery this weekend, all rounded off with a splendid supper at my cousin's home.   

With 9 weeks to the Paris Marathon I'm on fire and my confidence is riding high.  Provided that I remain injury free a sub-three hour finish in Paris is inevitable.

An indomitable spirit is vital for endurance work, and that's what I'm cultivating right now, so roll on Rombald's Stride 2009 - I'm hungry for the pain of the race next Saturday!

Week 9: 68 miles

Tired and pleased.  Uninjured, but close to my threshold.  Progress is coming slowly but surely.  In two weeks I end the base phase and start the build sequence of my training, culminating with the Trimple 20 on 15th March - exactly 3 weeks before the Paris Marathon.   Perfect!  

Zeus - you should have been in the top 5 for the Northern Cross-Country.  If I had your talent...

A brassed off monkey

The Brass Monkey Half Marathon 2009

A PB run of 1:20:50, although unfortunately my chip didn't work and I failed to press the stop watch until I had regained my breath.  So when the marshall came over and asked me for my time I just gave him the one I saw on the clock as I crossed the line and added a couple of seconds for the starting interval.  As it turns out this was fairly accurate in that I remained in the correct place relative to the other finishers.  I managed 52nd out of 1256 other crazy fools.

The results are HERE.   Thanks to Knavesmire for a well organised and safely marshalled race.  Pity about the chip time - but at least mine was one of very few problems and was easily rectified without any injustice to the other competitors.

My preparations had been quite disrupted by a conspiracy of sagas, none of which were serious enough to stop me getting to the starting line but all provoked the anxiety that I wouldn't make it.  On Thursday I woke up with a twinge in my left calf and instinctively knew not to run that day.  In the evening I spent 20 minutes on the Powerplate and managed to massage the problem away.   For the next two days I ran no more than 6 miles in total, and thus guaranteed that I was properly rested for the race.   In fact, my mileage for the week was 42.

Darling was caring for her Cheeky Monkey on Saturday night and he woke up on the morning of the race with a dickie tummy.   Compound that with the fact that she has fainted only minutes before waking him up, and you can see why I should have left them at home.   Instead we set off to York and stopped to watch Cheeky Monkey projectile vom over the rear seats.  All I could think about at the time was getting hold of my timing chip - how ironic.

The race went well enough.  There was a rough head wind at miles 4-6 that drained me a little, but the real problem was that I was running too fast.  My heart rate was in the lactate threshold zone, and therefore it became inevitable that I would blow up around the 10 mile mark unless I backed off the pace.  As the graph shows, I rested my heart to the sub-lactate threshold zone (light pink) after the fifth mile.  At this point around 5 people came past, in particular Richard 'Tricky' Balshaw of Dragons who went on to have a terrific race coming 35th in 1:19:21.  Tricky is now my mark for 2009, having also pippped me to the post in the Chevin Chase.  All credit to him though, taking 4 minutes of your PB is obviously proof of having done some hard work.

So having allowed my self to be passed I concentrated on discovering my optimum pace and soon found that circa 6:10 miles was about correct.  What I learnt about racing halves is that even pacing is not possible.  For my next race I'll attempt to emulate the great performances of the people who passed me in the late stages - stay below my lactate threshold for the first 8 miles, then thrash it for the last 5.  With 3 miles to go Andrew Grant of Harrogate came haring past and then went on to come 41st in 1:19:48.  He ran my race - but hey ho - I learned a lesson that I'll take on with me to the Liversedge Half on 15th February.  For my last mile all I had left in reserve was guts, which I spilled in holding on to my position.

They say you get the time you deserve, and I'm satisfied that whilst I could have been a minute faster, on the day I ran to the best of my ability.  As Bourne Again (who had a cracking run) said to me after the race "look at it this way, at least you've left yourself with room to improve".  A fine point well made.  It will doubtless be a depressing day when I have to admit that I've run a time that I'll never surpass.  Until then - PUSH ON.   

Given that Heel Snapper was 5th female and only just over 2 minutes behind me in setting a new ladies club record, I better push a bit harder otherwise she could be quite literally on my heels...  GO GIRL!