RUNNING ON EMPTY

BRASS MONKEY HALF MARATHON 1987

2012-01-25T09:53:00.000Z

LOOKING BACK TO THIS DATE 25 YEARS AGO 1987

My 1987 racing programme began in January as usual and ended in late October. Nothing in November and then just one low key race in the December. Several years took this shape in the '80s as I had stopped racing over the country.
On this date, JANUARY 25TH 1987 , I returned to York Knavesmire in an attempt to repeat my 1986 win in the BRASS MONKEY HALF MARATHON (67.55). I had run one race over 6 miles (the Woodkirk Valley 6 in Leeds) on January 6th. clocking 32.20 on the undulating course ; perhaps indicating that I was not in shape to run under 70 minutes again at this early stage of the year.
In the weeks since Christmas I had covered 72, 69 and 80 miles with a longest run of 16 and had put in plenty of hill work but hadn't really started speedwork. The diary tells of "head and chest slightly congested" "coughing and spluittering" "an unsettled night" on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday; but clearly not serious enough to me racing!

Pre-race favourite to win was RICHARD BUTTERFIELD
who was running for Skyrac A.C. at the time (pictured here running for Horsforth Harriers alongside V.S. stalwart Bob Jackson). He certainly figured from the gun but he was surrounded by phalanx of white vests. VALLEY STRIDERS were out in force! 4 of us were on his tail! Must have been something we said as undeterred he ran away to win in 68.07 but we held on to take 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place!!
MARTIN HOPSON was 2nd 69.27, HILARY MC EWAN 69.45 , I was 4TH IN 70.23 with last year's runner up, JEFF COULSON 5th . GEORGE DEBNAM put the host club, Knavesmire Harriers, amongst the prizes with his sixth place in 71.01.
The race winner later joined Valley Striders. A case of I can beat them, but there are more of them, so I'll join them!
None of us would have threatened the 2012 winner YARED HAGUS (Wallsend) who battled through the strong winds last Sunday to win in 66.42 but might well have pushed back this year's 2nd place finisher MATTHEW PIERSON (Holmfirth) (71.12) in 8th place?
I only have a newspaper report for this 1987. It would be interesting to see a full results sheet.

NEW RUN ROUTES....SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND!

2012-01-24T09:36:00.000Z

Those that know me well know that I have time and inclination to run everyday. Well you brush your teeth every day and brush your hair every day so why not run. It's body maintenance after all.
I DO however have very easy days and the session usually consists of jogging several laps down on the local fields. No speed, no hills, no mud, no traffic. BUT it is very open to the strong winds that tend to blow down Wharfedale and without company can tend to get a bit boring lapping grass for 40 or 50 minutes.
Quite often I've noticed "doggie-walkers" , as I call them, exiting over a fence at the corner of the far corner of the fields but until yesterday never been tempted to discover where they have been heading.
Bringing up the area adjacent to the field on http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/   revealed quite a large area of land with quite visible paths through woodland and around a couple of large ponds.  But quite a lot of trees so difficult to measure exactly.
I ventured in yesterday and   within minutes came to a sign telling me I was in BEN RHYDDING GRAVEL PITS NATURE RESERVE. Very grand I thought. Should be well maintained paths and quite extensive, I thought.    Not quite so! I ran as large a loop as the terrain allowed and was back at the sign having covered just a kilometre.
   Somewhat disappointing but  I did at least discover a very good loop for an offroad speed session prticularly useful in windy conditions. Ideal for anyone doing a cross country season. Still combining the Gravel Pits loop with the playing fields, covered twice, gave me an easy 4 mile start to week 4.
Being able to look for and then explore routes which are within a short drive is one of the benefit of having more time for training and certainly the satellite pictures provided by gmap-pedometer and similar sites
are a tremendous aid to this. A great bonus for the modern runner particularly within the measuring facility.
Just wish I'd had the means to measure runs so accurately when I was training in earnest in the '80s instead of driving around a route or trying to measure it with string on a map!

SAME QUANTITY...MORE QUALITY

2012-01-22T20:01:00.001Z

Whilst it's nice to have the freedom that being semi-retired gives me for training and other home activities it's also great, on occasions, to get back to the coal face and spend some time iin the COMPLETE RUNNER shops; listening to customers and help satisfy their running needs.
Pat and I worked in the Nelson branch on Friday and Saturday and as always the experience proved invaluable in learning how running fits into the lives of boys and girls and men and women of all ages up to eighty. Such was the variety of customers who kept us very busy over the 2 days.
  But no so busy that I couldn't excuse myself for track session on Friday; followed by a gentle jog over 5 miles on Saturday morning.
FRIDAY..........TRACK SESSION. This was the first rep session of the year in week 3 and I elected to do 5 x 1K . A session I had completed in week 6 last year; so I was keen to see how times would compare. A year older and essentially rebuilding anything close would be very acceptable.
Last year I recorded 4.47   4.41   4.38   4.39   and finished with a swifter 4.30. I did not try to work to these times but in reviewing the session it was good to see that Friday's were very close except the last one during whioch I lost concentration and failed to finish with my fastest rep time.
So for the record   5 x 1K reps with a generous 2.20 jog/ walk interval recovery in cold blowy conditions.                                   4.44   4.42   4.40   4.37 4.37
Plenty of scope for progression by increasing the reps, reducing the recovery and of course getting them faster! But it was a reasonable start, nevertheless.
In the last post I said it's easier to focus when training with others and so it proved on Friday. I certainly lost focus on that last rep.   I think I was getting hungry and started to think about what I was eating for lunch! But still the session overall was within one second on average on the same session in 2011,  provided good feedback on current fitness and also gives a good idea of race time expectation.   Providing of course that I can find a race in the near future that is not already booked up.
   Saturday's out and back jaunt on the canal was a gentle as I could make it although I did manage a short sprint when attacked by a gaggle of geese who were probably in a bad mood as they couldn't comfortably swim in the water which had formed into choppy waves created by the gale force winds.
   Gales which continued throughout the night and this morning brought through driving rain from the west as usual.   However Pat offered to drive me out and I was able to run back for 8 wind assisted miles. Now you may consider that "wimpy" but as I've said before gale force winds and asthmatic runners are not compatible.
The 8 miler brought the week's total to a solid 42. No quantity progression but progression quality wise with the track session and several other miles in the week sub 8. So a pleasing week.
                              I hope and trust your week went equally well.

THE PERFECT RUNNING PARTNER?

2012-01-18T22:27:00.002Z

Fairly obvious really but reading the following in today's R.W. email ..........

"Studies have shown that athletes perform better together than alone. Find a running buddy—or a few—and you'll get faster while having more fun. "

Certainly these Murlough AC members respendent in their Fastrax vests seem to be enjoying themselves on their beach run. The email newsletter was timely as I was just reviewing the 2011 times I had recorded for my near weekly 2 RESRUN as I call it, (the ever popular trail circuit around Yorkshire Water's Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs) run properly for the first time

this year yesterday.

It's amazing but interesting how times vary for runs we run frequently. Interesting in that records serve as good feedback for current levels of fitness;particularly useful when building up as I am at this stage. Times for this 6.5 mile undulating circuit are generally around 61/62; around 60 minutes on a good day.

But the fastest clocking came when I was joined on the run by Sally M. and Jan from Ilkley Hrs...57.17!

The pace picked up similarly today covering a flat 6 mile road run.   Opened up with an 8.44 mile, accelerated to 8.22 but for most of the 3rd mile I had the company of a friend cycling. Despite maintaining the chat for the mile,   my "paced" mile showed  acceleration further to 7.52.
As I turned back and he cycled on, I spotted another runner in front and inevitably just had to chase him.   The pace was maintained sub 8. But once he had peeled off and the pace dipped to 8.06 and 8.15 for the last mile.   So 49.20 for the run.
Still running ahead of where I was in week 7 last year; but probably over 50 minutes if I had run the whole 6 miles solo.
Runners World suggest that running with company keeps us "more focussed" and "less distracted by pain".   All well and good if your running mate shares your running aims and you are of a similar ability.
There is no way I would have run that 34.58 Salford 10k at the age of 50 in 1999 if I hadn't shared months of hard with a young Bingley H. lady I was assisting at the time. Some good track sessions and some good long runs as well.   Similar relationships have been enjoyed since and have been mutually beneficial.   Problem now though is finding someone as slow as me who trains late morning!
Mind you if  your partner is aiming, say, for the 3 Peaks and you are working towards a spring marathon you might both have to compromise or go your separate ways, for your long run at least.
I would say that over the last 49 years the greater part of my running has been self motivated and
run solo. But certainly there is s tremendous advantage is banging out track reps ,working shoulder to shoulder with a like  minded partner or group.
On the other hand,  I wander just how many runners went to their club last night, joined in a session which they had not planned for and weren't prepared for and ended up injured. Quite as few , no doubt.
Meanwhile, all being well, I'll maintain my weekly solo track sessions and hope that I can at least match the efforts of 2011. I suspect most readers are members of a club and regularly training hard shoulder to shoulder with club mates but if not perhaps finding a running partner or joining a club might be just the boost your running needs in 2012.

SLAB HOPPING ON ILKLEY MOOR

2012-01-17T19:27:00.002Z

With pace being of little concern yesterday I thought I would have a rare run on Ilkley Moor; get nearer to the cloudless blue skies and hopefully enjoy some magnificent view of both Wharfedale and Airedale.
It would also give me a chance to test run the newly laid stone slabs which I mentioned in a previous post when Pat and I walked over them. A massive haul of flagstones was helicoptered onto the moor earlier in 2011 after being recovered from a demolished mill in Lancashire. Some of red paint used on them in their original situation can actually be seen on some.

They've taken a while to put in place as plans to lay them on a very popular route across the top of the moor were put on hold, for fear the work could disturb the breeding season of ground-nesting birds such as grouse and lapwings.
Pictures taken today show clearly how they are saving walkers and runners from sinking into thigh deep mud and water which can be seen to left and right of the flagstones. The path project involved more than 1,000 flags, each of which weighs around a quarter-of-a-tonne.

I ran on them from Whetstone Gate in the west to Trig Point towards the east of the moor but have yet to check another path I read will run north from Dick Hudsons pub at the southern edge of the moor, replacing an ageing wooden ‘boardwalk’ route. The aim of the new paths is to protect the moorland’s fragile peat areas and encourage the regrowth of vegetation either side of the stones. However I'm sure many purists will object to paths on the moor being made "roadrunner friendly" considering going over the knees into peat to be all part of the fun. The work on Ilkley Moor is costing £120,000 and is being supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Following a deviation out and back along the track from COWPER'S CROSS (pictured above) to bring the distance up to the planned 5 there was just time for a final shot before shooting down the track, said to have been neatly constructed by our Roman friends when they popped over from Italy to show us how to build straight roads.
Check out the length of my legs. Useful for running or what!

Be patient or be a patient

2012-01-16T11:27:00.001Z

SANDSIDE LANCASHIRE

Back to the desk after a few days away (one highlight being the sunset above taken near Sandside of the Morecambe Bay estuary) but catching up a pile of emails had to be the priority before my blog posts, of course. It's amazing how emails accumalate when not dealt with continually throughout the day.
Firstly, welcome to Graham Y. of Loftus as a follower. All the best for 2012 , Graham.
Returning to the running I hope your week 2 went well whatever stage of your season you are at.   The regional and national XC champoinships coming up but for me the foundation period continued with just a slight increase on the previous weeks.
Whilst we all appreciate weekly mileage is only one measure of a week's training it is a key element. Views vary slightly of course on planned progression. One view is to consolidate with the same mileage over 3/4 weeks then add 1 mile for each session run in a week.   So if we do 40 miles in 7 sessions for 4 weeks we then can justify the 5th week seeing 47 miles being covered.
Another view popular is to increase by a minumum of 5% but no more than 10%.
                         My view........just nudge last week's effort up a tad!
Having run 40 miles in week 1 I was looking for 43/44.
So a 10% progression in quantity  but looking also for better pace in the miles and a faster 5K session as the week's speed work.  In short a few more miles. Some faster miles and a faster speed session. Simple.

GARMIN LETDOWN.
Being away I chose to run Thursday's 5K effort on the Lancaster canal which was a nice change as it provided good views over Morecambe Bay running through Hest Bank. Not my pic. but conditions similar. Sunny, cool and blustery.
The plan was to run 4 miles steady
down the canal then turn running the 5K tempo with the remainder jogging.
Mile one and two of the tempo went well (for me!) at 7.51 and 7.40 but then the Garmin showed battery low before going off seconds later. I estimate however that I would have run 24.10. So some progression from the track 5K the week previous.
The Garmin has been shutting down after 4/5 miles recently despite being fully charged . I deleted all history as I know this can be a problem a cause. We contacted Garmin support and latest data is now installed. But it still failed after a similar period. Pain!
Choice would seem to ditch my old pal the 205 which whilst quite bulky does provide time of day, pace, distance covered and time taken whilst training and racing and go for the sleek 110 which seems more basic.
Or go for a new internal battery which will cost nearly as much as trade on the 110. Technology!!

THE LONG(est) RUN. Last week it was 10 so I had in mind 12 but forced to "pull into the pits" at 5.5 miles, back home on the familiar Leeds Liverpool canal , I turned at that point and made it 11 miles. Unlike others I tend to run late morning fuelled with breakfast so by the time I hit the towpath I was of course combatting mad cyclists, loose dogs etc. all adding to the fun....and risk of falling into the icy waters.
Usual acceleration scenario......first mile 9.12 last mile 8.12 averaging 8.43. Where I was by week 7 last year. Progress!

There's a low half marathon next Sunday which would allow me to nudge up this Sunday run to 13 with some company. Tempting but with snow forecast from Thursday.......who knows.

Whilst the last 4 weeks have been encouraging I am still "aware" of the left calf and know that I'm going to have to be careful and not do anything silly in the progression which will see me going backwards.
The phrase I recall is............"BE PATIENT OR BE A PATIENT!

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION QUIZ ANSWERS

2012-01-10T22:41:00.000Z

NEW YEAR RUNNING RESOLUTIONS PICTURE QUIZ ANSWERS

I'm sure the majority of you recognised the runners but just in case any gave you trouble.
here they are in order of appearance in the recent post.

ALBERTO SALAZAR   now coach to
MO FARAH   training hard to win Olympic Gold in the U.S.
JO PAVEY still to secure a place in the Olympic marathon alongside
PAULA RADCLIFFE who has run many races organised by Nova International. The company of
BRENDAN FOSTER   who came near but did not quite match the Olympic succcesses of
LASSIE VIREN famous for his subtle marketing exercise holding aloft his ONITSUKA TIGER spikes.
Unlike ABEBE BIKILA who in contrast was initially famous for winning gold wearing no shoes at all.
Can RYAN HALL win Olympic Gold also? First he has to make the USA team. Trial this Saturday.
and finally, will we see HAILE GEBRSELLASSIE lining up alongside Hall on the streets of London?

START AS YOU MEAN TO GO ON!

2012-01-08T21:29:00.000Z

Whilst longer term aims have still to be defined, quite clearly if I am to match or get anywhere near to last year's time short term goals, I have to be to inject some faster pace miles into the week and regain strength will some increase in the longest run of the week. Simple...on the planner.
Problem being the extremely strong gales prevailing for most of this week and the constant thought that the calf might not be up to the task!
The weather is always a factor at this time of year. Plans can fall apart or be difficult to fulfill with gales prevalent or poor underfoot conditions.   This week it was a case of coping with some of the strongest winds for years.
Fortunately , Pat helped me manage Tuesday's run by driving me 6 miles to the west and I ran back home gale assisted. With the constant threat of being blown off the pavement into the path of adjacent traffic!
Wednesday Sally and I sought shelter with 2 laps of the res. Nice to have some company for a change! Thanks Sally.
Thursday's track session went well with a solid 5K time trial, as the gales thankfully abated.  The sun even made an appearance as an added bonus.
  Following two so called easy days combatting the wind on the grass (4/3) it just left today and the task of nudging the "long run" up to 10 miles.   Contrary to the "the book" I ran down the canal with the wind behind in 45 minutes and managed a better second half despite a fairly strong headwind. Pleasing.

So week one's goals achieved!

40 miles covered. Spot on last year's average.

Track session completed. The calf stood up to the better pace.

Longest run increased to 10 miles.

Week one last year I limped through

4......4....3.....3.....0.....0.......2..........16 miles.

This year I ran through

4......6 ....6.5.....6 .....4.....3.5......10.......40 miles

Plenty of room for improvement and progrssion .............but a much better start to 2012!

I hope your week one went well also. Let's keep it up!

NEW YEAR RUNNING RESOLUTIONS PICTURE QUIZ

2012-01-06T10:23:00.002Z

Need some help drawing up your list of NEW YEAR RUNNING RESOLUTIONS? Perhaps these world class distance runners from PAST and PRESENT can help you out.

CAN YOU IDENTIFY THEM?

This famous marathon runner might suggest that it's time to FIND or change to a NEW COACH or MENTOR to get your running back on track.

This young man would certainly seem to have profited from his move to the man above. But he's not suggesting you move from one continent to another. Perhaps simply a MOVE TO ANOTHER CLUB or FIND NEW TRAINING PARTNERS might be just what your running needs?

This young lady switched from 5k and 10k on the track to the marathon in a bid to earn a place at the 2012 Olympics. A place which has still to be secured. Perhaps 2012 IS THE YEAR FOR YOUR FIRST ATTEMPT AT THE MARATHON DISTANCE OR THE YEAR WHEN YOU REALLY COMMIT TO A MARATHON P.B?

If that's case then follow this lady's example and RESOLVE TO PUT THE TRAINING IN AND INCREASE IN YOUR WEEKLY MILEAGE. Though she may suggest her 120 per week is more than YOU need.

If you are planning to include some mass participation events into your race programme this year, then you may well take part in events organised by this runner's company. His advice is DECIDE ON YOUR EVENTS AND ENTER EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT.

This Olympic gold medallist would seem to be suggesting that one of your New Year resolutions should be to look at your shoes and DECIDE if IT'S TIME TO INVEST IN A NEW PAIR. But of course there are other manufacturers than Onitsuka Tiger (Asics) .

This double Olympic marathon winner won one of his races running 26.2 mile without shoes but was shod when he won his second. So if you are thinking of running barefoot or more likely converting to minimalist shoes his advice would seem to be ENSURE YOU BUY THE RIGHT SHOES FOR YOU and YOU ALONE; TAKING GOOD ADVICE IF NECESSARY

This current U.S. marathon runner may well go in the OLYMPIC HALL OF FAME but he has to make the U.S. 2012 team first. If we learn nothing else from his training videos it's the importance of THE LONG RUN. Will one of your 2012 resolutions be to TRAIN UP TO OR EVEN OVER THE MARATHON DISTANCE?

and finally...................................if you have let your running slip or stopped running altogether perhaps ONE OF YOUR 2012 RESOLUTIONS should be TO PLAN A RUNNING COMEBACK. This man did after his DNF in the New York City marathon in 2010. He changed his mind about retirement from racing

and ran 60:18 in his COMEBACK HALF MARATHON RACE..........some return!

Keeping track of current fitness

2012-01-05T18:22:00.000Z

Quite obviously at this stage of build up after the period of R.& R. I know I'm far from 100% race ready. However,
sometimes it's useful to set a little test for oneself just to see how things are going. Let's call it an "interim report" !
I know many would use a parkrun for this purpose but I resorted to my 5K track time trial today in conditions which were very much improved than those of late with the sun making a welcome reappearance .
I did similarly after injury over Christmas & New Year in 2011. That 5k effort on January 28th produced a modest but satisfactory 25.27.
Today I honestly hadn't a clue what to expect. Very little running had been done over the last month at under 9 mins pace. With the gales of the last few days passing through to leave clear blue skies it was pleased as the laps all peeled off at just seconds over 2 mins. for a final clocking of 25:31.
So I guess in real terms I'm 3 weeks ahead of where I was this time last year at an age when I'm already trying to combat Old Father Time.
It was certainly good to get back on the track. There really is no better place for nudging up the pace!

It's all about commitment!

2012-01-03T17:37:00.000Z

2011. COMMITMENT TO TRAINING....... Over the Christmas and New Year period last year I was so troubled by the reoccurring pain in my left leg (piriformis problem) that I was not foolish or even optimistic enough to make any training/racing resolutions for 2011. Resolutuions which at the time would have seemed totally unrealistic and out of the question.
If I could simply make a return to daily, pain free running that would be more than enough.
But gradually as the pain diminished the weekly mileage was nudged back up again to the average. 16, 22 ,24 36 and then 40. Daily runs of 4 mile in January, ticking over, were gradually increased up to 10 miles.

I ventured back to the track to attempt a 5K solo time trial which went quite well and encouraged me to start looking at a "comeback" race to kick off the 2011 season. I was pleased to run 43.28 for the initial outing on Mar 5 at Stanley Park, Blackpool.
I was back in business and fitter than I had thought. I had predicted a time of around 45 minutes.
Pleasingly I was able to go on enjoy 10 months of interrupted training and racing averaging 43 miles per week. 50% of many weeks 25 years ago but a reasonable and satisfactory degree of commitment at my age and running life I would suggest.
However, the last 4 weeks of 2011 with the calf strain naturally took that average down.   But at least I was able to recover well enough to need just 9 miles last Sunday to bring the year's total up to 2080
and average exactly 40 miles for 2011.
A paddle strewn towpath and torrential rain tested the resolve but it had to be done, didn't it?!

2011. COMMITMENT TO RACING....
I could never be accused of over racing on a regular basis. I have been guilty over "binge racing" (several races in a very short period) but generally balanced out by a period of race inactivity. A "down season".

The greatest number of races in a year was in 1989 with a total of 29.
This year if I had been confident enough to set a race number target it would have been 20. I had reached
18 when I suffered the calf strain in November. I would have slotted in one of the popular 10 milers and possibly a 5K .
But hey 18 out of 20 doesn't look too bad so I'll settle for that. I often say I only race flat road races nowadays but in fact the list shows otherwise with some trail races in there and some testing road events.
2011. RACE TIMES AND AGE CATEGORY.......
There are exceptions but I would say generally at my stage, working against old father time, we have all on to maintain race times year on year. Perhaps a decline of 30 seconds over a 10K is more likely and that was what I could only manage. No improvement on 2010.

The best 10K was down by 20 seconds but the 5 mile only down by 6 seconds. I managed 4 category wins in the year. At 63 in the M60 section this will prove harder in 2012.

2011. COMMITMENT TO THE CLUB...........
Living in Yorkshire, an hour and a half's drive from Sale Harriers' club HQ means I don't get involved with club training. However, I did respond to the call and turned out in the the Northern 12 man relay ("B" team) and Northern 6 man relay ("D" team) and along side several teammates who completed the Manchester Parks Races Series. Far more in fact than many who live on the doorstep!

2011. COMMITMENT TO SPEEDWORK......
The majority of my "speedwork" is track based. Some longers efforts being done on the canal towpath.
2011 saw 26 track visits. Some room for more commitment there then.

2011. COMMITMENT TO HILL WORK....
Only half a dozen actual hill rep sessions. Perhaps too much of a reliance on mildly undulating off road runs to act as hill work but nothing like the intensity of sessions which i used to incorporate into the week in the "good years". Again, something which needs to be addressed.

In general I have enjoyed another year of near daily training; mainly off road, mainly traffic free in England's second best county of Yorkshire and should be thankful that after nearly 50 years and over 700 races I am still able to sit here and be able to write the above!
That's it for 2011. I hope as you look back over you running year you have achieved all that you aimed for and trained for. But if not, hopefully your running record allows you to evaluate, establish where the problems occurred, reset fresh goals for 2012 and enjoy running towards achieving those goals.
I wish you well in your efforts. Go for it!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T18:03:00.000Z

You must be jesting!

2011-12-29T17:41:00.000Z

A LOOK BACK AT THIS DATE 25 YEARS AGO

Unlike this year's period of recuperation, rest and recovery which was "injury driven" ; the period of R. & R. in 1986 was well deserved and very welcome.   22 races, including 2 marathons, a 30K and 6 half marathons had been listed after all. I was ready for a break.
The month of November had seen weekly mileage brought down from a peak of 89 at the beginning to just 23 by the month end.   I had picked up things again in december and had an eye on a road race in the New Year on January 6. A 6 miler at Woodkirk , near Leeds.
But friends we were staying with in Poulton , Lancashire had other plans for me.   How could I possibly not take part in the local POULTON JESTER'S FUN RUN in aid of local charities?!
Protestations about competing "illegally" with minors in unregistered races and reference to the copious amount of lager, wine and and festive spirit we had enjoyed over the Christmas period were waved aside.
So I donned longsleeve and tights and was virtually pushed out of the door to join 220 others for the 6.5 mile "punishment" run as I called.   I could have said no to another lager. I could have said no to another glass of wine! But I didn't. So this race would act as my penance no matter how I felt.
The picture from the local paper clearly shows how a bunch of local youngsters set off determined to firmly put their elders and betters in their place.!
But local teacher CHRIS NELLIGAN wasn't going to be beaten by any of his pupils or me neither and ran away to finish first in 33.42 beating me by a good half a minute for second.
Not planned but all in all a very good workout!

Nowadays I would follow up such a race with a very short recovery run of 3 or 4 miles. The 1986 tells a different story.........13.5 miles the following day. C'est la vie!

Video.....Ribble Valley 10k 2011

2011-12-28T13:41:00.000Z

Resisting the temptation to enter on the day and trundle around well over 50 minutes I decided instead to just do some filming. If Pat had been with me we could have filmed the start , at two points on the course and then the finish; but being alone it was only possible to film the start and finish.
Conditions were pretty favourable for the race. Mild temperatures and not overly windy. A great tussle at the sharp end between Jonny Mellor, Ricky Stevenson and Alistair Brownlee running a PB over one of his Olympic triathlon disciplines.
If you've 13 minutes to spare...........................

Season's Greetings!

2011-12-24T19:44:00.000Z

RUN MUSIC QUIZ FOR CHRISTMAS

2011-12-23T15:05:00.000Z

Up another rung!

2011-12-18T19:44:00.000Z

The end of week 3 in my period of rest and recovery. "Downtime December" is not quite a correct description of this current phase as I am actually running every day but still no runs above 6 miles; the mileage 25% down on normal and only 3 miles this week faster than 9 minute mile pace!
But being positive I did hit the recovery target for the week of 30 miles and enjoyed a run outside each day with reasonable underfoot conditions; several days enjoying brilliant, late morning winter sunshine.  So up another rung on the ladder of recovery and a return to normal routine! Last year it was day after day doing short jogs on the dreadmill, nursing what turned out to be a piriformis problem  as Wharfedale froze and stayed frozen for days.
Let's hope for nothing like that again this winter. But not holding my breath.
I freely admit that much of my motivation and drive involves "chasing numbers" and I know many reading this will class me as a bit of a pedant. . But tell me how many runners having completed a 5 mile run today, which brought their 2011 total to 1999.5, would not have jogged another half mile to round off week 50 with 2000 miles......giving me a neat weekly average for the year of 40 miles!
Looking back at January posts I can't find reference to setting a target of mileage for the year as early last January I was just concerned to get back to running any distance pain free; never mind thinking about the whole year ahead.   All in all I'll settle for the recovery and consistency achieved between February and
early December.
But again there will be no aims made for 2012 for racing and training until I've returned to the track and managed to put together a decent speed session. This will then enable me to judge how the recovery has gone and go forward. Hopefully shortly.
In contrast the ladies listed below, as revealed this week by VLM, have a very defined aim for the first few months of next year;  a place in the Olympic marathon, based on a successful qualifying run in the London marathon. If anything it will prove to be a better quality race than the Olympic event itself.  Certainly some very classy Kenyans and Ethiopian ladies look destined to miss out with only 3 places to go for.   Then of course there is the battle for the remaining place on the GB team. Bring it on!

LONDON MARATHON WOMENS ENTRIES

Elite Women	PB
Mary Keitany (Kenya)	2:19:19
Irina Mikitenko (Germany)	2:19:19
Florence Kiplagat (Kenya)	2:19:44
Edna Kiplagat (Kenya)	2:20:46
Constantina Dita (Romania)	2:21:30
Atsede Baysa (Ethiopia)	2:22:04
Ejegayehu Dibaba (Ethiopia)	2:22:09
Inga Abitova (Russia)	2:22:19
Korene Jelila (Ethiopia)	2:22:43
Priscah Jeptoo (Kenya)	2:22:51
Bezunesh Bekele (Ethiopia)	2:23:09
Isabellah Andersson (Sweden)	2:23:41
Mariya Konovalova (Russia)	2:23:50
Aberu Kebede (Ethiopia)	2:23:58
Jessica Augusto (Portugal)	2:24:33
Nadia Ejjafini (Italy)	2:26:15
Yuliya Ruban (Ukraine)	2:27:00

Leading British entrants

Women	PB
Liz Yelling	2:28:33
Claire Hallissey	2:29:27
Louise Damen	2:30:00
Susan Partridge	2:34:13
Alyson Dixon	2:34:51
Amy Whitehead	2:35:39
Helen Decker	2:35:43
Rebecca Robinson	2:37:14
Freya Murray	Debut
Sonia Samuels	Debut

AMY WHITEHEAD (Sale Harriers)...a good outside bet along with
club mate SONIA SAMUELS?

Women roadrunners......on an equal footing?

2011-12-15T18:07:00.000Z

I was discussing Kathrine Switzer, the subject of Tuesday's blog post, with my wife Pat this morning. She agreed with the obvious, that there are vast more numbers of ladies road running now from back in the day when she first started accompanying me to races in the early '70s as a spectator.   My recollection from those days is that the ladies were only seen running distance over the country but not on track or the road.
Her conclusion was that given a typical race today the numbers of women must equal that of men. Was she right?   And just how many women were in those races that she stood and watched?
Given that  it wasn't until the Olympics of 1972 that women competed over 1500 metres their involvement is road races was to be expected to be low......but just how low?
Just for interest I looked at some random race results from past just before the '80s "running boom" and recent present.
In 1978, the EAST CHESHIRE 7 (no  10Ks in those days) showed 156 ran, with just 11 vets in the first 100 and no ladies at all.   410 started the 3 Peaks Race that year. 336 finished but there was no ladies race until 1979.   The CROXDALE "10" miler won by silver Olympian Mike Mc Leod in 49.17, shows 192 male finishers but curiously they organisers acknowledge  that one Norma Campbell of Blaydon harriers ran 69.39 but she is not listed in order in the results!

The following year, the FRECKLETON HALF MARATHON of '78 shows just one lady finisher, with 3 each year in 1979 and 1980. No sign of a boom there then but going further north that year saw 14 ladies climb out of Bowness and head to Kendal in the "Windermere to Kendal 10 mile road race".   The results show UK's all time female marathon runner, Veronique Marot, taking 5th spot in 65.05.
Going forward to 1982 and the Lancashire 10 mile race at Clitheroe I was expecting to see a higher percentage of ladies had run. A field of 529 tackled the undulating course
but only 18 women. The winner, A. Tamplin of Harlow, ran an excellent 60.25 but it was good enough for 211 place as 197 men ran inside 60 minutes!
One of the 5 marathons I ran in 1982 was the comparatively low key SANDBACH MARATHON
in Cheshire. 270 men and just 17 ladies ran in "sweltering conditions". The ever improving Ms Marot (unattached) won the ladies race in 2:54.29.  Within 3 years she was down to 2:28.04 (Chicago 1985) later going on to run 2:25:56 in the London of 1989. Picture shows her (9) with coach Brian Scobie (80).
If 211 inside the hour for 10 miles looks amazing, the 1983 ROWNTREES YORK 10 MILER
surpasses even that . That memorable day 322 ran under 60 minutes including 2 ladies who were contesting the very first Yorkshire Ladies 10 mile championship. Jill Clarke ran 56.37 and Sheila Catford 58.35. They were joined by 86 others making up 7.47% of the field. My 51.41 was only good enough for 21st place in a race won by Holmfirth stalwart Alwyn Dewhirst in 48.46.
I think we can reasonably conclude that over the last 20 years that percentage has steadily increased. But to what extent?
Looking at 3 recent north 10 mile races the percentage of ladies finishing has increased to an average of
approx. 28% but Pat 's assessment nearly proved spot on in this month's GREAT LANGDALE XMAS PUDDING RUN.    The figure of 216 male participants was almost matched by the 211 ladies who ran.
Race organisers note. Give a race souvenir which saves the ladies a bit of time cooking in the kitchen and gives them more time for running!
These "findings" would at first glance contradict  Sport England’s latest participation figures which
have been described as disappointing. They revealed a significant drop in the number of young people aged between 16-19 and women "playing sport" due to cost and lack of time through work.
No doubt though the snowy November and December of 2010 had a bearing on figures. However, the study does say that running (along with  table table tennis and boxing) is on the up as our
race results show.
In conclusion there is no doubt the high percentage of ladies in all aspects of running now has to be borne in mind by club committees, race organisers and of course suppliers and retailers in the running business.
Indeed ladies today, a running force to be reckoned with and if not quite "on an equal footing" yet soon will be!

KATHRINE SWITZER......A PIONEER OF WOMENS RUNNING

2011-12-13T22:02:00.001Z

The majority of the QUOTE(s) OF THE DAY which flow in each morning from R.W. are often quite insightful but generally quite personal statements about how much running means to the individual being quoted.
In contrast yesterday's quote was somewhat more significant with regard to the evolution of running as a sport today. Running as we view the activity on all levels.
The quote from KATHRINE SWITZER went as follows....

"When I go to the BOSTON MARATHON now, I have wet shoulders.......women fall into my arms crying. They're weeping for joy, because running has changed their lives.

They feel they can do anything"

Whilst other women had run the mens only BOSTON MARATHON unofficially she was the first woman to enter and start the race with a number on. But she didn't enter as Kathrine. She entered as K.V. Switzer as this was her normal signature apparently; no attempt to deceive it seems! The year was 1969.
In a very interesting piece describing events leading up to the race she describes how running a mile or so after her hockey training whilst still at school she was spotted and invited to take part in a mixed mile race as a youngster. Participation which was not well received.   But she persevered and at 19 with the help a 50 year old coach/friend gradually built up her running distances such that running Boston became a real ambition.
Knowing Boston was a male bastion of marathon running her friend was initially against the idea.
Women didn't run marathons, couldn't run marathons, he thought.  But realising the strength of her desire he gradually came around and supported her in her training. Together they covered up to 31 miles in preparation.
She describes how the morning of the '69 race the weather was so poor they decided to start in "sweats" which they would later discard.  So it was not so evident on the line that she was female.

After 4 miles she was detected by the vehicle carrying race organiser JOCK SEMPLE, photographers and journalists .    It wasn't long before the volatile, seething Semple erupted; incensed at how his race had been violated. He leapt off the vehicle to drag Kathrine Switzer off the course.
But he hadn't accounted for her coach and her hefty brother who was also running on the basis of "anything SHE can do, I can do..."   Together they manhandled Semple off and she continued running.
She sets the record straight in stating that contrary to reports stating that she did NOT finish the race, she did finish and actually ran about 4:20.

She persevered with her efforts and the 1972 race saw women officially "welcome" to enter. Meanwhile she continued to improve; she eventually brought her P.B. down to 2:51. She won the New York City marathon in 1974.
  Lesser individuals would have given up that morning as soon as they were "attacked" by Jock Semple but her determination and perseverence really opened the flood gates for women in running.
By the end of the '80s women had a good foothold in American marathons and so when Chris Brasher and John Disley started the London in 1981 based on their experiences in Boston and New York women would be a key part of the event, although I can find no record of the male/female split in the 1981 London event which 7055 started.   Previously many marthon fields didn't make 3 figures.

The race as they say is history.  The interest in the London marathon sparked a surge of interest in distance running generally with hundreds of new running clubs focussing mainly on road running starting up throughout the country, as traditional clubs generally failed to cater for the new non-elite runner. Gradually over the last 20 years the proportion of female members in these '80s clubs as we all know has increased and increased.
Results from the late '70s and from current races shed light on how this increase is manifested in the area of competition. But that's for another day........

Patiently behaving myself!

2011-12-11T19:59:00.001Z

The target for this second week of rest and recovery was approx. 20 miles.....easy! just less than half my normal average mileage. Designed to satisfy both the need to give the old body a bit of a respite and of course not overwork the recovering calf strain.
Runs of 2, 3, 3.5, 2, 3 off road through the week had gone OK so yesterday I felt ready to test the leg on the road over 4 miles. Normally this run would be the easiest run of the week. Yesterday it was elevated to the hardest run of the week and an important one as far as monitoring the recovery was concerned.   Fortunately all went well.
Today it was good to revisit the reservoirs, albeit for one circuit of the shorter one and it was pleasing that the calf coped with a long uphill finish.   Another 4 which tipped the total to 21.5.
So basically I think I'm behaving myself quite well! No choice really.
Regular blog readers know how much I like my, perhaps pedantic, quantity targets.
Anything to aid motivation!
At this stage, fingers crossed, I should have no problem reaching 2000 miles for the year as I only need to run another 25. But it would have been nice to reach 2080 and notch up the yearly average to 40, wouldn't it.
A few weeks ago that looked no problem but now might be a big ask.
Meanwhile , I'll keep treating the leg and see how the rest of the year goes.
Finishing the year in better spirits must be PAULA RADCLIFFE and MARA YAMOUCHI who learnt this week they have been preselected for the 2012 London Olympic marathon. I experienced the greatest high of my running career running shoulder to shoulder with Grete Waitz in the London marathon; with the crowds in the last miles screaming her on to that world record.   So just think how uplifting the atmosphere will be for the GB girls will crowds lining the whole course! It's going to be so amazing for them!
                                             Question is who will grasp the third place?
Claire Hallisey, Jo Pavey,   Louise Damon or perhaps Northern stars Susan Partridge or Alison Dixon.   What a prize to get them through the winter!!

The 3 Rs...rest....recovery....reassess

2011-12-09T17:09:00.001Z

If you didn't get a spare 15 minutes or you weren't really interested in the Senior Mens race in last Saturday's Manchester XC League here's a few minutes of highlights from the stream crossing in which you can study the various techniques employed , some in slow motion for enhanced appreciation. Entitled......
CROSS COUNTRY CAPERS

FRIDAY. Noon. As I sat in the car at the local playing fields ,  waiting for a hail flurry to blow through and looking towards the sunshine which was clearly on it's tail, I was weighing up the pros and cons of this fortnight since the ill fated 5K in Preston.
Thinking positively, this fortnight I will only be doing what I constantly keep reading we need to do for a period in the year.......take a REST. A forced rest maybe but at a time when the weather has taken a down turn, so not really too frustrating.   Back in the day 43 weeks averaging 43 miles per week would have been considered only moderate but nearly 63 I'm sure the majority would suggest a few low mileage weeks are well deserved and well overdue.   I keep reading how this period of rest will REgenerate, REbuild, REvitalise.   So with the leg recovering from the strain , the week's mileage will be 50% of average. The pace has been very easy. There will be runs more than 4 miles. No attempt to run fast.
BUT I have been at least been maintaining some fitness .....and getting outdoors.....with the jogs of 2 and 3 miles.   I  don't "buy" the idea of stopping running altogether.  I will not be hibernating to a cave by the sea to "find myself again"!
I think it would make January and February very hard indeed attempting to return to a level where by I can enjoy my weekly routine and race moderately if I stopped running altogether. A bit of "cross training", maybe.
The negative, of course, is that I am already missing my favourite sessions and runs.  But if I get back to routine I'm sure I will appreciate them all the more.
The REcovery from the grade 1 calf strain ties in with the rest quite nicely, being positive. So whilst the calf is recovering and healing the rest of the legs and the old cardiovascular system are feeling the benefit as well.
I tested the leg on the Tuesday after the race with a mile walk and a mile jog and decided to more or less write off the rest of the week   whilst continuing to ice and treat.
This week I've coped with 2, 3 3.5, 2 , 3 with the leg well on the mend. I have put the ice pad on for 10/15 minutes after each jog, however, to maintain some treatment.
  The third R, Reassessment.  I was aware that Aldershot veteran Martin Duff was investigating the effect of long term training and racing on the heart. Sadly he reports   heart attacks, strokes and atrial fibrillation as being very common whilst stating that perhaps those who have not suffered negatively have not contacted him.
A very significant factor seems to be damage done to heart, organs , muscles as the immune system suffers because of the "need" to maintain high mileage (I would suggest above 70 miles per week). Conclusion being,of course, don't train or race when unwell or run down. Don't train to exhaustion.   Maintain an even
running/work/life balance and recover well after races.
I may be wrong but judging my race times today the majority all club runners today have the number of miles they run per week well under control as they cope with so many responsibilities of modern life.
I have had no real trauma, (mine was atrial flutter), since I reduced my "preventive" asthma medication so it would appear that scaling down my training over the years has worked.   However, I think next year perhaps there needs to be more highs and lows in each week, in each month and a "scale down" period in the year like this, when the weather is so uninviting. A reassessment required as I reach 63!
I would have such highs and lows automatically in the '80s when I ran 3, 4 or 5 marathons per year. The days before and after the event giving me time to catch up with a pile of paperwork or household chores.
Without them it's been easy to bash out 40 plus miles per week , week after week coming down only slightly
for one or two races in the year.   With no children and minimal work responsibilities I could do more but I think I appreciate the need to "detrain".
                  Again, I keep reading less quantity more quality; perhaps that's the way to go!

MANCHESTER XC LEAGUE WYTHENSHAWE videos up now

2011-12-07T16:13:00.001Z

A 15 minute video of the mens race (with music by Elbow "Weather To Fly"..... which somehow managed to get through their filter..... competing with the noise of the strong winds) is up on YOUTUBE now. Copyright prevents it going on this blog.
Click on the above for the 10 minute video of the ladies covering LUCY O'GORMAN's "easy" win.
MATT BARNES had no trouble with the course scoring a pretty easy win from DAVE NORMAN. But it was particularly pleasing to see our no.1 GARETH RAVEN continuing his great recovery from injury with a superb run working through to 3rd.
Meanwhile, after a week of rest and recuperation nursing my calf strain , a test run of a couple of miles on the grass was tried, tested and went well.

2011-12-05T22:34:00.000Z

A large field of 324 men contested match 3 of the MANCHESTER CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE last Saturday afternoon. A home fixture for us on a course designed by Dave Rodgers which included 3 crossings of the in the stream in WYTHENSHAWE PARK. You can see how they coped and look out for Dave R's own crossing of the muddy waters.
MATT BARNES had no trouble with the course scoring a pretty easy win from DAVE NORMAN. But it was particularly pleasing to see our no.1 GARETH RAVEN continuing his great recovery from injury with a superb run working through to 3rd.
Meanwhile, after a week of rest and recuperation nursing my calf strain , a test run pf a couple of miles on the grass was tried, tested and went well.

BEST 5K PRESTON.......the (in)complete video

2011-11-30T22:49:00.001Z

Produced by popular request a 5 minute look at the BEST 5K MOOR PARK PRESTON from 27 Nov 2011.
For full screen see fastrax 1949 channel on youtube.
Click the X to delete youtube adverts, of course!

LEARNING A LESSON FROM RACE DAY INJURY

2011-11-29T10:07:00.001Z

Suffering an injury is a pain in the bum. isn't it? Or in my case a pain in the left calf.   Bad enough at any time. If we suffer an injury during a training run the natural immediate reaction is to slow down at least to a slow jog or worse still a walk to get back to start point. Easier at the track as we can simply stop straight away.
But in a race situation it's completely different , isn't it? As competitors our natural inclination is to finish the event.  Except perhaps if pain comes in the first mile of a marathon in which case the runner is in real trouble.
Sunday, when I felt pain in the calf at the half mile point I really felt (and hoped) it would go almost straight away. How many times have we felt a tweek in a race only for it to amount to nothing?
However it just got worse and I was then faced the decision of carrying on or not.  Not really in my nature.
I was lucky in that it was only a calf strain.  I would say a "grade 1" and just 7/10 days should see it healed.
I have to agree with a comment from anonymous "runner" about choosing the right race. Whilst the wind speed was forecast to reduce it was still likely to trigger negative astmatic response and make a decent run difficult. But what I didn't factor in was the leg problem.
24 hours later, however, my thoughts are not so much as whether I was right to carry on, but as to WHY the calf injury occurred in the first place.   It's not as if I am a chronic calf pain sufferer.
Looking at my training summary sheet on excel , the last calf injury I had was back in JUNE 2009. I attempted a track session of 800s on the Thursday after a Sunday half marathon. OK for young guns but
proved detrimental for me.
But talking through injuries with shop customers, calf problems are very commonly referred to.   Recently "minimalist" shoes would appear to have been a factor but more often when questioned the customer admits to day after day of hill running or just one too many speed session.   Overuse or lack of variety.
In my case I looked back to last week's training for any clues to factors contributing to the calf problem. Tuesday   was not overly fast or hilly. Just my weekly tour of the "2Res". Wednesday again was just a steady joint along the canal with Sally M. No hills there.
No, the calf was probably weakened by an effort session done on the grass on Thursday. I didn't go to the track as there were traffic problems on the way.    I wore a low profile trail shoe and the legs generally were calves tad sore but I wasn't overly concerned and didin't do anything about it.
Lesson being,   stick to routines that work.
That was the first grass session I'd done all year and I must have been "clawing" more on grass in a shallow shoe and that action plus lack of cushioning would appear to have made the calf vulnerable for the next bout of speed which was at 11.00 on Sunday.
So that plus inadequate warm up would appear to have been the detrimental factors.
Essentially, the whole warm up routine needs to be looked at. Starting with allowing more time before race start, whichever warm up routine is chosen.
Yesterday I managed just 2 miles for the warm up at no faster than 9.15 pace. Within minutes I was heading down that first half mile straight at 6.50 pace. Clearly a recipe for disaster.
It's all a matter of time allowed.  For track sessions at race pace I now tend to cover 3 miles before, I always take time to stretch, I always take time to do some strides. I take time because I have time.
Yet race day it always seems to be a panic.   Not enough time before the gun goes for all that is needed to
race to the max!   There are several pages referring to "warm up" in the Jack Daniels book Daniels' RUNNING Formula. Various ways are covered.   I shall have to perhaps experiment with one or two to establish the best for me. 699 RACES AND I'M STILL LEARNING!

A miserable P.W. at the BEST 5K

2011-11-27T17:53:00.001Z

There's the race day plan and there's the execution of the race day plan. They rarely match up 100%. On rare occasions the race may even go better than expected.    Conditions better than hoped for, surface better than hoped, compettion better than hoped and hey presto!...........a P.B. race day.
But usually there's not a lot of difference between apiration and realisation of the plan.
At Lytham a fortnight ago I was looking for a sub 43 10K but windy coastal conditions and a groin strain at 5 mile saw a 43.08 clocking. Close......but no cigar as they say. A few percent off thtat's all.
The plan today?   We would arrive before 10.00 a.m. for the 11 a.m. start.   I would enter, complete a 3 mile warm up, some stretching and some strides and be hovering ready for the off at 10.55.   My lungs would hopefully cope with the strong winds present once again and I would not be far off what should be a predictive time on or around the 21 minute mark.   I would add a couple of mile to round the exercise off.
It would be a reasonable 699th recorded race.
But with gales hammering Wharfedale throughout it wasn't a night for a perfect sleep and it was with much effort that I eventually extricated myself from under the duvet; much later than planned. Further hampered by traffic delays it was 10.25 by the time I started out on the warm up around MOOR PARK, PRESTON and immediately bacame aware that the strong winds would be a nuisance.
With the field assembling there was no time for the planned stretching and strides and at 10.59 we sprinted off into the headwind.   I knew from the warmup that after half a mile we would turn with the wind behind so if I could survive that the breathing would then improve.
What I didn't plan for was pain in the left calf after just 4 minutes! I thought it would be just a tweek and it would fade away. No such luck. Instead of the planned 6.46 for the first mile I was just over 7 and to add insult to injury I was passed a 6 foot penguin loking like a refugee from Happy feet.
The rest of the race was a test of trial; I kept thinking about the distance we'd travelled and stubbornly thinking about notching up that penultimate race to 700. I would finish whatever.
At 2 mile I past another mature gentleman who'd stopped and encouraged him to join me in a last mile limp. And by now I was dragging the left leg quite badly but with the wind now behind at least holding pace; albeit now a miniute slower than predicted.   No accelration as I usually manage then.....7.02 7.40 7.39 to the 3 mile marker. Yes, as last week, it was mile marked not K marked. Unbelieveable.
So, a final miserable P.W. of 23.32. Slower than I manage on the track in training by myself. Slower than I manage at the end of a 12 mile run   but hopefully no long term damage.   I wish I'd worn the calf sleeves which I had considered but rejected. 4th M60 64th of the 185 who finished.
Needless to say there was no couple of miles cooling down; just a hasty retreat home to commence the iciing process as soon as possible.   So as they say FAIL TO PREPARE.........PREPARE TO FAIL!

Consolation? Well at least I beat the penguin whose flight of freedom had stalled by half way.

M35 JASON PARKER (Preston) scored his first victory for quite a while, 1.32 slower than his 2010 best. F35 Liverpool international JENNY CLAGUE was first lady in 18.31 again 1.04 slower than her 2010 best. Others were similarly slower. Perhaps the title of tjhe race as the BEST 5K needs to be changed! It certainly wasn't for me. A bad day at the office altogether.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT RACE?

2011-11-22T21:07:00.001Z

I would not be surprised to learn that JO PAVEY was sat at her computer last weekend, anxiously waiting to see how two of her main rivals for the London 2012 Olympic marathon places had performed in the YOKOHAMA WOMENS INTERNATIONAL marathon .
She will have been relieved to see that LOUISE DAMON had dropped out at 6 miles but probably "gutted"   in seeing MARA YAMAUCHI (pictured left) take her no.2 spot in this year's rankings with her 2:27.24, a great comeback after 2 years plagued by injury.
With 2 ladies being "preselected" on December 5 perhaps Jo Pavey is regretting choosing to race the hillier NEW YORK CITY marathon as opposed to say AMSTERDAM which I would have thought would have produced a faster time than her PB set at LONDON of 2:28.42.  The 2:28.42 New York would suggest she was capable of sub 2:28 on a flatter course.
  But life is all about choices and consequences, isn't it? Could be that the choice to run in America was the wrong one if U.S. based 4th ranked CLAIRE HALLISSEY chooses to try to improve on her Chicago time of 2:29.27 before the final 3rd place is selected.

Of far less consequence is MY choice of my next race. A repeat visit to PRESTON's Deepdale football ground for a swift couple of circuits of the adjacent Moor Park looks attractive. But with gales forecast to improve a 2011 best of 21.11 might prove beyond me!
If I complete 2 more races this year it will bring my listed races up to a total of 700 which would quite nicely round the year off, wouldn't it? I know some of my contemporaries can refer to over 1000 races run but as I have tended to run no more than 20 races most year's 700 will do for me.........FOR NOW!

Hazy afternoon at the COMPLETE RUNNER XC league at SHIPLEY

2011-11-21T18:10:00.000Z

11.00 a.m. Monday. Well the sun is certainly being coy again today, hiding itself behind a veil of grey cloud much as it did yesterday. Subsequently the remperature dipped from 13 to 4 degrees and to be honest I was a bit concrned that the cold would impair the breathing during the Sunday 10 road run I had planned.
I say planned because the undulating road run would be the first test for the upper leg strained at the mile 5 point in last week's 10K on the Lytham promenade and I was prepared to have to abort.
Pleased to report the "test" was passed and this "medium" length run compensated for low recovery mileage on the days immediately after the race. But with no speed session it had to be a recorded as below par week with just 38 miles covered.
I think we must all have been hoping for the curtain of grey gloom to be drawn back by lunch yesterday to treat us to an afternoon of fine autumnal weather but it let us down. The 3rd fixture of the COMPLETE RUNNER CROSS COUNTRY league up on Northcliffe Playing Fields at Shipley near Bradford was a damp, cool, mist shrouded affair but did not seem to dampen the ardour of hundreds who took part.
Not a great day for clarity and quality of film with runners disappearing into and emerging from the Yorkshire mists but I hope the videos of the womens and mens races prove of interest. If you can't achieve full screen viewing , they are already on YOUTUBE.

MENS RACE

WOMENS RACE

PRESTON 10 MILE ROAD RACE......then and now

2011-11-16T23:50:00.001Z

A LOOK BACK AT THIS DATE 25 YEARS AGO

I have a slightly different approach nowadays when training and racing is not at quite the same intense level as it was 25 years ago. Nowadays most of my weeks are much the same, all being well. But back in 1986 , concentrating almost entirely on road competition , having started the "season" in January, by this time in November I was ready to call an end to racing and would be cutting the training back for a period of recovery. Following the Windermere 10K 3 weeks prior I'd put in hard weeks of 89 and 83 miles including several speed sessions and hill sessions, keen to make the last race of the year a good one. More to the point, the PRESTON 10 mile would inevitably attract more "young guns" than I had been facing in some of the longer events, coming from Cumbria , Yorkshire and of course all parts of Lancashire to race on the flat Preston course. I had started into my "ease down" period the week before the race, running just 44 miles including race day. So a cut of 50%. Perhaps I knew I would have to be well rested to take on one of my former St. Mary pupils, SCOTT DRY, racing for Bingley. Showing no respect for his elders and betters he ran away from me to finish 11th in 52.00. Clayton's ROGER BREWSTER (30) won in 49.06 and 25 years later is still on the scene. Last year he ran 61.56 on the tough Burnsall course. A great career. Preston's KEVIN HESKETH pipped me to the post by 4 seconds. He was part of a very successful Springfields A.C. team consisting of British Nuclear Fuels Work workers. Some works team! Kevin now 57 ran 62.45 in the Hexham 10 miler this year. So a slow down of just 10 minutes in 25 years. Far better than my slow down of 19 minutes!! VALLEY STRIDER teammates MIKE and STEVE O'CALLAGHAN made the trip from Leeds. A rare victory over his big brother for Mike. Mixed feelings after the run from my point of view. It was the first time I had been out of the first 15 in any race all year down at 22; but the time was actually the fastest for 1986 and better than any in 1985. Looking at the list now and checking out some of the names below me there is compensation. I spy FRANCIS DAY (East Cheshire) behind for one ; the M60 who has beaten me easily in all the Manchester Park races this year.

As is evident from the attached list, 54.27 was good enough for just 50th place. Last year, the event was won in 52.10 by Steve Litler (Wesham);the second runner ran 56.49. It will be interesting to see the times run when the 2011event takes place this Sunday.

ROGER BREWSTER

It will also be interesting to note the number of over 40s. CYRIL LEIGH (M45) and P. MORRIS (M40) are the only vets in this first 50 list from 1986. Last year 27 over 40s featured in the first 50 at the event.

Whilst thousands of 20 and 30 years would appear to be making up the numbers in the "mass participation events" evidently they are not joining our running clubs and so making up the numbers in low key events with just a few hundred in. Obviously UK clubs must do more to sign then up; particularly clubs with no junior or track/ field sections or eventually it'll just be us diehards battling for the veterans prizes!

WINDMILL 10K.....a stroll along the prom,prom,prom?

2011-11-14T12:55:00.002Z

All sing along now....."Oh, I do like to beside the seaside, I do like to be beside the sea, I do like to stroll upon the prom, prom, prom...." And like it we did....except for the wind.

Any event along our UK coastline is highly likely to be blighted by the wind and today proved no exception.
Of course the compensation for the 405 runners in yesterday's fyldecoastrunning's WINDMILL 10K was that the course was as flat as it gets and the wind was at least favourable as we tackled the middle section of the race centred around the promenade and Fairhaven Lake at Lytham St.Annes.
My last outing over 10K 3 weeks ago brought a return of 43.23 on a more undulating course; so it was not unreasonable to expect improvement on that and hopefully dip under 43 minutes. This then would be the plan.   The prerace information included a map of the course which was marked in kilometres and so if I kept every kilometre under 4.18 the target would be hit.
But as we drove into Lytham I spotted a race marker and it read 2 MILES. So race plan out of the window. Readjusted to keeping every mile under 7 minutes or there abouts. Needless to say, as we lined up for the start I suggested to race organiser Ron Mc Andrew that as it was 2011 and
as it was a 10 kilometre race, mile markers were somewhat inappropriate and illogical. He mumbled somewhat then said he could see my point. In the future....?
After 2 minutes of silence to take time to remember those who gave their lives in two world wars we set off at 11.02.   Contrary to the race info. we headed down the prom towards the windmill and into the wind. Now whether it was this wind or the fact that I went past the first marker in 6.48
who knows but as we turned with the wind behind I was not comfortable at all.   Wind does not help astmatic runners!! Despite wind assistance the second mile dipped to 6.57.   Time to "dig in"!
I passed Pat filming the race in 60th position. A somewhat convoluted loop of Fairhaven lake produced miles of 7.10 and 6.47 and I was by now more "settled". I was racing with Brian Wildman of Clayton who asked me how it was going. I replied not bad...for 62. He said he hoped he would be running as fast as me when he was 62. I asked him how old he was. he said 46. I respectfully pointed out that it was more than likely that he would slow down a tad in the next 16 years! He agreed and said that if he was going to beat me then it would have to be this morning.
I pressed on up the slope from the lake and of course we hit the wind again but no matter there were targets in front to hunt down. Unfortunately at 5 miles I jarred the right leg on another slope and my normal fastest last mile proved to the slowest in 7.09. All the split times presuming the mile markers were in the right place, of course.
Nevertherless,   I had pulled through to 50th position but the sub 43 mins. had eluded me ......43.08.
Brian Wildman? He showed respect for his elders, finshing in 43.24. Another day, no doubt, Brian!
The race was an easy 2 mins plus victory for Bolton's ANTHONY VALENTINE in a leisurely 33.13.   Local star, SUE SAMME (Lytham St.Annes Roadrunners) (F45) ran a very impressive 37:47. A time which takes her to 8th on the UK F45 rankings. Well done, Sue!
Another outstanding run was recorded by the legend that is STEVE JAMES of Sothport Waterloo. Steve at 73 ran 44.45 to place 9th on the M70 2011 rankings. Not a position he is used to however. He's normally in the top 3! But still a fabulous performance.
Youtube have extended my film time to 15 minutes now so we took advantage and there is 14.24 mins of event coverage to peruse with music courtesy of EMERSON LAKE & PALMER "Take A Pebble".

KEITANY, MARATHON MELTDOWN? I THINK NOT!

2011-11-09T17:00:00.001Z

Yesterday's track session called for a gentle 4 miler on the grass today and inevitably whilst lapping the grounds my mind went back to Sunday's New York City marathon and particularly how Kenya's MARY KEITANY had approached and executed the race.

Unlike the mens race in which, as usual, a large group of the world's finest breezed along knocking off the speedy miles and eyeing each other up, the womens race quickly developed into an "catch me if you can" game of hare and hounds as Mary Keitany simply took off, recording 31.54 for the first 10K which included the pull up the Verrazano Bridge from the start.   2:14:35 world record pace. What was she thinking? Was that the plan?
Reading her pre-race somewhat cagey interview accompanied by her agent, Gabriele Nicola, to make a statement very early in the race was the plan. To make it clear that she was the one to beat and she wasn't going to be held back by the bunch.   To assert herself from the off.
But agent Nicola also said that Keitany "won't be trying for a marathon world in 2012 because of the Olympics but would wait until 2013!
So why then did the Kenyan not stick to the plan?   After the race she declined to admit that she had gone off to fast and paid the price, saying that she had a problem with her leg towards the end
and that she would race the same way again. It will be interesting to see how she approachs the Olympic marathon.
Following her 31.54 she slowed to 32.27 (20K) 34.16 (30K) 37.08 (40K) but was she "foolhardy"
"reckless" "naive" as reports suggest or was it an heroic attempt to beat Paula Radcliffe's time.
Another report described her second half of the race as "marathon meltdown". Hardly fair bearing in mind the way she responded she as the hare was caught by the hounds in 2nd and 3rd place, Deba and winner Dado.   They didn't breeze past a runner fighting to stay upright. Keitany to her credit rejoined the fight and for a moment it looked like a 2 horse race before she drifted back.
Now the elite female runner that Geoffrey Mutai passed staggering her way through the last mile may well have deserved the description of meltdown but a bit off the mark for Mary Keitany, I think.
The printed results defy the whole drama of the hare and hounds chase that unfolded on the streets of New York.   Dado ran 2: 23:15, narrowly defeating Deba 2:23:19 with Keitany a close 3rd in 2:23:38   but how they ran to those times made for very interesting viewing!
World bests or world records generally don't just happen do they?   More often than not an athlete in such good shape that they feel the record is within their grasp and they go for it. We see it on the track all the time. Some succeed, generally they fail. But the commentator doesn't describe the failure as "meltdown".
My guess is that Keitany's first 10K was simply over exuberant   and from then on she tried to slowly put the brakes on, possibly mindful of her agent's instructions that this was not the day for a record ; just get the win! But ultimately the course took its toll.   The slope up the Queensboro Bridge, more bridges and bends and then Central Park.
One thing is pretty certain from half way the predominant emotion she would have been burdoned by was.........FEAR!

I've been "fortunate" to have lead 3 marathons.   I did similar to Mary Keitany, briefly, early on in the 1985 Leeds marathon; opening a gap on a bunch of the region's finest, only to slip back to a disconsolate, frustrated 12th. as witness in left pic. ( Blog follower Jack Verity is just to the right of the policeman and went on to finish 5th in 2:27.48)
Better fortune in the 1984 Selby marathon when I shared the lead with wee Harry Bates at 25 miles. He decided to stop for a drink (?) leaving me to race away over the last mile.   An anxious end to the race.
But the really "fearful" marathon was the Morecambe earlier that year in March.   It was around the 14 mile point that I found myself leading from Fylde Coast running's Ron McAndrew and with over 12 miles left there no feeling of elation just the constant dread of being caught or suddenly being hit by cramp or whatever as can happen over 26.2 miles at any time late in the race.   That finish line just could not come soon enough believe me!
My time that day of 2:28.57 coincidently was very close to that of JO PAVEY in NEW YORK
(2:28:42) arguably a better performance than her slightly faster (18 seconds) debut in London. She has certainly reasserted her position as GB's no 2 female marathoner. But that game is by no means over as each player shows her hand between now and selection day.

HITTING THE RUNNING TARGET.......

2011-11-08T19:09:00.000Z

   I will always recall a customer in the Ilkley shop who said that he was going up to the airport to meet his son off a flight from Portugal.   His son had been working out there but had decided to come home because ...."he got fed up of getting up every morning to be greeted by bright sunshine and high temperatures. They don't have weather out there; it's just dry and sunny all the time"!!
An exaggeration maybe but we get the point. Well perhaps this week he'll be getting back on that plane as a depressing blanket of grey cloud shrouds the U.K.
The cloud cover certainly made today's solo track session more of a chore, a real dampener: and the spirits were not helped either by having to go through the whole session accompanied by the noise of a grass strimmer man working trackside. What a pain! Whether it was the effort of the session or the noise but my head was banging by rep 12 and I was pleased to call it a day; at which point he turned off and sat down to start his lunch! Typical.

TODAY'S SESSION. 12 x 300 metres rep. with 100 metre jog/walk interval rec. (1.10)
Geared to 5K pace, estimated at present at 21.00 mins. 4.12 per K.........so targetting 75 secs per 300 rep.   74.6      75    75    74.6    74.3    73.8    74.4   74.7   74.4   74.1   74.1   73.7...averaging 74.4

          So despite the grey mistly damp conditions and trackside distractions on target for once!

Accounting for age......

2011-11-07T17:36:00.002Z

Well what a fabulous day yesterday was for racing. Sun high in a cloudless sky and with the temperature just cool enough to help not hinder in the heat of competitive battle. In the Lake District 455 enjoyed the scenic tour of Derwentwater, running the 10 miler from Keswick. 257 ran "Through The Villages" from Wheelton near Chorley whilst on this side of the Pennines 220 competed in the Maltby7.
Shame then that I had resisted the lure of the Lancaster half marathon! I had given strong consideration to running but failed to join the 705 who made the trip for the Lancashire coastal run. I had debated with myself all week and in the end we simply decided against the journey.
But also uppermost in my mind was the fact the almost inevitably it would have been a very hard slog for a personal worst time in what would have been my 103rd half. Now I can hear murmurings that race times are NOT the be all and end all of racing : the 13.1 mile distance in itself is a challenge certainly at over 60: age group placing is always a spur and just taking part in a field of that size would have brought plenty of shared effort and added another page in the book of memories.
Friend Sally M. also reminded me to bear in AGE -ADJUSTED race times. So if I ran say 97 mins. as would be predicted it would factor out to 79 minutes (97 x .8143; the age adjusted factor for a 62 year old male). My 42.39 2011 best for 10K starts to look more respectable adjusted to 34.26!!
In fact lowering that 10K time was also a consideration because if I'd have done the half I think I might have made it the last race of the year and I think there is unfinished business over 10K and even 5K. Who knows.

Not having over 13 miles in the legs meant that Pat and I were able to enjoy a 4 mile loop of the top of the moor with the SKY + handling the New York marathon recording. I was particularly keen to photograph the progress made in laying down the slabs across the bog from Keighley Gate to the Trig Point. This pic shows the work in progress.
But in dashing out I left the camera!
Still pleased to report for any local readers that the work is complete for this section. Bad news for purist "up to the knees" bog trotters, but good news for the state of shoes, kit and the laundry required.
On top of the morning 5 miler it was not quite the easy day I had in mind, but hey it wasn't a day to be inside now was it?

Up, up and away from it all........almost!

2011-11-05T19:00:00.001Z

Walking, of the "rambling" variety, has certainly caught on big time. Time was when we could find a parking spot easily for an "away" off road run in the Dales. Nowadays you have to be up with the lark to grab a space. Trouble is when the lark is up; I'm turning over for another hour under the duvet.

So the intention of a tour of the Strid for the umphteenth time went out the window as by 11.15 the ramblers had nabbed all the parking spots in the layby and I had to resort to plan "B" to execute the 9 miler on the planner.
No real problem. The 3.5 mile uphill start to the run would be uplifting! Well it would certainly uplift me to 409m. above sea level if nothing else. Good job the run started at 178m!   and good that the surface is runnable "trail" rather than rugged fell. The first 3 miles were logged at 11.15, 11.49 and 11.07.
Another steep half mile and I turn downhill. A lone walker pops his head up from a grouse shooting butt to see who is disturbing his quiet lunch with the sound of heavy breathing! He looks at me disdainfully as if I've just run across his back garden lawn. He   had obviously thought he was "getting away from it all"!

And compared to the hundreds of walkers we would have encountered on the Bolton Abbey route we were. I only came cross 8 up here enjoying the great scenery in relative isolation.

The rest of the run is, of course, a breeze in comparison. What goes up, must come down and all that.

But I resist lingering too long on the long distance scenery, concentrating hard on staying upright; always the danger on the stony paths. In fairness with the first part of this route serving the reservoirs and the rest well kept for the grouse shooting the going is to be recommended.
I know I live in a hilly area but to be honest some weeks the gentle inclines of the 2 resrun are all the climbing I do. Very easy to avoid hills if I want to. (I live on the hill above Ilkley but rarely run from home!)
One good reason for keeping a good record of the training on excel. Very easy to review several weeks at a time on the page, and the lack of hillwork, scrolling up and down as necessary and plan runs in or even make fundamental changes.
I think most of us have a weekly routine; dictated often by club nights and group runs. Tuesday and Thursday at the club plus the Sunday run or race with perhaps solo runs in between. But I'm not really part of a club set up so I'm starting to look ahead on a fortnightly basis; introducing easy days every 4th day rather than sometimes just once a week.
So tomorrow rather than another routine Sunday run of over 10 miles I'll have an easy day; hopefully fresher for a return to sub 8 minute pace on Monday.
Nearly 7 p.m as I finish this post and the sky is already being illuminated by the fireworks from the Bonfire parties taking place in the town below and on the hillside opposite. Better claim a spot on the balcony and enjoy the spectacle!

NEW YORK MARATHON...will you be sitting comfortably?

2011-11-04T19:34:00.001Z

I can recall running through a snow storm one Christmas day and visualising running over Westminster Bridge to finish the London Marathon I was due to race in the following spring. A good form of motivation I thought at the time; whilst patting myself on the back that I was out training when my "rivals" were possibly glued to the couch watching the Great Escape.
But there can hardly be greater motivation to spur on GB distance runners through the winter than a place in the OLYMPIC MARATHON; especially when it will take place along the streets of London. GB runners will have unprecedented home support every inch of the way; unlike the spring event where the crowds are very thin in places. With stadium places at a premium, thousands of spectators will choose the marathon as THE event to watch without the need of a ticket. The atmosphere for the competitors will be unprecedented.
PAULA RADCLIFFE'S place would appear to be pretty secure after her 2:23:46 in the Berlin marathon

and it will be interesting to see if she changes her questionable race build up. But the contest for the remaining 2 places has certainly taken a new twist following Bristol's CLAIRE HALLISSEY'S run of 2:29.27 for 6th place in this month's Chicago marathon. U.S. based Claire certainly has made a claim for her place as one of 3 , hopefully, in the Olympic event with just Radcliffe and Jo Pavey above her in the rankings.
JO PAVEY is next to play a hand in the game with an outing this Sunday in the NEW YORK CITY MARATHON; no doubt hopeful she can improve on her debut 2:28 in this year's London. She states she went off a tad too fast in her first marathon (been there!) and struggled from 18 miles but feels the tougher N.Y course will work against a P.B.  Whatever the time it'll standher in good stead and no doubt be a reasonable pay day.
                      We can see how she fairs on EUROSPORT 2 LIVE at 2 p.m.
                Hopefully she can stay in touch long enough to feature in the coverage.
MARA YAMAUCHI, who has yet to record a qualifying time and LOUISE DAMEN , who has, will no doubt be glued to the couch as well plus several ladies just over the 2: 30 at a good time for UK female distance running.    Including LIZ YELLING, recovering from her 2:34.58 last week in the Frankfurt Marathon.   She'll need to improve to make the team.
Seems to me the solution is quite simple. Do what the Americans do and have a trial race. Their 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trial race though is Houston in January. Perhaps London in the Spring would be considered by many as too late for it to be used as a GB trial race.  In my experience I think there is enough time to recover after London and we have had Olympic trials in the past.
               And, finally, ref. U.S. distance running just noticed this in Athletics Weekly......
            LOS ANGELES OCT 30  Womens Half Marathon....(behind Deena Kastor)

Linda SOMERS-SMITH 75.17

( World Record for a W50)

Visit Llandudno........run for 24 hours while you're at it!

2011-11-03T15:34:00.000Z

Just back from the local school/ hockey club's playing fields which combined provide a stressless, cushioned surface for a nice relaxed easy pace run. If anything it was too "easy" ; as averaging 9.30 over 4 miles, I was well over that recommended for the Masters Competitor (Bob Glover's Competitive Runner's handbook) 10k race pace plus 2 minutes but I suppose that rule can apply to any runner whatever their 10K time.
The loop down there is just less than a mile and 4 loops prove just enough after the speed session on the canal yesterday. I must admit it begins to get a tad tiresome passing the same discarded drinks bottles every 9.5 minutes.
So what kind of strength of mind and fortitude do you have to run for 24 hours around a ONE KILOMETRE CIRCUIT?
In my 50 years of competition I've raced from 100 metres (once!) to 10,000 metres on the track, from a mile to marathons on the road, short fell races, long fell races e.g the 3 Peaks and all aspects of cross country BUT I have no experience of ultra running.
I mention this because I caught up with a great programme on CHANNEL 4 ON DEMAND which covered all the events at the recent COMMONWEALTH MOUNTAIN & ULTRA DISTANCE championships over in North Wales.

Local runner, CHRIS CARVER, is a familiar face at races in his OTLEY A.C. vest but the programme gave an opportunity for us to see him in his speciality event  racing for 24 hours (!) as part of the winning England team.   Lizzy Hawker (England) (pictured above) fresh from sprinting around the Jungfrau marathon in a brief 4:27 just 13 days prior was overall winner covering 247+ kilometres with Chris in 8th place overall with 220+ kms.
That's 220 laps of a 1K circuit laid out in Llandudno. Incredible!
And I thought I was doing well to run 25 laps of a mile circuit non stop!
Lizzy has a road marathon best of 2:47 but obviously flat 26.2 events are not challenging enough as she would appear to consider tough altitude marathons the very least she'll get out of bed for. Her other events have been over 56K, 87K and 2 mountain circuits of 100KMs. Amazing!
The film shows the great battle she had with runner up JOHN PARES of WALES who described the 24 hour race as...

      "not so much a race as an eating competition with some running involved"
That's if you consider over 150 miles in 24 hours insignificant, but we know what he means.
Once recovered Chris will no doubt return to "normal" club races from 5K upwards but will no doubt
quietly resume preparations for his annual trial over 24 hours with some epic weekly runs amd mileage.
You can follow his blog....    http://www.thoughtsofanultrarunner.blogspot.com/
The programme went on to cover the Commonwealth Mountain Races and the Ultra Trail event which again proved very interesting with Wales being rewarded for their hosting the events with 1/2/3 in the trail race.  Shame though that the young athletes didn't feature more with just a short clip of local starlet Georgia Malir finishing her race on her England debut. But overall well worth watching.

SPACING OUT THE SPEED SESSIONS

2011-11-02T21:31:00.000Z

  FRIDAY'S TRACK SESSION....NO HALF MEASURES ........8x 800
For once, a good decision to postpone last week's track session from Thursday to Friday. The BBC weather forecast correct for one more time. A pretty reliable web service I find.
   I wrote last Thursday that since week Sunday's race I hadn't been under 8 minute mileing. Friday it was time to stop jogging off road and remind the legs about pace. A rep session of 8 x 800.
Now in a perfect world based on 10K times I know I should be able to complete this at worse at 7.00 minute per rep (43.30). So target time 3.30.
   Despite pretty reasonable conditions, quite warm, bright sunshine and breezy, it just didn't happen.....
                             3.37 3.41 3.43 3.42 3.42 3.42 3.45 3.36
             Way off target but not totally disasastrous averaging 3.41.....approx. 45.30 pace.

4 days on...the length of recovery my "maturity" demands....days of easy offroad (4.5) offroad (7) steady road (7.5) and a rare loop of a single res yesterday and it was time for a speed session again.
Once more using the dirt path of the canal served as a pretty good alternative to the track.
A warm up run of 4 miles into a strong wind then a set 6x 600 reps wind assisted with 200 interval recovery.
                  NOT 6 X 600 "INTERVALS" as I keep reading in magazines!

Windermere 10K 1986......a triumph for the local boys.

2011-10-27T22:32:00.001+01:00

The 3rd 4th and 5th miles of last Sunday's were covered in 6.55 6.57 and 6.43. I have "run" 24 miles since (Monday 4, Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and today 7) and I haven't been anywhere near 8 minute mileing for any of them!
  The 10K race certainly seems to have taken quite a toll! But I was quite pleased with the way the race went ; if not entirely with the time. The LEA TOWN race was the 138th 10K.
  This date 25 years ago I was in the Lake District for the 11th.......
              A LOOK AT THIS DAY 25 YEARS AGO
For the first time in 1986 the organisers staged a supporting 10K to the Wimdermere Marina Marathon. It was to be over a one lap route taking in part of the scenic marathon course.   8oo extra runners were attracted to the region from all parts for the shorter event, held whilst the 26.2 mile race was in progress. But it was local runners who filled the first 3 places.

Unchallenged out front was a local runner who had already become a dominant figures on the fells......
.........KENNY STUART of KESWICK. Between 1983 and 1986 he had swept all before him in fell races and has since become a fell legend. He was the 1st to win the British fell Champs. 3 times. 1st Brit to win a World Mountain Championship. His record times for classic events like Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Skiddaw are still standing.
By this year perhaps he felt he had fulfilled all his fell running ambitions and decided to turn his amazing talent to road running. He had already made a tremendous marathon debut in Glasgow winning in 2:14.03! He would go on to record 2:11.36 in the 1989 Houston marathon; not bad for a "fell runner".
Hardly surprising then that on October 26th he was the target for all the spectators' attention as we lined up the WINDERMERE MARINA 10K. He went on to win relatively unchallenged by just over a minute in 29.55 from CRAIG ROBERTS (Kendal) 30:57) with GRAHAM HUDDLESTON (Kendal) 3rd in 31:07.
Craig Roberts, now 48 has recently won the World Mountain Champs in the M45 category; so still going well. In 21st place was PETER HALL (Barrow). Peter has no races listed for 2011 but his record shows a 40.18 10K at the age of 69 last year. A "slow down" of just 7 minutes in 25 years!

In 4th place was PAUL PICKUP (Longwood) who had won the Malta Marathon I ran back in February beating me again as I ran 32.22 for 9th place.   Perhaps if I hadn't run 5 races in the previous 7 weeks I might have done better but that's the way it was back then.
There would be only one more race in November before the end of the year and so the training intensity continued with weeks of 89 and 83 miles.
I no doubt knew that the PRESTON 10 on Nov.16th would
attract a high quality field featuring some talented much younger runners and would be a severe test for a 37 year old.

       No ~~rest~~   let up for the wicked!

Manchester XC league....Heaton Park...the ladies!

2011-10-25T15:53:00.000+01:00

They say "ladies first"..........well I did do work on the ladies video from Saturday first but once again met with "music issues". Here's the final version..........10 minutes......

Meanwhile, yesterday's easy 4 miler and today's 2 res run gave me a chance to assess the collateral damage from Sunday's 10K.   Calves (OK), hamstrings (OK), knees (some pain) which eased throughout today's run. Some icing needed. Heart and lungs......weary!!   But a good last uphill mile today so am on the way back.
   Plenty of company by the water today: mainly grandparents dragging kids on half term around the reservoir trails!

Filming at the Manchester XC League Heaton Park

2011-10-24T23:23:00.000+01:00

I was tempted to make a return to cross country racing with a nostalgic tour of Heaton Park where my running journey began in the early '60s but I decided that a road 10K would serve be a better tune up race for my planned half marathon.
So instead I was able to enjoy the "crack" at the event without the pressure of competing. Hardly Steven Spielsberg but hope you enjoy the videos of the ladies and mens races.

A good day's hunting at the LEA TOWN 10K.

2011-10-23T18:49:00.002+01:00

Saturday 9 p.m. and I still haven't decided what to run tomorrow. No family obligations so I'll definitely do a 10K as planned. The choice? A repeat visit to Blackpool where the season started back in March. A 2 lap very flat tour of Stanley Park. A chance to monitor how my form is compared with 7 months ago. Or a return to nearby Salwick for a familiar undulating course, the LEA TOWN 10K (formerly the Kirkham 10K)

Setting aside the fact that the Blackpool race would cost us £4 more each we settled for the later starting LEA TOWN 10K which would make for a less frantic Sunday morning. Regretably the race is "unregistered" so finishing times will not appear on any athleticsdata/power of ten records or rankings. Largely irrelevant in my case as I'm not fast enough to make the M60 rankings anyway!

The last time Pat and I were in this part of the Fylde Coast we managed a rare age group double win. Could we repeat the feat today, perhaps?
That question being answered as soon as we turned in to park, seeing leading M60 ALAN HUDSON (Wesham) walking towards us. He tells me he has been injured again. I know he will have benefitted from a break and will be firing on all cylindars again!
As usual I'm one of the last to assemble for the 11 a.m. start which is curiously at least 200 yards further down the lane from where we started this race, memorably the morning Princess Diana died. Interesting to see what the garmin gives us on this mile marked kilometre event (?) !   2011 ?
Inevitably in events we compete with "significant" others. Runners we generally finish behind or should generally beat. The first mile is often where we take stock. Reaching the marker after the first undulating mile I've only just passed M70 TED ORRELL but JAYNE PERRY (Lancaster & Morecambe) and dad Steve are only just in front and not going away. The garmin gives me 7.00 minutes. Solid but not sparkling.  Final results suggest I am well into the 50s position wise.
I catch Steve and Jayne, who has beaten me easily twice in recent weeks.
                         Do I pass or tuck in behind?
My racing head tells me to pass and continue the chase for the usual string of slowing runners in front. The inclines of the second mile don't help (7.12) but the next 3 are fairly flat and my younger rivals are paying for their imprudent early pace.
The hunt is going well as one by one runners are coming back. Better miles recorded 6.55, 6.57 and 6.43 but I think it's more that I'm maintaining overall pace and effort whilst they are slowing down.
One undulating mile to go and although I catch seasoned F50 Preston Harrier, Philippa Walsh, making a return to 10K racing, this 6th mile is back to 7.03 and I know I'm going to be over 43 minutes yet again. As the results confirm.
   43.23    38th of 139 finishers. 2nd M60 as ALAN HUDSON confirms his return to form, beating me by 3 and a half minutes.   Perhaps we should have returned to Stanley Park where the flatter course would have undoubtedly given a sub 43 time and a category win.
Jogging back down the course Pat comes into view and I run the last 200 metres with her and see her make a return to 10K racing with 58.01.   She is first F60 but F65 CAROL DOUGLAS was 7 mins. in front with a superb 51:00.

LUKE MINNS generally seen running 800/1500 for BLACKPOOL & FYLDE (as pictured above) would appear to have largely unchalleged judging by his 32.49 from ex- Copeland star M40 EDDIE SIMPSON (33.44) now with Dallam Sports.
GEMMA ADAMS (PRESTON HARRIERS) was first lady in 39.46.
Eddie featured on the front cover of ATHLETICS WEEKLY in October 1991 seen running the second leg as his COPELAND team won the Northern 6 stage relay. Still going well!

LOOKING BACK TO......HORSFORTH 10K 1986

2011-10-21T14:33:00.001+01:00

A LOOK BACK AT THIS WEEK 25 YEARS AGO
The start to my 1986 season couldn't have been any better with the win in the BRASS MONKEY HALF MARATHON and there had really no let up throughout the year with 19 more races completed including 2 marathons and 5 more half marathons. 3 of them in the last 5 weeks.
Hardly surprising then that by this date OCTOBER 19 I was looking forward to an end of year break with only 3 more races planned.
The first would be a local one. The HORSFORTH (HARRIERS) 10K. It has a new venue now but back in 1986 it was based at the college where I did my P.E. degree; TRINITY & ALL SAINTS. The host club had only recently been established.
I remember clearly the initial discussion I had with one of the original members when he enquired about vests for them and I queried whether they would be better adding to the membership of LEEDS CITY up the road. Of course they went ahead and whilst not an elite club they have gone from strength to strength in the way many clubs set up in the 1980s have done.
The course for the 10K was a testing one, heading over the hill towards Yeadon, swinging right past the LEEDS BRADFORD airport before swinging right and right again along the undulating lanes back towards Horsforth. With an unwelcome sting in the tail with the climb back up to the college.

JOHN CONVERY (pictured left in 1986 ) repeated his September Kirkstall 10K win running 31.51 but I couldn't repeat my 3rd.   The event attracted a better quality field and I was pushed back to 8th with 32.44, despite running 20 seconds faster.
As was the norm at this time in local races, our VALLEY STRIDERS vests were prominent at the sharp end. TERRY BEAN followed John C. for 2nd (32.04) KEITH CLUDERAY followed me in for 9th and HILARY MC EWAN was 11th. So 5 Striders in 11.      Great times for the club!
Sadly Hilary passed away prematurely and 12th place ALAN SPENCE also died this year.
Looking down to other names in the top 40 runners we find fell racing stalwart GARY DEVINE (16TH 33.34) Bingley's MIKE SMITH now proud owner of multiple World Masters medals at various distances and has recorded 19.41 (5K) and 42.16 (10K) at the age of 69.   Teammate SEAN JORDAN has returned to racing in the last few years after a bit of a break (25 th in 34.50);he is still running under 40 minutes (39.26 this year).

In 31st position was KEVIN O'HARA then running for Otley (31st 35.17). I know Kevin is still fit and well because he flew past me on his bike this very morning as I was out for my jog.
But it would appear the majority of the first 40 in this 1986 have long since hung their road racing shoes up. Perhaps only to be expected!
   With the metric distance still in its infancy this race was only the 10th 10K I'd run with the first still the fastest back in 1983 .   I was becoming fairly apparent that the marathon racing and training wasn't helping my speed over the shorter distance!
   Good possibily of notching up the 138th this Sunday......family obligations permitting.

referrer spam

2011-10-20T23:16:00.000+01:00

A quick message to fellow bloggers.............

I suppose like me you check the Stats button on the dashboard
to see how many views your blog is getting.
There are some peaks of course but nothing like the peak witnessed at exactly 11.oo a.m. last Sunday......152 views!
Fine in a whole day but not at a specific time.
The "invalid" traffic source would appear to from "google correction" and other sites.
Research reveals that this activity is called "referrer spam" and apparently it is designed to encourage us to do the natural thing and click on their site and others; but the advice is that we should ignore it and eventually it will go away!
Any one else receiving extraordinary view traffic from these sources?

It's a shame really because it obviously distorts the real traffic figures and is a bit of a nuisance.

AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM........

2011-10-18T22:58:00.000+01:00

More often than not we see 100 year olds being presented with their birthday card from the Queen, commonly sat  surrounded by nursing home staff.
In contrast, Londoner FAUJA SINGH has deservedly grabbed many world headlines since the weekend, following his performance in the TORONTO WATERFRONT MARATHON (his 8th)  of 8:11.05. A world record as theoldest ever marathoner.   He had returned to Toronto having run 5:40 in 2003. He is said to run 10 miles EVERY DAY.
Of course the "Turbaned Tornado" as he is being called, is an amazing man and well deserves his accolades.   But his record has perhaps overshadowed the fantastic performance of the winner of the M80 age group.....ED WHITLOCK.......beating all 60 year old and 70 year olds....recording 3:15.50.

He was the first over 70 to run under 3 hours (2:59.10) in 2003. His time of 2:54.48 at the age of 73 is said to be the equivalent of 2:04 for a 20 year old!
Not content having run 3:25.43 in Rotterdam in April 2011; he actually improved his M80 world record with the 3:15.50 at the Toronto event.
The Masters Athletics magazine which dropped on my mat this morning reveals he is not just a marathoner. He illuminated the WORLD MASTERS T. & F. championships setting no less than 3 world records.   1500 metres (5:48.93 , 5000 m. (21:32.87) and 10,000
(42:39.95). Not surprisingly he gave the cross country event a miss!

Ed was born in London and hence has proudly worn his FASTRAX
Ranelagh Harriers vest on many occasions but now lives in Ontario in Canada.   A truly remarkable athlete.
Clearly I will need to try to find out more about his training and lifestyle as he is performing at the same level as myself but is 18 years older than me!!
I shall refrain at this point from complaining about the weather today which gave me a real reminder that winter is just around the corner. Trogging around the res, I really thought it might snow at times!
What a complete contrast to last Saturday morning when a young man came towards me running on the canal with his soddened t-shirt in hand; his upper body soaking up the autumn rays.   England in the autumn..............nightmare!
   But Ed Whitlock will no doubt have to cope with the weather we have ......and worse.

ENGLISH SCHOOLS FELL CHAMPS....FROM THE SIDELINES

2011-10-17T23:03:00.005+01:00

I had never observed or competed in a race before which the competitors were told to line up in a single file and counted through...for safety reasons. Not quite possible for a race with thousands in, but with fields only amouting to dozens easily possible at yesterday's ENGLISH SCHOOLS FELL CHAMPIONSHIPS hosted by Cockmouth School in the northern Lake District.
This was only the 4th time these championships were being held with competitors representing their school rather than their county as they do in the English Schools T. & F. and cross country championships. So the numbers taking part are relatively low, the majority northern based, making the safety count an easy one. Having said that 123 contested the mixed under 16 race, 70 the under 14, 76 the under 12 and 63 the last race for sixth formers.

Pat and myself were there to see if friend Sally's ever improving daughter, GEORGIA MALIR could get amongst the medals in the under 16 girls race. The gold and silver looked out of reach on previous form but if she fought well a 3rd place was up for grabs.
She was the sole representative from St. Mary's Menston, the school where I taught in the 1970s.
She didn't disappoint; fighting hard to stay ahead of the 4th placer who was finishing hard on her heels as they passed me with just 300 metres left.
With a recent win in our COMPLETE RUNNER cross country league and a 19.10 5K on the road (at just 15!) she is certainly emerging as a very versatile capable young athlete.
It was also pleasing to see another young lady receive a silver medal in the under 14 girls race. We had met RHIANNON WICKHAM and her dad, Paul, the previous day in the shop when we fixed her up with some INOV 8 Mudclaws for the race. . They proved a good choice for the mud strewn course with its steep inclines. Well done, Rhiannon and your winning Clitheroe Royal G.S. team.

To be able to attend the event I'd switched the "long" run (well long for me) to Saturday. We were working at the Nelson branch but with boss Pat's permission I was allowed out to enjoy a run on a beautiful autumn morning. I ploughed up the canal past REEDLEY MARINA
towards Burnley for 5 miles in 44.41 , feeling the effect of Thursday's track 5K, but with a breeze behind surprised myself coming back in 40.23 adding an easy mile for 11.
That left me just an easy 3 Sunday a.m. for 44 on the week which proved more than enough for a pre-breakfast run!

CHANGE 4 LIFE.....not for you, Terry!

2011-10-14T19:44:00.000+01:00

After Sunday's 12 mile run I thought that I would be sensible and leave this week's track visit until Thursday.
I was a good decision because after easy runs on Monday(4) andTuesday (6) I was still feeling the 12 miler in the old legs as I did the 2 RESRUN; with company from Sally M. for a pleasant change.
A fortnight ago at the track, I aborted kilometre reps when after 4 they started to drift to 4.53;nothing in the legs at all.
                 So yesterday I was interesting to see how a straight 5K would go.
I can cope with 12 and a half laps of the track and give it my utmost but running solo does mean that it works out at TEMPO pace. For once conditions were fairly favourable just a breeze against on the back straight.
Back on song the laps went to my normal pattern; one of acceleration as the legs loosen up.

             1.50 1.52 1.50 1.52 1.51 1.51 1.48 1.49 1.47 1.48 `1.47 1.43   49........22.40

Very reassuring compared with the poor session 14 days prior and very comparable with 5K track tempo runs e.g. 22.44 in February 2010.
More to the point is that a speed endurance run like this with the pace achieved really begs the question why I do 5K as a rep/interval session at all!    I don't seem to be able to endanger much more if any speed putting in the intervals!!
So
perhaps I should just either stick to 5K tempo runs or perhaps 2 x 2 miles or ensure rep/interval sessions total 5 miles or so.   Part of growing old I suppose; unless I cut down some of the long runs and concentrated on more speed.

As explained in previous posts the changing rooms etc have been closed until 4 p.m. over the summer.   But PENDLE LEISURE TRUST are to start a new scheme called CHANGE 4 LIFE which will be catering for locals who wish to lose weight, improve their health and become more healthy.
They will sign up for 12 weeks for £60. They will receive advise on diet and weight management and be put through their paces in the gym and outside via cycling, walking and may even use the track.
So I thought of course that as the gym would now be open I would be able , as previous, to use the track and then shower off before journeying back to Yorkshire. Not so............
     There would be no one behind the desk; the staff would all be engaged helping the overweight and unfit.   There would be no one to take our money.
So runners not wanting to lose wieght, already living a healthy lifestyle and already active would still be excluded.   Unless they joined the scheme! Which would cost me, as once per week user, £5 per session.
I rang the Trust and having all this confirmed, I suggested that they have an "honesty box" so that us runners could use the facilities and pay as we go, at the previous rate. Failing that we'll just continue to trespass........but if I'm reprimanded I'll be writing to the local press about restricted use of the track even though the facility is open. Madness.

Another weekend without a race for me but if you are racing.........including your first parkrun, Laura!..................have a good one.....I'm sure you will find it easier than 12.5 laps on a track!

RUNNING......... BY THE SEAT OF YOUR PANTS!

2011-10-12T21:46:00.001+01:00

A lot of people seem to go through their whole life existing by "the seat of their pants". They do achieve things but usually by the narrowest margin, without too much thought or advance preparation. You know the type; perhaps YOU! You pass exams only after lots of last minute, late night revising. You are still chopping vegetables as your guests arrive for dinner.
You run onto the platform as your train wheels are starting to turn.

In running terms, they arrive for training as the first rep is about to start. They park up for a race as the 5 minute warning sounds out. They only decide on that day's run as they are leaving the door.   They need a kick up the butt, don't they?

Well, one sportswear company (Oiselle) in America, where else, has just the answer! (Remember their runner's wedding dress)
You can literally organise your training week by arranging the (under) pants you wear. I say you....... I think they only do ladies......they call them RUNDIES!! Nice one.

Buying the 7 pack in 7 different colours with 7 different training "sessions" printed on the rear you could lay them out in your knicker drawer in the order of your runs.
Presumably if you train twice a day you'll need to buy 2 packs of 7. You wouldn't want to be wearing your pants twice,
now would you, girls?

Could these be a new FASTRAX product?
Is this another U.S. idea we'll be adopting soon?
Probably not. If we did they would defnitely NOT be cotton and
they would NOT shrink as makers Oiselle suggest they will(!)

But they might just be the way to get the runner buying them to organise their training for the week ahead and with no repeats   on the printing on the rear, they can be assured of a varied training week, if nothing else!

They wouldn't do for me though, would they? I wouldn't wear the ones printed with REST and my simple brain can't cope with FARTLEK. Never trained fartlek in all my time running.
I wonder if they would be prepared to make up a special set with EASY 4 and STEADY 8 on instead;   do them in wicking, breathable polyester and cut for a man. Now that's an idea!

When the going gets tough.....jump on a bus!

2011-10-11T23:10:00.002+01:00

Details of the 26 marathons I've run are a bit fuzzy; it's been a few years. But if I'd have started a marathon event last Sunday I think I would know whether I ran the whole race or took a break on a bus accompanying the runners. Only to get off the bus towards the end and claim 3rd place in the SALOMON KIELDER MARATHON.
Not sure if it's been featured on National TV but the saga of the Sunderland Harrier in question has been unfolding throughout the day on Tyne Tees TV.

HEAD IN A SPIN AFTER 20 MILES?

The 7.55 a.m. news broadcast just reported that he had won the 10K race on Sunday, decided to race the marathon on Sunday as well, had initially been thought to have finished 3rd but had then been disqualified following comments from those just behind.
The 4th place runner said he had definitely NOT been past and only 2 had beaten him.
The lunchtime news stated that the runner was adament that he had run the whole race and could back up his claim with evidence from his garmin. Steve Cram, organiser, implied that evidence from chip timings suggested that he had covered the second half at world record pace.
Further reports were saying the accused runner had apologised to the organisers saying that he had boarded a bus at the 20 mile point, stayed on it for 5 miles then left it for the rest of the race going across the line in 3rd place as if in error.
His previous day's anger at being falsely accused had obviously subsided and the memory of boarding a bus, riding on it for 5 miles, getting off, hiding behind a tree and rejoining the race in 3rd place had returned. When it came back later. he remembered "making his mistake" of rejoining the race and has apologised for the confusion his mistake had caused.
He declined this evening to face the TV reporter leaving his tearful wife to speak for him.
What a great shame that his apparent action on the Sunday has overshadowed his win in the shorter race.
Doubtless he reached 20 miles in a state of fatigue, clearly made worse by the previous day's effort and decided to call it a day. But rather than face up to the fact that his back to back double race attempt was a mistake, his sense of judgement became a blur, undoubtedly effected by 20 miles of endeavour .
He remembered the glory and attention he had enjoyed the day before.......... and wanted more!
It worked.....for a while. He was featured on TV after the race saying how "absolutely, unbelieveably tough" the marathon had been.
Naturally his well respected club are embarrased by the action of their new member and it will be interesting to see whether any further action is taken by regional "authorities".

COMPLETE RUNNER CROSS COUNTRY RACE 1 PHOTOS

2011-10-10T12:14:00.001+01:00

The new season of THE COMPLETE RUNNER CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE began yesterday, October 9 2011, with a the first races hosted as efficiently as ever by Gordon Agar and his SKYRAC A.C. team at Nunroyd Park, Guiseley, Leeds.
A damp, humid afternoon but the heavy rain forecast held off and a great afternoon's racing was enjoyed. The highlight , again, has to be the packing of the LEEDS CITY senior men with 6 in the first 10; 13 in the top 35. Where were they for the Yorkshire 6 man relay?

Not a great day for photos but here's a flavour of the event...........
CLICK THE YOUTUBE BUTTON FOR FULL SCREEN AND A BIT OF JAZZ!

COMPLETE RUNNER XC.........ANOTHER SEASON

2011-10-08T19:49:00.003+01:00

Looking at the race profiles of various runners it's amazing how they differ.   For some there is NO punctuation; EVERY Saturday morning they do a local 5K parkrun! Nothing else. Many others similarly stick to the road throughout the year, some similarly racing every week but unlike the parkrunners they like to vary the distance and aren't afraid to travel a tad if needs be.
  Thousands of unattached non-club runners settle for a mass marathon, a mass half marathon and a mass 10K.   I now tend to do what many average club runners do;   some key races of varying distances with "tune up" races in between totalling about 20 or so in the year.   Each to his own as they say.
In contrast "traditionalists" , including thousands of youngsters, will start their cross country this weekend. A summer of track racing behind them; perhaps fresh from a short September break.
A cross country journey that will see the very best teenagers enjoy and endure as many as 20 races from Octotber to March. An exhausting, gruelling programme of races which will see them representing their school and club in local league events before Christmas; then after, the more important Championships.   County championships for school and club.   Regional club championships. National school and club championships.   Inter Counties. International Schools .......
  So with all this on offer I just wonder why United Kingdom Athletics includes u/20 u/17 u/15 and u/13 races in their Cross Challenge races which will see some youngsters travelling to Bristol, Liverpool, Cardiff, Antrim and Birmingham!   3 of them after Christmas when all they have important races school and club races.
  No surprise some youngsters give up when they leave "parental care" and escape to university.
Our COMPLETE RUNNER CROSS COUNTRY league of 4 events starts Sunday Oct 9 just up the road at Guiseley; kindly hosted by SKYRAC A.C
There was no cross country for me in the '80s............my autumn binge of road races continued...

A LOOK BACK AT THIS WEEK 25 YEARS AGO
1986. Sept 7. Windmill 1/2 marathon 71.09   Sept 14 Kirkstall 10K 33.04 Sept 28 Blackpool Half Marathon 70.19............surely time for a break you might think?!!

No we would be taking the van to sell some gear at the
scenic but equally challenging NIDD VALLEY ROUND TABLE HALF MARATHON and so why not run it? It was so often the best plan in terms of time management; join the "customers" in the event.
But the 3rd half marathon in 4 weeks would be more of a challenge than the 2 previous on the flat Fylde coast. This was was over the hill from Ilkley starting from the village of Darley and would involve some very challenging hills in the first few miles and see us tackle the steep Clint Bank later. But in between we would enjoy some very fast flat and downhill running through the village of Hampsthwaite so not all bad.
By 1986 fellow Valley Strider TERRY BEAN had shed pounds and had emerged as a one of the area's leading distnce runners. This day he stamped his authority after the first climb aand even BEN GRANT of Harrogate could make no real impression on him despite the affinity with hills that Ben stills enjoys in his '60s.
Ben is still a force to reckon with on the fells and road .
I could only let them go into the distance and settled for a fight for 3rd with Ben's teammate JEFF HUTTON. A fight I lost finishing 4th as the previous month's efforts took their toll no doubt but I did have the consolation of finishing in 71.53 and being part of the winning VALLEY STRIDERS team. ROB JACOBSON being 3rd counter in 9th place.
4th place was a repeat of the previous year but in 1985 Ben and Jeff had been behind. This day they made up for it.
A very frequent racer at this time was one MICHAEL WALKER of Gosforth in the North east. He would shoot down the A1 week and week and scoop up the veterans prize. In this event he achieved an unusual double as his father , John, ran 1:40 as a 67 year old to pick up the V60 award alongside his son.
I only have a report listing the first 10 finishers of this event.
Perhaps a reader ran in this and has the full results? Did you run this one, Martin?

It's a running dog's life...part 2

2011-10-06T22:42:00.000+01:00

Going back to yesterday's blog in which I was playing with the idea of matching runners with each of the world's top 5 fastest dogs .....and one other! to perform best in the sport of CANIX ( Canine cross country).

As top dog there could only be one match for THE GREYHOUND, could there not? USAIN BOLT. Jamaica's finest. As world 100 metre and 200 metre world and Olympics games record holder he has to be the perfect match for the world's fastest dog.
But will Usain be "top dog" himself for much longer?

Perhaps his position as No.1 will be usurped by YOHAN BLAKE.
Current 100 metre World Champion with a P.B. of 9.82
and as second fastest 200 m. runner of alltime (19.26) he's the ideal match for no.2 dog THE WHIPPET

Russia's MARIYA SAVINOVA. Current World 800 metre champion with a time of 1:55.87 would be pleased to be pulled along by THE BORZOI. (The Russian Wolfhound)

The SALUKI , another of the world's top 5 fastest breeds, (the Royal Dog of Egypt) was apparently taken to the Middle East by nomadic tribes.
So quite compatible with Turkey's ILHAM TANUI OZBILEN. A 3:31/ 3.49 1500 m/ miler.

EAMON COUGHLAN, proudly running in the kit of his native Ireland. 3 times Olympian , former World Champion at 5000 metres and 4 times World record holder at the Indoor Mile, hence his "nickname" Chairman Of the Boards" Perhaps THE IRISH WOLFHOUND would have been a more suitable nickname?

So that just leaves me ....................................
could I cope being pulled along by the world's slowest dog,
THE BASSET HOUND

He doesn't look too pleased at the prospect, does he?

IT'S A RUNNING DOG'S LIFE.....

2011-10-06T10:20:00.002+01:00

Many of you will no doubt have heard of the sport of CANIX (as in CANINE-COUNTRY) in which the runner is pulled along by his/her canine companion with a bungee stretch cord for the perfect hands free assisted running race experience. It got me thinking that you'd have to match dogs to the runners, so I was considering 6 breed of dog...............

5 of these 6 breeds are THE FASTEST IN THE WORLD and ONE ISN'T QUITE SO FAST!

WHICH RUNNERS WOULD YOU MATCH THEM WITH OF THE FOLLOWING

EAMON COUGHLAN USAIN BOLT MARIA SAVINOVA

YOHAN BLAKE TERRY LONERGAN ILHAM TANUI OZBILEN

THE GREYHOUND THE WHIPPET

THE SALUKI THE BORZOI

THE IRISH WOLFHOUND ..........

THE BASSET HOUND................

RUN......REST........RUN FASTER, PROGRESSIVELY

2011-10-02T16:37:00.004+01:00

We experience highs and lows in every aspect of life. Work, relationships, friendships; and of course our running is not immune to "ups and downs".
Thursday this week was a low.   The old body didn't cope well with the planned session of K reps with a 10 mile run 2 days before and I pulled the plug after just 4 reps.
The mile pace had started at 7:22 dropped to 7.44 slightly better at 7:32 but dipped again to 7:48 per mile pace.
It would be easy to point to the thermometer and talk about the high temperature prevailing but in truth the body was simply saying just back off for a couple of days. Give yourself a "wee break"!
After an easy 3 on Friday and Saturday I was tempted to cover today's long run with company by taking part in the HAREWOOD 10 trail race. But what would I learn from an undulating trail race with a half marathon pencilled in for a few weeks time?
I often say if you can't "train a distance how can you race that distance?" (and that includes marathons).    So instead I decided to practice what I preach and cover 14 miles on the canal.
TRAIN LIKE THE KENYANS

The plan for today was a "progression run". A gradual increase in the pace over the half marathon distance. As regular readers of this blog know and those who know me well will testify that's how I seem to race and train instinctively. Nowadays I don't have much choice. The longer the run the more fluid I seem to become. But I read in Oct.R.W. that this is the Kenyam way.
"Start at a jog; but end like the Charge of the Light Brigade" ( see pic for historical insight!)
"Building pace through training runs preps you to be strong in the second half of a race. Psychologically it gives you confidence and physiologically it trains your body to use different energy systems so you run powered by your fat stores first and preserve glycogen for later"
Very good. But I just tend to run "progressively"naturally but good to know it's having a beneficial effect.
So putting theory into practice..................
  Moderate pace for 2 miles then gradually up through the gears over the miles. The first 2 miles were on target.........9.05 and 9.00 but with a benign temperature and negligible wind the 3rd mile cranked up to 8.21 .   I thought from that point I would be hard pushed to achieve the acceleration (progression) I wanted but unlike Thursday the legs did what I wanted them to do and the times resulting, clearly highlight just how bad Thursday was.  From half way today I started running continuous miles as fast as I had run K reps! In summary....
9.05   9.00   8.21 8.17   8.11   7.52   7.49   7.46   7.43   7.44   7.35   8.16 (uphill)   7.32 plus .46..............13.1 miles.     Half marathon time 1:46 plus ease down to 14 mile.
     Quite pleasing but could I go 11 minutes faster in a race? Time will tell.

So possibly one of the best training runs of the year and the key to it was without doubt backing off for just a couple of days; easy 3s on Friday and Saturday.
Today's 14 served as a very good end to the week which totalled 49 miles

The KENYAN weekly schedule as descibed in the R.W. article suggests that the long run (20-40K) takes place on a Saturday with Sunday as a day of rest. I'll "rest" but stay mobile with an easy 3 or 4 !

Not the time for a running break.

2011-09-30T10:11:00.006+01:00

I've never been 62 before. I'm  still learning what my "running on empty" body can tolerate in terms of hard efforts.   I learnt yesterday that a track session is NOT going to go well when I've run a 10 miler two days previous. Going back I could run around 15 miles on Wednesday and do a good track session on a ThurS day. Those were the days........but sadly not anymore.
So a poor set of K reps at Nelson....temperature, maybe a factor (25 degrees)
                 4.37 4.50 4.43 4.53...........abort session.....leave to fight another day!
                               Friday and Saturday?   I think 2 x 3 milers on the steps. Listen to the body.
A LOOK BACK AT THIS WEEK 25 YEARS AGO
One reason that our SALE HARRIERS teams were lacking last week was that several junior men were "on a break". A break between their track season and the oncoming cross country season.  Fine, but I would have thought that a nippy 6K wouldn't have done them much harm and meant that mature gents like me could have just enjoyed the day watching and photographing them!
For me far from being a time for a break, as I related earlier, this part of the year back in the '80s was "binge racing" time. A final blast before easing off in November and December. My club then, VALLEY STRIDERS, didn't do cross country then so my cross country spikes were left unused and unwanted from 1982 until 1991!

Following the high profile WINDMILL HALF MARATHON, this date in 1986 we were back further up the Fylde coast for the BLACKPOOL ILLUMINATIONS HALF MARATHON. I seem to recall thinking it wasn't an apt title for the race as the illuminations weren't switched on before lunch and the course wasn't along the promenade anyway.
With a smaller field there wasn't the same concentration of quality. 100 inside 77 minutes at Lytham. 100 inside 88 minutes at Blackpool. But up the front names and times were much the same as several of us took on another 13.1 mile with 14 days between the two and generally performed much the same.
The Lytham race wasn't regarded as a practice, tune up race. We would have given BOTH races 100%. I suppose confident in our level of fitness and ability to quickly recover between events.
D.RAMSDEN       (Windmill)      67.16 (2nd)................(Blackpool) 66.26 (1st)
T.GREENWOOD (Windmill) 69.12 (4th)....................(Blackpool) 69.17 (3rd)
P.HANKINSON   (Windmill) 69.24   (5th)....................(Blackpool) 70.30 (5th)
D. WALKER         (Windmill) 74.20   (53rd).................(Blackpool) 74.09 (16th)
TONY CROFT      (Windmill) 73.54   (48th).................(Blackpool) 76.08 (19th)
I. FISHER              (Windmill) 75.42 (80th).................(Blackpool) 76.26 (20th)

Because the Windmill was such a big event and we were there selling off the van, chances are I was still behind the counter until 5 minutes before the gun going off; whereas at Blackpool I would have actually managed a bit of a warm up!   Anyway for the later event I managed a 50 second improvement.
                   (Windmill) 71.09 (15th)............(Blackpool) 70.19 for 4th place.

I've just picked out a few who ran the 2 races and demonstrate that contrary to much that is written nowadays the well conditioned runner can turn in good performances back to back.   But of course not week after week.
The body does need a break. That break for me came in November and December rather than at this time of year as it does for the track/ cross country runner.
No this time of year races came thick and fast. Next week, another race.
             Distance? Yes, you guessed it..............yet another half marathon!

Sweaty runner joined by fair weather walkers

2011-09-28T23:35:00.000+01:00

On a typical midweek morning the main car park, from where I start my once a week "2 res run" around Fewston/Swinsty, would be virtually empty.
But with temperatures still in the mid 20s fair weather walkers were out in force and there were few spots left by the time I arrived at 11.15 a.m. It was just like Boxing day.

I wasn't sure how the run would go this morning.
Not because of yesterday's 10 miler, not because of the hill climb in Monday's 6 miler, not because of sore hamstrings from Saturday's relay leg.
No, because I stubbed my toe during the night leaving the bathroom, half asleep, causing my left knee to shoot upwards with resultant acute pain up the back of the leg. More hamstring trouble!
Consequently the pace over the first couple of miles was somewhat cautious.....10.14(!) 9.25 9.21.
Slow enough to take this shot across the reservoir without much of a break in the rhythm.
But, fortunately, the legs eased as usual and there was good acceleration down to an 8.08 mile such that once more a last uphill charge took me just under the hour. Amazing how resilient the body can be!

There was actually a time today when fluid starting to emit from parts of the body....no, not that.....this was sweat! Not something I usually "suffer". Quite unbecoming for a gentleman,don't you think? No choice today......too darn hot.......but pleasant for a picnic by the water's edge.

I say ,Daphne, look at that silly old b*gger jogging along in this heat"

A thoughtful 10 mile run.......I think.

2011-09-27T23:40:00.001+01:00

Sorry workers but the semi-retired it was a fabulous morning for a 10 miler on the canal.
During the first mile, as I headed down the lane towards the canal I was thinking that it was amazing that the phrase for this late spell of great weather, "Indian summer", which as we all know was first recorded in "Letters from An American Farmer", a 1778 work by the French-American soldier turned farmer, St. John de Crevecoeur had stood the test of time. Let's hope that the snow that he said often follows this period of sun and high temperatures is a long time coming.
As I covered the second mile I looked over a large field to my left, between the lane and the canal , I noticed the green pasture was now totally black and scraped flat. Puzzling.

Hitting the 3 mile post , now on the canal towpath, I put 2 and 2 together.. .............
The canal was being dredged; with the uplifted silt being loaded onto a barge. The barge was then being pushed back up the way I had run and being dumped and flattened on the field. Hence no grass.
By mile 4 my mind was returning to matters running ......and foot surgery. Just when PAULA RADCLIFFE should be enjoying a couple of week's easy running after her 3rd in the Berlin marathon I read she is due for another operation on Friday because of an "unattached " bone.
I say another operation as she has already surgery to remove a "Morton's Neuroma" in 2006. Surgery I had in 2002. Days, months and years of forefoot running taking it's toll.

Mile 5 and my mind is going back to Saturday's relay. For many club runners this time of year, just prior to the start of the cross country season, is road relay time. My sole relay effort was last Saturday's Northern championships but many had already raced more locally in the North West relays or the Yorkshire relays. Qualifying teams will race once more at the home of National road relays, Sutton Park, on October 15th. Our Sale "A" qualified but I don't think they will be dredging down to the depths of the incomplete "D" team for runners, so I definitely won't be called upon!
I turn at the 5 mile point and I recall the '80s, when for me this time of year had become half marathon time not road relay time. In '83 I ran 3 1 /2s in 4 weeks, '84 a "20" and 2 1/2s in 4 weeks, in '85 a marathon and 3 1/2s over 5 weekends at this time of year. Binge racing at its extreme.
Mile 7 and I'm thinking back to my next 25 year blog. Yet another half at Blackpool. To follow.
Mile 8 and I think I'm going quite well but not quite sure without the garmin which despite being fully charged wouldn't work as I was about to set off. I remember that the likely reason is a "full memory" and make a mental note to delete memory fully when I get back.
Two miles to go and I'm happy that the run will be completed in reasonable form. It was at this point that I turned back just recently; as the high winds prevented efficient breathing. This ten miler will serve as a good stepping stone to completing a half marathon later this year....all being well.
Last mile and I'm thinking about races looming up in the next few weeks. Nothing entered yet....as usual...but if I do the Lancaster half in November there are several good "tune up" races to consider. All meaning a return to the Fylde coast. A 5K and a 5 miler at Lytham and the Lea Town 10K near Kirkham.
I went on to think about my all time race tally. It is at present 695. I know I will have failed to note several races for which I don't have result sheets and so is likely to be over 700 already. But if I can manage to get in just 5 more races this year it bring the year to a close on a nice round "official" figure.
My final thought on finishing is that tomorrow a t-shirt will suffice as the zip neck longsleeve I opted for was the wrong choice for the present high temperatures in this "Indian Summer".
Long may it continue.....well at least until the weekend.

NORTHERN 6/4 RELAYS.....good old Saturday afternoon sport

2011-09-25T15:50:00.003+01:00

There are not many events where lesser lights can compete side by side with internationals. The NORTH OF ENGLAND 6/4 road relays is one exception. With an unrestricted qualifying entry and no upper age limits the championships attracts club teams from all over the region and a great diversity of ages would turn out.

With just 6 male runners and 4 female runners required per team mustering support from members is a far easier task than the spring 12/6 relay events but when team managers try to turn out "B" "C" and even "D" teams the problems are still enormous. Once they have their runners, they then have to decide the best team to out them in, say "A" or "B", and then the best order to run them in. A largely thankless task.
Important because, for the top teams every second counts as they will battle for a top 25 place which opens the door for entry into the English 6/4 relay championships at Sutton Park.
The task of mustering teams is made easier nowadays with email as opposed to spending time and money on the 'phone. But of course the phone has to be answered and a decision to run or not given. Some people apparently don't answer emails and the team manager is left with a big question mark against the name on the list.

This autumn's event was based at Birchwood Business Park in Warrington. It was a very accessible venue; very flat and virtually traffic free. I would be attending whether competing or not and told team manager Dave Rodgers that I would don the Sale harriers vest if needed for "D" but very much in my mind was the fact that the last 2 occasions I had run a relay for the club we had posted "incomplete team" as I finished my leg with no one to take over.

How was I to react if this was a possibility again? Pre knowledge that I was in an incomplete team yet again
would certainly take the edge off my run and so it was not with a great feeling of enthusiasm that I made the solo 60 mile journey through to Cheshire from Yorkshire.
But the journey proved very easy with the motorways; the venue being only minutes off the M62 with  a massive car park adjacent to the race route. The colourway line of the clubs' tents were already assembled. The junior events were already in full swing. Eager parents and coaches cheered from behind the barriers at the changeover point and immediately my level of enthusiasm rose.
Locating the green and red Sale Harriers tent, chief DAVE RODGERS was very busy checking off reporting athletes, time running out in which to decide on who was running in his 4 entered teams and the running order. Being one of the earliest to arrive I was firmly told I would be on the "D" team on leg 4. Sorted.
I would now know when to eat. I would know when to warm up. I would even have time to take a few photos. Plenty of time. I took my chip envelope and returned to the car to put my race number on and have half a sandwich.
When I returned to the tent before starting my planned 3 mile warm up there was a sense of panic in the air; with minutes to go to the start we were still some runners short. Another shuffle of the team .   Off came the chip off my shoe. Off came the number of my vest. I would not be on leg 4 I would now be on leg 2. By the time I had changed the chip the gun for the off went. I would be on next!
So no time to recce the course. No time for the planned 3 miler. Just time for a mile or so loosener.
Some token strides and token stretching; but at least there would be other runners to compete against at this stage rather than later.
Over 90 teams were in front as  SALE vets captain JERRY SMITH handed over and I ran shoulder to shoulder with a Stockport lady who fell back after a minute or so. I thought I would just have to concentrate on pulling back any slowing runners in front. Not quite....
What I hadn't anticipated was being overwhelmed by young guns from the leading teams , swallowing me up and surging past on the narrow paths of the circuit.  I was able to share the road with Liverpool's 13;37 5K runner JONNY MELLOR for a split second as he caught and flashed by to record the fastest leg time of the day 17:18. NIALL BROOKS, a 1:47 800 metre runner, running on our "A" had no time for a chat as he sped on by. He said later he'd had "a bad day at the office". (19.07)
I think I persevered quite well despite being overwhelmed by the young pups and handed over to our 3rd leg "D" runner BRIAN BRADSHAW in much the same position. But of course in this championship event in which 446 runners ran at under 38 10K pace my humble 25:27 was only good enough for only 554th of the 595 who participated.
But at least I had a good workout at race pace and enjoyed being cheered by so many old "rivals" and contemporaries ....... watching from the sidelines.
JAMES BAILEY had given Sale a great start run 7th on leg 1 for our"A" team (18.11) but with an understrength team they drifted back to 17th place. Our "B" failed to qualify for the National 6 stage finishing just 54th. Our "C", completely different I suspect from the original line up was 82nd of the 93 complete teams being brought home by team manager Dave himself: His penultimate act of a very long and harrowing day. His final action taking the club tent down, of course.
Unfortunately, as Brian Bradshaw finished no one took over! For the 3rd consecutive time I had been a part of an incomplete team!
MORPETH ladies won gold from Stockport and Leigh with the MORPETH men narrowly failing to complete a north east double as LEEDS CITY won by 9 seconds.
Thanks to Tony Croft of Blackpool for the photo. I did limit my speed to below 30 m.p.h. !
So that was that. A good old fashioned Saturday afternoon of competitive athletics enjoyed by runners from 12 to over 60.   The more able seniors will follow tradition with a long Sunday run but for me a leisurely 5 mile will be more than enough to once more bring the week's total to 40.

RUNNING SUCCESS? SOONER? OR LATER?

2011-09-20T18:54:00.326+01:00

In running as in many sports it isn't always those who excel as teenagers who go on to excel as senior athletes representing their nation in the world's major championships. So it was interesting to look down the full results of the WARRINGTON CROSS COUNTRY RELAYS from April 4th 1964 which MALCOM WARBURTON gave to me on Sunday and see how many of the young runners listed fared later in their running lives.
I already had the Athletics Weekly mag clipping for the race but it only gave the names of runners and times for the first 3 teams; so this sheet is very interesting. Thanks Malcolm.
There was an "BOYS" U/15 event and a "YOUTHS" U/17 event. Both 4 legs of 1 MILE each. I was in the SALE "A" team, pulling back hosts Warrington to equal first on leg 2. We lead by 3 seconds after leg 3 but were blown away by their last runner DAVE BRENNAN on leg 4.
Probably 15 by this date BRENNAN ran 10 seconds faster than anyone else recording 4.56 for the grassland course. He continued to excel nationally for several more years but to my knowledge did not "make it" as a senior.
My 5.17 was 10th fastest; a time shared with 5 others. Including one B. FOSTER

On the first leg for Gateshead who finished 7th it can have been no other than BRENDAN FORSTER . He is ultimately responsible for the initiation of THE GREAT NORTH RUN back in 1981 which has grown and grown. This year saw 54,000 people cover the 13.1 miles from Newcastle to South Shields.
But of course my generation remember him for his great feats representing Gateshead senior teams, England and Great Britain. A bronze at the '76 Olympics, a gold at the '74 Europeans, a 3K world record 7:35 and even a 2:15 marathon, no doubt without much preparation.
Somewhat heavier nowadays but Brendan often refers to runs with fellow commentator Steve Cram on the TV so he is still at least fitting some running into his busy life.
  Another young runner a tad off the pace that day was one ANDY HOLDEN. He ran on the Preston Harriers team that day recording 5.25. It wasn't long before he improved to be one of the country's leading cross country runners e.g. 3rd in the National of '66. He continued to excel as a senior with Tipton Harriers representing GB as a steeplechaser (best 8.26). Ran 2:15 for the marathon and in 1984 ran 28:59 as the fastest UK 35 year old.
Looking at the youths' results, the SALE "A" team was first and the SALE "B" second. They went on to win the National cross country. STEVE EDMUNDS only made the "B" team that day but he did run 4.59, faster than 2 on the "A" team. Our coach liked to even teams out so both would do well. It certainly worked that day. Steve won international honours with his 2:16 marathon which is still our club record today.   He sadly doesn't race anymore but is an ever present at events on marshall duty.
In the Sale "A" team was STEWART GRACE. He ran the fastest time of anyone in 4:52.(Sale H. "A"). "Diz" (think about it!) as we called him was part of a very talented hardworking youths/juniors squad who dominated UK cross country championships in the '60s winning county, regional and national titles with very low scores.   But having had glandular fever Stewart wasn't immediately able to get back to former fitness levels and   drifted away from the club.   But the spark rekindled with neighbours Altrincham and he had several good years with them as a vet.
We share a common "highlight" in that we both won the "Autumn Leaves Half Marathon. He was 41 when he won the race.   He rarely races nowadays but did turn out in last Sunday's GNR recording 99.08 at 66. 5th in the M65 category off moderate training. The talent is still there after
nearly 50 years. He may well join his son in the colours of Salford Harriers soon.

Further down the list in 10th place, running leg 3 for SALFORD HARRIERS was STAN CURRAN. He "only" ran 5.22 that day but unlike many of our Sale runners went on to have a very successful career as a senior with international honours based on a 2:14 marathon. He is still a very familiar face on the northern running scene.   He ran 39:41 in this year's Gt
Machester Run 10K. A great club stalwart he can be seen marshalling on the video from Sunday.
Last leg on the Bradford ASVAC team which finished 16th was one Dave Atkin.  Recorded 5.00 in this event
he was already shows promise for the next few years to come in which he became almost unbeatable on the country in the north. He was 5th in the World XC running for England.
I have no recollections of him coming through as a Senior.

In contrast the career of ERIC RANICAR has been long and successful. He ran just 5.37 in this event, first leg on a Leigh Harriers team which finished last.   This year he is shown to have run 5:36 for 1500 metres! A "slow down" of just 2 metres per year over 50 years. Also 10 miles in 64 minutes at 64. Testament to his incredible longevity.   In the intervening years he has been a constant, if not frequent, racer on the roads and country in the colours of Bolton United Harriers often with a number 1 by his name in the vets category.
Whilst I'm sure many youngsters in these results are still running recreationally, I'm also sure that many, perhaps the fastest, tasted success in their teenage years but found the transition to senior competition hard to cope with or as was often the accusation against our Sale teams..... we were just "burnt out".
The results perhaps reinforce the message that should go out to aspiring youngsters, that success may not come for them in the short term as it does for others. . There are numerous examples of late developers in athletics as we witness in all aspects of life.
Many succeed at a younger age due to natural ability but natural ability alone is as we know not enough.   It has to be backed up by hard work, perseverance and often great resilience.   Life tends to put hurdles out in front of us. Some walk off the track after clearing a couple of hurdles well. Others knock a few over, get up and go again.
   I had my lung surgery a few years after this event and looking at the results compared with others who knows what I might have achieved in my early '20s but "c'est la vie!" as they say.
I'm thankful for the bit of success I've had and pleased to still be competing as Stewart Grace, Stan Curran and Eric Ranicar are , 47 years after this relay event.
And finally, it would appear Sale still want me to run relays......looks like I'll be on the "D" team at the Northern 6 stage relays on Saturday.   I don't think I'll 10th equal fastest; no doubt one of the 10th slowest overall; but at least I'll (hopefully) be participating.

BOGGART CHASE 10K.....VIDEOS PART 1 & 2 NOW UP on youtube

2011-09-20T11:00:00.002+01:00

Eager to please as always, Pat was behind the wee camera for over 20 minutes on Sunday morning. To edit to the maximum 10 minutes which YOUTUBE permit would have meant editing out how competitors throughout the field coped with the one small and two large laps of the Boggart Hole Clough park race.
So I've edited the clips into 2. PART ONE....the laps around the track (1K) and the first small lap.
PART TWO......after lap2 and the finish.
As described previously the roller coaster race involves several stiff ascents (see also yesterday's elevation off garmin) and of course the 10K distance.
It would appear that mature gentlemen like Mike Cunningham (1st M65) and myself may struggle for speed out of the blocks, finding ourselves, in this case, way back towards 60th place after 1K but  our basic conditioning and speed endurance sees us come through well in the last 25% of the race.
In this case we overtook 9 younger runners on the last arduous lap,  (What happened, Richard!!) with me eventually getting through to 42nd woth Mike 43rd.
Mike was on my shoulder at 9K and I had to dig deep, recording a 4.11 last K to beat the M65. However, the video shows that M35 STEVE SCOTT (Manchester Frontrunners) was not going to let a shuffling grey haired old "g*t" get the better of him.  Pat doesn't pan to shows his "bolt" to the finishing line but .... I hit the tartan track a full 10 metres ahead of him but despite much encouragement from behind camera he lifts himself for one last majestic sprint and roasts me over the last 60 metres! Oh, to be young.
So many struggled with the hills. At Platt Fields 10K many struggled in the heat.
  I can't help but wonder whether many club runners are relying on the "sessions" they do, say Tuesdays and Thursdays at "the club" and are not backing this speedwork up with what is really the easier part of training ....just GOING FOR A STEADY RUN!"
Runs of up to 12 miles which build the strength I would suggest to cope with tough 10ks like Sunday.
I was asked by one runner what I would do on the Monday after a race like this.
I said back 25 years I would generally do two easy short runs, but now I would just do a flat run on grass of 4 miles, at least 2 minutes slower than race pace. Easy pace, hard work but beneficial.
He would feel "guilty" doing that. I asked him what would he do instead? "Nothing ", he replied.

   Hope you enjoy the videos ....don't get too many crumbs from y' butties on y' keyboard!

                                                BOGGART CHASE 10K   PART ONE....

BOGGART CHASE 10K PART TWO........

BOGGART CHASE 10K ....SLOWEST EVER BUT REASSURING

2011-09-18T09:01:00.171+01:00

I don't really like entering races too far in advance. At my age I never know how I'll feel one day to the next, never mind months ahead.   But when I looked at the MANCHESTER PARKS GRAND PRIX series it looked like excellent value for money at just £15 for 5 races and it wouldn't matter much if I had to miss the odd event. Such good value that , similar to others, I phoned Brenda Bradshaw, the coordinator, to verify the price!
Of course. the aim was to run all 5 events and enjoy that sense of achievement in staying fit enough to complete a programme of races starting in May and finishing in mid September.   As it turns out today's last event, THE BOGGART CHASE 10K, is a "done deal" as they say in terms of my M60 age category. Even if M60 leader, FRANCIS DAY (EASTCHESHIRE) doesn't run, he has 12 points to my 8. There is only 3 points for a win; so I am resigned to second place whatever.
But of more significance is how the breathing can cope with both the distance and the roller coaster course.
Last Sunday in the gales I was forced to abort  the run and managed just 4.5 miles.   Monday and Tuesday were little better. Whilst things have improved through the week ( I managed the 2 res run in just over the hour midweek) I haven't been anywhere near race pace since a week last Friday.
I think Pat could sense my apprehension as there was little conversation during the hour journey over to North Manchester for the 11.15 a.m. start. At least the weather would be kind to us after last year's drenching as the mists of Yorkshire cleared as we made our way into bright Lancashiresunshine.
Walking over to pick my number up, I see and chat to Mr. Day so there will be no category prize today, I think. Whilst we are chatting old friend Malcom Warburton comes and hands me a result sheet from April 1964 which is very, very interesting and one which I will come back to later in the week.
11.15 a.m. A small field of 110 runners assemble on the track. The race starts with 2 and a half laps before exiting onto the roller coaster 3 lap course. This profile shows all fun we had....

It was very much deja vu time in this first kilometre of the race, looping around with the track with teammate JAN NICHOLLS as last year.   It was fun also nearly convincing a young man that it was 25 laps of the track making up the 10K!   "No hills, then?" he said. "No dead flat!", I replied, trying to sound dead serious.
A cautious start and Jan and I exit the track in 4.26. We descend Charlestown Road and swing back into the park, maintaining pace at 4.26 but the first hill takes it's toil and I record a 5.01. But the hill is not too onerous. Flat past the track and downhill to 4k in 4.24, a climb sees the 5K mark reached in 22.55. A longer hill in K 6 and a 5.02 split puts the brakes on a tad. Again I cope quite well and take more places.
M60 leader is no where is sight but M65 Mike Cunningham comes on my back and gives me a
psychological "kick up the backside".   A 4.30 split and a downhill 4.13 but Mike is still on my shoulder as we pull away from much younger runners. The last long is taken in 4.57. It's going to take a fast last to run under 46 minutes and put put some daylight between me and Mike.
I manage to lift the pace, recording a last K in 4.11 to finish in 45.52, compared with 45.19 last year. Satisfactory. Bearing in mind the last month. Garmin splits 22.55 and 22.55. Dead even.
M60 Francis Day beat me by over 4 minutes but the lack of faster M45s and M50s saw us old guys all moved up and so I was awarded the M60 vouchers.
Pat filmed the event and it highlights how my problematic hamstring is hampering knee lft, drive and stride length. I just don't feel confident going hard from the start despite over 2 miles warm up.   I just look like a fast walker! Now some would say it's a swift efficient shuffle cadence but I think it's not a pretty sight and needs sorting !!
Today was the 137th and slowest 10K but very reassuring all things considered.
ROBIN TUDDENHAM (TODMORDEN) won the race in 35:41 with host's BEV JENKINS (SALFORD) first lady in 38:10, cheered on by her 3 young boys, resplendent in their Man. City shirts. I handed her my Sweatshop vouchers after the presentation ....to treat the lads to some Man. United gear!
Quite a good day for the club with FRANK CORDINGLEY (M50) JACKIE CORDINGLEY and daughter BEATRICE and JENNY MILES also in the awards.   (SEE PIC ABOVE)

RUNNING INTO WINTER AT THE COMPLETE RUNNER

2011-09-17T11:34:00.001+01:00

Contrary to popular opinion I do do some work now and again. I don't spend all my day running and watching daytime television.
Although I must confess I do like Loose Women, Doctors, Countdown and Escape to the Country; and of course it was back in January when I last missed my daily run "fix".
This week with the dregs of Hurricane Katia still wreaking havoc from the west we declared an end to summer at both branches of the COMPLETE RUNNER and I was over at the Lancashire NELSON branch to help rearrange apparel as our suppliers like to call it , bringing up winter jackets, gilets, tights, longsleeves etc and putting out new lines coming in.
There is naturally a major emphasis on safe running in the dark with plenty of fluo yellow jackets on offer from the wind/shower resist FASTRAX at £30 through midprice from BROOKS (Nightlife) and NIKE up to GORE Windstopper options at over £100. But as an alternative there is the bright orange VIZI PRO range from SAUCONY.

Many runners prefer less conspicuous colours putting their faith on being seen in the multiple reflective additions which are added to most jackets, tights and long sleeves nowadays.
As witnessed by the flash camera reflection throughout the whole of the mens offering shown here.
We brought in 2 great ranges from ASICS and SAUCONY for those who like to "feel the blues"
and for those who feel inspired dressing in what many of world's leading athletes wear there is the
intense green from ADIDAS. A range which includes a great value Gore Windstopper jackets in both intense green and black.

We are continually told by female customers that they find it difficult to get a good choice of running gear in a good range of sizes. I like to think we cater well for the fairer sex with plenty of choice and availability from GORE, NIKE, SAUCONY, BROOKS, ASICS and FASTRAX.
I'm hoping that we don't get as much snow and ice this winter as the last couple of years but it will be cold, it will be windy and it will be wet.
But we've no excuse not getting out and keeping up our running with some great gear
to keep us warm, dry and safe in the coming months.
Oh, don't forget your footwear....

KIRKSTALL ABBEY 10K LEEDS 1986

2011-09-15T20:02:00.000+01:00

A LOOK BACK AT TODAY 25 YEARS AGO

Nowadays, I doubt you would see me lining up for a race of any distance having run a half marathon 7 days before. But back in 1986 I was quite willing and able to tackle a 10K starting near to the Kirkstall Abbey, hence the title, ( see picture below) the week after the
Windmill half marathon. Heading out through Rodley and involving a very testing drag up to Horsforth before dropping back down to Kirkstall it was far from a P.B. course but nevertheless it attracted a good field and some good quality times were recorded.
111 recorded under 40 minutes.

                             The race was put on by Leeds Postal Sports Association Harriers.

At 37 I couldn't hold on to 24 year old clubmate JOHN CONVERY who ran 32.30 and NIGEL MONAGHAN, then with LEEDS CITY, ran away from me over the last mile or so to record 32.54 to my 33.04.
John C. has had an excellent career. Still racing well e.g. recording 35.04 at Salford 10K this year at 49.   He can boast many top 10 place in the UK rankings. For example, he ranked 2nd as a M45 in 2007. John followed my route and won many vets medals with Bingley Harriers but has now joined his talented son Sam at Wakefield Harriers. I'm pretty sure Nigel is still running but racing infrequently nowadays.
The event was significant as several local runners donned their brand new red and green Ilkley Harriers vest for the first time. (Andy Husband, Paul Glendinning and Dave Smith)
Ilkley COMPLETE RUNNER manager, TIM AGAR, was well up in 16th place recording 34.45 (Skyrac A.C.) He's still very active with the club, coaching and team managing. Amongst 11 Skyrac runners in the first 100 was GRAHAM BREEZE (37.13) who concentrated his later efforts on the fells with much age group success.
Valley Strider runner YVONNE BISSETT would appear to be the first lady in 38.41. I say "appear" as the results do not show ages or sex of the runners! Just behind her was JOHN WILLINGHAM who I've trained with a couple of times recently. Just coming off the squash court he ran 38.43 which he would no doubt beat at the moment.
A break the following week then a return to Lancashire for yet another half marathon.

A problematic weekend for Yorkshire Athletics

2011-09-14T09:27:00.002+01:00

SNIPPETS OF YORKSHIRE WOMENS 4 STAGE ROAD RELAY

Last weekend.  A  difficult time for runners, club captains and team managers of the county's many clubs.    With the open age Yorkshire Road Relays on Saturday and the Yorkshire Veterans Road Relay Championships ( now for over 35s,male and female) the following day with the Wetherby 10K, the Sandal Castle 10K and the Yorkshireman half and full off road marathons added into the mix,it was interesting to see how the various Yorkshire clubs would cope.
Racing so often over in Lancashire nowadays, I popped up to the Carnegie Campus in Leeds to see so many old friends, looking forward to some keen competition.
All options seemed to have been covered judging by the turnout.
Several clubs supported both Yorkshire relays. Many veterans running both days.
OTLEY winning bronze on Saturday and silver in the M35 on Sunday. KEIGHLEY took advantage of teams failing to appear and won gold on Saturday and followed up with silver in the M35s and bronze in the M40s on Sunday. A great show of club organisation and commitment.
Some , perhaps struggling to find under 35 talent, decided to focus on the Sunday's vets championships. The home club LEEDS surprisingly, fielded incomplete teams in both mens and womens events; no doubt "keeping their powder dry " for the Northerns. Some clubs boasting large memberships failed to appear at either event.   Surprisingly failing to use the county event as a trial event for the Northern Relays the week after next.
  So in the 4 leg senior womens event   from over 40 Yorkshire clubs just 10 clubs put teams out and 11 in the mens, several, including some top Yorkshire clubs fielding incomplete teams.
With clubs relying so heavily on veterans nowadays many I spoke to felt that Yorkshire athletics generally suffered by having the 2 events on the same weekend.
In theory there should not have been a problem.   In an ideal world, teams turned out on Satuday consisting of mainly under 35s and the vets turning out the next day.   But as we all know the under 35s are in the minority nowadays, consequently, of the top 6 womens teams, only 10 runners of the 24 were under 35.
Of the top 6 mens teams,. only 11 of the 36 were under 35.
It's really not  boding well for the future of this traditional branch of the sport. But I'm confident that the NORTHERN 6/4 relays at Warrington on September 24 will be fiercely contested no matter how many teams turn up.   See you there! ?

2011-09-14T09:26:00.000+01:00

Giving the gales a run for their money!

2011-09-12T18:30:00.002+01:00

I suspected that I might struggle in the blustery conditions Sunday morning. High winds do nothing to help asthmatics to breathe efficiently; and so it proved.
Having battled through Friday's track session in the rain. Sunday I didn't cope well at all and had to be
content , though not pleased, to draw the line at 4.5 troublesome miles and bring the week's total to 40.

Monday, late morning.
All the weather forecasts are expressing great concern about gale force winds out there as the tail end of HURRICANE KATIA sweeps across the Atlantic. Building damage, flooding and transport chaos imminent.
How do we runners cope?
One of my ways of dealing with such conditions is to ask Pat drive me out for the required distance and run back with the wind behind. May sound a bit extreme and a bit defeatist but why not if the help is there?
I certainly enjoyed and remember well an undulating 11 mile run back to Ilkley from Burnsall which took just 66 minutes as a strong westerly wind pushed me from behind all the way! But that was quite a few years ago.
Today it was just 7 undulating miles, wind assisted in 60 minutes; much faster and far more enjoyable than running bent double into the south westerly gale force winds which are reported will reach up to at least 60 m.p.h.
It will be hard work this evening for runners trying to cope with these conditions and quite dangerous if running near to traffic. If you are reading this before going out.....TAKE CARE!
Hopefully you won't encounter conditions like this......

I don't think there will be many running along this sea front promenade in Saltcoats, on the west coast of Scotland!

Staying on track.......a test of resolve!

2011-09-09T22:04:00.000+01:00

Friday morning. As I sit having breakfast, Pat returns from her run and reports that the weather is "grey, not too cold and quite still".   For once , I think, the track may be wind free for today's session.
I load the car with this week's Nelson branch delivery and set off with the sun shyly peeping through whiter clouds over Ilkley .   All well and good.
Until I reach the sign post declaring I'm now entering Lancashire and the windscreen wipers are brought in to action. Damn.
By the time I've unloaded and driven on to park for the session, the rain is sweeping heavily across the track. I start review my options..........
One. I am at the track ...stick to the planned session of 12 x 300.....grin and bear it.   Grind them out.
Two. Just do a set of 8.
Three. Forget the track session and just go for a run on the canal.
Four.   Just drive home and train this afternoon.
Five.    Just sit and wait for the wretched weather to blow through. But a glance to the west indicates that I could be sat waiting for quite a long time!
Fortunately, I'm fully waterproofed up so I run the 2 mile park warm up and add another mile on the tartan track. The rain continues unabated.   This is not going to be pleasant at all.

I'd calculated that a creditable target time for the 300 reps would be 75 seconds based on approx 20.45 5K race pace.  But of course that didn't take into account a curtain of rain being drawn continually across the track.
Heel striking, negligible knee lift , hamstrings stiff to start with , as always , I scamper swiftly
through the first rep to record 77.   Not too bad, considering but more uuumph required!
The next few reps go better and gradually I'm getting more on the forefoot and driving (relatively) well.
Acceleration and good consistency.
72.9 73.9 73.6 73.3 73.1 72.7
Seven reps ticked off but it's getting hard work as the rain continues to sweep across the track.
Let's leave it there I think.
8 reps wouldn't be bad and all faster than targeted.
But another voice says no ...you said 12...don't wimp out....stick to the plan....you are already soaking wet ......another 4 laps won't make much difference.....dig deep and you can do it.
A 9th rep in 72.7 ......3 to go....73.0 73.9.....last one.....I lose concentration....the mind starts to think about the weekend ahead .....73.4. Not good enough. I always like the last to be the fastest.
So after all that deliberation about whether to do the session at all, whether to pull out after just 8, I decide do a 13th.......and determined to focus and make it the fastest, manage....70.6.
Last and fastest achieved.
Just a couple of miles easy cool down and on cue.....the rain stops and the sun comes out! Typical.
I'm joined for the cool down by a local runner and he tells he how he was doing 300s himself yesterday in 50 seconds or so which makes my efforts look paltry but as I'm giving him 12 years
and my personal taget was achieved i have to be satisfied.
So that was today's track session. A foul day and one when it would have been so easy to curse the Rain Gods and drive home.
I'm sure we've all had to abort a run or session through injury or perhaps been unrealistic in our aim for the outing but I think it's like dropping out in a race when the going gets hard .....do it once ,perhaps OK, , do it twice and there's a danger of creating a habit!
Similarly, miss sessions or cut them short can equally become habitual and performance deteriorates.
So a pat on the back.....and an easy day tomorrow.

WINDMILL HALF MARATHON 1986

2011-09-07T21:48:00.001+01:00

A LOOK BACK AT TODAY 25 YEARS AGO 1986

To a race often marred by gale force winds .........just like today!!

Yesterday I made reference to a small, low key race. This date 25 years ago I was competing in another Fylde Coast race but one that was somewhat larger.
The WINDMILL HALF MARATHON was first put on by the Fylde Borough Council in 1983, attracting a large field of around 2000 runners and was repeated for ten years until 1992. The race started inland on playing fields, headed out to the coastal promenade,
then continued down past the renown windmill to the east beach area and back.   The race served as a very popular late summer attraction but numbers reduced to 1291 in 1991 and at this point the council withdrew. The 1992 being sponsored by a development company.
One significant attraction without doubt was the chance of a PB for many on the fast flat course. Hence Steve Kenyon's course record time of 65.08 in that first 1983 race.
But the event was often marred by strong westerly winds. The 1985 race being particularly horrendous. Gale force winds brought down the race marquees overnight prior t o the race and continued throughout the morning. We were hit hard by sand whipped up and blown at us; several runners being treated in A.& E. for eye damage.
As we headed back up the coast I particularly recall encouraging the group I was in to run single file and each take a turn at the front to provide shelter for those behind. Much the same as a cycling "chain gang".
The 1986 race, 25 years ago today, attracted 2237 to the coastal Lytham and St. Annes resorts. Won by Liverpool legend JOHN WOODS in 66.38, my time of 71.09 was good enough for only 15th place; deemed "satisfactory" in the diary, no doubt bearing in mind the Friday's entry refered to "pain stemming from left buttock down leg".
(Much the same as now.....so nothing changes!)
Quality wise, some interesting statistics,  64 ran inside 75 minutes. 193 inside 80 minutes and a very impressive 662 under 90 minutes!
The race closed off week 36 of the year. A week of 10 outings including a cautious 3.5 miles the day prior to the race, totalling 70 miles.

Easy races......hard commentary

2011-09-06T17:34:00.000+01:00

Road races with few participants ,say less than 100, commonly and correctly described as "small and low key" do have some advantages. Ease of parking, no queues for convenient "on the day entry", which is usually a relatively small fee, no queues for the toilet, no need to sharpen the elbows for the fight for space on the road over the first mile. All well and good.
But many would say, "Yes, and no atmosphere!!" Countless Complete Runner customers tell me that they won't entertain entering any races that don't feature runners numbering tens of thousands and so are happy to pay out over £35 for the Gt Manchester Run, The Great North Run or the London Marathon. Which is fine but I always try to encourage them to learn about support smaller events as well.
Of course, one great disadvanrage of a small field is that very often they can turn out to be virtually time trials; a solo run with no group to share a faster pace, no crusing or surging which form a key to race enjoyment for me.
Last Sunday after the initial half mile push, I was forced to run alone for the remaining 3.5 miles. But just being in the competitive environment justified the effort and travelling to the event and putting the number on the vest.
If I had elected for a 4 x mile track session I would not have achieved 6.59 7.09 6.59 6.52.   So even as a speed endurance exercise it was worthwhile; and anyway it was only a small deviation on our way to the Lake District!   Besides, Pat will enjoy the wine. Both bottles!
The rest of the week went pretty well. Mindful of the hills of the Boggart H.C. 10k I put in a hill session on the Tuesday.  8 medium length reps which went well with times up the on the previous fortnight. But with a weeknd race that was the only effort session of the week. With no long run either the mileage was consequently slightly below average at 39 miles. Perhaps as well it wasn't a big training week as there was so much to watch of the.....
IAAF WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
the majority of my viewing was via Eurosport UK with former athletes TIM HUTCHINGS and MARTIN GILLINGHAM doing the commentating.   They are at home now having a well earnt lie down having had to cope with pronouncing troublesome competitors' names ......

TRY SAYING THESE OUT LOUD...

MIKHNEVICH......ABAKMOVA....ARZAMASAVA....JAKUBAITYTE....HJALMSDOLTIR

JAMAAN ALHAMDAH.......ABDULAZIZ ALJOUD.......OZOLINA KOVOLA

ILJUSTSENKO....ZOUAOUI DANDRIEUX......MEKHISSI BENABBAD

Just to name a few!

TIM HUTCHINGS

MARTIN GILLINGHAM

FAST 4 Great Eccleston....a double win!

2011-09-05T22:53:00.002+01:00

4 of the 13 races I've completed this year have been races in the Manchester Parks series. The last one is the very challenging Boggart Hole Clough 10K on September 18th. But that would have meant a 5 week gap since the Chernobyl 10k. on August 14.

A gap too long for my liking; so I looked at the options for an "entry on the day" race yesterday; with an eye especially for a race which Pat could take part in as well.

The race would serve as good feed back on how I could compete at race pace bearing in mind current revised medication. We spotted a race, The FAST 4 MILER (GREAT ECCLESTON) which if it did "exactly what it said on the tin" would prove an ideal low key choice. Another visit to the Fylde, Lancashire.
For once, I was hoping for a sub 7 minute first mile and if things went as most flat races there was a good chance this could be maintained for a sub 28 minutes clocking.
A 2 mile warm up (I would have liked more) and we assembled with just over 50 runners for the 10.30 start. Low key , "friendly" indeed!
Once again with the assistance of the garmin to monitor pace it sounded for the first mile showing 6:59. I hav overtaken a couple of faster starters and was in "no man's land" chasing race organiser, Alan Taylor, of Wesham Roadrunners.

And chase him I did but could make no impression over mile 2, covered outside target in 7.06 and mile 3, back on target in 6.59. Some impression made over the last mile in 6.52. Garmin 4 in 27.57
As per the Elswick Express the garmin recorded before the finish line, conveniently positioned just off the road. So "official" time 28.06
I jogged back to support Pat through the last half mile and she responded well picking up a place to finish in 35.50, just under 9 minute mile pace.
In the small "select" field we both placed first in the M/F 60 age groups; adding to our wine stocks. Hardly a mass quality race field but it was quite nice to achieve a double win in the week of our 41st. wedding anniversary.

When we married in 1970 I had already been running competitively for about 7 years and steadily recovering to a reasonable state of fitness after lung surgery.
Pat had no sporting background at all. A fairly relucantant Phys. Ed. participant but to her credit she has embraced running over the years since. She ran an excellent 3:46 marathon in London 1984 but her races since have been few and far between.
Hopefully we can achieve more "double" wins in the future.
In truth the "Fast 4" was as pan flat as we had hoped, the Garmin feedback showing 30 mts differential in height gained but the gradients were hardly challenging; just enough to take the edge of 100%.

A very reasonable "goodie back" for the £7 on the day entry; with a t-shirt , more likely to be worn as it was unprinted, a medal, bottle of water, home made cake and a device which we were somewhat puzzled about but looks like it could be useful if we take up rock climbing.

Whilst the race proved very useful to those of us seeking a low key, shortish race it was puzzling that it was held on the same morning as a half marathon just a few miles away in Blackpool and the day after a 10K from the same seaside venue. Maybe a different date next year!?

MILES........BETTER!

2011-08-31T15:14:00.000+01:00

Last week, week 34 of the year(!) continued to follow a pretty clasic hard/easy pattern. Immensely encouraged by that sub 60 minute time around the res. I ran a steady 5 mile on the Thursday in anticipation of the first track session to be executed since stopping the intake of the steroid inhaler.
I was very keen to see if I could cope with a speed endurance session of 5 x mile; and , of course, how would times compare with the last time before cessation.
Regretfully I used the Garmin rather than the stopwatch for this session and it was "bleeping" a mile a significant distance before the measured mile on the track, so it threw timings out somewhat. So it made a mockery of the comparison I had hoped for with the similar session 2 weeks ago. I ran the whole mile in lane 1 so found the differential between a GPS mile and a track mile very puzzling.
However, I'm pretty sure the first and last mile were pretty acccurate and they showed good improvement, the last mile being 7.15.
The main feedback though was that the whole session felt much more comfortable. Double bonus.
So a hard but one from which I learnt a lot. No inhaler.....no problem.
As cool westerlies brought in heavy rain down Wharfedale on Saturday I was pleased that all I had to do was a short 3 mile recovery run; with a rare visit to my club, Sale Harriers, with, hopefully some good company for a 10 mile run, on Sunday.

RARE VISIT TO THE CLUB
I parked up at 10.15 at Crossford Bridge in sale on Sunday morning in good time for a 10.30 start. Dozens of runners turned up; but the majority aged between 6 and 11 were not going to be joining me for a 10 miler. We did muster a group of 4 eventually and it was good to have company for 8 of the 10 plus miles.
Very interesting and perhaps encouraging to witness so many children starting their athletics careers, working on the same "cinder" track as I had nearly 50 years ago. Only I was 13 years old.
Let's hope that many embrace the sport for years to come and many cam emerge through the difficult years between 18 and early '20s when it seems many hang up their running shoes.
So that was last week. A pretty balanced week with a 6 x 400 grass track speed session and a speed endurance session on the tartan track of 5 x mile with a solid 10 mile to finish and sign off the week with 44 miles, maintaining the yearly average above 41.

BURNSALL 10 MILE..............THEN AND NOW

2011-08-24T19:10:00.001+01:00

Before looking at the BURNSALL 10 results from then (1986) and now an update an how things have been since changing my asthma medication.......
This time last week I was strolling towards Bolton Abbey with Pat, having had the E.C.G. in the morning and having had a suggestion from my G.P. to perhaps ease down on the training and, prompted by myself, yes, to cut back on the steroid inhaler.
We naturally discussed the ramifications of changing my routine of training and racing. Supportive as ever, Pat stressed how important running still is to me. "It's not just a hobby," she said, "it's your life. The problem has to be sorted."
I thought back over the last 18 months again and decided to see if cutting back altogether on the "preventive" inhaler SYMBICORT could be tolerated. I should say at this point taking this "glucocorticoid steriod" is not reported as having an adverse effect on heart rhythm but on taking it there is a definite reaction and some of the listed side effects can be headaches, sore throats, upset stomach, sinus infection, respiratory tract infections, nausea and vomiting.
                  So basically if I could do without it all well and good !
Today, then was the first chance to compare a training run since stopping taking it. Last Tuesday, albeit having run the Chernobyl 10K on the Sunday, I tackled the 2 RES RUN around Swinsty and Fewston reservoirs in a very tired and uncomfortable 66.06.   Regular readers will know that   I very rarely run under 60 minutes on this. Averaging 61/61.
Today, mindful of the watch but not really pushing it.............59.19 !! Nearly 7 minutes faster.
I know I will always have restriction from my 1969 lung surgery but I will be reporting to my G.P.
that otherwise the chest is feeling more open and generally freerer.
OK last week I had just run that 10K. But Friday, Saturday and Sunday last week were also toughish days and I did a mini track session yesterday. So at this moment I shall continue without the steroid inhaler just taking VENTOLIN just prior to my run.
Having said all this I shall continue to avoid coffee, paracetomol, Magnum dark chocolate ice cream and limit , but not cut out, the alcohol intake.

1986. A LOOK BACK AT THIS WEEK 25 YEARS ....BURNSALL 10 MILE ROAD RACE

Unlike prior to a race nowadays the diary shows there was no real ease down for this tough Yorkshire Dales Saturday race with 2 speed sessions in the week prior and an "easy" 10 the day before for good measure! No doubt faster than I can manage in a 10 mile race at this present time.
As always in those days Burnsall attracted a good quality field from far and wide. Weymouth, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, plus of course, all parts of Yorkshire and many from Lancashire.
I was 3rd Valley Strider home in 9th place in 53.51. The race was won by Brian Eden (V.S.)
in 51.43 with Mick Day 3rd (V.S.) overall in 52.51. So 3 inthe first 9.
Just behind (and still active) were Jack Verity (ASVAC now Saltaire Striders) 11th in 53.53
and Andy Hauser (then with Macclesfield) 15th in 54.33 and Rob Eccles (Bingley) 18th 54.51.
  72 runners were back within 60 minutes.
I only have the first result sheet which registers the 102nd finisher in 63.07
There were only 18 veterans in those 102.
It could be left at that but of course it demands comparison with the 2011 race.
The race was won by Alan Buckley (unchallenged) in 55.26. We know he is capable of much faster. 5 men were inside 60 minutes. 72 in 1986.
This year they appear to have stopped timing at 97th place in 94.57
In 1986 97th place recorded 62.69
Very often we say at this point less quality but much more quantity. But not with regard to this event for some reason. Only 106 finished.
What is of most concern I feel is the percentage of under 40 in this year's race.
Only 28 of the 106 were under 40, male and female.   82 in 1986.
Not startingly new revelations but again hardly bodes well for the future of the heart of our club based sport.   It would appear there is a desperate need to recruit more members aged between
20 and 40. Perhaps soon race prize presentations will skip the open awards as there are no particicpants and go straight to the veterans!

Coping with the effects of decades of running.

2011-08-23T19:40:00.000+01:00

I enjoy a daily run and I enjoy a daily drink of alcohol. Rarely miss out on either.   Not unique in that. Many runners "reward" themselves with a couple of pints of beer or lager after a club training session or on the way back from a race. After half marathons and even the odd marathon I have genuinely felt a couple of pints has served as an excellent recovery drink.
But over the years a degree of moderation has been introduced. With my training I am running on average about 60% of what I was in the peak years.  Over the last couple of years I have felt alcohol has needed moderating and cut down to one can of Pils per night with the occasional glass of wine. Hardly a "session"! I had been sharing a bottle of wine with Pat Thursday through to Sunday with the cans as well; and I decided it needed cutting back. Seems I was right to do so.   Not because of weight gain or the effect on the brain but how it effects the heart.
This time last week I was reading an article about how otherwise healthy people often have just a few too many units of alcohol whilst on holiday and consequently suffer "heart rhythm problems". A phenomenon known as "Holiday Heart Syndrome".     With alcohol coursing through the body, palpitations, breathlessness, chest pains and lightheadness can be suffered. Not good.
I would have guessed that "Holiday Heart Syndrome" referred to  what young girls experienece when boys they fall in love with on holiday fail to get in touch afterwards. But no, binge drinking , very often when away is the cause.
I've certainly been there going away with friends.   Strolling down a foreign promenade, blazing sun high in the sky, passing beach cafe late morning or for lunch and already sat with pints of the ice cold amber nectar in front of them.   We take a table and stroll on two pints later. Only problem being I would have to train for the second time in the evening. Perhaps OK when I was younger but not anymore.
I have been suffering some abnormal "heart rhythms" over the last couple of years; sometimes going to bed only to lie awake with the heart hammering away disturbingly for some hours. Extremely unpleasant and quite alarming.  Naturally I've been trying to work our what has been "triggering" it off.
I tried to relate the occasions to hard sessions or races. Not so.
I thought it might be paracetomol; so I stopped taking that. No luck.   I thought it might be down to coffee; so I stopped drinking that. Still the occasional problems.   I experienced severe palpitations having eaten a very dark chocolate ice cream; thought that might be the cause. Still occurred.
The article gave some explanation as I read further. It said that another group prone to abnormal heart rhythms (atrial fibrillations) are MEN AGED 40 TO 55 who are still training strenuously ....PARTICULARLY RUNNERS! and that if such runners experience palpitations they should consult their doctor.
You can imagine at this point alarm bells were ringing. Particularly when I had a very bad occurence that very night. but needed to know just what the medical people thought.

So come Wednesday morning I was on the 'phone making an appointment and minutes later was sat discussing the problem with my G.P, within two hours I was having an E.C.G.!
The initial diagnosis is that what I have been suffering is ATRIAL FLUTTER. Not sure quite how this is different to ATRIAL FIBRILLATIONS! But no doubt further discussions will follow.
Whilst accepting that decades of running enlarges the heart and accepting that alcohol can have a toxic effect I put it to the G.P. my asthma preventive medication may be playing a part. She said it might and suggested cutting it down from 4 "puffs" to 1.
I decided to cut it out altogether.
She suggested also perhaps easing back on the training. Well I did that day; just a vert pleasant 2 mile walk with Pat. But needed to see how cutting out the preventive inhaler would effect things.
So how has the last week been?

Well I have not really eased back on the training...much.   A good hill session on Friday, a couple of solid hilly runs whilst in the Lake District, Saturday and Sunday and 6 x 400 on the grass track today.
How has the heart been? Pleased to report, no problems!
So I'm going to report that the "preventer" is a major factor though accept that the alcohol intake needs watching.
I'm really hoping that this could be a turning point and remove a negative factor which has been taking the edge off training and racing.  Whilst I have continued with my Ventolin "reliever" before training runs, cutting out the steroid preventer inhaler (pictured here)
does not seem to have had an adverse effect.

Let's hope that we've sorted the "trigger" out and these "flutters" don't reoccur.  I may be 62 and have nearly 50 years racing under my belt but I still feel I have hundreds of miles to run, sessions to complete and races to run.   Watch this space!

CHERNOBYL 10K AUGUST 14 2011........a short video

2011-08-15T22:01:00.002+01:00

For many runners a weekend is all about their Sunday race.......for them the weekend starts as the gun goes!

P.S. It would appear that my Chernobyl video has been "pulled" because of copyright issues with the music used. The music was from my library. If I had used a piece of music from the approved list offered by Youtube it would have taken days to upload though they say it only takes minutes. They have a flaw in their system but point to "copyright" when users try to add music from their own source.

CHERNOBYL 10K...a successful late decision

2011-08-14T22:17:00.001+01:00

For so many years the majority of the races I competed in were those which we had arranged with the race organiser to take the van to and sell our wares. In the discussions I would generally ask him to reserve a number for me. It was very rare that Ihad to actually send a postal entry. So that's my excuse for not framing myself as well as I should nowadays and entering races before they fill up.
The last week was essentially constructed with the thought to run a 5K over in York on Tuesday night. Quite attractive as they are having 2 5k races and the "B" race is for over 60s and slower runners. It would have been a good chance to compete at the sharp end again.
However, late on Saturday evening I saw that the online entries had closed and decided not to risk not being able to enter on the night. So despite having run a 7 on Friday and a 7 yesterday, not my usual ease down, Pat and I headed west once more into the Red Rose county for the CHERNOBYL 1OK in Preston.

MEDICINE CHERNOBYL is a charity run by volunteers to help the children of Belarus affected by the accident at Chernobyl in April 1986 whereby 70% suffered radioactive fallout caused by the explosion. The races help raise funds to provide respite care in the nearby Ribble Valley.

I anticipated a fairly low key event based mainly on traffic free country park paths near the River Ribble and that essentially was what we were delivered. except the convoluted course threw up several testing short climbs which served to blunt the pace.
211 supported the race and hence the charity. I fought my way through as usual, overtaking to reach 53rd place and secured another M60 category win (another bottle of wine for Pat)
But with the cream of the regions veterans competing in the Northern Vets 10K up the road in Blackpool I am not flattering myself. Evan Cook won the Northern Vets M60 in 38 plus!
Considering the inclines and the lack of ease down I was reasonably pleased to record 44.03. Actually faster than the very flat Platt Fields, though that was a hot one! Brings 10K races done to 136.
Surprisingly the race was mile marked rather than K marked and the Garmin came into its own as the 3 mile marker was .45 out of place! My garmin splits being 7.07 7.26 6.50 7.09 6.50 (1.33) indicating that given a flatter faster course a time inside 43 should still be on for this year.

Weight has never been an issue for me. I don't think I have ever been over 10 stone in my life. So it was interesting to share the 2 mile ease down after the race with SAM TULLY , a young man from North Wales, he was telling me how he has seen the light in that he had stopped excessive drinking, taken to running and reduced in weight from 16 stone to 11 and a half. It transpired I was in front of him the Manchester but he was just in front today. I'll be looking out for him at futrue races but no doubt there will be even less of him to find. Well done, Sam.

So in conclusion I need to frame myself to organise a programme of events for the rest of the year to try to match last year's times over distance up to half marathon and have the confidence to know that I will actually be fit enough to race then when the time comes. Could take some travelling.....probably going west again!

Best week of the year....so far

2011-08-08T17:25:00.000+01:00

I really wish that the ubiquitous Parkruns started a bit later. It was 9 o'clock on Saturday morning when I woke up. Just the time when thousands of early risers were setting out on, for many, their weekly 5K effort.
I'm pretty convinced even if I made the effort of going to bed that bit earlier and making that early start time I wouldn't perform any where near to 100%.
Not that the start time is the only handicap, as the nearest venues of Hyde Park Leeds and Lister Park Bradford are hardly on the door step.
I was keen to record a tempo 5K on Saturday so a convenient Parkrun would have been ideal as it was , what with the dreadful weather and athletics on the tele, I ended up at Nelson track late afternoon. Interestingly 2 others had much the same idea. I passed through torrential rain on the way over but the 12 and a half laps were completed in dry albeit breezy conditions but still hard work.
As I was warming up, one of the others on the track asked with I suspect just a hint of sarcasm, "Have you started yet?" (Cheek!) So perhaps determined to demonstrate that there was a distinct difference between my warm up pace and my tempo 5K pace I went through 4 laps in 7.13, slowed on the next 4 to 7.17 and with the year's fastest previous effort for this training exercise of 22.35 in mimnd had to work very hard to record 7.13 for a final time of 22.33.

Meanwhile ,at much the same time I think Lancashire's finest HELEN CLITHEROE was completing her 5K on the Crystal Palace track in the AVIVA LONDON GRAND PRIX. Pleasing to see the 37 year old   received the award for the best UK performance of the day finishing 2nd to US runner Lauren Fleshman, running a 15.06.7 and booking her seat on the plane for the World Champs in Daegu.  Not only an improvement on her PB by over 23 seconds but now faster than my 15.18 ! But would expect nothing less from someone who shares my birthday. Her running this year shows that sometimes we have to just re-evaluate the training we are doing, the races we are competing in and not be afraid to make significant changes.
Well done to her.

Many would suggest that 5K on the track is hard enough in a race with others let alone doing it solo but at least there are no impediments that we face on the roads or even the canal towpath.
With 2 track sessions then "in the bank" for the week I was interested to see how I would cope with another 12 miler yesterday with Jon W.   and again a touch apprehensive as he is younger and faster.   But it went pretty well again; just a few seconds per mile down on the previous Sunday
when both of us were just that little bit fresher.   Customary 2 mile jog intro. then 10 miles in 82.13.
   So 53 miles for week 31.   I've been over 50 a couple of times this year but as we all know quantity is not the only factor.   So for the week to include 12 miler, 8 x 1K rep session and a 5K
tempo solo track effort was particularly pleasing.
Needless to say, today's Monday outing was a short 4 mile jog at 9.45 pace.   My "rest" day!

And ,finally, congrats must go to 2 other local athletes, brothers Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee (Bingley Harriers) who were first and 3rd in the Hyde Park, London World series triathlon.
Nice if they could repeat that in a year's time at the Olympics but would the younger, developing Jonny be taking the gold? Time will tell.