GOOD.....BETTER.....BEST

   I was going to "title" today's blog.....fast....faster.....fastest.  But when I publish the times I know for so many the reps. can hardly be consider as fast.  Having said that it's all relative isn't it.  On Sunday in a competitive 5K I tagged 3 miles plus together at 6.37 pace.  Surely I could manage that for each rep. of a 5 x mile session on the track.
  I didn't expect to and so targetted a conservative half marathon pace!  Prediction tables would suggest 95 minutes plus for Sunday week so I was hoping today for miles around 7.17.   The wind and rain was going to help but 7.29 on the first!  There was no one around to ask if they had seen my mojo!!
  Determined to accelerate.....7.27......7.22.....on the second and third.   As usual the laps are starting to flow much better now......close eye on the watch at each 200..............7.16 on the fourth.   For the last one, the gloves are literally off and as it to energise me even more the sun bursts through..............6.57!  Much better.

  So 2 mile around the park warm....5 x mile....7.29...7.27...7.22....7.16....6.57....1 mile cool down.....9 in total.  Average mile time 7.18;  a second off target.  Quite satisfied with the session as a whole obviously particularly the last two.

PILS COMMENTS.....I can understand you being disappointed with today's times particularly for the first 3. But you have to accept that you are not going to recover from a 5K race five days previous in the same way as younger runners. You have bearly run at a faster pace that 9 mins per mile in the last 4 days so to average 7.18 for what is a big speed session has to be acceptable.  Besides with a season stretching out until the end of November a cold, wet, windy morning in February is not when we want to see you at your fastest!  You demonstrated today that you are strong but not so "sharp" but then again you are training for two half marathons in the next month not 5ks.

PILS STACKEMEIR

      Well,  my big news of the day is that this morning I received a call from top international mentor and fitness consultant  PILS STACKEMEIR.  Apparently he had seen my blog at his home in Runsberg near Zurich and is offering me help with my running at no cost!  I couldn't believe it as I am well aware of the success he has had with such stars as Lottie Jogmeister and Hans Onderferspriz.  I am sure his advice will be most beneficial.

  As requested I have sent over to him my 2009 training summary sheet  and he says that when he has had a chance to review it, he will come up with some suggestions as to how I might go forward in 2010.  He has kindly sent me a recent photo of himself.

     I have been looking into his history and it seems he moved to Zurich from East Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall.  He was then heavily involved in pharmaceuticals and some kind of traffic control. 
     I shall look forward to receiving his comments and of course will be passing on any top tips!
     No need to consult anyone about today's run.  I'm pretty sure PILS would have agreed after 2 undulating, testing efforts the last two days that it had to a moderate distance, flat and as much offroad as posible.  So 6.5 miles mainly grass at easy pace.

HIT ME WITH YOUR BLIZZARD STICK

   I drove up from the Askwith village and on reaching the ridge turned to view Ilkley.  What an incredible sight.  A force was dragging a curtain of snow across the town.  Half being totally obliterated from sight, the other half still experiencing late morning sunshine, but minutes away from suffering the same fate as blizzard would envelop it.

  I parked at Timble village and headed along the road back towards the woods. The blizzard was at its most fierce now but fortunately I heeded the forecast and had pocketed a pair of protective glasses with pink snow lenses.
 The snow had well and truly settled on the trail and for once I was first to experience it and knew there was no ice hidden underneath.  
  It seemed as if in minutes the landscape had been returned to what it was just after Christmas.

Emerging from the woods the snow storm had passed through and I was enjoying warming sunshine.  The glasses worn to prevent the stinging snow flakes now serving their primary use as sunglasses.   But it wasn't to last and as I skirted the shores of Swinsty reservoir  yet another snow storm hit me!  So yesterday I was blasted by a succession of Tornado jets; today  one snow storm after another. 
    I must say I was really glad to reach the main Swinsty car park....only then to remember that I'd parked at Timble village ...........which meant a steep half mile uphill to finish my run.  A run of very severe weather extremes.........8.5 miles.....tough........but enjoyable all the same.......in the main.
                                                                                                      

JETTING INTO LANCASHIRE

 Another new run was added to the training repertoire yesterday (Tuesday).  Heading to the RUNNERS RETREAT lodge on the South lakeland Leisure Village for a preseason spring clean the plan was for Pat to let me out of the car at Whittington village just to the west of Kirkby Lonsdale.  I had used gmap=pedometer to plan the route and figured it would be very nearly 9 miles.
  Of course, the gmap-pedometer is 2D and whilst the terrain guide indicated it wouldn't be flat I knew by the end of the 9 miler that I certainly hadn't missed my Tuesday hill efforts. Unfortunately the first climb came within minutes of starting out. The incline coupled with a raw biting wind was not very kind to my asthmatic chest.  The worst scenario possible.  With snow capped Ingleborough in view to the east I turned towards Hutton Roof and with the wind behind now was starting to enjoy the very quiet traffic free country lanes.

Until.......the peace and tranquility was defiled by a succesion of extremely low flying RAF Tornado jets presumably bound for Lake Windermere.  These low level sortiies are highly controversial but as the RAF point out they are essential if their pilots are to maintain their skills in this form of flying.   I was ceratinly not flying along as this new route threw one hill after another at me until the last 2 miles or so. 

     

  When I arrived at the leisure village it was very busy with so many lodges similarly being prepared or owners enjoying immediate occupancy after the "winter break".

  It was good to take advantage of

the Pure Leisure facilities briefly before getting into the lodge preparation project.  After the 9 mile run it proved to be a hard long exercise as it was 8 p.m. before we could eventually call it a day!

MONDAY....... RACE REFLECTIONS CONTINUE

   Monday morning and that lace malfunction during yesterday's 5K race is still knawing at me. Thinking back it's happened a couple of other times when using that shoe; so it must the nature of the laces rather than my lacing technique. Fortunately I'd used the locking holes at the top of the U-box on the shoes and so they didn't feel entirely loose.  Fortunate also that the event wasn't a very key event.  I would have hated to have trained hard for months only for that to happen. On the positive side I have to be encouraged that I still managed 20.35 which was the exact time of the December event. It does suggest that on course with a better surface and fewer sharp corners as the pace of the speedwork improves with shorter reps that I might even be able get down significantly.  The Britsh Masters Championships at Horwich?
  As 74 year old Peter Edwards put it yesterday,  it's all down to A.R.D........you have to find ways to
ARREST RACING DETERIORATION.....or put another way work out how to get faster even though you are getting older.  He ran 26.44 yesterday which I thought was pretty gown but I didn't see him afterwards to learn his secret.
  We did speak to another competitor who said he was a septuagenarian, over from America and lecturing at
Manchester University on finance. I said,  knowing so much about finance, how come you are still working at the age of 70.  He replied that he could "afford to teach";  implying that he wasn't paid much and was just continuing to do what he enjoyed.   He was planning to do the Ironman triathlon in Hawii later this year.
   Might just give one a miss!    Started week 7 of my year off with an easy 6 after yesterday's race. A run which highlighted no real collateral damage but even so the ise bags have been moved around the the legs throughout the afternoon.

7 DECADES AT MAN AT ALEXANDRA PARK 5K

   An interesting and somewhat dramatic start to the 2010 racing campaign at Manchester's Alexandra Park 5k today. Pat and I arrived in good time and having paid our £2 each (!) (over 60 discount) I set off on my 2 lap 2 mile warm up 1 lap of which I shared with 74 year old Peter Edwards of Liverpool/ Northern Veterans.  I had expected to be competing side by side with Peter Maw as I had in 2009 races but obviously his New Year resolution has been to up his running game and I didn't threaten him at all as he raced away from the gun to record a new 5k P.B. 
  His place at my side was, however, taken by a young teenager probably 45 years my junior, Oscar Bamford of Sale Grammar. Coming together at 1K he glued himself to my right shoulder and resolutely anchored himself there until well past 4K.  Unfortunately as we went through after 2 of the 3 laps my right lace came undone, threatening a fall. But with a constant presence and with only a mile to go I tried to ignore it and race on........going for the Oscar!  From 4K strength and experience just managed to overcome youthful talent but the young man had showed terrific battling quality and like Peter Maw will no doubt be spurred on to take  my grey haired scalp at another month's race.

 

Self treatment on Friday and Saturday eased the soreness in the knee area and they held out today. Evaluating the overall performance the splits.....4.04   4.11   4.10   4.08  4.02   showed pleasing endurance strength and given the time of year and the balance of distance to speed training I have to be satisfied with 20.35.   It was only seconds short of my undeclared prerace wish time of 20.30 and equal to my 2009 best.  28th of the 125 who finished.

 Pat (pictured here) also made her racing debut for 2010 with a solid 27.32 and resolves that there is more to come.  91st today and a minute behind the 74 year old Peter E.
  I'll no doubt be returning to the event later in the year but just hope that the parts of the course which have suffered really badly due to the snow and ice will have been repaired for our next visit. Quite tricky underfoot in places.
  So mixed fortune on the day and extra care needed when  wearing those shoes again.  Another week which went to plan.   No days missed.   A good track session,   45 miles on the week, maintaining the 2010 weekly average at 51 miles.

SATURDAY.....PRE- RACE LETHARGY

  Perversely, this easy 4 miler on the grass proves once again to be the hardest run of the week.   Icing sessions have eased the soreness in the knee area and I should be Ok for tomorrow's 5K but having wriitten this I'll treat the left quad to 10 minutes from the ultrasound machine.
  The tedium of lapping the field solo was eased by music from a nearly new ipod nano I bought last week. I thought it was a good buy at £60 but then I discovered it was "preloaded" with over 1800 "songs" from a whole of artistes, the majority of which are very much to my taste.  Nice one!

  
I said in the last blog that the barefoot running debate whilst interesting academically in reality is pretty futile. However, if you are not really convinced by the commonly shared philosophy of the major companies....offering neutral, support, motion control , trail and lightweight shoes and want to sample perhaps the nearest thing to barefeet, you might try the NIKE FREE 3.0 as my photo here. 
  I personally won't be running in them as you can imagine my old feet are rather delicate after nearly 50 years of running........but they make great slippers!  

  Well, that's the end of blogging for today....3 submissions catching up since Wednesday.  Off to prepare my racing kit for tomorrow, a nice meal,  with a limit on the alcohol, and then watch Man. United's 5-0 demolition of Portsmouth.

BAREFOOT RUNNING DEBATE PLODS ON.......

  If you look back to my blog entry for Friday December 11th 2009  I wrote about barefoot running but only really in relation to the advantages from the weight saving point of view rather than as part of a debate about running gait and training shoe design. 
   Friday saw the arrival of a press release from offroad shoe company INOV 8 stating that......
   " the running world has been awash (!?) with debate about barefoot running recently"....this was following a study in "NATURE", one of the World's leading scientific journals.  In short the article queried the validity of a 12 Billion dollar industry. INOV 8's take on it was that they had been designing, manufacturing and supplying low profile trail shoes since 2003 and therefore were not part of the same school of thought as the major running companies with their air, gel, wedges etc etc.
   I stated in that December blog that I had raced cross country for Lancashire in bare feet. In fact my fastest mile was recorded on a grasstrack in Wigan in barefeet.......4:26.....not too bad for a steeplechaser.  But that aside surely the idea of barefoot running is totally unrealistic unless............

  
  Your villa is a front line property on the coast. Shoeless, you exit your front door for the 30 metre walk to the beach. The path you walk down is covered by rose (coloured) petals forming a fragrant carpet. On reaching the golden sands, as always the firmness underfoot is perfect, washed smooth by a rhythmical action of the waves, no ripples to hinder progress.  The beach stretches for miles into the distance. You look ahead and spy a few runners and walkers.  No dogs are allowed on the beach which is cleared of seaweed and other debris everyday at dawn.  You cover 6 miles on the pan flat sand.  Forced onto your forefoot to maintain traction your style is steady and efficient. Your calves are well used to this mode of running now.
Turning inland, a short path leads you onto a delightfully, manicured golf course. You wave to the club President who has sanctioned your daily excursion on his hallowed turf.
   Going past the club house at 4 miles a sandy path leads to the running track where tomorrow you will do your speed session.  The tartan used has been especially developed to offer extra bounce and comfort for the barefoot runner. Since the 2010 barefoot running debate the surface is now used for all road races as well, on special circuits.  These purpose built race courses have been laid by the government;  funded by the millions of pounds saved in podiatry and physiotherapy treatment no longer necessary as runners have stopped wearing harmful running shoes  thrust on them by multinational corporations.

   You wake from your dream............and think about your run for the day and the surfaces you'll encounter...concrete, tarmac,  parkland (!),  thorns, pebbles, grit, stones, rocks, boulders.....

   End of debate. 

   The run for today was a 4 mile jog on grass.  If I was allowed to run on the hockey field I could have possibly run it shoeless. But on the adjacent playing field which is not quite so well looked after ...no way.
  


 

THURSDAY MOANING

   Wednesday's snow was still very much a feature high up on the hillside of Ben Rhydding on Thursday morning. With a 9.30 run arranged with Sarah J. from her's in Addingham I anticipated a run on the trail or along snow covered roads and so chose  a pair of trail shoes for the steady 7 miler.   As it was the snow had largely cleared from the rest of the roads of Ilkley and Addingham and we opted for a road run as last week on the quiet back lane to A59 and back.
   The run went well; Sarah's "easy" pace equivalent to a solid steady for me but  I was bemoaning the shoe choice later in the day with soreness in the knees and the vastus muscles, above the knee. A clear case of hammering 7 miles on tarmac in  shoes insufficiently cushioned and suffering accordingly.  Why  didn't I
just put a pair of road shoes in the car as well ?
  
What about a pair of shoes which came from new with 2 pairs of outersoles?  One suitable for road runs and another set for trail runs.  Impossible !? How would you change the sole of the shoe?
    One such shoe model was developed in the 1980s by a company call TURNTEC. They launched a model called the APEX.  Shown to the left here. Excuse the poor illustration, it's an old advert!!


The outersole was held onto the midsole with a form of velcro.  So going back to arriving at Sarah's, once we had opted for a road run I would have simply peeled off the trail outersole and stuck on the road sole!      Simples....
   We did sell the shoe in the early '80s but as far as I remember it only lasted one season.  Like the Puma Rs Computer shoe another case of a company "running a risk" spending a fortune on expensive R.& D. only for the model to experience limited success. 

SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST!

Great times recorded at the track today..for 800 metres.....averaging 2: 35......sadly I was doing 6oos!!!

   Several factors dictated the choice of session for today's Seedhill efforts. I wanted to progress. Firstly,in terms of total distance completed, having done 5k, then 6k in the last 2 visits since the snow.  Secondly, there was  a need to get the legs moving at a faster pace. Consequently, I went for 12 x 600 to give me 7200 metres of effort (4.5 miles). Question was could I manage to dip below 7 minute pace overall. Looking back to mid March 2009 I'd done 6x 600 averaging 2:34.3 so doing 12 I thought if I could keep them all under 2:40 I'd be quite happy.
   Fears that the Nelson track might be white rather than red were unfounded and whilst experiencing very cold conditions , for once, there was no unforgiving wind.  The first 6 went reasonably well averaging 2:38.
But again lapses in concentration in this solo run session added several seconds on a coupler of the reps.
   Over the last 6 the concentration was improved . Better arm action, higher knees and more "forefoot" emphasis. The reps started to flow a lot better. I felt i was running rather than shuffling fast. Average being 2:33 for the second half........saving the best for last 2:28...the best speed for 2010.
   Nevertheless, no matter what anyone says about the inevitability of losing speed with age it is hard to accept that I could once run faster for a marathon (5.35/mile) than I did for 600 metres today!  On the other hand, looking back to February 1999 (Keighley track) I ran a 8x600 session and was only 20 secs. faster than that last one today.  2 seconds per year?  Perhaps that "ain't"  too bad after all......

PLANNING THE WEEK AHEAD

   Yesterday saw a change to the Monday easy 6 with a switch of the run from the road to the trail;  having run 14 mile on an undulating road course the previous day.  The rest of the week would also have to be adjusted,  bearing in mind the intention to race on Sunday.  Friday's track session will be brought forward to Wednesday and today's hill session was changed to a steady 8, road and trail.  Then steady Thursday, easy Friday, easy Saturday, race Sunday...........sounds like a plan!!
   Today when we plan and have intentions to run definitive distances it's comparatively simple.  Using
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/  planning the exact distance is easy to do even if the run is a trail run. The only problem is a trail run that takes the runner through a forest or wood and the path can't be traced on the screen.  Then if you can afford a Garmin or similar you do the planned run and generally find your planned route is usually pretty accurate.  I was asked last week how did we go before computerisation.  Well, we knew our pace on measured road reps or on the track but for "steady" runs we just divided the total time by what we thought was a current fitness pace for such runs.....approx. 1.30 mins. slower than race pace.....
e.g. if 49 minutes at 7 minute....7 mile.  Fair enough but I would say in retrospect that we didn't allow for the much slower pace we run at when offroad and on undulating courses.
   Having said all that and just in case you think that computer monitoring of training runs is a 21st century phenomenon check out this
                                                      PUMA RS COMPUTER SHOE. 

It contained a custom-designed computer chip built into its heel which recorded the run, then communicated the results to Apple Commodore or IBM PC.  A software program included with the shoe automatically calculated time, distance and calories expended.  Not a great shoe for playing 5 a side football in.........you couldn't easily back heel could you?

                                  Year of its launch?.....................................1986 !!

  

SUNDAY'S RUN............14 POINTS !

   You historians out there will know well enough that The "14 POINTS" was a speech delivered by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson to Congress in 1918 assuring the country that the the First world war and U.S. involvement in it was justified and would lead to peace in Europe.
   The point and justification of Sundays'  14 mile road run was as an over distance half marathon exercise and would lead, hopefully, to peace and harmony in the Lonergan household after a good run at the great western half marathon in Blackpool.  A lot of customers running half marathons, Great North Run etc, screw their faces up when it is suggested that they should be able to train over the distance if they are going to race it; much the same way as a lot of marathon entrants screw their faces up when it is suggested ..."you can't race a marathon if you haven't "trained"  a marathon".  With a Sunday luchtime "date" I didn't have time to drive over to the canal,  so it was the Beamsley Bash plus 2 each way.  I won't bore the reader with the mile splits: but will record that I came back 3.30 minutes faster than the outward trip and with the last 3 in 8.16    8.12   8.19(uphill)  was very pleased that I coped with the distance and the extra mile (13 last week) .  Bonus being that it was the same average pace as last week's 13 on the much flatter canal course.

   

  So, another week completed.  A very satisfactory one as well: again no missed days and including the Tuesday hill session, the Wednesday tough trail run,  the Friday track session and to finish a solid 14 miler.  56 on the week....260 on the year.....average 52.  Fingers crossed,  good preparation for the races to come.      

   Probably starting with the low key Alexandra Park this Sunday.  No need to pre-enter!  and only £2 for over 60s.  Last run in December 2009 when I was only 60 so I can't possibly run faster can I ?  But seriously, it  will depend on the degree to which I ease down this week.

SATURDAY SUN DAY!

What a fabulous day, weather wise!  With manager, John Henry, on holiday Pat, the very promising young Scott (Wharfedale Harriers) and I covered at the Nelson branch again, but to get my easy 5 in she threw me out of the car at Foulridge.

Down the lanes then along the Leeds/Liverpool canal from where the tunnel starts to Nelson.  Past Barrowford Locks.....with superbly maintained barged looking splendid in the morning sun and past others which will never sail again!

I always enjoy this stretch of the waterway but under a cloudless Lancashire sky today it was particularly memorable.  A circuit of Barrowford reservoir then onto the shop. 

It was just a pity that I only had 5 to do as my recovery run today......track yesterday....and it was tempting to do more. But there's a 14 pencilled in for tomorrow, Sunday......let's hope the sun blesses us with it's presence again!

At the shop it was as if the customers had waited for me to finish my run, give me time to shower and then descend.... by the coach load!

  All day the talk was of races to be run ...the Great Western half....the London Marathon ....the Great North Run....next week's Lancashire Schools cross country championships...... and we had the shoes for them!  A great day.

THE GOOD, THE BAD.........AND THE NASTY

    With the interference of that irritataing white stuff, this week's training regime is the first real departure from the 2009 routine of 1 track session plus the long run.  Is that sufficient for my mature years or could I cope with  Tuesday hill reps  ........on the trail in the woods.....a Friday track session plus, hopefully, being able to cope with the Sunday run of at least 10 miles. Considering neither Wednesday nor Thursday were particularly easy did I feel GOOD today?  Welll, yes, OK, the 2 x 3k session went well in that I felt I was moving pretty fluidly....not quite Seb Coe but you know what I mean....and whilst I felt the odd twinge,there was no major trauma.  I planned 2 x3k  as a progression in trems of total distance from the 5k tempo track run last week but nevertheless anticipated  (hoped for!) a better average per lap as well.
    Regretably, the lap times in comparison were BAD.  Without boring you with the detail, I ran through 3k faster last week on the way to 5K faster than each of the efforts today and my normal acceleration through the session did not happen!  The average lap time was not significantly slower but enough to take the shine off the session.  Towards the end it was a touch dispiriting.  The reason?

I'm looking for an excuse now I hear you thinking!

   The NASTY!  I have no doubt that the lap times suffered because of a NASTY, biting north easterly wind which countered the otherwise splendour of the bright winter morning.   Very frustrating looking at the watch, but at least the effort was there.
   For £2.75 I had the whole of the track to myself today. the only distractions were in my head.  Not having anyone else to compete with shoulder to shoulder the mind drifts,  the concentration drifts and the pace drifts as the "style" deteriorates.   Quite a discipline............... but all good for the soul !  It has to be done. 
    I've run without the support of a group since I was given sessions to do by myself since the age of 14 in 1983. If we rely on others to motivate us what happens when the spoon feeding us is taken away?  Not so sweet.
   The afternoon was spent in the shop at Nelson.  Introducing some new FASTRAX lines and of course meeting some interesting customers.   Several ladies just starting out on their running "careers", keenly talking of 5.30 a.m runs!! races planned and weight to come off!   A mature gentleman desperately seeking supportive shoes just to go about his daily life.  A bright perky effervescent 12 year old young lady preparing to represent her town in next week's Lancashire Chamionships.  Let's hope she is still enthusiastic in 50 years time. 
                           I'm back for more tomorrow..................bring it on!
   

TWO'S COMPANY.......

   As a late morning trainer it's not often I get the call to run with someone else. So when the chance came to run with holidaying Sarah J. (Running Bear) on one of her easy excursions I could hardly refuse could I?  The strong winds of Wednesday had blown through and we enjoyed a very pleasant 6 miles in early morning January sunshine.  Faster than my easy day pace but not so fast that I couldn't hold up my end of the conversation which is the basis of a good training running after all, isn't it?
   Arriving home, this week's Athletics Weekly was on the door mat and it contained the ladies veteran road rankings for 2009.....the leading masters (??) marks from female British runners during 2009. 

Great to see that Sarah was ranked 8th for 5k, 2nd for 10 miles in 58.27 and 5th for half marathon with 76.57.  Great versatility. Well done to Sarah.  We look forward to continuing success in 2010!

Sarah's Bingley team mates featuring were Sue Becconsall.....2nd F50 (18.32)5k, 6th F50 (37.18)
10k and Andrea Dennison 7th F45  (63.46) 10 mile.  Lisa Mawer ,ex Bingley now Wetherby ranked 5th for 10k with 36.57.  

WEDNESDAY WANDERINGS

   The forecast said .....a cool westerly breeze.....I lay in bed early morning and my ears said...there's a gale blowing out there!  Find somewhere sheltered to run today.
   Strid Woods would have been the obvious choice but maintaining my 2010 resolution to introduce more variety I was drawn back towards Timble as yesterday. I wanted to run through the forest ......but without a posse of shotgun toting pheasant pluckers for company!  It would give me a chance to add another new run to my training repertoire.  So from Timble crossroads, through the village down to and around Swinsty,  trail back to Blubberhouses road, crossing over into back plantation for the tough uphill section as covered yesterday to the finish.  Just short of 9 in total.....  and still no sign of a thaw up there.

  
The legs weren't thanking me for subjecting them to that 3/4 mile uphill towards the end of the run but  at least I wasn't being battered by the strong winds and enjoyed it pushing from behind over the last 1/2 mile.  A good new route and one I'll be repeating again before long ..... no doubt!

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS TODAY......

  With the last 5 days of training being virtually flat there was absolutely no excuse to avoid the hill rep
session today. I think for the session to be executed as well as possible, with maximum concentration, if at possible the hill should be traffic free with  good running underfoot.  The 11 a.m. start brought the choice of trail into the mix.
   With those factors in mind I started the flat 1.5 mile warm up from Timble Village hall in readiness for the  hill reps in the woods just north of the trail which forms the start of the ROUNDHILL fell race. (Back Allotment)  Rather puzzling though to be chased down the track.... which leads to nowhere ......by up to a dozen 4 x 4s in convoy! So much for peace and solitude! 
Reaching the start of the hill climb it was surprising to see snow still around.
    
As this was the first time on the hill I hadn't decided on the numbers of reps but the first took 3.27.....so I would go for 6 in total. Quite pleased with the timings which were quite consistent.....3.27....3.27...3.28....3.25.....3.27......3.23.

 


   This shot shows the start of the hill which I think is an ideal venue for all "types" of runner.....no cars....just the very rare walker.....good shelter from the wind on either side.  A great venue for a group session on a summer evening with a welcome drink to follow at the newly refurbished TIMBLE INN !
  



Whilst all was peace and quiet down in the woods and on the climb, at the top of the wood it was an entirely different scene now.  The 4 x 4 drivers and passengers were emerging from their vehicles and were all "tooled up" for action!

  
  One of the gentleman ,complete with shotgun and bullet belt, kindly posed for a quick photo opportunity.
   I asked him if he was on the hunt for the"lesser spotted wiry jogger" but to my relief he said, " No, pheasants......but if you get in our way I might be tempted !"
 
I ran on.........picking up the pace a touch!

NOT IN THE GROOVE

 The frequent choice for the Monday recovery run last year was an easy run on the hallowed turf down by the River Wharfe at the local hockey club and grammar school playing fields.  Keeping well to the edge and well clear of the playing surfaces it's possible to do a loop of nearly a mile.  Usually 3 or 4 loops prove enough.  Not any more!  Just before Christmas I was stopped by one of their officers who pointed out that I , and other runners, are making a groove around the perimeter which makes grass cutting more difficult.  Those that know me well know that my bathroom scales don't even record above 10 stone which I tried to suggest was hardly having an impact. 
    Anyway, rather than risk arrest for trespass,  I give it a miss in future.  So today after the tempo run on Saturday and yesterday's 13 I opted for a flat "easy" 6 on the road .  Target time 54.........ran 53.59.   So another change to last year's routine.  Next task  a  decent runnable hill for tomorrow's session ...offroad.
   Going back to Saturday at Witton Park.......inevitably a large part of the visit is spent catching up with old friends in the sport........the coach of a 2:26 female marathoner now coaching sprinters......a 13:35  5K runner from the '70s taking up coaching at the age of 64..........a 2:15 best marathon man who ran 2:19 last year but tragically forced to quit racing because of ill health at the age of 34.  Sad indeed.
  But the smile returned to the face when I had a conversation with a fellow vet from Bolton (think Tommy Ball of Cannon & Ball!!) who I've raced against since the '70s.  The chat turned to the matter of sleep.  I asked did he have any problems ......he said

             
                                         "No, not after 4 or 5 pints!"    
                                I said,  "Yes, but what about in the week?"
                    He said,     " That is in the week..........at weekends I have 6 or 7!!!"

                                            I'll drink to that!

WELCOME RETURN TO THE CANAL

   With Saturday's tempo run in the legs I must admit to being a tad apprehensive about grinding out a 13 miler the following day; particularly having enjoyed sharing a nice bottle of South African Pinotage last night. So as expected the first 3 miles around Silsden and along the lanes to the Leeds-Liverpool canal  were cautious and lethargic. The welcome sight of the waterway after so many weeks produced a bit of a spark and a shot adrenalin into the system.  From that point as usual the pace picked up nicely mile after mile, with the initial sluggishness forgotten but obviously detracting from the final time and average of 8.45.  Would have placed me about 1000th of 1550 in the Brass Monkey!  So that brought the first 4 weeks of the year to a close with 204 miles on the clock, averaging 51. Only one track session due to the ice and snow but a 12 and 2 13s in this build up period. 
   Looking at the Brass Monkey from the point of view of the London Marathon it would appear most local runners performed well and are on course at this point.  Congrats. to those achieving PBs!
  I have no record of how many ran the 1986 race. I would guess about 500. Today amazingly 1550 finished and Knavesmire probably refused entries from a few more hundred.  How did times compare? Well Matthew Pierson of Holmfirth was well inside my 67.55 with his time of 65.35  but 10th today clocked 74.59 to 72.55 in '86, 20th today recorded 77.00 today compared to 75.20 in '86.  From 25th place however the volume of runners reflects quality and with a much sparcer field in '86 50th place shows at 83.55 compared to 79.34 today.   It's really brilliant to see so many enjoying their running now and thousands so easily coping with half marathons and marathons.  A much wider base to the performance pyramid but the culture required to raise the peak seems to remain elusive. 
         And finally.....I leave you with an image I hope we'll be seeing again in the near future....

ACHIEVING THE RIGHT TEMPO!

Having decided to go to Blackburn to spectate at the Northern it seemed logical to switch Friday's track session to Saturday to complete it on the way to the cross country champs.  With 2 half marathons entered,
it  called for a TEMPO RUN yesterday. So a 5K was ground out on a still morning with the temperature anchored down by a chilling morning mist. Target time for 12.5 laps?  Well, the accepted wisdom for a tempo run is 20/30 seconds above 10k pace.  So based on a speculative level of fitness of 42 minutes, a

 time of around 22.30 should have been attainable.  Initial laps were a second or two too slow, however, but the pace picked up from halfway and the watch stopped at 22.42. So not bad for a solo run at this time of year. 

   I arrived at Witton Park.........this photo of park and track was NOT taken yesterday nor by me!......
in good time to do a quick leaflet drop and position myself for the start of the Senior Womens race,  in which Hattie Dean of Hallamshire triumphed from Victoria Wilkinson who fought hard all the way to the line.  Sale ladies were without 4 of the leading lights but pack pretty well to take the silver medals.   The club did well to put out teams in all races except the under 20s, male and female, but concerningly  the senior ladies were the only team to return to Cheshire with a set of medals.  The leading Cheshire team seemed to be the much younger club, Vale Royal.
   Besides looking to shout on Sale team mates I was intent on encouraging local Wharfedale athletes but of the two local clubs only 2 women and one man ...........well done, Mr. Fell Fiend Wilby....made the journey to Lancashire.   Of course,  several times during the afternoon I was asked why I wasn't running and I must admit I started to ask myslf the same question when I saw so many M60s and even M70s up for the challenge.  But the days are well gone when I could race on a Saturday and follow up with a 13 mile run on a Sunday as pllaned. A need for focus!   Besides Sale H. were well covered for male counters.  The other fact working against participation is that the North doesn't   acknowledge  age groupings in the results.  So a runner may not count for his team but can see where he has finished in his age group.  I think Southern and Midlands do record age group. Their championships are next week. If the Northerns had been on next week then a clash with the Brass Monkey would have been avoided and I think added to the Northern quantity and quality.  Before departing from the park, now very cold and gloomy by late afternoon I staked a claim for  a place on "C" or "D" team for the Northern 12 man.