RUNNING A RISK......HYPOTHERMIA

 I don't know about you but I hate the cold.  At 5'11 and weighing less than 10 stone  there's not exactly a lot of flab around my oldbones to keep me warm. I'm sat here with the house heating just coming on, a supplementary room heater and a blanket round my legs.

 I certainly believe in protecting myself when I go running in zero degrees or thereabouts.  

Winter Windstopper tights,  good baselayer, Windstopper Softshell jacket for me!

I once remember raising a lot of eyebrows and prompted quite a few quips back in 1987 when I ran the Preston 10 in a pair of plain black lycra tights.  I thought heck I wouldn't train in shorts in freezing conditions (although it was March 1st) so why not?  Didn't seem to slow me down much as I ran the 10 miler in 52.30. 

 I was surprised when I saw quite a lot of runners jogging to the start last Sunday wearing just what they would wear for a race in July.   There was no snow as previously reported but there was bitingly cold north easterly which  worsened as the morning went on.

 Thankfully though it remained dry but what can happen when conditions deteriorate rapidly?   It can happen.

 A cross country event which began with warm, March sunshine late morning  ended in fatal consequences with officials dying from hypothermia as rain, sleet and snow came in throughout the afternoon with severe and sudden drop in temperature.

 Athletes have complained bitterly this week about the cancellation of the Southern Cross Country Championships which were due to take place at Parliament Hill tomorrow.   I have read arguments for and against the cancellation but read nothing about the plight of officials manning the course and the finishing pens if conditions are severe.

 Last Sunday I made a point of thanking marshalls for standing out in the cold, as did several other competitors.  Standing in the spot for over 3 hours is not an eviable task even in the summer.

 If the Northern Cross Country does go ahead tomorrow at Knowsley I hope athletes will protect themselves.  Young ladies particularly seem vulnerable as they seem to think running around in a pair skimpy briefs and a crop top is a good idea.  

    "Hey, look at me I'm fast, I'm an  elite athlete, I'm too fast to suffer hypothermia!!!

Compare the approach of GEMMA STEEL compared with FIONNUALA BRITTON.

Fionnuala is unbeatable on the country in Europe this winter, of course!  

  I was curious to read more about HYPOTHERMIA (the opposite of HYPERTHERMIA) its cause and its effects.

INTERESTING.........

The generally recognized risk factors associated with the potential for hypothermia include:

• Low air temperatures, often combined with inadequate clothing or protection; the reflex   action of the body to cold exposure is to shiver, an involuntary effort to generate heat.
• Wind chill, the combined effect of temperature and wind on the human body; wind chill is a deceptive phenomenon, as it may occur in all types of cold weather environments, including sunshine. As a general proposition, at temperatures below 40°F (4°C), winds at speeds as low as 5 mph (8 km/h) can significantly induce increased sensations of cold; the greater the wind speed, the more pronounced the effect of cold will be.
• Moisture; skin that is wet, though either excess perspiration or environmental effects, will freeze more readily than dry skin. Moisture will also magnify the effect of wind chill.
• Consumption of alcohol, which tends to stimulate blood flow in the peripheral parts of the body, an action that contributes to heat loss.
• Amount of skin exposed to the elements by the athlete; exposed skin permits heat to be lost by both convection and radiation to the immediate environment.
• Consumption of caffeine or any other diuretic, which acts to reduce fluid volumes in the cardiovascular system.

In its mildest manifestation, hypothermia causes pronounced shivering, numbness, and a cold feeling through out the body. As the body temperature remains low, the symptoms become more pronounced, as the person will experience an inability to move quickly or decisively, accompanied by dizziness and confused thinking. At its most extreme, the affected person will experience a rigidity of the muscles, followed by a lapse into coma. At a body temperature of less than 95°F (35°C), the person must receive immediate attention or, as a result of a progressive decline in the function of the organs and the internal systems, death will result.

In short,  if you go out on a Friday night...... have a few drinks with your mates, .......try to sober up the next day by drinking coffee ......then race in the Saturday afternoon on a cold winter's  day wearing nothing but a crop top and knickers or even a vest and split shorts .......and it begins to rain 

                       YOU COULD WELL END UP IN HOSPITAL!!

That end of season feeling!

 The local grammar was one of so many schools which closed on Monday and consequently we saw a steady stream of youngsters coming up the iced up road outside making their way to the Ben Rhydding Golf Course. The golf course is built into the hillside below the famous Cow and Calf rocks and makes an ideal venue for sledging. A good time being had by all, no doubt.
 But not such a good time for runners; particularly those midway through a cross country season with important regional and national championships coming up or those preparing for spring marathons with half marathons cancelled or their favourite long run routes iced up.

  In contrast I would imagine the majority of the 315 who completed the Inskip Half marathon and were fortunate enough to be able to stick to their plans, won't be too upset to see the white stuff stiff hanging about.  I certainly wasn't planning to do very much.  A recovery week was always the intention. But still I would have preferred recovery on the more forgiving surfaces of the grass and trail rather than the roads or the treadmill.  A treadmill which took me several minutes to work out how to work; it's been such a long time since I was forced to use it.

 In common with most runners I was left with the feeling that I could have recorded a faster time last Sunday.   Not having run a half for 3 years perhaps I was far too cautious in the first 4 miles. The fact that the 12th and 13th miles were my fastest would suggest this.
 Problem could be finding a half marathon that is not already "FULLY BOOKED" before the London. Such a popular event.  
 But that's in the future.  At the moment having ticked off that half last Sunday I feel as if rather than starting this season I've concluded the last.  5K, 5mile, 10ks, a 10 and a half marathon done.
 Time for a couple of weeks ticking over; waiting hopefully for a thaw to set in. Time for planning this year's campaign; a need to plan ahead as trying to enter on the day is becoming more and more a thing of the past.
 And as the saying goes,  FAIL TO PREPARE....PREPARE TO FAIL!

INSKIP HALF MARATHON 2013 ....A PERSONAL VIEW

Walking from the bathroom back to the bed at 2.a.m. this Sunday morning I stopped to look out of the window. Snow still covered the cars  and the steep road we live overlooking Wharfedale. Great for sledging.

 Back in bed I lay awake and a whole stream of negative thoughts flooded my mind about today's race, the INSKIP HALF MARATHON. It would mean getting up at 6.45 a.m., getting to the race might be problematic with ice on the roads on the 90 minute journey, the fact that I'd hadn't race a half for nearly 3 years,  I would be 30 minutes off my best. 
  So what's the point?, The zero temperature due to the stiff north easterly would no doubt play havoc with the breathing.
  Simplier to not bother and I suspect that's what 20% of those entered   decided to do!  the entry limit was 400 and only 316 finished.
I'd gone back to sleep before any positive thoughts kicked in and before I knew it, it was time to get up, pack a bag and go!   But not before checking emails for any last minute notice of cancellation from race organiser, Alan Taylor of Wesham Road Runners.  No message. So off we went.
   The further west we went on the journey so less snow we saw on the fields and even the country lanes approaching the venue at HMS INSKIP , just north of Preston  were well clear of snow and ice. So we would be good to go.   But from the car we couldn't detect the outside temperature..........zero!
  Knowing I would be out in it for the best part of 1.40 I opted for hat , gloves, longsleeve,  club vest,  capris(?) and compression socks.  But many seemed to be sticking for full length tights and jackets as they would for a training run.  Except for the "fast" boys of course who many of whom were toughing it out in vests and shorts as if it was July!

 Rightly or not I tend nowadays to look at prediction times for races. I'm hardly likely to suddenly pull a vast improvement out of the bag as an emerging runner might do. So based on the GUYS 10 time of  71.52  the chart I should be looking at 97.50 or thereabouts.  7.28 mileing.  Could take some doing I thought!
 Stupidly I failed to "locate satellite" on the old Garmin before the gun went and so I lost my "crutch" to guide me threw the first 3 miles but I could clearly see that my young friend, JAYNE PERRY, from Lancaster who had finished just behind me at GUYS was already way down the road. 
   Once again I'd set off too slowly. I'll blame the lack of a decent warm up!    
 I set the Garmin at the 3 mile point  and said to the group I was with, 
  "OK, let's go get them!  An intention I just hoped I would be able to fulfill.
 I caught Jayne at the 4 mile point and as I suspected after her initial surge she was having to tough it out having run another half in the same area just two weeks before.   But still she responded well  and shoulder to shoulder 
we continued to overtake  through the country lanes. 

 At the 8 mile point I asked her how she was feeling. She replied that she was finding it tough and having to work hard. I reminded her that was why she had a number on her vest. She was in a race and giving it her all. 
  The lanes were completely free of snow except for one 1/4 mile stretch between 8 and 9 but would have only add a few seconds to that mile.  A tractor blocks the lane in front of us ; it's load at a precarious angle lodged in the drainage ditch. The driver is on his phone, calling for help.  We slide through and "plough" on. Deliberate pun!
  Splits from 3 to 11 had been 
                7.33     7.29    7.22    7.32    7.23    7.34    7.29    7.36.

As we turned a corner at 11 we could see the field tall communication masts in the distance and  the sight of them sparked a late surge with  the last time mile in 7.20 and 7.14.  Jayne  had stuck to her task was still in  the slip stream, finishing just a few seconds behind.  Slower than the one a fortnight ago but a good solid run, another building block for a spring marathon. Well done Jayne.

 Final time was 98.37. It WAS 30 minutes plus slower than my PB. and a tad slower tha predicted.
But heck, it was my 103rd and at 64 I 'll take that.  BUT clearly those first 3 miles must have been too slow and instead of thinking that that will be it for half marathon running for this 64 year old, I'm left with the strong feeling that all things considered I could improve on the INSKIP time.

 ALAN TAYLOR and his team are to be congratulated on the organisation of the event ; excellent in all aspects.  Parking, mobile toilets,  marshalling (hope they've all thawed out), goody bag (medal, water, chocolate and a Thinsulate beanie) and after race food included for probably a third of the Great north run price at just £14.
 Blackpool based STUART ROBINSON (Salford Harriers) won the race in 68.25 with MARIA KELLY (Penny Lane) first lady in 89.10. 
 It would have been so easy to give in to those overnight negative thoughts and not bother running the event. Particularly as I was likely to record my slowest ever half marathon time.
.  But I'm  glad I went and whilst the conditions were less than perfect I did learn that   I can  race 13.1 miles at not just a consistent pace but accelerating towards the end. Not just getting around.  I have something to build on.  

 I don't think for one minute that I was 100% ready and it was tough but I survived.   So many very able runners shy away from racing until they feel they are 100% ready because it is races do hurt and are tough.  But if we never bite the bullet and test ourselves we never learn just how ready or not we are, do we?  If YOU haven't raced for a while you know what they say..JUST DO IT!
 All in all a good solid start to my 2013 race campaign.  Now what's next?


  

FIRST XC RACE,TODAY 50 YEAR AGO. LIFE CHANGING!

  The banter from the other kids  on the estate  continued throughout the week following me saying that today, 50 years ago,  I would be competing in my first ever cross country race.   There was no malice in the jibes. As far as they were concerned, whilst they knew I could run around a football pitch from dawn until dusk, I would have no chance against lads who were already in their third season of cross country competition in either the North or South Manchester leagues. Particularly the kids'  "local hero" the famous Sankey who was enjoying another unbeaten season.
   I could say that I knew better; I would show them what an underdog  could do, today would be my day. Today I would emerge from the pack in triumph; to the astonishment of all and sundry.  But in truth I was more concerned to run fast enough to have the race done and dusted in time to do my Saturday evening paper round across the road from Heaton Park.
  My dad came home from his morning shift at the nearby AVRO's plane factory at lunchtime. He liked to have a bet on his way home from work and after lunch he would settle into the corner of the couch in the lounge and watch the racing on the telly.  Mam would continue with her chores; looking after nana, my two older brothers and my younger sister.  Meanwhile,  I  quietly packed a bit of kit together for the race, (including the football boots we'd been advised to wear!) slipped  out the door and said I would see them later.  Likely as not I didn't even tell anyone where I was going.  I was 14 after all!
 My school, St. Bede's College, was 7 miles away across Manchester  but the park was just a mile or so down the road so I walked down by myself to meet and  up with the teacher and the rest of the team.  No chauferred trip by parents.  Only one family in the entire street owned a car!
 The French teacher was the same one who had had me caned for doodling in the margin of my French exercise book but today his demeanour was somewhat different.  Smiling and reassuring. he reminded us that whilst we had never run cross country, we weren't exactly novices.  We had all done well, recording good times in our school sports events and a couple of us had won medals in the city championships only last Summer. I had managed a third in the 880 yards event.   But today would be longer than that and over rougher terrain.
 As we waited around  before the race I became aware that although they were wearing different school vests a lot of the lads seemed to know each other.  I sensed a lot of rivalry, but friendly rivalry.  I mentioned this to one of our team saying I felt like a foreign intruder. He told me they were at different schools but many of them ran for the local clubs.  Heck, I thought, we're taking on professionals!!

 The race started on the field where they started the English Schools a couple of years ago but unlike
  many events in the park nowadays; cross country and on the roads, it took us around the back of the lake and was comparatively flat.  Good thing: as I don't think I would have coped with any hills after the initial charge from the gun. I was way back.
   But gradually on the flat, gravelly path I was weaving through well as the fast starters began to fade.  The leaders were in view. Many of the lads I was curious about before the race visible up ahead.   I wasn't going to catch them but at least I was working towards what looked like a top ten place.
  A voice from the side shouted, "Come on Sankey, you're not going to make the team!"   as  I slipped past to his right.    A late surge took me past a few more, a final sprint and I was home.
The French teacher came towards me and congratulated me. I asked him the big question.
  "What time is it, sir?"  I was still concerned about my paper round!
"Never mind that, he said, " you finished 7th. You made the city team for the Lancashire Championships!"
 Back at the school changing rooms at the side of the park there was a lot of talk about the city team selection.  Several boys and adults came up and said, "You should join a club".
                It all sounded like a big commitment to me and anyway I was a footballer!
 Back at home it was just another Saturday as normal. Except that I'd gone off  to do some sport in the afternoon rather than the morning.  No big deal.
 As we assembled for the Sunday morning kickabout,   the kids on the estate never mentioned the race . Nor did I. We just put our coats for the goals as usual and got on with the game.   But they knew how I'd gone on. They'd have learnt from Sankey. He was first of the North Manchester lads as usual but been pushed back to 9th. He hadn't made the team. They selected the first 8. All those in front of him were  from the southern areas schools. All members of SALE HARRIERS,  MANCHESTER A.C. or MANCHESTER LADS CLUB HARRIERS.  
  I would come to know these very well over the next few years.  The lads  would become my team mates, rivals and friends particularly those from Sale Harriers. The club I would be asked to join after the Lancashire Schools event; back in Heaton Park where I would finish 17th. The second of over 700 races I would compete in over the next 50 years. Not just on the country but on the track, on the road , on trails and on fell.
 But just think if I'd have had said I couldn't compete in that race 50 years ago because I had to do my paper round.  Would I have have eventually got into the sport  and enjoyed decades of  running, training and racing, would I have set up the COMPLETE RUNNER and FASTRAX?  Clearly not.
                  This day 50 years ago was life changing and I'll never forget it!

THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS.......2

  Week 1 of 2013 was brought to a close with  an undulating 13 miler on the quiet roads between Thornton and Gargrave   in preparation for my first event a  week on Sunday.  So no apologies then for beginning week two with two days of easy recovery running on the grass.  After hitting tarmac for the best part of two hours on the Sunday the spongy green stuff was very welcome!
  We journeyed up to the Lake District then for a Tuesday afternoon meeting at INOV 8's new showroom; a chance to see what the company will have to offer for next Autumn /Winter. Available from July; for us to order  a.s.a.p.  Look out for some great new colours on existing product and some new tasty clothing items!
  Interestingly the catalogue featured local "startlet" RACHEAL BAMFORD (Otley A.C.) taking time off her training and racing with a spot of "modelling".

 We stayed up in the Lakes overnight and so Wednesday morning saw me tackling my regular 6 miler up the TROUTBECK VALLEY and back.  The National Trust has done some great work improving the first mile of the run in which the trail was often more a stream; better,  but for the best part it's still a run for Goretex lined footwear as  throughout the year water runs down the steep sided valley and lodges on the path.  The scenery does much to compensate.   It's not a run if you're looking for  a bit of pace.More of a watery slog!

A much drier trail run on Thursday. My weekly visit to the reservoirs. Made even more enjoyable as we benefit from all the great work done by Yorkshire water as reported recently.  Much the same distance as the lakes run but much faster pace.............and much safer!

A faster pace but still way off the pace I'll need to be operating at a week on Sunday. So Friday was calling out an injection of pace.  Opted for a 2-3-2  (2 miles easy 3 miles tempo 3 miles easy) over the border from SALTERFORTH .   7 miles on the canal towpath
free from both 4 wheel and 2 wheel traffic.  A good venue for this tempo session.  10K race pace plus approx. 10%......for about 7.40 per mile
 Splits were 7.41 8.02 and 7.39; so falling short on the middle one.
 Look at that next time I do it.
 

Following another hour of undulating trail on the STRID  on Saturday, Sunday saw me back  back on the flat LEEDS LIVERPOOL canal  towpath for the week's longest run of 10 miles , out and back from 5 RISE LOCKS..
  Run  comfortably in  89 minutes; "keeping  my powder dry"  for Sunday's half marathon!
  So that was the week that was......n mber 2.
  2 easy days,  several days on picturesque undulating trail, a tempo session, topped off with a comfortable  but solid 10 miler.  44 mile in total.
  Two weeks into the year and we  were still free from snow here in Wharfedale; but it wouldn't spare us for long.  Week 3 would prove somewhat more difficult for Yorkshire's runners!






 

JAN 1963. FOOTBALL,YES. CROSS COUNTRY ,NO

ST. BEDE'S COLLEGE , WHALLEY RANGE 

SOUTH MANCHESTER.  JANUARY 1963.

The bell signalled the end of morning lessons and we started to make our way out of the classroom to start the walk across to the main college block.  There we would queue up in silence or risk being given detention or maybe even being strapped.  When instructed two files of boys would merge and side by side make their way through 3 sets of double doors and then climb the steps up to the refectory for lunch.
 Only on this January lunchtime my progress to the main block was halted by my French teacher who beckoned me towards him.  This was the French teacher who has had me caned for "doodling" the logo of my pen manufacturer in the margin of my exercise book.  My immediate thought was to what punishment he had in store for me today.
 To my surprise he was quite pleasant.  Obviously, 50 years on, I can't remember the exact conversation but my recollection is that it went something like this.....

TEACHER:  "Lonergan, as I recall you did pretty well in the School Sports, didn't you?"
ME:  "Yes, sir, I won the 880  and the 440, sir."
TEACHER: "Yes, I thought so. That's why I chosen you to represent the school at cross country"
ME: "But we don't have any cross country teams, sir.  We only play football; I'm in the team."
TEACHER: "I know that, but the Manchester Cross Country Championships are coming up and it's been decided that the school should enter."
ME:  "The lads who run will have been doing cross country since September at least, sir. For some it's their 3rd season.  We've no experience. It's not fair"
TEACHER:  "Maybe, but we have decided"
ME:  "When is it ,sir?"
TEACHER:  "A week on Saturday, in the afternoon"
ME:  "Then I can't, sir, I have a paper round. Starts at  4 o'clock"
TEACHER: "Where's the shop you work at?"
ME:  "Near Heaton Park. I live in North Manchester."
TEACHER:  "No problem then. That settles it. The championships are actually in Heaton Park!"

He had me. I had no more excuses. I would have to run.

  So that was that.  Despite not having a cross country team we would be lining up against schools from all over the city. With no experience and having done no training we would face lads well into their third cross country season.  The best would already have represented Manchester and the very best would already have been snatched up by athletics clubs in the city.  Salford Harriers, Sale Harriers or Manchester & District Lads Club Harriers. What chance did we have?
  The weekend before the race I mentioned the race to the lads on the estate. They told me that there 2 cross country league operating in the city. One for schools in the north and one for the south.  
 They informed that a boy at their school called "Sankey" had won all the north based races. He was unbeatable.  So as a complete novice obviously

        " you'll do nowt! you've no bloody chance!", they said.

A part of me was intrigued as to how it would go.  On passing the 11+ exam  several boys from the primary school class had opted to go to Cardinal Langley in nearby Middleton. It was a new school but they  tried to uphold the "grammar school" tradition of rugby union and cross country with no football being played at that time.  Set in suburban Whalley Range St. Bede's College turned out teams in football from under 12 and both football and rugby from under 13.  But no cross country teams.  But..........

       WHO KNOWS I MIGHT JUST BE GOOD AT THIS RUNNING GAME!

THAT WAS THE WEEK.....WEEK ONE

 Well, I managed to hit that 2080 miles set target for 2012 and so averaged the 40 miles per week that I had set for myself. BUT to do so required an extra effort over the November and December. The last 3 weeks all needed to be well above that 40 mark. Certainly no rest on Christmas day. But then again it was just another Tuesday wasn't it?

 On that basis I thought I would make WEEK ONE a moderate one and did run easy for Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday but then I decided to kick start the year with a half marathon on January 20 (Inskip half) and so  reverted to par for the second half of the week.

 All the recent rain has made training a bit troublesome, hasn't it?.
A case of deciding which roads and which trails will be under water or not.    But rather that than skating on ice!  So far, so lucky!
 I haven't been doing much running at pace over the last few weeks but I seemed to cope quite well with the GUYS 10 miler in December so I thought I would kick off 2013 with more of an endurance challenge rather than a sharp, fast 5k or 10K. Plenty of those to attack later on in the year. Hence the half marathon entry; a distance I failed to race over in 2012.
 But the half marathon entry called for a training run over the distance to finish off week one. Problem being where?   Flooded Wharfedale lanes, spending the best part of two hours looking behind for perilous groups of cyclists or puddle hopping on the canal?

 In the end I opted for a short ride into Lancashire was pleased to find a dry very quiet road between Thornton and Gargrave  which I shared with just half a dozen bikers and less than 20 cars in a run of nearly 2 hours!
 The hilly run over the 13.1 distance served to confirm current fitness and served to  boost the confidence but I'll need to be running 20 minutes faster a week on Sunday to run to prediction!
 Preceded by 30 miles on the trail and grass those 13 miles topped a good week one of 43.  A good opener for the year.
Reasonable quantity but the quality is going to have be worked on; but then again I've another 51 weeks for that!

Death of satellite aided running device

HAPPY NEW YEAR

TRAINING & RACING IN 2012....A REVIEW

THE AIMS FOR 2012
Well, as I approach the end of a half century of  club based training and racing I am pleased to look back on 2012 with great pleasure, much satisfaction and little to regret.  
 Compared to 2011, which began struggling to recover from a piriformis problem (a real pain in the bum!) 2012 started much more positively.  December 2011 had seen a steady rise in quality and quantity following a calf strain at the end of November so the first few weeks would see 10 weeks of over 400 miles building a base to underpin the season of racing  to come.   fail to prepare...prepare to fail and all that!
 The aim would be to ultimately average 40 miles for the 52 weeks (2080); exceeding in weeks without races,  less than 40 for weeks without  a race.
 I had run 18 races in 2011; if I could avoid injury, something around that mark again would be acceptable.
Quality wise, according to the books, repeating 2011 times would be very unlikely but who knows? Perhaps I could defy old father time?!
 The key would be ensuring variation and moderation in the training to stay injury free!
Those then were the key aims.  No major races like the old days with the season punctuated by marathons. Just a solid season with creditable performances throughout.

2012 REVIEW

CONSISTENCY
 I successfully managed to avoid injury and this meant being able to enjoy my running on 362 days of the year. Just 3 Fridays missed due pressure of getting club orders out and some foul July weather!  
COMMITMENT
 Calling a halt to the season after the GUYS 10 (Dec. 2) meant that 4 solid race free training weeks would see the 2080 miles target being reached; a repeat of 2011.
COMPETITON
 17 races in all were completed.  Several 10Ks, a few 5ks, a 10 miler and the Manchester Parks  5 race Grand Prix completed once again.  But no half marathon or marathon. A solid season.
COMPARISON
 Staying free from injury no doubt contributed to times which were not too far removed from those of 2011.    
                                 5K  (2011:  21.11     2012:  20.59)
                                 5M (2011:  34.10     2012: 35.24)  ??
                               10K  (2011:  42.39     2012: 71.52)

CATEGORY  PERFORMANCE
64 in a few days times so well down the Power Of 10 rankings in the M60 but did manage 3 category wins in races and half a dozen second places . So reasonable in that respect.  Amazed that some M60s are running PBS when all mine were in 1983!

Regrets?  Very little really. It would be good to have some company now and again when training.  Shame that it would appear I can no longer make a contribution in club teams as I'm not good enough for open age teams and the vets M55 isn't really happening. Perhaps next year.

I hope that 2012 has been an enjoyable one for you and you can look back on your training and racing with pleasaure and satisfaction.  May be you find it  tiresome to talk about aims and goals which is fine but if you have fallen short of your intended targets hopefully you can look back and spot what and where problems occurred and avoid them happening again in 2013.
        
  

Greetings from Ilkley

RIBBLE VALLEY 10K 2011

                                      RIBBLE VALLEY 10K 2011

Safer strides to the end of 2012

  I appreciate that for some runners part of the pleasure of running offroad,  on trails and fell,  is escaping from the dreaded tarmac,  prancing childlike along  puddle strewn pathways  or sinking knee deep into peat bogs and having great "fun" extricating themselves. Great fun indeed!?
 Combating mud is so often  part and parcel of the cross country racing experience of course and thousands more pay huge amounts to take part in "challenge" races,  combating not just mud but even fire, oil and deep water.   Great fun indeed!?

 All well and good; each to their own. But  this year we've witnessed several "authorities"  trying to improve pathways or trails under their control to make safe or enhance the leisure experience for users; the majority of whom  can be described as "seniors".   Improvements not universally welcomed.
                           A recipe for much conflict.

                             

The laying of stone slabs on Ilkley Moor over long stretches really upset many local purists, resulting in a litany of letters to the local press.  A lot of angst!
  I reported on improvements to the Lake Windermere foreshore (the

National trust) and  now Yorkshire Water have completed a mile and a half refurbishment of the trail around Fewston reservoir.

  I was loathed to take sides in the moor debate but it was great to be up there last week in wonderful, bright winter sunshine, running towards the trip point along a path that would have been  near to impossible last December.   The Lakes trail was really just an enhancement and the reservoir improvement means no longer suffering soaked feet just 5 minutes into a 60 minute run.
 So for me, the improvements are welcome.  At my age the safer (and faster) the surface the better!  And judging by comments made by walkers last week  they too welcomed the change.

Last week's 6.5 circuit of the 2 res formed part of a  good steady week of training totalling 43 miles as I work towards achieving the 2012 target of a 40 mile weekly average. 2080 in total.
 The tape is in sight but it will require two better than average weeks to achieve the total.
 I know from recent blog posts that others have been keeping an eye on their 2012 total. Whilst others take a more relaxed view; just runnng when and where they feel like it and having no desire to record anything.


 To me setting a yearly mileage target is the way of committing to a year of consistency; whether that commitment be  20 miles, 40 miles, 60 miles or 80 miles per week.  Of course, I believe that  which of those figures is chosen dictates the races to aim for; but again many set race targets whether they have one the training or not. But that's another  whole  area of discussion!

MANCHESTER XC LEAGUE WYTHENSHAWE PARK

Dave Rogers and his dedicated team from Sale Harriers staged another great day of cross country racing on the waterlogged fields and trails of Wythenshawe Park last week.  The fixture was the third of 5 in the MANCHESTER AREA CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE for 2012-2013.  An area which,  curiously,  now appears to encompass Merseyside!?  

 Two short videos which hopefully give a flavour of the event........

                                                     SENIOR AND JUNIOR MEN

                                                    SENIOR AND JUNIOR WOMEN

Hitting the Strid trail

  The start of yesterday's run was unexpectedly precarious as the trail path from the Res car park down to the level of the water was a 300 metre downhill ice run.  Fortunately I spotted the danger and avoided a nasty fall and unwelcome trip to Otley A.& E.  No problems thereafter.
An easy 5 miler.

 
  With snow hitting the north east I was half expecting conditions to have deteriorated in Wharfedale as well by late morning but it failed to reach us and lovers of the outdoors enjoyed yet another beautiful winter morning with clear blue skies. 




As long as the route was in an easterly direction; very pleasant!
But the journey turning back was another matter....bitterly cold.
 A couple of icing sessions took a lot of the pain from my old legs; legs sore from Sunday's 10 mile race at just over 7 mins. pace.  Legs which found 3 miles in 32 minutes on Monday somewhat of a challenge.
    Today I managed a steady 6.  Recovery continuing nicely. Ice is nice.

"FRIENDLY" RACING

 "The reason we race isn't so much to beat each other but to be with each other.

Christopher McDougall, “Born To Run”
  
 The quote above is another saved from those sent daily by Runners World US.   It highlights the social aspect of attending races; taking as read that racing involves meeting challenges of distance and time goals,  or being competitive against old and new rivals.
 I think now when I race  shoulder to shoulder in an event a bond is established based on a common goal  of completing the distance in the fastest time  and not so much as beating that person; mainly because the people I'm racing shoulder to shoulder with is younger than me.  It's very often a case of encouraging them so that we can keep going together.  Unless they are listening to music of course! 

 Friendships born of competition  have been maintained in my case throughout the decades. But of course less so as the years pass by,  for obvious reasons.  You might say not many are daft enough to be racing having started in the 1963!

One exception is a person I mention frequently on this blog, because he so often pushes me into second place, is Wesham's ALAN HUDSON.  I'm not sure exactly when Alan started racing but certainly by '68 when he ran 39th(35.49) in the Northern Cross Country behind my 9th (33.05)  
 We ran an easy mile together after Sunday's race and we concluded that rather than my life of sin and debauchery holding me back nowadays, it is more like that he is still knocking out 2 speed sessions weekly and running 50 miles per week often.
                                      

 As we finished our post race jog,  it was great to chat to JOHN WALSHE, significantly wearing a Ballycotton 10 race t-shirt.   I wrote yesterday my "love affair" with the 10 mile distance over the years.  Well John is well and truly married to this distance and rarely strays for a "bit on the side".
 He made a comment on yesterday's blog which I will publish here and I think this says it all....

Terry, It was great to meet you briefly yesterday. Although in the same age-category as yourself, I was a bit further back in recording 77:47 – although it still gave me fifth M60! I, too, have a love affair with the 10-mile distance and this was my 100th British ‘ten’, despite living in Ireland. Since my first in 1986 (at nearby Horwich) I’ve made an average of four or five visits a year seeking out the races at this classic distance. As you say, many of these are sadly no longer with us but I’m glad to have run such races as Michelin, Wimbledon and Cockermouth before they disappeared from the scene. My interest in the distance led to the formation of the Ballycotton ‘10’ in my home village, a race that many British clubs and individuals have been to. I can echo what you say about the declining standards – in 1993, when Ballycotton had just over 1,000 finishers, exactly 200 broke the hour. This year, with in excess of 2,600 finishers, only 95 did so. Anyway, long live the on GUYS 10 MILE 2012 REVIEW  

  John was down in the results as Eastleigh RC (Southampton) but runs for also for East Cork.  John has seen his BALLYCOTTON 10 race grow in number and status throughout the years.  31 runners in 1978, 82 in 1979, 150 in 1980.  Continuing to grow in number......848 in 1984....1000 in 1993.....1500 in 1999.

 Nowadays, the entry in capped to 3000 and with no shows etc around 2000 toe the line.

  Alan Hudson said that his club Wesham would be going over by coach for next year's event.   Another case of a race acting as a means of maintaining and perhaps establishing new relations and friendships within their own club.

 So if you are reading this, are training regularly but haven't raced for a while just what ......and who you might be missing!  

T

GUYS 10 MILE 2012 REVIEW

My love affair with the 10 mile race distance began back in 1974; a Saturday afternoon joint around Eccles in  Manchester. A race for which  for once I have no results.  It was a moderate standard, I recall. 

 Certainly not compared with the fast and furious YORK 10;  an event which was established in 1973 and was building a major reputation as one of best 10 milers in the North.  The 1976 running incorporated the Yorkshire Championships but in effect attracted a whole host of the North's top distance runners.

 No fewer than 13 broke the 50 minute barrier in a race won by my training mater, Dave Slater (Bingley).  Me?  45th in a time of 52.58. I was Bingley's 5th runner.

 In the years that followed my race programme would always include a few 10 milers There were plenty to choose from. Sadly most have ceased to be put on like the Chris Vose 10 and the Clitheroe 10. The (Rowntree Mackintosh) YORK 10 generally featured though; probably because we always sold at the event with the Complete Runner  van; which usuallly meant I had no warm up and was generally  last to toe the line.

I frequently refer to the standard of the 1983 YORK 10. That  year an incredible  322 ran inside the hour,   60 minutes for 10 miles. Yes, 322!   

 My 51.41, in a year of 4 marathons and several halves, was good enough for only 21st place. A time I only bettered once running 50.37 in Morecambe the following year.

 I continued to run 10s every year until recently with none in 2009 and 2010 and only one last year.

 So today there was a little bit of apprehension as to whether I could hold my maintain customary even pace for 10 miles as I normally do over 10K. Time, or should I say "times" would tell!

  The night before a race I always check out the BBC Weather prediction; mainly to help decide what to wear.  With a forecast of 2 degrees and bright sunshine, it would be a long sleeve, hat, gloves and , with my eye sensitivity,the mandatory sunglasses.

 Not having run a 10 miler for a while, I also consulted the RACE PREDICTION CHART.  This, from the Competitive Runners Handbook, showed that a 43.00 10K runner should be capable of 71.40 for 10 miles.

As my very recent 10ks have been 42.43 and 43.11 clearly a sub 72 minutes clocking should be achievable; demanding miles splits on or under 7.12.

  I would run with the Garmin but it would merely record NOT dictate  the pace.  It would be my learnt ability to pace the race and my competitive streak which would be the main determining factor.  It would not be a case of a "self fulfilling prediction" of running to forecast and no faster.

 The weather forecast proved correct.  As we parked up at the venue, the GUYS THATCHED HAMLET ,hotel and pizzeria, parts of the car park were under ice and the few hundred yards from the gun as we exited at 10.30 a.m., demanded care.  A slight rise took the field of over 300 onto the St. Michael's Road and we were away into the flat local countryside with the roads providing no traction problems and the sun now strong and bright in a clear December sky. The shades proving a vital accessory.

 The race mile markers and my garmin splits aren't in sync but it matters little. With the sun and the shades on I can't read the times anyway! It just feels OK. 
But still after 2 miles I decide to step up a touch and running shoulder to shoulder with PAUL BERESFORD  of Rothwell we start to overtake and pull some of the fast starters back.

 We pass a hardy runner  dressed for high summer. Skimpy shorts, race vest, no hat, no gloves. I ask him what he wears in July?  In contrast,  another is more than well protected with longsleeve and full tights but I wonder just when he is going to open and devour the 4 gel strips he has in his waist belt in a 10 mile road race. Amazing.       
   Not permitted in last week's Wesham 10K, today we pass many running wearing headphones.  Clearly they need faster music.
 One says he is listening to Meatloaf.  He was running like a Bat Out Of Hell but would he keep it up?  

 Very often races are billed "flat and fast" but turn out to have some undulations.  Not today.  This is as flat as you are going to get. I think how great it be to run it in the summer.
 The miles are knocked off one by one. The pace is relentless but still my Rothwell pacemaker has deserted me and is now several places ahead.

 We reach 8 miles and  as last week there is a Perry now just in front. But it's not dad Steve, this week it's daughter Jayne.  I catch her and hoped to tow her through to the finish.   

 With the GUYS facility now in sight , I've pushed on to rejoin and pass Paul and a runner resplendent in his Skins long sleeve and tights. I turn into the car park expecting to find the finish around the corner but I can see it's exactly where the race started...... at the far end of the car park. How convenient.

 Despite the potholes and  with the hamstrings now starting to feel quite fragile, I manage to hold off Paul (41.48 at last month's Leeds Abbey Dash!) 
but the Skins devotee is not going to be outsprinted by this aged wrinkly and makes a Lazarus inspired dash for the line to beat me. The clock indicates I'm going to be inside 72 minutes. So I resist the challenge and my hamstrings thank me for not responding.

 No surprise to me but several finishers are looking a bit bemused as a small round of traditional Lancashire cheese is handed to them at the end of the funnel. 

  Different.  A bottle of port as well would have gone down even better!
 Post race review of the garmin mile splits proves interesting.  
7.12   7.12   7.04   7.17   7.02   7.00   7.07   7.00   7.07   7.04 ....10 miles in 71.10.
Problem was I was only half way across the car park and didn't cross the line until another 41 seconds had elapsed! 
 So  the official time will be 71.52...........very much as predicted!  3rd M60;
109th of the 318 finshers.
 I'm quite pleased with this time but I warmed down with my M60 arch "rival" ALAN HUDSON who tells me he has run an outstanding 65.58  And M65 GEOFF CUMBER has run 66.44. Great stuff. 

    At the sharp end, BEN FISH (Blackburn) was well clear in front; running 51:52 with STUART ROBINSON (Salford) 2nd in 53.19.  SARAH RIDEHALGH (Accrington) was first lady, in 60:44.
 The standard? Well, it didn't quite match up to that 1983 Y0RK 10 with just 13 inside 60 minutes compared to 322. Those were the days!

WESHAM 10K 2012 RACE REVIEW.

  There was a time in the dark, distant past when virtually all races were on a Saturday.  Picking out an Athletics weekly from 1967 9 races were advertised on the back cover,  8 were scheduled for Saturday afternoon. 
The 9th advertised "track, walking and cycling events" at a Monday Bank Holiday Sports event.  Then again, shops weren't open on Sundays in those days either.     
  Nowadays it's the nationwide traffic free parkrun 9 a.m. 5Ks which dominate the Saturday calendar plus,  of course, many  cross country events which uphold the Saturday racing tradition.
  Saturday road races seem few and far between but they do prove very popular as they leave Sunday free. Traditionally free for a "long Sunday" with club mates.  90 to 120 minutes of "conversational" running; much banter about the previous day's race, "scalps" taken,  praising improvement,  excuses for bad runs. 
 Will many be up for that after yesterday's WESHAM 10K?

 Certainly not me.  Something shorter, something safer and of course I'll be running solo as usual.
  Last Sunday's 13 miler took it's toll during the week and I had the choice between doing a track session or getting some speed back into the old legs with a race.  
  Didn't fancy my chances getting into the Salford Women only 5.25 K or paying £15 on the day for a Dash around Wythenshawe Park so I opted for yet another trek to the Fylde coast for my 148th 10K.  
  I must admit I wasn't expecting to get anywhere near the 43 minute mark the way I had felt in the week but I was hoping the adrenalin would kick in as usual once we'd got under way just after 11 a.m. (After we had clapped for a minute in recognition of REG CHAPMAN, a Wesham member who had sadly died recently.)
   By this time the temperature had fortunately reached a tolerable 4 degrees; up from the zero when I had started out from home at 8.15.
   Logistics prove easy at this event. There'a ample parking just a short walk from the start and finish point at the local school where the host club, WESHAM ROADRUNNERS, were set up for collection of numbers and late entries.   They have a limit of 600; 461 finished.
 But the quality was much better than the FCR Windmill 10K event.  Perhaps club runners would prefer to support club hosted events rather than those put on by a commercial organisation even though the entry fee was much the same.
 At the sharp end, STUART ROBINSON, ex-Blackpool, unfamiliar to some in the red strip of his new club Salford Harriers  overcame the threat from Anthony Valentine of Bolton winning in 32:17. SARAH PARKINSON ran a solid 38:03 to lead home the ladies; 32nd overall.
 From a personal point of view the race turned out better than expected. 
I would like to think that I maintained a good even pace throughout. Certainly going through the field as usual from half way as the faster starters wilted. 
 But the mile markers (again no K markers!!) would suggest otherwise.
7.19 6.48 6.55.  So far so good.  
 With Wesham ladies, Nicola Unsworth and Tara Fisher for company it's another solid mile ( 6.49) .....then amazing acceleration to 6.14 before drifting back to 7.41 for the 6th mile!  A last mile which was flat and I was racing flat out shoulder to shoulder with several others including the ever present Stephen Perry (Lancaster).
 The course does undulate slightly but not enough for the splits to be that inconsistent.   Let's just conclude that the 5th mile marker was not quite correctly placed.   Perhaps it should have been place at the one point on the route where the country lane was a foot under water!
 So final time a pleasing 43.11, 117 of 461 compared to 45th of 553 in the Windmill; and once again  I had to be content to finish runner up to the evergreen ALAN HUDSON (WESHAM) of the 18 in the M60 category for the fourth consecutive race.
 The jury is still out on the race t-shirt.....as pictured above....a tech tee in the style of a football shirt. Different!?  Let's just say it didn't exactly stretch the imagination of the  graphic designer.

SANDWICH SESSION

As I write this I can actually see the other side of the valley here in Ilkley.  The "clag" , as they seem to say hereabouts,  was down until late morning with heavy rain thrown in just to make the thoughts  about  today's run somewhat less than enthusiastic.
 Another "saying" goes,  

             "there's no such as bad weather....just bad clothing!"

So it was a case of reaching for the Goretex jacket and stepping forth.  I would settle for a couple of laps of the Strid Woods; using the trees for shelter.  But late morning the rain relented, the skies brightened and having  run through the woods for 2.5 miles I switched tack and  put in 3 miles at tempo pace (aka race pace plus 10%) on a nice little traffic circuit between Bolton Abbey and the Cavendish pavilion.  

                                   I can think of worse places to try 
                             to run hard and (relatively) fast..................

With 2.5 back, it amounted to a pretty good sandwich session then of 2.5                 trail...3 miles road tempo....2.5 trail to finish.   A bit different to my usual sessions of 8 miles all trail or 8 miles all road.