DESPERATELY SEEKING SHELTER

Part of my daily pre-run ritual is to check the flag of St. George flying from the top of St. John's Church in Ben Rhydding. What the flag is doing helps determine the structure of the day's run. Today the flag was boldly horizontal with winds gusting up to 17 m.p.h. I heard later.

So seeking shelter and also to make for a hillier run I decided to modify the normal Strid run by starting from Barden Bridge and doing 2 loops of the Strid Woods. Arrived at 11.15 and managed to secure the last parking spot! Another sunny morning brings out all the walkers.  Better pace than last night for twice the distance. So "mission accomplished". 8 miles of trail with moderate hills without having to battle the elements.

GOAL POSTS MOVED!
Thoughts on the run turned to how this year has gone performance wise and to which targets have still to be achieved. Paul O'Looney on his London Marathon blog referred last week to the athleticsdata/ power of 10 targets and how they were a spur. Quite correct. For V60s these were originally set as follows........
    21 mins (5k)     34.30 mins. (5 mile)     43 mins. (10k)    71 mins. (10 mile)   and 95 (1/2 marathon)
Then when athletics data merged with power of 10 (http://www.athleticsdata.com/) they mysteriously changed to
   20 mins (5k)      33.00 mins.  (5 miles)   41 mins. (10K)    68 mins. (10 mile)  and 91 (1/2 marathon)

I have recently been informed that the reason the standards were lifted was so that volunteer statisticians would have fewer times to input and thus of course less work. They will however still update an athlete's record page even if the race performance time does not meet their new ranking cut off.Nevertheless, I have retained the old times as my targets for the year and up to now have managed  all but the 10 mile standard. 

Having missed Preston last Sunday and not fancying the Stockport, which I have run a few times, it looks like the Guys 10 at Bilborrow is the best option.  Pretty flat and flat if I recall and easy to get to just off the M6 north of Preston.  Can't see me going under the new ranking standard of 68 minutes but 71 may well be possible. Time will tell!