With last December's bad weather continuing and getting worse I means I've had almost 6 weeks off running. A few trips to the gym and 1 run out to try and keep the body moving, but the weight is creeping up and the prospect of a PB in Bath in march all but gone.
Looks like I've got to re-plan the schedule once again, this time with beginners, get you round settings.
Tuesday 5 January 2010
Sunday 15 November 2009
Finally got to Newcastle
On Sunday the 15th November I finally covered the distance from Felixstowe to Newcastle, only about 2 months too late.
So this is the last entry in this blog, but I've just started a longer lived running blog - Malcolm Runs. The map on this one sees me on a long loop around the shores of mainland Britain, starting off with the 290 miles form this blog. Not sure how far it is but the 290 takes me up to around Hull - onwards and upwards as they say
So this is the last entry in this blog, but I've just started a longer lived running blog - Malcolm Runs. The map on this one sees me on a long loop around the shores of mainland Britain, starting off with the 290 miles form this blog. Not sure how far it is but the 290 takes me up to around Hull - onwards and upwards as they say
Wednesday 4 November 2009
Running with the road runners
For the last couple of Tuesdays I've been out with the Felixstowe Road Runners - it's good to get out running with others and you never quite know what your going to get. Last week it was a pyramid session using the side turnings off Westmorland Road, Eastcliff then Walnut Cl, etc., jogging back to the junction with Cliff Rd each time. Yesterday was more of an interval session running around the block (about 600m) quickly a short walk/jog rest and round again. I only managed 3 of this short route, it's all about maintaining a prolonged fast effort rather than the distance.
Good fun and hopefully doing me some good too
Good fun and hopefully doing me some good too
Friday 23 October 2009
Back into full training
After a gentle week after the Royal Parks then this week is back into full training for the Adnams Southwold 10K on November 22nd. Set myself the slightly ambitious target of 1:15 but with a month a good training to go it's possible. Using a Runners World Smart Coach schedule which looks OK. Need to move things around a bit to suit my diary, and will replace it's hard/speed session with what ever the Felixstowe Road Runners decide to do on a Tuesday evening.
Last night saw the first of what will become regular 5k time trials along Felixstowe prom, a good way of measuring progress between races. I'll do one of these every 3 or 4 weeks depending on how the schedule works out.
Last night saw the first of what will become regular 5k time trials along Felixstowe prom, a good way of measuring progress between races. I'll do one of these every 3 or 4 weeks depending on how the schedule works out.
Monday 12 October 2009
Royal Parks Half Marathon
Pre-race
Went to London the previous day and stayed at the London Elizabeth in Lancaster Terrace, just a stone’s throw from both the tube station and Hyde Park. A good choice though the beds were a bit soft and the room a bit noisy. We went via the TKTs booth in Leicester Square and got tickets for ‘The 39 Steps’ - slightly restricted view but OK for £14.50 each. The tube was hot and busy all weekend so after we had checked in we walked across Hyde Park so we could catch the Piccadilly Line directly to Piccadilly Circus. Great show then a look round Lilywhites and fuelled up at Pizza Hut afterwards. We walked off some of the gluttony going up Regent Street to catch the tube at Oxford Circus back to the hotel.
The start
After a good breakfast and checking out we took a gentle stroll across the park to the start. It provided me with the warm up I needed though the weather was cool and drizzly. A bit of confusion with the baggage queues meant that time was wasted and I never got to the loo before the start but as it was only 20 minutes from the hotel it wasn’t much of a problem. There was an official warm up led by a group on the stage but those of use still trying to check in the bags were trying to get through those doing the warm up and I only just missed getting punched as the routine changed to that sort of move. Eventually called to our start pens (me in the Maroon one at the back). I missed whatever the start signal was and we just started moving towards the start line. Around 13 minutes later we got there and started running.
First 4 Miles
I managed to keep to a reasonable pace and not get too carried away. As we past the front of Buckingham Palace (at about 1.5m) the leader of the race came the other way (about 5.25m) on the other side of the road. Ok he did have a 13min start, which I guess at the pace he was running would have been about 3miiles but crikey it was quick. There was no Royal Standard so I guess her majesty wasn’t watching the race. Continued on past St James’s Park , The Houses of Parliament onto Westminster Bridge where we had to do a U turn to get back on to the embankment. As with many other places on the course we could see runners well ahead of us coming in the opposite direction, but we could also see we went last nor suffering quite that much.
Miles 4-8
These miles went quite nicely, 4-5 was spent looking for the loo which we knew was along the embankment somewhere. Fifty pence to use this loo! Luckily there was a marshal outside handing out the 50p. Girls were using both sets of toilets with the men only allowed the urinals in the gents. It was then on through Admiralty Arch, past St James’s Park down, The Mall (Queenie still out) past Green Park and back into Hyde Park through the Wellington Arch. I got my first sighting of Angela just before half way – she had seen me going through the start but I’d missed her as I was seting my watch. I was still going at a good comfortable pace averaging 12:23 pace for the first 6.5 miles (target was 13min/mile pace). I knew I wouldn’t keep that up for the rest of the race but I was still felling OK for now. In the park the crowds were bigger as it was easy for them to follow the runners, sometimes just turning round while the runners did a 2 mile loop. There were several good bands playing at various points and we past several of them twice, everything had a quality feel about it.
Miles 8-12
I saw Angela again at about 8.5m and I was still running well heading back towards Hyde Park Corner where we did a sharp left to the 9mile mark. It was here I started to struggle, and between 9 and 10 it was a real effort as I hit the wall on a long uphill drag. I realised I hadn’t started my second energy gel yet squirted half of that in. By 10m things started to look up a bit and when I ran, I ran well but the brief stopped where getting more frequent, especially when there was any upward slope (there are no real hills on this course). Just after 10 miles I went past the hotel and it was briefly temping to stop. I carried on in this run/walk vain until the 12mile point where I managed to get running little better and it was slightly downhill which helped.
Last stretch
The last section takes you past the Albert Memorial and the Albert Hall, the slight incline here made me walk again but gradually as the end became visible I managed a bit more speed and gradually increased it trying to get that 2 hour 50 time target time. On Fetch Everyone (a running log site I use) 3 people had bet on me to do 2:50 and when I was so close I couldn’t help but really go for it. So there it was 2hours 50miutes 14 seconds – 19minutes and 50 seconds faster than the Great North Run! (and only 9699 runners ahead of me ;-)
After the race.
The baggage tent was a long way from the finish and with nothing given at the finish to keep you warm then I did start to get a little chilly. Got the bag and put the track suit on then finally sat down for a bit. Did a few easy stretches until wifey found me. We had a look round some of food festival and the sponsors tent s - spent too much at the Mizuno stand (but it was ‘cheap’ ) then gently meandered are way back to the hotel to pick up the bags and return home.
A great weekend and certainly a race to do again.
Went to London the previous day and stayed at the London Elizabeth in Lancaster Terrace, just a stone’s throw from both the tube station and Hyde Park. A good choice though the beds were a bit soft and the room a bit noisy. We went via the TKTs booth in Leicester Square and got tickets for ‘The 39 Steps’ - slightly restricted view but OK for £14.50 each. The tube was hot and busy all weekend so after we had checked in we walked across Hyde Park so we could catch the Piccadilly Line directly to Piccadilly Circus. Great show then a look round Lilywhites and fuelled up at Pizza Hut afterwards. We walked off some of the gluttony going up Regent Street to catch the tube at Oxford Circus back to the hotel.
The start
After a good breakfast and checking out we took a gentle stroll across the park to the start. It provided me with the warm up I needed though the weather was cool and drizzly. A bit of confusion with the baggage queues meant that time was wasted and I never got to the loo before the start but as it was only 20 minutes from the hotel it wasn’t much of a problem. There was an official warm up led by a group on the stage but those of use still trying to check in the bags were trying to get through those doing the warm up and I only just missed getting punched as the routine changed to that sort of move. Eventually called to our start pens (me in the Maroon one at the back). I missed whatever the start signal was and we just started moving towards the start line. Around 13 minutes later we got there and started running.
First 4 Miles
I managed to keep to a reasonable pace and not get too carried away. As we past the front of Buckingham Palace (at about 1.5m) the leader of the race came the other way (about 5.25m) on the other side of the road. Ok he did have a 13min start, which I guess at the pace he was running would have been about 3miiles but crikey it was quick. There was no Royal Standard so I guess her majesty wasn’t watching the race. Continued on past St James’s Park , The Houses of Parliament onto Westminster Bridge where we had to do a U turn to get back on to the embankment. As with many other places on the course we could see runners well ahead of us coming in the opposite direction, but we could also see we went last nor suffering quite that much.
Miles 4-8
These miles went quite nicely, 4-5 was spent looking for the loo which we knew was along the embankment somewhere. Fifty pence to use this loo! Luckily there was a marshal outside handing out the 50p. Girls were using both sets of toilets with the men only allowed the urinals in the gents. It was then on through Admiralty Arch, past St James’s Park down, The Mall (Queenie still out) past Green Park and back into Hyde Park through the Wellington Arch. I got my first sighting of Angela just before half way – she had seen me going through the start but I’d missed her as I was seting my watch. I was still going at a good comfortable pace averaging 12:23 pace for the first 6.5 miles (target was 13min/mile pace). I knew I wouldn’t keep that up for the rest of the race but I was still felling OK for now. In the park the crowds were bigger as it was easy for them to follow the runners, sometimes just turning round while the runners did a 2 mile loop. There were several good bands playing at various points and we past several of them twice, everything had a quality feel about it.
Miles 8-12
I saw Angela again at about 8.5m and I was still running well heading back towards Hyde Park Corner where we did a sharp left to the 9mile mark. It was here I started to struggle, and between 9 and 10 it was a real effort as I hit the wall on a long uphill drag. I realised I hadn’t started my second energy gel yet squirted half of that in. By 10m things started to look up a bit and when I ran, I ran well but the brief stopped where getting more frequent, especially when there was any upward slope (there are no real hills on this course). Just after 10 miles I went past the hotel and it was briefly temping to stop. I carried on in this run/walk vain until the 12mile point where I managed to get running little better and it was slightly downhill which helped.
Last stretch
The last section takes you past the Albert Memorial and the Albert Hall, the slight incline here made me walk again but gradually as the end became visible I managed a bit more speed and gradually increased it trying to get that 2 hour 50 time target time. On Fetch Everyone (a running log site I use) 3 people had bet on me to do 2:50 and when I was so close I couldn’t help but really go for it. So there it was 2hours 50miutes 14 seconds – 19minutes and 50 seconds faster than the Great North Run! (and only 9699 runners ahead of me ;-)
After the race.
The baggage tent was a long way from the finish and with nothing given at the finish to keep you warm then I did start to get a little chilly. Got the bag and put the track suit on then finally sat down for a bit. Did a few easy stretches until wifey found me. We had a look round some of food festival and the sponsors tent s - spent too much at the Mizuno stand (but it was ‘cheap’ ) then gently meandered are way back to the hotel to pick up the bags and return home.
A great weekend and certainly a race to do again.
Friday 9 October 2009
To London and Half Marathon Number Two
Three weeks after the Great North run and it's off to London to the Royal Parks Half Marathon. Learning some lessons from the GNR we have a hotel next to Hyde Park so hopefully it's no hassle and a gentle short stroll to the start.
Training in the last three weeks was basically one week rest and taper up, one week real training, this week easy and taper down. It's all seem to have gone OK, and I've been trying out the new shoes. These are the Mizuno Inspire 5 I won as part of the Runners World competition that included the race entry to the Royal Parks. I found I tend to run quickly in them as this is when they are at their best, and they are not so good off the tarmac as the Asics GT-2140. So the Asics it will be as they do allow me to plod which is what I'll need to do a lot of on Sunday
Training in the last three weeks was basically one week rest and taper up, one week real training, this week easy and taper down. It's all seem to have gone OK, and I've been trying out the new shoes. These are the Mizuno Inspire 5 I won as part of the Runners World competition that included the race entry to the Royal Parks. I found I tend to run quickly in them as this is when they are at their best, and they are not so good off the tarmac as the Asics GT-2140. So the Asics it will be as they do allow me to plod which is what I'll need to do a lot of on Sunday
Wednesday 7 October 2009
The Great North Run
Getting to the start
Parked in the official car park in South Shields then walked 1.5 miles to the R1 bus, £3 and 30min later we’re at the Haymarket bus station. Follow all the other towards the start - no signs but the guy next to be is local and it’s his 3rd time so confident we’re heading in the right direction.
First stop was the loos - just as well as these ones had the shortest queues as it turned out. Got changed ready while waiting into the racing vest, strapped on the chip, removed all the clothing that needed to be in the bag. Then started to walk up the hill to the bagged buses, by the time I got to the first of the ‘green’ bagged buses it was around 10am, they were due to close at 10:10am. 10:08 they shut up despite having lots of room left and had to walk further up the hill to the late baggage vans . The walk from Haymarket to my place on the start was around 1.25 miles.
The start
Finally got into my cosy pen with all the other ‘I’ run
ners and we had a good laugh at how we were supposed to so some of Mr Motivator’s warm-ups in 
the space available. We watch the big screens as the wheelchairs and the ladies started. The gun went bang for our race and we stood still, 5 minutes later we started to moved slowly forward, around 26 minutes after the bang we crossed the start line.
(The pictures are those behind me and those in front of me at the start)
The first 5K
After all the noise at the start it went really quiet for the first mile, there were not many places to stand and cheer alongside the motorway. I did my best to have a gentle start but the first 5K was covered in 36:37 which was 11:49 pace – far too quick. I missed the first mile marker and was only aware at the second when I tried to ease off a bit. My watch at 2 miles said 21 minutes so 10:30 – 11:00 mile pace, and then something more sensible for the rest of the 5k.
5-10K
Here is where the big hill kicks in and boy did I pay for the early pace. This 5K took 12 minutes longer, 48:17, at a slow 15:35 pace. A welcome and surprising sight was mum and Angela around the 4 mile marker. Knowing what the long walk was like I though mum may have stayed at the finish, but she did me proud. Stopped to say hello but not long enough to really effect the time.
10-15K
Started to get back in to the running better here (45:26), but still slow at 14:39 pace and a 3hour finish still looked a possibility if I kept the modest running pace going. This 5K was the least hilly section of the course, not that it felt that way. Mum and Angela were hoping to make it to the 8 mile BHF cheering point but it was more than the 10min walk they expected and would never have got there in time, so they hopped back on the metro and went to the finish.
15K to the Finish
Slowed down dramatically at the end, averaged 15:59 pace over the last 6K. I had hoped I might be able to keep the pace going over this bit but I was very tired by this point and even struggled along the last mile despite all the cheering. I did manage to give a good showing over the last 500m so looks good on the video.
After the finish
More long walks – had I been in the big group around the 2 hour mark all this would be necessary, but at my end of the race it was more trudging. First to pick up the T-Shirt and stuff – stop to put that on as the baggage bus was a long walk and of course my van was the furthest away. Walk back to the British Heart Foundation tent where I could finally sit down with a welcome cup of coffee and a ham sandwich.
Parked in the official car park in South Shields then walked 1.5 miles to the R1 bus, £3 and 30min later we’re at the Haymarket bus station. Follow all the other towards the start - no signs but the guy next to be is local and it’s his 3rd time so confident we’re heading in the right direction.
First stop was the loos - just as well as these ones had the shortest queues as it turned out. Got changed ready while waiting into the racing vest, strapped on the chip, removed all the clothing that needed to be in the bag. Then started to walk up the hill to the bagged buses, by the time I got to the first of the ‘green’ bagged buses it was around 10am, they were due to close at 10:10am. 10:08 they shut up despite having lots of room left and had to walk further up the hill to the late baggage vans . The walk from Haymarket to my place on the start was around 1.25 miles.
The start
Finally got into my cosy pen with all the other ‘I’ run
ners and we had a good laugh at how we were supposed to so some of Mr Motivator’s warm-ups in 
the space available. We watch the big screens as the wheelchairs and the ladies started. The gun went bang for our race and we stood still, 5 minutes later we started to moved slowly forward, around 26 minutes after the bang we crossed the start line.(The pictures are those behind me and those in front of me at the start)
The first 5K
After all the noise at the start it went really quiet for the first mile, there were not many places to stand and cheer alongside the motorway. I did my best to have a gentle start but the first 5K was covered in 36:37 which was 11:49 pace – far too quick. I missed the first mile marker and was only aware at the second when I tried to ease off a bit. My watch at 2 miles said 21 minutes so 10:30 – 11:00 mile pace, and then something more sensible for the rest of the 5k.
5-10K
Here is where the big hill kicks in and boy did I pay for the early pace. This 5K took 12 minutes longer, 48:17, at a slow 15:35 pace. A welcome and surprising sight was mum and Angela around the 4 mile marker. Knowing what the long walk was like I though mum may have stayed at the finish, but she did me proud. Stopped to say hello but not long enough to really effect the time.
10-15K
Started to get back in to the running better here (45:26), but still slow at 14:39 pace and a 3hour finish still looked a possibility if I kept the modest running pace going. This 5K was the least hilly section of the course, not that it felt that way. Mum and Angela were hoping to make it to the 8 mile BHF cheering point but it was more than the 10min walk they expected and would never have got there in time, so they hopped back on the metro and went to the finish.
15K to the Finish
Slowed down dramatically at the end, averaged 15:59 pace over the last 6K. I had hoped I might be able to keep the pace going over this bit but I was very tired by this point and even struggled along the last mile despite all the cheering. I did manage to give a good showing over the last 500m so looks good on the video.
After the finish
More long walks – had I been in the big group around the 2 hour mark all this would be necessary, but at my end of the race it was more trudging. First to pick up the T-Shirt and stuff – stop to put that on as the baggage bus was a long walk and of course my van was the furthest away. Walk back to the British Heart Foundation tent where I could finally sit down with a welcome cup of coffee and a ham sandwich.
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