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
Friday, 9 October 2009
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.
Thursday, 17 September 2009
All the training done - soon time for the real test
I'm a about a hundred miles short on my intended training distance, mainly due to the injury break in July, and I'm sure I know about that on Sunday. Target is under 3 hours, not as quick as I would have like but it's what is achievable. Still I'm a lot fitter than I was in February at the start of this journey and around 11 pounds lighter.
At least the accommodation seems sorted - better location and site facilities, a slightly lower standard but nearly £100 cheaper. It may have turned out for the better.
I may be on the BBC 1 on Sunday – running at my sedate 13min mile pace. Look for a Red Heart Runners vest, black shorts, green band on the number and number 41518, otherwise indistinguishable from the 53,999 others ;-)
At least the accommodation seems sorted - better location and site facilities, a slightly lower standard but nearly £100 cheaper. It may have turned out for the better.
I may be on the BBC 1 on Sunday – running at my sedate 13min mile pace. Look for a Red Heart Runners vest, black shorts, green band on the number and number 41518, otherwise indistinguishable from the 53,999 others ;-)
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Accomodation
Just been told we haven't got any!
We had a lodge booked and paid for for months. Forty miles away was as close as I could get at the time and they ring me up late Monday afternoon to tell me that the lodge has been sold ans they can't honour my booking. They are trying to sort something else out ans are supposed to be calling me back today to let me know. The north east has been booked solid this for this weekend for months I now I have to start all over again ARGGGGGGGGGG.
We had a lodge booked and paid for for months. Forty miles away was as close as I could get at the time and they ring me up late Monday afternoon to tell me that the lodge has been sold ans they can't honour my booking. They are trying to sort something else out ans are supposed to be calling me back today to let me know. The north east has been booked solid this for this weekend for months I now I have to start all over again ARGGGGGGGGGG.
Good Yorksire Hill Training
We were on holiday in Barningham in the Yorkshire Dales last week, did a couple of good runs. One was a loop round the outside of the village with about 3/4 mile down and 1 1/2 miles up on each loop, nice scenery but a little muddy in places. The second was a straight run the length of the village, which is built on a hill so .4m up, and then back down again - pant hard and repeat ;-)
We also did 3 long (for us anyway) walks 3.5 - 6miles long with lots of hills as you would expect. Going out for a run on Sunday the hills at home didn't seem half as bad
We also did 3 long (for us anyway) walks 3.5 - 6miles long with lots of hills as you would expect. Going out for a run on Sunday the hills at home didn't seem half as bad
Friday, 4 September 2009
Final long run before the big day
Just completed the last long run I'll do before the Great North Run. Not as long as I would have liked at this stage (8miles) but it's a lot further than I could run last February.
I tried to run it as close to how I'll run the race as possible, testing out a few things I plan to use on the day. It was a windy day and running up Gulpher Road hill against a strong breeze was ... interesting. Hopefully there will be a nice westerly (with just a hint of south in it) on the 20th September, blow us all nicely along the course.
So now it's gently reduce the mileage, while keeping up some of the quality runs in there and let the body prepare itself for the big day.
I tried to run it as close to how I'll run the race as possible, testing out a few things I plan to use on the day. It was a windy day and running up Gulpher Road hill against a strong breeze was ... interesting. Hopefully there will be a nice westerly (with just a hint of south in it) on the 20th September, blow us all nicely along the course.
So now it's gently reduce the mileage, while keeping up some of the quality runs in there and let the body prepare itself for the big day.
Friday, 28 August 2009
Building the milage
Starting to get the miles and time on me feet into a repectable area again. The strange thing is I'm running slower. Looking at the times before the injury layouff they were around 1min per mile quicker.
The BHF training day was very worth while, started off with a quite short but hard session in Regents Park. Followed by lots of advice on running style, training techniques etc. Found out just how hard the training session had been when I went out for a run the next day - legs didn't want to move. So hopefully adding some sessions like that will really help push the fitness along in the last few weeks before the GNR
On the 'Route to Newcastle' map I've just gone through Scunthorpe - famous for being a banned word in the AOL obscenity filter in the early days of the internet - it was the four letters after the 'S' that did it apparently. I'm propably 50 mile behind where I should be and that's showing in the training and will be very evident on the 20th September. I'll run across the start and the finish line but not really sure what will happen in between.
The BHF training day was very worth while, started off with a quite short but hard session in Regents Park. Followed by lots of advice on running style, training techniques etc. Found out just how hard the training session had been when I went out for a run the next day - legs didn't want to move. So hopefully adding some sessions like that will really help push the fitness along in the last few weeks before the GNR
On the 'Route to Newcastle' map I've just gone through Scunthorpe - famous for being a banned word in the AOL obscenity filter in the early days of the internet - it was the four letters after the 'S' that did it apparently. I'm propably 50 mile behind where I should be and that's showing in the training and will be very evident on the 20th September. I'll run across the start and the finish line but not really sure what will happen in between.
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