Bristol Running Resource

What a tragedy for the Bristol boy!

2010-03-10T21:15:18Z

Letsrun.com has been celebrating this week the 30th anniversary of US star Craig Virgin’s first win in the World Cross Country Championships. But it’s a noteworthy anniversary for Bristol too as the city’s greatest ever runner, Nick Rose, took the bronze medal.

It was an agonising finish, so he might not want to be reminded of it, but what a runner! Still British record holder for a road 10k (27:34), 5th fastest ever British man for 10,000m (27:31), and 2nd fastest ever for a Half Marathon (61:03). Not to mention a 16:17 for 3rd place in the Bridge Inn 5k at the age of 57!

If you want to know more about him, this is an interesting interview and there is an interesting article here on the 1980 race, and Craig Virgin.

Its getting easier....

2010-03-09T21:01:25Z

Well actually its not and that isn’t because my fitness isn’t picking up it is because my fitness has picked up very quickly now so I am starting to push myself, so the as of yesterday I am starting back on my training programme that was set last December.

Yesterday, I did a 45 minute steady run, I used my normal route for this and surprised myself in completing it quicker than I had before, so it ended up being a 41 1/2 minute run, which is good, but it I should have kept an I on my pace, Mondays session is about not pushing myself too much, I have other sessions for that.

Today, is my efforts day, and I decided to do my old favourite mile efforts around the BAWA field (2 min rest between efforts), admittedly not as I am not as quick as I was before Xmas but not far off:

Mile 1 - 5:35
Mile 2 - 5:37
Mile 3 - 5:38
Mile 4 - 5:38
Mile 5 - 5:41

Tomorrow, is my 9 mile recovery run, followed by a 6 mile tempo on Thursday.

Oh yeh, you will be pleased to know I am looking at racing very soon, but I haven’t decided on the race yet.

Stop Press: A new 5k race in March

2010-03-09T15:12:49Z

Bristol University SU are hosting a 5k on the playing fields at Coombe Dingle on March 14th, and have just decided to open it up for everyone.

You can find out more on our March races page.

April races now online ... finally.

2010-03-09T11:59:19Z

You can now see a list of all the races local to Bristol in April on the site.

If you ran the Bath Half, please visit and tell us what you thought of the organisation this year. Is it getting better?

Still training, but no racing

2010-03-06T21:20:42Z

I decided to take yesterday as a rest day, presuming that I would be competing in the Gloucester Road Relays, but I received an email fro Mike Down to say the due to the last Gwent League Cross Country meet of the season and the Bath Half tomorrow, B&W were unable to pull at team together, actually it did help, work and family life still take up most of my attention, and I will strggle going to races at the moment.

Having said that we visited the in-laws this afternoon, which meant that I could fit in a training run, so I ran to Wickwar (6.5 miles door to door). I am pleased with my run, such an improvement from my efforts in Jan/Feb, yes I am still slower than before Xmas but still improving, another couple of weeks and I will have my base fitnees back and then I will start on proper speed work.