A Week In Running

Longer than a week in Politics? Who knows. Anyway, things have picked up lately, and as mentioned in Alex’s Post, I completed Taunton after taking his advice on running without a watch, all I focused on was finishing in my own time, no mean feat after my personal disaster at Hogweeds Hilly…

So, I plodded round in 2.24, yep, no record breaker but after recent form I’m just pleased to have 13.1 miles under my belt. Taunton Half itself is a pleasant run with a field of approx 1500 plus a further smaller field running two laps to complete a Marathon at the same time. The course is undulating, country lanes, but crowd and marshall friendly. The field is more from the other side of Taunton, but I did spot a few Bristol vests and faces, and lets give a big up for Trinity Booth of Thornbury RC, my local club, who finished 2nd F45 and 5thF overall in the Marathon with 3.37, and the omnipresent Dave Wintle of Hogweed Trotters, as mentioned in these pages before who clocked a Marathon time of 3.32.

I had better mention how I had to blow out the Forest of Dean Trails Half Marathon as I was on a big march in London the day before, you may have heard about it, but that’s a whole other blog! Anyway, it was a very long day, early up and late back, and given the aforementioned bad hilly half run I didn’t feel right so focused on further training before Taunton.  

Which brings me up to date with the 2nd Ashton Court Parkrun trial on Saturday, a need for volunteers meant I went along to Marshall with my Wife Tina, and there was approx 27 runners this time, all sorts, ages and abilities, on a lovely Spring Morning. After starting down by the Mansion House the runners headed up past the deer park, up past the golf course, and the 2.5k turnaround where I stood and gave encouragement to the friendly field. It’s then downhill and back to the Mansion House finish. Most enjoyable, and I look forward to having a crack at the stiff course when I’m ready.

I then took the opportunity to make it a long run home, so headed from Ashton Court to home at lower lower Almondsbury (better known as the Peoples Republic of Patchway!!) fyi I took as straight a flat line as I could, never easy here thanks to them Romans(!) and ran over the Suspension Bridge (lovely) past the Zoo and the Downs (nice) and took in Kellaway Ave and Filton Rd out to the A38 and kept going to finish down at Thornbury High St. It went ok, I took in drink stops along the way as hate carrying drinks, just carry change for when needed, it was a warm sunny day but with a breeze, I kept in the shade where I could but got hot and dehydrated after 2 hours of running, by which time it was midday, 2 -3 hours is never easy, but crucial Marathon build-up training. I made it to Thornbury in 2 hours 45 for 15 miles taking in those stops, disappointed it was only 15 miles but well chuffed to have built my stamina back up - thanks to Taunton, I do love Half Marathons and feel they are a base for so many levels of running.   

Refreshed with drinks but leg weary I thought I’d try and get the bus back up those few miles home, so asked the driver how far my remaining £1.70 would get me, not far it turned out, the bus fare was £3.85 up the road, so I had no choice but to start walking, and headed back up the hill, where something really nice happened; the Driver stopped and let me on anyway! It was a lovely moment, and I took to my seat feeling like Dustin Hoffman in the Graduate when he’d got the girl, smiling to myself I mused on a great day at Ashton Court meeting fellow minded volunteers, marshalls and runners, and the kindness of the Bus Driver. And you know what…? We keep hearing about developing a big society, whatever that means, but days like these tell me we already are Dave, we already are. Happy running!          

Too close for comfort

Well its been a while since I last blogged, time has been a rarity of late with family and work taking the fair share of my time. Training has been sporadic to say the least, yes I have had a few good sessions but unfortunately there has been too many non training days.

I have to admit I have been chasing peak fitness a bit too much, and slaughtering myself every time I go out not the I intend to but when I am out I push and push thinking that I may not be able to fit in another run for a number of days, so I got to a stage that my legs were dead but I still pushed to the extent that my body and mind were at the total low, I even thought about pulling out of Bristol 10k.

I am not ready to any extent for next weeks race, only one race since November 2009, which was a 5k mob match between Thornbury RC and Chepstow Harriers (yes I am still with B&W just 2nd claim to Thornbury) I came home in 3rd place in a time of 16:52, but it did hurt.

Anyway, to next weekend, I am not looking forward to it at all, but we shall see all that it will be good for is a competitive tempo training session, but I will be no where near any sort of PB, but hey that’s life and family does come before running!!!! doesn’t it?

Carry on Running - Phil's view

With the Christmas Cracker 10k this weekend, I have realised that I have now reached a milestone of my second anniversary of competitive running. I was passed an entry by a colleague of mine who due to injury could not compete. Yes it was totally nerve racking especially considering I had only been running for 4 months prior to the race. Anyway, to cut a 10k story  to a 100m snippet, I finished the race in 38th position in a time of 41:11 (it is ingrained in my memory, I didn’t even have to look into my scrap book to get that result).

How does this link into Jan’s blog (Carry on Running), well at the end of the Christmas Cracker 2007, I met up with the Thornbury Running Club contingent. I decided to join Thornbury RC soon after, and joined in a a couple of training runs prior to my first go at their Winter Handicap. Even then I was first home in a time of 18:20 and until Thursday night that was my only attempt at the course.

Noe being second claim to Thornbury I still receive the weekly email of that weeks training. Knowing my work diary for this week, I knew I was unable to complete my 6 mile tempo run, so the Handicap gave me an opportunity to not only keep to my schedule but also meet up with old friends.

The course is itself an approx 5k (ok slightly more than 5k), and I completed the first loop in 17:20, not the quickest I admit, but I needed to do double that distance, ran straight through the finish line and onto a second lap. Now I have to admit that my legs are quicker than most, but I have struggled with endurance of late, but on the second lap I felt stronger the further I went, I put that down to the change in my training. I came home to complete 10k in an unofficial 10k pb of 34:46.

I would like to again thank Thonrbury RC for amking me feel welcome, I am sure to go back there again.

Carry On Running

Thornbury Running Club puts on three handicap races during the year for club members. I like them because it gives everyone a chance to see how much they have improved (or not) and it gives the slower members a chance to win something on merit rather than just by being there.

Yesterday was the second winter handicap race, 5k round the roads of Thornbury. Fellow blogger Phil was there, as Thornbury is his second claim club. I am 5’ 2”, Phil is 6’ 6” (approximately. I can’t usually see as far as the top of his head). He runs a bit faster than I do, as you may have gathered as his blogs mention distances and times while mine talk about cake and alcohol. 

For most of the race I could see one person in front of me and hear two behind, one of whom was the sweeper.  This was an improvement: last time I was the last runner and couldn’t see anyone after the first half mile. It was one of those days when I felt as though I was working hard but the finish time didn’t show it: 33 minutes, my third worst time on the course. The two behind me arrived soon after and we all had names taken, compared runs. A minute or so later another runner appeared, surely not in the race? He ran easily but fast, down the slope to the finish. The long legs gave him away: Phil had been first finisher and had run round the course again as a training run.

The stats are fun: height difference 1’ 4”, age difference about 30 years, pace 10-something (Jan) and 5-something (Phil)………….. If only we knew the number of steps we’d each taken: Phil’s long legs must have taken far fewer paces then I did.

We each have a challenge for next time and for once it’s the same: get back to the finsh before the other person. It will be a good one as long as Phil does twice the distance.

Well done, Phil.

Happy running!

***ck!

14th April, 2005   I have been running 6 years and two days and will be doing the London Marathon for the third time in a couple of days. I have changed from teaching to working in a running shop and am now seated at a large pub table with one other woman and eleven athletic men, old enough to be the mother of most of them and possible the grandmother of a few. I am slightly out of my comfort zone but aware of some benefits of the career-change. Primary school staff-rooms were never like this.

They all make me feel welcome and I realise that I should make the most of the expertise and experience that they have. I can happily plod round 26.2 miles (well, the first time was screaming agony but the second was fine) but would like to get a bit faster so I ask Jamie, who is sitting next to me, the best way to do it. His reply is brief and to the point: track. Panic sets in. Me, on a track? I’m too slow. Too old. I haven’t done it before. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where the track is.

16th June, 2005   My club, Thornbury, has started track sessions at the WISE track in Filton. I have no excuse so I pluck up courage and go. Jog warm-up then “slow-motion” drills. Our coach tells us about track discipline and we’re off on a session of 300 metre reps. It hurts but I realise a great advantage in track training: I actually have someone to follow! In races I’m usually so far behind that I often don’t have anyone in sight. Sometimes I get a word of encouragement from runners as they pass me and from a couple of others I know who are also training there. I do try and chase; not for long but at least it’s someone to look at.

1st September, 2009   After a few stop-start phases with track training I decide to get serious when I set my “train for a sub 2-hour half” target so it’s back to track and by coincidence it’s 300m reps again. There are a couple of regulars who turn up and who are at about my pace so there’s even chance for a bit of friendly competition.

That’s what I need to do next: work on my competitive instinct.

If I’ve got one.

Happy running!