Running up that (damn) hill

So, despite feeling very cosy in bed this morning, I could feel my legs have been better lately and that I should get on my bike, ride to Ashton Court in the rain (and my geeky waterproofs), and give the old Parkrun a good going over.

Perhaps I rode a bit too fast (silently competing with some young guy on another bike, and a slightly aggressive bus - my honour defended), because my legs felt a but heavy once I arrived at the Mansion House.

And I did feel a bit timid as we set off up the slope before the hill. But I soon found myself in the leading 5, and felt OK with the pace on the steep part of the hill. There was a bit of position swapping as we continued up the hill and on to the half way turnaround, but once we were heading back I soon found myself all alone.

It’s difficult to know how you are doing like that, especially when the field is smaller than normal and the weather a bit extreme, but I had a sneaky feeling I was doing OK by my normal standards. At least it wasn’t hot - I find that helps with the pain, and the fear of going faster.

The other reason I felt more confident is that I’ve done a tiny bit of interval training with Bristol & West AC, and there is nothing like a recent memory of being hurt by speed to improve one’s confidence!

So, over the line in 19:34 - first time under 20 mins on this (very steep) 5k. At last. I think that should mean I couold easily get under 19 mins on a flat 5k. My pb is 17:45 I think, but that was a good 2 years ago.

So, first time under 20 mins, 50 secs faster than last time, and age-graded at 73%. Therefore, I reckon my next target should be to get a 75% age grade on this course. That will have to be sub 19 mins - no small challenge on this course.

Later this month is the Towpath 10k mob match, where loads of people from different clubs turn up and run en masse - a kind of club friendly. I’d be very happy to get back into the sub 40 min range there, so today has been a good step in that direction.

Back on the ‘path

Yesterday’s Towpath 10k was my first outing at 10k for more than three years. Having missed the Bristol 10k last month I thought I’d enter the next local race that I could get to, if only as a target to keep the training moving forward. I’m pretty sure it’s the first time I’ve run the Towpath 10k since I ran for GWR in the 2005 Inter-club Mob Match.

So how did it go? Well, given the problems I’ve had with injury over the last few months it went surprisingly well. Doubly so because I’ve only managed to run more than 6 miles once in the last three months. And that was last Sunday when I did 75mins on the flat.

I started right at the back. That’s not a bad strategy if you’re not sure how things are going to go. If you’re feeling good it means you get motivated by passing people. I also aimed to run an even pace. This usually means passing people throughout the race because a proportion of people always start off too fast.

I set off at a steady pace that was slightly faster than I’ve been training. It was clearly an effort. I’d call it ‘race pace’ although that might be overdoing it a bit. The most pleasing thing was that I ran the race at an almost totally even pace. My time for each km was the same to within +/-5 secs. Given the lack of training I was expecting to fade after 8k but everything kept going. It may be some sort of Pavlovian reaction to the course, having run the race quite a few times many years ago. Whatever the reason, I was pleased that I held it together.

So what about times? Well given the recent history of injury and lack of training I set my sights low. I thought that if I came in under an hour I’d be pleased. I wasn’t entirely sure I’d manage it. Going back six or seven years I was running regularly enough to know pretty closely, from my training, how I’d do in a race. I’ve lost sight of those benchmarks. Anyway, in the end I arrived home in 51m56s. So, from one angle, that is great. Of course, lurking in the back of my mind is the knowledge that this time is more than 10minutes slower than my lifetime best. So inevitably – if entirely unrealistically – there is a little sense of disappointment.

But, more important, I feel like I’m properly back up and running. That is a spur to getting the training a bit better organised. Or at least it will be, once the monumentally large blister on my right instep heals!

If you’ve not run a race in the Towpath series it is well worth considering. There are three more races this summer: 8^th July (10k), 5^th August (10k), 26^th August (5k).

Back to Square 1 - perhaps Square 1.5

Well that didn’t go too badly. Friday evening saw me head out on my first run for three weeks. As predicted on Thursday, it wasn’t going to be quick. I managed 29m30s, for an out and back training run that I’ve done in a lifetime best under 22m. But that wasn’t the main concern. My foot problem didn’t get any worse. And today I took it a bit further and did a 34m run. Good news. But best not to push too far too soon.

These couple of runs were a bit of a struggle in other ways. Just about everything that can ache seems now to have decided to ache. Things that haven’t ached for years – since back when I started running a decade ago. It was hardly a long time off, but it seems to have taken me back to, if not Square 1, then perhaps Square 1.5.

I’m not going to be in a position to run the Bristol 10k this year. So now I’m thinking the June Towpath 10k might be the event to rejoin the racing crowd. Better get to work. Not just on rebuilding the distance, but also on all the other core stability and strength work that I’ve been neglecting a bit recently. There’s plenty to do.

GWR Towpath 10k series open

The Great Western Runners’ Towpath 10k is a fantastic event, normally over-subscribed.

If ever there were a confidence builder for the aspiring Bristol Half Marathon runner, this would be it.

Starting in Greville Smyth Park, the course follows paths out onto the Avon towpath and downriver before returning by the same route.

This is a well organised, friendly event, with runners of all abilities taking part. There four 10k events from May to August, and a final 5k event to round things off.

If you have not taken part in a series before, I can highly recommend it. There is a great deal to be said for repeating a race a few times over the same course. Each time, one’s confidence grows and times often get faster. That said, you are not obliged to run every race.

But bear in mind that this is a very popular event, and it is advisable to book early to avoid disappointment.

More information here.