At 6:10am my alarm went off, I woke up feeling ROUGH, I went for a shower and felt lousy so got back into bed. I had decided I was too ill to race. At this point Laura gave me a kick up the backside and at about 645 I had a change of heart and got up and ready. We had to be out at 7, speed eating time

Jumping out at Marble Arch I wheeled Laura with me to the start (see here to see how Laura broke her foot) and found the VIP tent. Today I was a VIP apparently! I found the bag drop and spotted a couple of celebs Nell McAndrew, Duncan Bannatyne and Sophie Raworth to name drop before prepping myself for the race. Fortunately, Jackie had kindly come along to be chauffeur for Laura so they headed off to about the 6 mile marker.

I headed to the starting pens, completely unsure what pace I would manage. I suspected, unless I deliberately took the first half slow I wouldn’t hang on to a permanent pace but was probably best just to go for it with the expectation of a second half blow up! In the pen by pure coincidence I bumped into Keith Luxon a fellow Havens Hospice runner, and also an ultra runner of the most extreme – I know of only one other who has run longer than Keith but I dont think its anywhere near as frequent.

My pace from the start was pretty hard, pushed along by being in the same pen as the faster runners aiming for sub 1hr30. I clocked 7-7:30min/mi, it wasnt until about mile 5 I thought I may have gone off a bit fast! At 6 miles I spotted Laura and Jackie a gave them a quick message telling them I had overcooked it and would be slowing for the second half. About half a mile on my gel must haven kicked in and all of a sudden I felt ok. I barely slowed at all, every mile was sub 8min/mi and most were nearer the 7:30s. After 10 miles I knew I could hang on regardless now, 24 minutes I told myself whilst taking another gel. 16 minutes…8minutes, 7:59,7:58,7:57 the countdown had begun in my head.

Spotting the gantry in the distance whilst my watch showed 1:39 (no seconds displayed) I decided to try for a sub 1hr40 with no idea how far or long to go I put my head down and went for it, no longer looking at my watch. As I crossed the line I stopped the garmin, my watch read 1:40 (no seconds displayed), nevermind. It wasnt until I got a text with my chip time that I established I actually did 1:39:59 sub 1:40 and my watch read 1:40:00! Jackpot. I can’t really grumble about that as it was faster than Maidenhead which I had done a few weeks previously.

All in all a good run and I’m glad I pulled myself out of bed (even if it just delayed my cold for 24 hours)! I do like the Royal Parks Half Marathon, both times I have run it I have thought it a well organised race. The medal is different and the freebies you can get at the end is the best I have seen at ANY race. The first half of the race gives you all of the best bits of the London Marathon whilst the second half is in Hyde Park weaving through its paths.

Loved it!

N

This weekend was a busy one in terms of running. On Saturday I headed along to a workshop organised by the Royal Parks, a morning session held at one of Matt Roberts gyms in London. Having been to a couple of full marathon days I was familiar with a large percentage of information provided however that doesn’t mean it was by any means a waste of time.

During the morning two sections really stood out for me. One from Chris at Lucozade talking about nutrition and carb loading. I missed this speech at Dorney as I was running and also because I thought it may just be Lucozade, Lucozade, Lucozade. It turns out whilst there was branding it was a well rounded presentation and quite often Chris clearly insinuated ‘natural’ maybe better. I think the presentation was also aimed for marathoners and not so much for halves (kinda perfect for me) I don’t believe any half marathon runner needs to consider carb loading a week before!

The other highly informative talk was prepared by Matt Roberts gym and gave insights into how to successfuly use a foam roller. Occasionally I pull out my own roller but have only had limited guidance. Today we were demonstrated about 5 routines each ‘massaging’ different parts of the body. A very useful session and one that I believe would help any runner.

The day ended with a session by British Military Fitness. They tailored one of their workouts to runners, warming us up with an interesting routine, doing 3 ish miles at tempo before successfully warming us down. The warmup was a chuckle to say the least, introducing a whole new set of dynamic stretches most of which had all involved chuckling, high 5, low 5, backwards low 5 below leg etc etc, all very amusing. I left the morning with a smile on my face and I hoped it would act as a good warmup for the half on Sunday.

Bright and early Sunday morning with Laura as chauffeur we made our way to Maidenhead for its inaugural Half Marathon. I’d like to say I had always planed to do this race but to be honest I only really heard about it a week ago. Falling perfectly on my buildup for Berlin I took the event as my last hard distance run. I knew before even arriving that my PB from Dorney was not at risk, I have been struggling to even do one 7min/mi at the mo let alone 13.1 (I put that down to the little bit more I weigh now)! If I could do averages of 7:40 throughout I would be happy. The race was branded as flat and I guess in a way it was, there were no big hills to climb. However, perhaps it was just me, but it constantly felt like we were climbing and descending, not flat.

From my point of view the only real negative was water in cups, i’m not a fan, but this wasnt the first and im sure it won’t be the last race like it. I was struggling a bit so took the conservative route and stopped to drink rather than trying (and failing) whilst running! I should also add, next year maidenhead need to sort out the route so it doesn’t need to loop around the block at the very start, I’m sure you can find .2miles somewhere else on the course. From a spectator point of view Laura noted that those at the front got round the little loop before some of the runners had even crossed the start line causing a bit of a commotion at the start!

It was a shame about the weather, after 8m the heavens opened and it RAINED. I returned drenched but so was Laura who was waiting near the finish…I haven’t raced in such poor weather since the Paris half a few years ago. Dismal.

I finished in 1hr40, and managed to hang on to the 740 I had hoped for. I am in the middle of the final tough week before Berlin, the taper starts pretty soon!

For those that wonder, yes the Royal Parks Half is a week after Berlin. I figure this will be a very ‘interesting’ run for me, must remember to warm down properly after the big one regardless (thanks Matt Roberts Gym for some pointers regarding that!)

Till next time…

N

I start the story at the point of being absolutely shattered the night before the race in a hotel in Ascot. The week before I had been trying to balance work, Run For Japan (see next post) and a mini taper. Unfortunately the last item failed following late nights and early starts…

On Saturday morning, chauffeured by Laura I headed to Dorney Lake in Eton for the second race in spring. The weather was spectacular. Perfect running conditions, not a cloud in the sky and still a little bit chilly. The course looked idilic and whilst I was a bit apprehensive following the poor taper I was going to certainly give it a go.

My previous PB set just a month earlier at the Roding Valley Half was 1:35:33. Given that this was a hilly course I figured this target was certainly achievable so I set my Garmin ‘Virtual Partner’ at this time and aimed to beat it/him/her.

The start was a bit of a pain, it was a good km walk from the registration tent meaning that it took longer than it probably should have done to get going. I also hadn’t really bothered to read the race route – I was just about to find out it was a 4 lap course…dull!

Anyway, after 3months of routine training I would like to say I had a perfect race. I did beat my PB coming in at 1:32:30. However, this did not follow a perfectly paced run. Typically I zoomed off, first mile way to quick (I think it was sub 7min/mi possibly about 6:40) at the end of that mile and to a much greater extent by the end of mile 5 I realised I was going to have to hang on for 8 more miles. My splits are frankly embarrassing, up and down like a yo-yo. Fortunately to my credit I managed to recover a bit for the final couple of miles otherwise I think I may have missed out on the PB…

The race itself was ok, the organisation baring the trek to the start was generally good. I found the water stations very helpful as they were quite frequent. However, I believe they ran out of bottles in my last lap (which means more worrying, some out there still had two to go). I don’t think it was necessary to give it out after the first KM but understand this was just because of the position of the station and laps. Also it was good to see chaps handing out gels, I ignored them as I train with other types but it was a nice touch. That said, if you want to lure people into your gels perhaps it’s better stuffing a couple of different flavours in the goody bag. That way people will try them when it is good for their training…?

I have to say I do like Dorney, the route is pretty much flat as a pancake and on a day like that it is perfect material for a PB. However, there is a part of me on distances of half mara and less that actually enjoys the hills a bit. Sure the ups are slower but the downs give some recovery time!

Needless to say, a great start to the weekend a great run on the back of a 20miler the weekend before and slap bang in the middle of the heavy month! Happy days.

N

Last week was half term for Laura and we headed up to Ilkley to stay with Justin and his girlfriend. I met Justin at the 2010 Thunder Run and since then we have kept in touch and also did the Stockport 10m together (I say together he is much quicker than me…!). We arrived at their house where he and his girlfriend Ashleigh had offered to put us up and before long Justin and I were donning head torches and trail shoes and about to go for a run in the moors.

Having only run in pitch black once before (the thunder run) and struggled a bit I was a little apprehensive but I was in good company. As well as my inexperience when it comes to night running, this was the first time I had run in mud since cross country at school – an event I tried desperately to get out of each year! This run was going to be tough!

It was muddy, it was hilly, it was dark. How muddy and hilly i couldn’t tell because of the darkness but my heart rate was high and my speed was slow. Since running this I have been advised by a number of runners to leave the Garmin at home for these types of runs as they are slow and looking at the stats on the dial it’s all a little demoralising! I seem to remember after the thunder run thinking I hated it, then loved it again on the way home I thought this again! A week and a half later I want to go back for more…

Thank you to Justin and Ash for their hospitality, it was lovely to see you both and Josie. Looking forward to more Moor runs in the future…

The following Sunday was my first race of 2011, the Roding Valley Half Marathon which also coincides with my birthday. I have done this race before in 2010 however this time the weather was much kinder and hence the run was much more enjoyable. Starting about 5mins from the front door it is in a perfect location for me and its pretty cheap. Why would I not do it?! The race went well, and given that its in the title of the blog I once again smashed my PB time of last year. On entering the race I had a 1/2mara time of 1:42 recorded at Silverstone last March, I knew from the off this time was due to be broken if my current training was anything to go by. I ran the course in 1:35:32, 11 minutes faster than the 2010 run! On the back of the run, just for good measure (ha!), I tacked on another 3 to 4miles to stimulate the feeling of running on tired legs – all in preparation for the Marathon.

All in all another successful week of running!

Rich and I had decided during the week we would attempt to run a negative split today, this would be a nice challenge and also test to see our fitness levels. If we could run the first half at a reasonable pace but maintaining a low heart rate and then build up the speed to the end it would prove that our training over the last few months had been good. Having dropped our bags off and done the necessities we made our way to the start pens and made no attempt to go near the front. We were to set off at a 8:45 pace and we figured midway through this pen would suffice. The start was efficient and within a couple of minutes we were off, it was very difficult to force the speed slower and not be pulled along by the runners who set off at a faster pace. Fortunately, the Garmins came to our rescue – if I was going on how I felt no doubt I would have been running a 7min/mi from the start, as it turns out we went through the first mile in 8:30 so not too bad!

The first 6 miles of the course is lovely, taking in a large amounts of the sites of London, as we weren’t going hell for leather I looked up and enjoyed London in all its glory – especially with all the roads closed and lots of runners with huge smiles on there faces (it was the first six miles remember!) We maintained a pace of about 8:30-845 and entered Hyde Park at around 6 miles in 51mins. At 6 miles we opened up looking to increase our pace and hopefully maintain this until the finish. Not quite sure why we started at 6 miles, hardly half way! Anyway, from this point the splits went to about 7:30 average with the fastest being the last mile at a super speedy 7:07 – not too bad considering!

As we approached the final few hundred meters I think both of us thought we maybe able to break 1:45 and we were mighty close, coming in 9 seconds behind. Considering we set off for a 1:50 and the first 6 miles were at at 1:51 pace to reclaim 6 minutes in the second half is pretty good and to be honest those 9 seconds are irrelevant as it wasn’t a “race” for either of us.

Other than the cost, I was really impressed with the event itself and actually don’t have any gripes at all . The market was great and my goody bag is stuffed with treats which is a jackpot. The medal is lovely, and different to all the other ones I have. I would love to do it again but am not sure whether I would want to pay out quite as much for a route that I tend to run on a weekly basis with the Serpies anyway!

All in all though a cracking run, good to take it at a pace where we could have a chat and genuinely enjoy the day. As always, it was great to have Laura (and at the end Rich’s girlfriend Liz) out on the course cheering on, sorry to all those who may have seen me and I ignored, I know there were others out! Well done Soo on completing your first half marathon, hope you enjoyed it a little bit, a sterling achievement!

Gun Time: 01:45:09
First Half Split: 00:55:29
Second Half Split: 00:49:40
Difference between splits: 05:49
Average Speed: 8:00 min/mi
Average Heart Rate: 156bpm.

On Saturday afternoon I was over at Laura’s parents in Kent for a party. Whilst out in the car about 5pm I noticed a number of ‘Caution Runners’ signs and a 9 mile marker. I also spotted a road closure sign for the Sunday between 9-12. Returning back to the party I did a quick Google on my iphone to see what run was happening, where and when. That is when I found out about the Dartford Half Marathon on 11 July. They were accepting entries on the morning so at about 8pm on the 10th July I decided I would run in the event which started just down the road. Knowing nothing of the course or how my fitness would be as recently 7miles has been my distance cap.

About an hour after deciding to go for it I noticed a friend on facebook wish people good luck for a tough course. At this point I started to realise this wasn’t to be a ‘flat as a pancake’ Silverstone type race and there were to be hills…oh well, it’s just a group training run for me!

We were out of the house at 7:30 following a cobbled together breakfast and taking on some powerbar energy drink as that is all I had access to. Unfortunately my kit was also not my normal ‘race kit’ as I hadn’t intended on doing anything other than an individual long slow run, however luckily I did have all the necessities.

The race set off at 9. Fortunately it was quite cloudy so the worry of heat from the sun wasn’t so much of a concern. The race headed out of Central Park and into Dartford before moving onto smaller country roads and before long the undulating nature of the course started showing. To be honest the first few hills didn’t bother me as much as it seemed for others and once at the top there was plenty of recovery time down so all seemed fine.

As expected I started to run out of juice at about 9 miles. This was probably partly due to lack of fluid as drinking from paper cups whilst running is almost impossible! I nervously approached the hill at mile 10, I had no idea what to expect but had overheard a lot of natter back at the start about “Gore Road”. That was not a hill for running, in fact contrary to what I would normally do I decided walking was the better option. As people started going pass me I was a little bit upset – for the last few miles I had stuck my position and no-one had over took me. As it turns out I had nothing to worry about – at the top of the hill all of those who had overtaken me seemed to come to a complete halt, they had spent all the energy getting up and had nothing to get back down. At this point I was feeling fine so enjoyed the downward run back to the finish…

The last mile was also a toughy, entering the park the route was very bendy and it was one of those places where you can see the finish but are detoured around the houses to add a few more meters to make up the distance. Very demoralizing end to the race, but fortunately that was the end before a 350m lap of a running track and coming over the finish line!

Ignoring the huge hill this was a pretty well organised run – plenty of marshals out on the course which was a bonus – there were quite a few spectators sat in their drives which was nice. No real goody bag but they are normally a disappointment anyway! I had a good time and it was a great little impromptu run!

N

The massage was excellent and left my legs feeling a lot better than earlier and with the added knowledge that I wasn’t showing any real signs of damage I left the clinic ready for Sundays run, although at that point I hadn’t decided whether to race or just take it as a training run, although Chris did say as I left – go and crack 1:45, i’m sure you can.

Sunday arrived and with all the negative press that Silverstone seems to receive I don’t think I was looking forward to it as much as I possibly should – reports of difficulties getting in and out of the course on top of a dull circuit filled me with a bit of dread on the 1 and a bit hour drive. Fortunately, as always, Laura offered to come along and do the driving as well as watch from the sidelines and take photos, this is always a blessing – to have company before and after an event is perfect as it stops me stressing and getting worked up, not what you need before a race!

We got to Silverstone at about 1015 ish, plenty early for the noon start. We pottered down to the start areas and had a look at the shops before I started the lengthy process of sorting out my kit. Gel belt, heart rate monitor, pre-race isotonic drink, toilet break, banana….this routine takes almost as long as running the race but I find it works so I may as well stick to it. At 11:15 over the tannoy we were ushered into the pens, so I left my hoody with Laura and headed in – bad move. It was actually pretty damn cold still and I realised at this point I would be hanging around for 45mins without a jumper – did they really need 45mins to enter pens? On top of this because I got cold my body decided it needed the loo but I decided to hold it, if I needed to go during the route I would grudgingly have to stop!

Bang on midday Martin Yelling started the race and we were off – as usual I set off faster than I had really intended on and found myself running with the sub 8min runners. I tried to take the pace down a bit but judging by my Garmin that didn’t really happen! I managed to maintain a sub 8min/mi for the whole course – averaging 07:43 min/mi and according to my chip time I came in at 1:41:52 a new PB knocking 6 1/2 mins off my previous PB of 3 weeks prior (Laura – you were right I did a 1:48) and amazingly about 20mins off my Half Mara time of last year. On top of that my 10k chip time was sub 45 mins @ 44:15 another PB for me!

Obviously as I hit PB’s the run was incredible for me – it was tough but it wasn’t a killer I’m not sure I had another half in my legs at that speed but that is to be expected really! Marathon training is going well this year All in all a great run, wide course with no bottlenecks which is perfect! Would I do it again? If i was chasing a PB again then possibly, if I was going for scenery then probably not!See 19Mile Splits

Chip Timer Splits
Split Time
5K 00:23:25
10K 00:44:15
15K 01:11:25
20K 01:35:07

place (total) 671
place (gender) 614
place (cat) 484
finish time 01:41:52
http://silverstone.r.mikatiming.de/2010/index.php?content=detail&type=&id=0000030F5ECC83000005416E&lang=EN&event=SVRM&ageclass=

On Saturday, acutely aware there maybe a problem I took to the streets for the scheduled 3M warmup run – fortunately all seemed well no symptoms which matched Wednesdays run and it appeared that all was good

I’m a leap year baby so 28 Feb is when I opt for my birthday presents, according to facebook today is my birthday. On sat eve a load of my mates came over to take part in a murder mystery evening – whilst the food wasn’t entirely unhealthy I’m not sure the circumstances were the best pre-race routine especially the going to bed at 1am bit!

Sunday, my birthday and also the date of the Roding Valley half which I had decided to do as it’s rare to find an event where the start is less than a mile from home! On signing up, I realised the date, and new that I would be doing things the night before, howerver, I hadn’t predicted the wind and rain crashing into the window as my alarm went off – brilliant! I was so close to going, nah I won’t bother but fortunately I didn’t.

The race was wet and reasonably undulating couple of nice downhill recovery sections including a 1mile downhill to the finish line. The perfect thing about racing locally is the insider knowledge – I knew about the last mile, knew there wasn’t anything uphill so I think my final mile I clocked in a 7:40! Anyway, the finished the course in 1:48 according to my watch. The official race time came in at 1:50 but that doesn’t take into consideration at least a minute waited to get through a gap in a hedge as the main route was flooded!

I think 1:48 is a pb on my watch, and I actually think the official race time of 1:50 maybe a pb for me too from memory! The other positive thing was I still had more miles in my legs, wooo!

Haven’t seen the schedule for this week all I do know is i’m scheduled for an 18M on Saturday and I’m booked in for the ‘Newham 10k’ (completely pointless for marathon training). This run goes via the Olympic park which is always cool so looking forward to that!

Till next time.

N