Short fitness and training update.

I can't quite believe another month has passed since my last blog update.

On the fitness front I've not yet got into serious training. Using races as really hard tempo runs has helped maintain a reasonable level of fitness.

Dipping just under 36 minutes at the Dewsbury 10k was acceptable to me given the interruptions to training(snow and ice).

The Liversedge Half Marathon last Sunday proved tough and I needed a few days a slow running to fully recover. A time of 1-21-41 was enough to win first V45 prize there, and considering it's only just over a minute slower than my time at the Brass Monkey is a confidence boost.

I intend to try do another half marathon in March . I do consider the half marathon perfect for over distance 10k and 10 mile training, although I think you need to be actually training for a marathon to run them well and competitively. By that I mean training over distance with some long stuff(17-22 milers). There is also some flat local 10ks coming up Rothwell and Wakefield which I should be thinking about entering. So there no hint of retirement just yet!

Brass Monkey Half Marathon.

It was ideal conditions for the race today and I was prepared to give it a go. Cancelled races and bad training weather created self doubts early on - even before race day. This was only to be a hard pushed tempo session but still as close to max as I could go without blowing up; often called threshold pace. Everybody was in the same boat with the bad training weather so I really couldn't use that as an excuse today. Runners were telling me that they were clocking 60 miles a week on treadmills and others out running on the snowy pavements in trail shoes. No bad weather, just bad excuses.

The early race pace felt good and I seemed to be averaging about 5-45 minutes per mile and still within site of a group, which included team mate Kevin O. This was very close to recent 10k pace and with hindsight was too fast too early on. I stayed with this group for approximately 3 miles. After 5 miles runners were passing me in droves and then it was a case of hanging on to the end. After 8 miles the legs were starting to hurt, my pace then slowed and more runners were overtaking, Some I recognised including Marc T who stormed on for a Vet 40 prize and PB. Will k coasted past me late on too. Fellow blogger Simon A stormed passed just on the line to pip me at the end - well done to him.

I finished in 1-20-28, well down on last year but a useful session and something to build on for the coming season.

Pennine 10k: Slow start to 2011

Seven weeks since my last race - which was the Abbey Dash. I knew I'd lost some fitness even though I was regularly going to the gym and using the treadmill. Four cancelled races wouldn't help things. I needed to do a race to get 'race fit'.

The Pennine 10k seemed ideal, fairly local and an early starter. I entered on-line so it was just a case of turning up and collecting the number. I was a bit worried because last night there was a touch of frost at home. No signs of a cancellation this time, although I joked to some of the other runners that it was cancelled and the look on their faces was quite something.

It seemed like there was not as many runners this time. I just wondered if runners were deciding not to take the risk and abstain from entering because of the unpredictable weather. No entries on the day meant that it was a fairly low turnout for this race. Among the few runners that I recognised were: Shaun Dimilow(Barnsley)Andy May(Abbey Runners), Andy Whitworth(Meltham), David Thomson(Barnsley), Keith Williams(Rotherham), Martin Firth(Queensbury)

With no serious training for quite a few weeks it was a case of easing into the race and seeing how the legs and lungs held up. Shaun set of at a steady pace with a chap from Halifax giving chase. I was happy to follow and run alongside Andy W until I found out just what pace my legs could take. I seemed to cope well with the up hills and gained the advantage over Andy W. Andy M and David Thomson ran ahead and made a small group. I quickly realised I didn't want to join them this time and decided to run my own race. It was a solo effort for me from then on with Andy W falling some way behind, although I got the feeling that he may make a late charge and catch me. I think my time was 37-28 ish, some way short of last years PB of 33-49 but it's a hilly course with a touch of headwind today.

Recovering from rest.

Adapting to rest seems hard for me. The festive period of long lie ins, large breakfasts and lack of endurance work doesn't suit me and is noticeable as I hit the pavements once again. On the way home from work on my regular 7 mile run I was having to slow down to jogging pace in places due to aching legs. The obsessive runner doesn't take to rest and the thought of other rival runners out there training is torture.

Looking forward into 2011 I will continue the successful regime of late 2010; which I would describe as 'batch training' and 'batch racing'. This consists of a full season of hard training(about 13 weeks of 60-70 miles/ week with 1 long run, 1 speed session per week), then reducing the training and doing about four to six races of 10k, 10 miles or half marathon, with a weeks rest between 10k's and two weeks between 10 miles and half marathon. I prefer to train for a season(or part to part) ie spring, summer, autumn and winter. I feel this idea will compartmentalise the training and make it appear to have a definite start and end, where a peak should be reached at the end of the season. The same idea would be to have a key race to aim for and therefore a date to aim for a peak. I personally find this difficult when doing so many races in a short time. It can reduce other options available and also be a massive disappointment if it doesn't pay off and you have no plan B. Last year I misjudged where the peak would be and managed to hold a reasonable fitness level in the 5 races of Horsforth 10k(34-40), Brid Half(1-17-17), Guy Fawkes 10 mile(59-54) Barnsley 10k(34-40) and Leeds Abbey Dash 10k(33-49). The only disappointment was the Brid Half, where I needed a rest and it it didn't feel like it(I felt good on the day), but it was still useful training for the other races.

Three Degrees

Not talking about the classic 70's pop band. I was surprised to read that the temperature reading this morning was 3 degrees. The birds were tweeting and it felt almost spring like. I was just starting to get used to a lie in and the full English breakfast on my return from the gym. It felt good to get out onto safe clear pavements once again. The legs felt heavy though and there was no way that it was going to be a fast pace; seven minute/mile max. I had done a hard gym session yesterday with some single leg squats and then on to the treadmill after finding out that the Ribble Valley was cancelled. I know it was one of those things and the conditions were not good but a small hand written sign at the race start saying that the race cancelled was a little bit short notice. It was an 130 mile round trip from Wakefield so not a journey I wanted to make for no reason.

All this gym work and I've worked out that there seems to be a world of difference between treadmill running and road running. I did get to the point of enjoying the treadmill once I set myself challenges on it. Viewing it as a running rival and virtual partner rather than a machine. I will include it as part of my training with maybe one session per week next year.

It's close to the end of the year now and I will be reviewing 2010 and thinking about what can be done in 2011 to improve things running wise. I know things went downhill in December when the bad weather hit. A 33-49 10k at Leeds towards the end of November was a high point. This month I have been running to work and back in the snow but unable to put in any tempo work due to the danger of slipping and track work was off due to the ice on the track. Fitness can easily be built back up but bad injuries can take longer to heal - were my thoughts. Keeping a fitness base there means not having to start right from scratch again, although it feels you have lost loads of fitness on your first run out.

So if I don't get another posting out before the end of the year. Happy New Year to everybody and happy running in 2011.

Seasons Greetings

Just got a moment to wish a very merry Christmas to all bloggers, followers, readers and others and also to a successful 2011 for everybody. Not got much time cos the kids are tucked up in bed and Santa is on his way.

Sorry about no recent updates but i've not really done much race wise. Three races cancelled now and I'm eagerly checking the Preston Harriers website to see if the Ribble Valley road race is still on. They have give it out for about 2 degrees on Monday which should hopefully make sure the course is ice free.

I have been running to work and back and treadmill running this past two weeks, managing to clock a decent sub 37 minutes on the treadmill(longest ever run on treadmill, I think) this morning, so it's more a case of holding on to what's there rather than trying to improve - until the icy pavements clear that is.

Doing a lot of strength work at the gym to help my niggly knee, which has improved it somewhat.

Bye for now.

Thirsk 10

I was up for it today and set off like a rocket. I glanced at my Garmin, which showed 3-30 per mile. I knew if I kept up the pace I would be on for a sub 40 minute 10 mile. My nearest rival was at least a mile back, Andy Pearson I think, or was it Mo Farah. I kept thinking the lead car is not going fast enough and I need to ask if they can increase the pace a bit. On the turn round point I saw another group of runners, local star Gary Dunn was among them with Darren Bilton, both snarling at me as I passed them. Just then as I approached the finish I heard a noise - it was the alarm clock going off for me to get up. It was all just a dream, shame it was cancelled.