You Win Some, You Lose Some

Tarpley 20 mile - The Autopsy

Firstly, important to clarify what I mean by a "bad" race. It's not me describing a particular finish time as bad. For a start, that would be unfair on runners who record a slower time but may rightly be very happy with the result. It is of course all relative, and about comparing your own time against your expectations, and against previous races, PBs, etc.

Mile 15, and it wasn't going to plan

Furthermore, whilst I was way off target pace, and very unhappy with the finish time, when I refer to it as a bad race I am really thinking as to how the race panned out overall. As in, it felt tough throughout, and involved a couple of stops on the way, and there were a few miles towards the end where I walked sections. I was accompanied pretty much from the off with stomach cramps, the leg cramps kicked in around mile 14-15, and I got a stitch at mile 17 that I couldn't shake off as well. Other than that, it went really well!

What happened?

So, one of those runs I can honestly say I didn't enjoy at all. There are very few positives I can take from the experience, except that my ongoing injury didn't really resurface, other than a small amount of discomfort afterwards which I am more than used to. What becomes important now is where I go from here. Can I figure out what went wrong, and why? I have only suffered from leg cramps in 3 previous races, namely the two marathons and a 30 miler. So a clear common factor is distance/time on feet. However on those previous occasions I believed heat to have also been a factor, and at about 3 degrees celsius I don't think I can get away with that excuse this time.

Energy gels. A bit like drinking snot. 

Was it nutrition? Breakfast was my usual - honey on toast - and I allowed plenty of time to digest before running, so I don't think this was the problem.
Was it hydration? Not in the build-up: I thought about this carefully and drank plenty the day before and on the morning. I didn't take on much water during the race itself, but when I did take more on at the last water station, it seemed to lead immediately to a nasty stitch. So possibly a mistake there.
Was it the gels? I don't think they can have done any harm - in fact, for about half a mile after each one I did feel a bit of a boost, although this is possibly psychological. I took them in the hope of avoiding leg cramps, since they replace lost electrolytes for exactly this reason - but they clearly didn't stop the problem.

Tired Legs

After some reflection, I have decided the most likely cause is general tiredness, caused by over-training. The week in the build-up to Tarpley was not ideal. I had been unable to fit in my scheduled 18 mile training run the previous weekend, a common issue since I have my son to stay alternate weekends. Don't get me wrong - this is great, and one of the many benefits of my new job, and no longer working shifts. Thanks to the joys of flexi-time, I arranged to go into work later on Tuesday, and so with Charlotte on half-term (she's a teacher!) we were able to go together, which is good for me since she stops me running off at a stupid pace. The run itself was fine, but two days closer to Tarpley than it should have been. To compound this issue, I was unable to fit in time for a recovery run the next day, so delayed this until Thursday morning - but still went to running club that evening, meaning 11 miles for the day. Adding on the 20 from Tarpley this meant 49 miles spread over 6 days, which was probably too big an increase in mileage all at once. This is one of those common mistakes all keen runners know they should be aware of when training for marathons, and I'm probably lucky I haven't picked up an injury.

I'm not trying to make excuses for my race - it didn't go to plan and that's no-one's fault but my own - but I feel it's important to figure out what happened so I don't repeat the mistakes next time. I know that I ran my first marathon with tired legs, having run a half marathon a week before - if this sounds daft, it was to give myself confidence following a period out with knee problems, but it clearly didn't do me any favours come race-day. For London last year, I believed I had tapered correctly, but reading back through my blogs today I notice I actually ran a parkrun the day before - albeit not at usual race-pace, but still I'd forgotten that I'd tried that, and this time around I shall definitely be resting the day before! So I suspect this is definitely a key factor - but it's not the only one.

The Most Likely Reason?

Quite possibly, I am trying to achieve a better time at longer distance races than I am currently capable of at present - meaning I am setting off too quickly. If I can run a half in under 1hr30, then it's hard to set off at over a minute a mile slower for a race that's only 7 miles longer. But clearly doing the whole thing at 7m45 pace - a finish time of 2hr35 - would have been far more preferable than what I actually achieved. What I managed to do in fact was to set off at 6m45 pace, go through 10 miles with an average pace of 7m15 (so already slipping) but then taking a further 1hr43m20 to do the second half - average pace over 10min miles due to the stops and the walking.

Good training runs and build-up races should simply give me
the confidence to hit my original target of 3hr30m, not mean
that I get carried away and change the target.

So being realistic at the start line is clearly a key lesson to take from this - but therein lies the problem I have with long races. I've talked before about how often I've raced my preferred 5km distance - upwards of 75 times now. This means I have been able to experiment, try out different tactics, etc - and then try something different the next week. The whole process is a learning curve, and I'm clearly still learning. The next time I race Thetford, for example, I intend to try to front run from the off - not something I've attempted before. It's taken me four attempts now to properly understand the course, and to get to know the competition, and it's now something I'm comfortable trying. And if it does go horribly wrong - it doesn't matter, I just try a different tactic next time, and either way I'm one parkrun nearer my 100 T-shirt.


Obviously with longer races, they don't come along with such regularity. I do one marathon per year. When London 2014 went wrong, I toyed with the idea of attempting an autumn marathon, but in the end decided against it, for reasons I've blogged about before. And so it will have been a whole year waiting to put it right. The fear of going off too slowly, finishing strongly and then regretting not having pushed harder is always going to be there for me. However, on reflection, that's got to be preferable to the opposite, and my marathon experience to date - ie, going off quickly but having a horrendous second half.

So perhaps at Oakley 20 - in about one month's time - I will set off at a much slower pace, and then see if I can build, with the last quarter being the strongest. Psychologically, finishing well - even if I'm not particularly blown away by my overall time - may just be what I need so that I can go into London with more confidence.

Being Realistic

It will be nice to enjoy the finish this year.

And as for the marathon, perhaps important at this stage to downgrade my expectations somewhat. I have been getting extremely encouraged by the improvements that I've made recently in other distances, but I think I just need to accept - and this is not the first time I've told myself this - that I am not naturally strong at marathon distance, and this year I should concentrate on getting a solid rather than spectactular time under my belt.


My recovery run on Monday was tough on my tired legs, and I decided not to attend club training the following evening, wanting a couple of days rest before taking on our club 5km tomorrow. However, this morning I woke feeling slightly less sore and decided to run my usual 5 mile loop before work. Everything felt fine, and a quicker last mile has given me the boost I need before attempting the time trial. I was originally targeting a PB for this, but following Tarpley I have no idea how it will go. Hopefully it will be the first step in regaining some confidence moving forward.

I vaguely considered pulling out of London following my experience at the Tarpley 20, but instead today have booked our hotel room for the night before - one bad race doesn't ruin everything, and in fact, providing I can learn from it, it may well have helped.

Favourite Distance - 5KM

Valentine's Day

My son Harry - not an early riser

On Saturday 14^th February, I made the extremely romantic decision to leave Charlotte in bed and go off to run another Parkrun at Thetford. A bit of a last minute decision – I wouldn’t normally race on a weekend when I have my son staying, but he was fast asleep and Charlotte was kind enough to offer to keep an ear out in case he broke tradition and woke before 10am! 

I wasn’t really expecting a great deal.

Excuses

Firstly, I was aware that the weight had started to creep back on just a little, something I am trying hard to get back on top of, since it’s clearly a major factor.

Thetford - muddy, but not as bad
as Nowton Parkrun

Secondly, I hadn’t particularly trained towards improving my short distance times recently, with Great Bentley having been very much the focus for the last couple of weeks.

Thirdly the course was likely to be a little muddier than the last time I ran it, when a frost on the morning had helped to harden the ground a little. 


So therefore, whilst I always hope to achieve a PB, I was trying to be realistic with my targets for this race, and so whilst Gold Target was sub 19mins and 1^st place (still never managed this in over 100 races now!) I had more likelihood of hitting either Silver (course PB and 2^nd place, where I’ve finished on my three previous Thetford runs) or Bronze (simply another consistent 5km in the low 19mins.) 

 

Another Solid Run

Two miles, I took stock of the situation

In the event, I got my tactics a bit wrong, trying to keep up with the eventual winner for the first mile or so. Racing for position rather than time is a new experience for me, and I need to be careful I remain realistic. After about 1km I realised we were running at sub 18min pace, which I know I’m not ready for just yet, and I began to fall back over the remainder of the race – concentrating hard on holding it together to still achieve a decent time, and ideally not to get caught by the guys behind.

The winning time was 17m30, so good job I didn’t try to keep up with him any longer! I came 2^nd – again! – and with a slight course best of 19m04. Only 7 seconds outside my PB for the distance, which is only just over 1second per kilometre – so possibly if I’d gone off slightly more intelligently, it may have been there for the taking with a decent finish. But no regrets – I knew I’d pushed hard throughout and Silver target achieved so good enough to remain positive about my running.

So what do I take from that into my next 5km? Maybe I would have had more left in the last mile if I’d let the leader go on ahead at the start – but hard to judge, because I didn’t know at that point how quick he was (I’ll know if I see him there again next time!) But going off hard at Thetford is still probably the best tactic – the first mile is much easier (mainly path) than the next (2 off-road laps around a meadow, with a hill in it, albeit only a small one!) So it makes sense to make the most of the easier terrain and start off quicker. Just not that much quicker. 

A nice route, and when the paths are nice and dry in the summer
there's every chance Thetford will allow me to improve my 5km PB

 

1st place or a new PB?

Ultimately, what do I want to achieve at Thetford? 

Well, undoubtedly 1^st would be nice – but it’s all relative, because presumably if the winner hadn’t turned up, it would have been me crossing the line first, but my time probably wouldn’t have been any better, in fact probably worse without having him to chase. So would a slower 1^st place be preferable to a new course PB and 2^nd place? Not really, given that it’s all about improving as a runner, which for me means seeing progress with my times. My first ever Half Marathon saw me finish in 7^th place, but in a small and less competitive field. My most recent saw me finish 77^th, but 22 minutes quicker - and I know which one gives me the greater pleasure.

Our next trip to Thetford saw us in volunteer roles, since we were racing Tarpley 20 the following day. It’s important to do your fair share of volunteering at Parkruns, since you’re never charged a penny to run, and it’s always fully staffed with people giving up their Saturday morning so that you can race. I volunteered fairly regularly at Colchester, but have been a bit slack recently, and so a couple of weeks back we helped out at Bury, and this week we were there donning volunteer vests at Thetford. It’s also a good way to meet a few more people, and to feel more a part of the team. 

Next Up - Time Trial and the Kevin Henry Series

So my next 5km race will be our club time trial, at the end of this month (February.) Being only 4 days after Tarpley 20 – getting my excuses in early – this will probably feel tough, but I hope to break 19mins for the first time on this course, and in doing so I have great chance of a new PB (currently 18m57) since it’s by far the easiest course I run regularly, with only one slight hill near the start, that you get to run back down towards the end, and no sharp twists and turns, and a decent surface to run on. Unlike Thetford, I won’t be worrying about position – it entirely depends on who turns up, and in fact it would be preferable if a couple of our quickest guys show, since I know everyone’s typical times and will be able to use them to “unofficially” pace me to a good time myself. There are runners at the club I know I’m not ready to beat just yet, but I hope to have closed the gap a little over the last few months.

A longer term aim for this season is to regularly score for the club at the Kevin Henry series of 5k races we compete in against other local running clubs. I’ve mentioned these before in my blogs – since they’re probably my favourite events of the year. They’re pretty competitive, comprising as they do some of the best runners in the region, and so are a great way to judge progress. Every runner scores at least one point for the club by completing the course, and so it’s a very inclusive competition which rewards big club turnouts, something everyone at HRC embraced fully last year, and hopefully will do again this time around.

In addition though, the top 6 men and top 4 ladies from each club see their finishing positions used to calculate a final club score. My aim therefore is always to try to get into the top 6 men home for the club, something I didn’t quite manage last year – but this year, I know I’m definitely stronger, and whilst it’s fair from being a certainty, I think I have a good chance of featuring in some of the races.

My next blog will centre on my performance at the Tarpley 20, and since I am writing this the day after, I can tell you now it wasn’t great! So you can look forward to a depressing read shortly….

Great Bentley Half Marathon

On Sunday 8^th February, I competed in one of my “A” races for the year, the Great Bentley Half Marathon. A favourite event in the spring running calendar, particularly for those with an upcoming Marathon in April or May, the race has great PB potential, run on quiet country roads around this village situated roughly halfway between Colchester and Clacton. 

Great Bentley lays claim to the largest village green in the UK. So we all parked on it.

This was my third visit to the fixture. In 2013, I ran although I was unwell – no doubt a bad idea, and the constant sleet throughout didn’t help much either – and I only just broke 2hrs. Last year was much better, and I was only just outside my 1hr40 target, on a very cold and very windy day. This time around, conditions were just about perfect – a bit chilly but nothing much to worry about, or to get in the way of a decent time.

 

Going for a PB

I hadn’t run a half for a while –  this would be my first proper attempt to “race” the distance since Stowmarket Half back in March of last year (1hr38) – and I was keen to see how I’d progressed. Since then, I’d only run a couple more: a struggle around Southend on a ridiculously hot summer’s day and pacing duties around Ipswich in October. I had run my best two halves at Stowmarket – it was where I set my PB of 1hr34 in 2013, so I’d managed sub 1hr40 there twice – but I knew that if everything came together at Great Bentley, I had every chance of getting under 1hr30 for the first time, and knocking a big chunk off my PB in the process.

The confidence came from my two recent 10 mile races at the back end of last year, which I blogged about in my last post. The plan for Sunday was to go off at a similar pace to those, and then try to hang on for the last 3.1miles. I was looking therefore to keep an average up of around 6m45 per mile.

How the race unfolded

I started off way too quick – no change there then. This is a common failing I need to sort out – although to be fair, it’s working well in the 5km races I’ve done recently. Just not such a good idea when it’s over 4 times the distance. At the end of mile one I felt great, but I knew 6m17 was way too quick, as was 6m33 for mile 2. I settled down after this and concentrated on getting into a comfortable rhythm, with the aim of keeping each mile below 6m45.

All went well for the new few miles - in fact, as I went through the 6 mile marker I realised I was on for a 10km PB, although I’m not sure sprinting 0.2miles to ensure I got one was the brightest thing I’ve ever done in a race, and it certainly confused the runners I sped past (who soon overtook again once I’d settled back down!) 

I like this. It messes with my head a bit. But I like it.

I managed to keep on target pretty well up until miles 11 and 12, when I crept slightly over 6m45, but still below 7min mile pace. Fortunately I had enough left to push on for the last mile and a bit. Knowing the whole course is completely flat allows you to concentrate almost exclusively on rhythm and form, without worrying about any hard parts of the course up ahead, and I suppose it then becomes a mental battle to maintain what will be – if you’re going for a PB – a demanding pace.

Smiles all round

And so a successful race – with a new PB by about 8mins, and a finish time of 1hr26m46, and a top 100 finish. I can’t believe I shall ever be in contention for prizes in a race of this distance, but I’ve now managed a time I can be proud of, and it offers plenty of encouragement as I continue to build towards the London Marathon.

The day finished with a trip just round the corner to Somei and Trevor's, two of the Commando Runners, who kindly hosted an after run party for the second year running - great food and great company. Charlotte smashed her own PB by 6 minutes, so a great day all round.

Moving in the Right Direction

Another month, another blog....

It has - yet again - been a while since I last blogged. This is frustrating since the aim has always been to provide a brief weekly round up of my running - more so for my own benefit, to allow me to look back and chart progress - but instead I seem to keep doing occasional long write-ups,
that take ages to write and presumably sap the will to live out of anybody daft enough to read them in their entirity. So, therefore, a promise both to myself and to any readers out there: this will be the last feature-length blog and will be followed by more regular, shorter efforts from now on.

What do I plan to write about?

There are a number of themes I hope to touch on in future, within the broader remit of a weekly round-up. I am particularly interested in the psychological factors affecting running, and also in the different benefits gained from different types of training run. Like many runners this time of year, I am following a training schedule for a spring marathon, and I hope to do short regular updates on my progress towards London 2015, hopefully touching on areas that may be of interest to those of you doing the same.

Additionally, in part prompted by my new job working for Natural England, I have become more aware of the possibilities of including another passion of mine - love of wildlife and the environment - into my weekly posts. If I can get my head around the logistics of carrying a camera with me on my long runs, I intend to include some photos of the routes I am discovering, since I am lucky to be living close to some beautiful landscapes.

More on this is subsequent weeks though - for now, a round-up of my races since October last year, coinciding with a a time when - finally - things are beginning to go very well. I will not include my most recent race at Great Bentley, since this will be the subject of my next blog, given that it was one of my "A" races for the year,

Reasons for Improvement?

A cadence of 180+ steps
per minute is proven to be
a more economic style of running

So whilst I have blogged separately about my ongoing injury, it's worth noting here that for a few months now I have not experienced very much discomfort at all. The problem remains more noticeable when spending a long time on feet, so it is beginning to reappear on my long slow runs now that I am embarking on marathon training. But, for most of the races covered in this particular post, it has not been much of a factor at all. Lack of discomfort has allowed me to put a greater level of intensity into my training, which has been a major factor in improved race times.

Another major factor that I believe has led to big improvements has been altering my running style, both in terms of trying to forefoot strike rather than heel strike (still ongoing this one but getting
better) and quickening my cadence, whilst paying more attention to where my feet land in relation to my body - underneath rather than out in front. I will blog more about running style in a future blog.

Promising results on the scales

So too has shedding a considerable amount of weight - almost one and a half stone since I changed my diet back in October. This has involved loosely following the weightwatchers programme - not going to meetings for group weigh-ins or anything but keeping within their points system (most days!) and paying more attention to the size of our meals - weighing rice/pasta, cereal in the morning, etc. I couldn't have done this without Charlotte's support. As I type this, I am sitting in a hotel waiting to attend an assessment centre for a graduate scheme I hope to get onto - and it's just possible that, without Charlotte watching over me, I may have overdone things at breakfast.  

And finally - and I suspect most importantly - I have rediscovered my confidence with running. Which means that one good race leads naturally on to another good race - and I find myself at the start line expecting to get a PB each time (hopefully not in an arrogant way, just in a good level of self-belief kind of way!)

Fenland 10 Mile (26th Oct '14)

Charlotte and I decided that with a rare free Sunday, we would try out this local (ish) and totally flat race. Training had been going well and I was determined not only to get a new PB but to achieve a long-held ambition of averaging sub 7min miles for a long race, with the result therefore being below the "magic" 70 mins barrier. Of course, theses magic barriers are constantly changing as I improve over time. When I first began running (and for a fair while after) a sub 20mins 5km was a key target for me, but now that I have  broken 19mins (more later on) then the new magic barrier for me is sub 18mins. I am yet to get my sub 40mins 10km, and this remains on the agenda, but with Great Bentley HM in the New Year offering a realistic chance of breaking the 1hr30 barrier (spoiler alert - I did it, more in my next blog!) then being able to go sub 70mins in a 10miler was going to be crucial in giving me the confidence I would need to hit 6m50 pace for 13.1miles in February. 

In the event, whilst I had 2 or 3 miles in this race where I went over 7mins, I was on or below pace for the majority of the race, and with a strong finish I got myself a new PB of 69mins19.  Charlotte, running her first ever 10mile, and off the back of not a great deal of training, got a very impressive 83m21, suggesting she could also smash her Half Marathon PB at some point in 2015, possibly also at Gt Bentley (spoiler alert - she did as well!)

Hadleigh 5 Mile (23rd Nov '14)

A typical example of an elevation map. It was tough
but to be fair, not this tough

I had long been looking forward to competing in the final race of the Suffolk Grand Prix series, at Hadleigh. On the day, the conditions were pretty grim - cold and very wet, with constant rain throughout and sizeable puddles to negotiate, but with little wind, there was no reason why this couldn't be a PB too -- and I had been structuring my training towards this event, regularly pushing hard on the 5mile loop around where I live, getting quicker each time and feeling full of confidence by race day. At the end a number of people mentioned how they'd been caught out by how hilly it was - but, having done the 10mile route a couple of years ago, I knew this and did my homework: as with a lot of races, the website showed an elevation map, and so I was able to calculate which miles were tougher, and whereabouts I could push (the final mile in particular was all either flat or downhill.)

Erm...?

In fact, I even went as far as to write time targets for each mile on my arm prior to the start, based on the amount of climb or descent for each part of the course.

Despite the heavy rain reducing this carefully worked out information tool to a smudged inky mess within the first few hundred yards, I remembered enough to run a well thought out race and was particularly pleased to catch a fair few runners in the last mile, which I managed in 5m45 (a mile PB!) I finished with a new 5mile PB of 32m10, good enough for a top ten place, and first in the MV40 category (males aged 40-44) - which earnt me a £10 sweatshop voucher. In the Grand Prix I was still competing in the Senior Divison, since I was 39 when it began earlier in the year. The placing secured me 97 points in the GP, unfortunately leaving me just one position off the "podium" in the final standings - but 4th overall in the senior men's division was pleasing enough. For the forthcoming season (1st event Tarpley 20 in a couple of weeks) I will be competing in the MV40 category, up against - amongst others - my club colleague Mark White, who won it this time around, We have over 50 club members taking part in the fixture, with a choice of 10mile or 20mile - and hopefully we'll get similarly good turnouts for all the Suffolk GP fixtures throughout 2015, looking to build on the 7th place team position we got for 2014.

I overtook a runner towards the end of the Hadleigh race who I recognised from Colchester Parkrun - he is always ahead of me! No doubt this played a big part in increasing my confidence as I prepared for my next races - I am now beginning to find myself competitive against runners I have always admired, which is a great feeling.

Time Trial (Nov '14)

And so next up, a couple of 5kms - as regular readers will know, my preferred distance. At the end of November, an all too rare opportunity to race the club time trial. I knew from treadmill work and some decent Tuesday night speedwork sessions that I really should be able to go sub 20mins again, and I even thought I had a chance to go under my previous PB time of 19m44. I decided to go off like an idiot and then see if I could hang on - and the tactic seemed to work, proof no doubt that I have gotten stronger, since I was able to maintain pace pretty consistently throughout, and finished with a big new PB of 19m03.

Colchester Parkrun (6th Dec '14)

Buoyed by this, I attempted the same tactic at Colchester the following Saturday - and whilst I didn't expect to improve my PB on the hills of castle park, I did feel I would probably go under 20mins for the first time on the course. In fact, I suprised myself by managing both - and getting just under 19mins in the process - and even more surprisingly, getting 3rd place overall. I made the most of the easier first half, pushing hard on the downhill, and found myself in 2nd place at the halfway point. Whilst I was a bit disappointed to be overtaken going up the hill for the first time, this probably helped my time since I determined to try to hang on to the tail of the young lad who'd gone past me, with the aim of reclaiming 2nd place in the sprint finish, where I am usually strong. This tactic worked perfectly, except that, when I went past him on the final bend, he had clearly been saving something, since he kicked and completely blew me away, suggesting he'd had plenty in reserve all along. No matter, what was important to me was my new PB and my equal best ever placing - and of course, the main reason for making the trip to Colchester early on a Saturday morning, which was to catch up with good friends and eat cake in the cafe afterwards. 

Race the day before a race?

Perceived wisdom in the running world suggests that racing the day before another race is probably not going to work. Particularly if you're planning to "go for it" in both. However, being on a runner's high can work wonders, and whilst I wouldn't have done this if either race was particularly important - eg a grand prix race or a league fixture - it seemed like a good idea to race both days this particular weekend, and so it was off to Peterborough for another 10mile effort.

Nene Valley 10 Mile (7th Dec '14)



I wasn't sure it was that funny

Not as scenic as Fenland - mainly through the decidedly unleafy suburbs of Peterborough, but flat as a pancake, which is a major bonus if you want to hit a consistent pace throughout. Which was my target - to keep EVERY mile under 7mins. I managed to achieve this with some pretty solid consistent running, but there were a couple of really tough miles - and given the flat nature of the course, they can only have been tough for psychological reasons. I would say mentally this was one of the hardest races I have ever done, because trying to maintain that pace with hardly any fluctuation took every ounce of determination and willpower I could muster. Consequently, the result - 66m38 - was one of the most pleasing I have ever achieved. At one point, a large gap opened up between me and the next runner behind, prompting one bystander (out walking his dog) to shout "come on mate, you're last!" I laughed politely, whilst silently calculating whether or not I had enough energy to respond abusively and then outrun his dog - but in fact, it was a really good race for me, with an average pace of 6m40 suggesting my sub 90mins Half Marathon target was a realistic one.

No medals, just a couple of mugs...

At the end of the race, there was a van set up with computers linked to the chip-timing system, allowing us to type in our race number and get an instant official time and placing. I was pleased with 86th place out of over 350 runners, and even more pleased to see Charlotte coming down the home straight with an impressive finish that saw her taking a further 1min39secs off her recently set Fenland time - she is edging ever closer to the magic 80mins barrier.

Parkrunning over the festive period

2 weeks later, we ran Cambridge Parkrun for the first time in a while - this race has become a victim of its own success, with about 400 runners and a fair bit of congestion to start with on the narrow paths around Milton Park. I was chuffed to bits to grab a top ten finish, something I never believed I would manage when I first began parkrunning here in 2012. The time was also pleasing - a slight PB of 18m57, but more importantly a 3rd 5km in a row around the 19mins mark, showing consistency and suggesting that 19mins rather than 20mins is my new benchmark for a decent run. Although my next parkrun - at Nowton Park, Bury - was a little slower, I was happy enough to go sub 20 for the first time on what I consider to be a really tough course: not particularly hilly but all off road, which I find hard. Incidentally, this run was an extra event put on for Christmas day, which we did with Charlotte's sister and her boyfriend who were staying over - a great way to start the best day of the year, and going some way towards justifying the amount of food and drink I then consumed.

Thetford - Our New Favourite Parkrun (Jan '14)

We didn't panic.
(Thetford was where they filmed Dad's Army)

We then decided we'd try out Thetford Parkrun - actually a little closer to us than either Cambridge or Colchester, and a combination of paths and grass, meaning it would be a little easier than the Nowton mudbath. Our first attempt went pretty well - having enjoyed a 3 way battle with another couple of runners for much of the race, I just pulled in front of them towards the end to claim my first ever 2nd place. I had been unable to go off as quickly as I would have liked, since I had no idea where we were going - and, being another special event (New Year's Day) there was only a skeleton volunteer staff, ie no marshalls out on route. I determined that the next time, I would try leading from the front, now that I knew the route, and see what happened.

There was only 2 days to wait to try this, with the NYD race being in addition to the usual Saturday event. Yes, we raced Christmas Day and New Year's Day. That's how obsessed we are! Charlotte very patiently talked me through the route as we drove over - I have a terrible memory for things like this and need to do a route a few times before it really sinks in, but she did manage to explain it in a clear enough way for me to feel confident I knew what to do. However, due to a fair amount of rain, they announced at the start that they were using their alternate route, to avoid a flooded meadow part - and so again I had to go off slightly slower than I would have liked so that I could tuck in behind the leaders and not get lost. In the end, I was 2nd again and this time only 1 second off first - although I suspect the eventual winner had enough left to kick on if I'd caught him earlier, since his PB is much quicker than mine.

My third trip to Thetford saw me claim 2nd place again - nothing if not consistent, although this time I was some way behind the eventual winner. However, each of the 3 runs has been in the low 19mins area, and I suspect that as I get to know the course better, I can set a new PB there, and hopefully begin to get under 19mins on a regular basis. Maybe even win it on occasion! If I can continue to post these encouraging times on these routes - some with hills, some off-road, some with numerous twists and turns - then there is every reason to believe I can get closer to 18mins on easier courses, for example on our own time trial route, which I shall next attempt at the end of this month (Feb 2015.)
What I have particularly enjoyed recently is that I have been able to race for position - a new experience for me, and one which I am loving. Getting involved in a battle for a top ten or even podium place has become just as important to me as getting a good time - which pretty much looks after itself anyway. Times are, after all, relative. Charlotte has been regularly getting into the top 3 ladies too, so it's a course we intend to keep visiting, although on our next occasion this will be as volunteers, since we're racing Tarpley 20 the next day.

Not the most competitive of races...

I'm not under any illusions - I know that Thetford is not a particularly competitive parkrun, and I haven't suddenly become a world beater overnight - but it's really nice going into an event knowing I have a good chance these days of being up near the front, and the confidence then flows through all my running, both in training sessions as well as in the next race.

National and Local Rankings

I want to blog separately about RunBritain, a fantastic website which allows you to chart your progress through use of a handicap score which you can lower as you improve, and which also offers ranking tables so you can see where you are in the country: you can filter these to look at your position within your particular region, and within your age category as well. I can see that my handicap is the lowest it's ever been, and that my recent results rank as my best ever - all further proof that everything is clicking into place nicely, with more to come.

Marathon training: a massive commitment
but worth doing right to get results

As promised/threatened before, I shall now be blogging more frequently. My next post will be concerned with the Half Marathon I ran last Sunday, and then after this I will turn to the next time trial, where I hope to PB again. London Marathon training continues in the meantime, so plenty to write about over the forthcoming weeks.

Many thanks as always for taking the time to read my ramblings; I hope somewhere in there you found something of interest!


#running
#confidence
#PB