Out but not Down

So I've finally stopped faffing about and decided to pull out of running this year's London Marathon. And despite feeling somewhat disappointed initially, it hasn't taken long for me to realise that not only was it in reality the only choice I could make, but I'm actually a lot happier for having made it. And it ended up being a pretty straightforward decision.

Those of you who read my last post may remember that I was going to use my two runs over the Easter weekend to allow me to work out what to do. The first of these was a local five mile race in Sudbury on Good Friday morning. The second was a planned long slow run on Easter Monday. Here's what happened....

Sudbury Five Mile

This went far better than I had any right to expect. I felt more nervous than usual as we congregated in the local sports centre prior to the race start, chatting to some friends from the Commando Runners, and also to the Haverhill RC contingent present. An albeit short warm-up run helped settle these nerves however, and I felt confident I would perform reasonably well as we made our way through the crowd to start fairly near the front of the pack. Always difficult to know how near the front to stand. Too near and you can easily go off too fast as you get carried away attempting to keep pace with the quick runners. Too far back and you may find yourself having to weave around fellow runners to maintain your desired pace.





For the first time since I began running,
I've paid for an official race photo. Not a bad
one for once. So don't worry about the
copyright bit. 

I started pretty near the front. And got carried away attempting to keep pace with the quick runners. Not for the first time! But in some ways, I can get away with this in a short race, since I would always try a quick first mile and try to hang on when running a 5km, and 5 miles isn't that much further. So mile 1 was 6m06, and I felt pretty good. The course begins with a short loop so that you run past the start again after a few minutes, and there is always a good crowd of spectators cheering you on, before you head off into the main part of the race.

Mile 2 was 6m23, and mile 3 was 6m34. So beginning to slow, not surprisingly, but through 3 miles in around 19mins, and at this point going well, although it did feel tough! As I began the 4th mile, which is the hardest part of the course, involving a long steady incline, I developed a stitch. This is not something I usually suffer from, and I suspect it was to do with a general lack of fitness which led to more laboured breathing than normal. I decided the way to deal with this was to slow the pace a little, allowing me to slow my breathing down - and so mile 4 took 7m02. At this point, I had stopped considering what my finish time might be, and just wanted to be able to finish without completely falling apart. One of my club colleagues, Mark, who has been a very consistent runner for all the time I've known him, went past me during mile 4, and I determined to at least try to keep him in sight as we moved into the final part of the race.

And fortunately, slowing a little seemed to do the trick, because I found a second wind, picked up the pace again, and finished strongly, with a final mile time of 6m11, giving me a finish time of 32m16. Which is only 6 secs outside a pb for the distance. How on earth that happened, given the lack of training recently, is beyond me. But it suggests that, if I can remain injury free for the summer, and get back into a decent training routine, then my times should continue to come down for the remainder of the year.

And talking of remaining injury free, the best news of all was that I got no reaction at all in my troublesome calf, boding well for my planned run a couple of days later.

Charlotte managed her usual trick of racing without a great deal of training and pulling a big PB out of the bag, so it was a nice start to the weekend.

Easter Monday Long Slow Run

I needed to run off some of this lot....

Ah, the Long Slow Run. How I hate this vital part of the marathon training schedule. But clearly very necessary, and having missed so many recently, it was crucial for me to try to get at least one more under my belt before the marathon. And I was toying with the idea of maybe even doing another the following weekend, even though by this stage I should really be entering the tapering part of the training schedule. But in the event, this all became academic because, after around 7 miles, the calf started to give me grief again - and I had to walk the last couple of miles back home, not for the first time recently.

So - for whatever reason - I can manage a short fast run but once I try to increase time on feet, the problem comes back. I am wondering if perhaps it's something to do with my running shoes, which I changed before Tarpley - it could potentially be that my insoles need renewing too. The reason I suspect this is because I race all my shorter distances in different shoes - lightweight racing flats. So the next test will be to dig out an older trusted pair of road shoes, go for a longish run in them, and see what happens. It will be annoying if I've wasted the best part of £100 on a pair of shoes that I need to bin after only doing about 50 miles in them - but, if they are the problem, then that's what I'll have to do.

I won't be troubling Kipsang this year 

And because I can't manage more than 7 miles without breaking down, then clearly I wouldn't get round a marathon. So an easy decision in the end to defer. I am not sure yet whether I will choose to run London next year, since I'm pretty convinced marathons aren't my thing, and if I dislike the type of training you need to do simply to get to the start line, it may not be worth the bother. In fact, if it was any other marathon, I doubt I'd even consider it next year - but it's London, and places are like gold-dust, so the fact I have guaranteed entry next year by virtue of deferring this year's place gives me a difficult decision to make. But in a sense, a nice position to be in - I can just decide nearer the time, and much will depend on how the remainder of this year goes. It may be that I manage to hit my targets for 10km, 5mile and 5km between now and January, in which case I could potentially be convinced to have another crack at a marathon. It will be interesting to see how I feel in two weeks time when I watch it on TV.

What's happened since?

And so it was time to re-focus on the type of running I really enjoy. I had already begun this process in the build-up to Sudbury, making use of the gym at work, but unfortunately the following week there was lots of work on, and I didn't really get proper lunch breaks. Probably not such a bad thing - it meant I gave the calf proper rest, and with a trip up to Manchester planned for the weekend, to spend some time with Charlotte's parents and attend a wedding, I began to wonder if there may be a chance to fit in a bit of Parkrun tourism on the Saturday morning.

Worsley Woods, a great location for a Parkrun

Parkrun tourism is when you visit a different course from your usual one, and it's something we did when we visited Charlotte's sister in Wales a few months back. Other than that, all my other parkruns have been fairly local, but on Saturday, Worsley Woods still became my 8th different location. It's nice to try out a new course, but obviously you lack the local knowledge of the other runners, and also you don't know who to try to keep pace with. I did manage to chat to a couple of people at the start, and ascertained that I would probably finish ahead of one but no-where near the other, who was gunning to beat his PB which already stood at 18mins. I checked afterwards, and was pleased to see, he managed it - he finished in 3rd, whereas I was back in 12th, so I'm glad I didn't attempt to keep up with him!

Personally, I was looking to record another sub 20min time, and in the event I was pretty happy with 19m30. The course looked to have PB potential, with the first and last mile being completely flat and on a good surface. An out and back course too, which psychologically I find much easier than the two laps that most parkruns tend to be. However, mile 2 was something of an unknown quantity, with 3 separate sets of steps as part of a woodland section, that promised to slow us all down a fair bit!

Shame about the steps though...

And that was exactly how the race panned out for me - I was quick for the first mile, slower for the second, but managed to pick up the pace again to run a sub 6min last mile. In terms of actual pace recorded by my watch, I was all over the place, but in terms of perceived effort, I would say I was pretty consistent throughout. In most 5kms I have a section - usually somewhere in the middle - when I feel like I'm slogging it out, almost plodding - before finding something for the last bit. But on this occasion, apart from maybe a half a minute or so after the third set of steps, I felt like I was running well throughout. The time - again, after not a great deal of training - was pleasing enough - it continues my run of sub 20 results, extending now to 13 (I ran bang on 20mins at Bury as part of this, but my watch said 19m59, so I'm counting it!)

Of course, no sooner had I got my breath back than I began to work out what difference the woodland section may have made to my time - because the next big race for me is the first 5km of the club league, which is a great course for PBs. Held at Impington, off road but on a good surface, basically two laps of a farm with absolutely no incline whatsoever. I don't know how much time the steps and woodland cost me, but I believe I can easily knock 30 seconds off to get back down to sub 19mins, which I managed twice towards the tail end of last year but not so far in 2015.

The reasons I've dropped some time recently, I believe, are three-fold.

Firstly, as I've well documented/moaned about previously, is the injury problem - and the associated loss of training time. I'm not too concerned about the calf now - it doesn't seem to cause me problems on shorter runs. On Tuesday I worked hard at club training, with no ill-effects, and last night (Thursday) I managed a 5 mile tempo run, again with no pain at all - although it does feel a little sore this morning.

Secondly, I haven't been so careful with diet recently, in fact probably not since Christmas - which may well tie in with why I've not improved my 5km time since the turn of the year. Having got down to 10.5 stone, I'm now back up to 11.5 - and so this week, Charlotte and I have recommenced following the weightwatchers points plan which worked so well for us before. Only a few days in, but so far so good. I use my desire to run quicker to help resist temptation when I'm feeling hungry, in particular remembering the calculation I heard somewhere (and I really ought to source these things before including them in my blogs...) that you will save 2 seconds per mile for every pound of weight you lose. Therefore, 1 pound lost = 6 seconds saved over the course of a 5km. Not a huge amount - although of course the shorter the race, the more important every second becomes - but if you consider I am now a stone heavier (again!) than when I set my PB, theoretically that's 1 minute 24 seconds right there. I'm not sure whether I can lose the extra stone in weight in time for Impington - to lose it that quickly would probably be unhealthy - but even just 5 pounds lost should equate to the half a minute I'm looking to find. In addition, it's not just carrying less weight around that's going to help, but the fact that I'm now eating more healthy food can only benefit my running too.

And lastly, the type of training that I have managed this year has been geared towards marathons, and so there's been more emphasis on distance and time on feet, and less on speed and interval work. Additionally, I've not managed to make many Tuesday sessions so far this year, which I know help me tremendously with my 5km times. We've now moved into our summer training schedule, which takes place at a running track rather than on the roads and paths near the leisure centre, and so the coaches are able to more accurately measure the reps we do.

This Tuesday, for example, we completed a tough but enjoyable session comprising the following:

Typical Speedwork Session

1 lap warm-up of the 400 metre track, followed by:

100 metres jog, 300 metres hard run
100 metres jog, 300 metres hard run


And I thought OUR track had a hill?!

200 metres jog, 200 metres hard run200 metres jog, 200 metres hard run
100 metres jog, 300 metres hard run
100 metres jog, 300 metres hard run.

3 minutes rest

200 metres jog, 200 metres hard run
200 metres jog, 200 metres hard run
100 metres jog, 300 metres hard run
100 metres jog, 300 metres hard run
200 metres jog, 200 metres hard run
200 metres jog, 200 metres hard run

Unfortunately, our track is simply a grass field at a local school - and to make matters worse, it has an incline at about 250 metres until the end! However, we need to be realistic - Haverhill doesn't have a proper running track, so there's nothing the club can do about it. The facility is provided to the club for a nominal charge, and it allows us all to train together in one place, meaning newer members who may not be ready to complete a whole session can still come along and do what they can, without fear of getting left behind somewhere on a dimly lit industrial estate.

Charlotte and I live roughly half-way between Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds, where there is an asphalt athletics track, which we could use either through the leisure centre or by attending the club sessions run by either Bury Pacers or West Suffolk AC. I am tempted to try this out sometime, and have considered joining one of those two clubs to get the most out of their facilities - but even if I do, they will be my 2nd claim club, since I enjoy representing Haverhill RC and would feel disloyal moving elsewhere! (That said, I am re-considering my role on the committee following an amount of unpleasantness recently that I'd rather stay away from! No doubt it will blow over - I need to learn to step away when things become heated, rather than attempting to mediate, because I doubt I do much good, but I do end up (genuinely) losing sleep over these things!)

Last night's Training Run

I followed this up, after resting Wednesday, with an encouraging tempo run/interval session of my own. I set off without any clear understanding of what I wanted to do - except that I knew I wanted to push myself. Consequently I set off hard, and without checking my watch I decided I was probably running at close to 5km pace. On the route I was on, I have a choice - after a mile, I either turn left for a 5 mile loop or right for a 5km, and as I approached the junction I checked the pace to discover it was around 6m30. I probably should have turned right, but I decided to turn left see if I could hold the pace for the full 5 miles.

I couldn't. I should have turned right. My pace began to drop off by the end of mile 2, recording 6m40 and then 6m55 for mile 3 - although to be fair these are the toughest 2 miles of the loop, with a long steady incline. At this point, I didn't really feel I was achieving much, other than frustration that I was slowing. So I did the logical thing, and stopped. A five minute breather, and then a decision to turn the session into intervals - so I ran hard for another mile, at sub 5km pace, and then stopped again for a brief recovery, before putting in one more hard mile to get me home (5m45, which was surprisingly quick after 4 previous miles, albeit with a couple of rests.)

I got home pleased with the way the session had turned out in the end, knowing that in future doing the whole route as 1 mile reps would be a good training run, and one I'd enjoy much more than doing the whole thing as a tempo effort - although important I do these too, otherwise I'll be no good come race-day because my body will be expecting me to stop and rest every few minutes.

What's next?

Club time trial next Tuesday, and this month, with Charlotte in control of the stopwatch, I get to run. I could have run last month too, had it not been for an appointment with my consultant about my hip/groin problem - which I should say seems absolutely fine now. I'm not sure if it's because of the procedure, or whether it's gone of its own accord - and I may never know, but as long as it doesn't come back, then I guess it doesn't matter: and if it does, I know Mr Khanduja will be able to sort it. Back to time trial, and it will be interesting to see what difference the more speed-orientated training makes to my time, and so too whether the weight loss will help shave some more seconds off. We have a new race clock that we'll be using for the first time, and I love the idea of sprinting towards the line and looking up to see 18 something displayed!

More importantly though, I need to try and get sub 19min for the club at Impington at the end of this month, and time trial will be a good gauge of where I'm at. 

Getting over injury - preparing for The Sudbury 5

A shorter blog this week, as I look forward to my next race, and discover whether I will be able to run London this year.

Going slightly mad

A week of complete rest probably sounds like quite a nice idea to any non-runners reading this blog, but it drove me up the wall! The daily exercise fix is important to me for psychological reasons, as I've mentioned many times before - but in addition I have been extremely worried about how much fitness I will have lost over the last few weeks, when my running has been sporadic due to my calf injury.

So I was originally intending not to run at all until Good Friday, at the Sudbury 5 mile Fun Run.
My intention to rest completely has gone out of the window, which is no great surprise at all. But I was pretty well behaved - a whole week off before I decided this week that I'd start using the gym at work to test the leg and begin rebuilding my fitness.

I work in the Government Offices in Cambridge, and we are fortunate to have a well-equipped gymnasium on site which we can use any time the building itself is open. I never really take a lunch break, since we can eat at our desks and, whilst there's currently plenty of work to do, it's still fairly relaxed. However, I'm finding that breaking mid way through the day for an hour's workout is actually helping me remain more focused during the afternoon, and I've enjoyed getting my exercise fix each day this week. This is something I'm hoping to keep as part of my daily routine even when I'm back out running again, since I know cross-training and working on core strengthening is key to improving my short distance times.

And so Monday, Tuesday and yesterday

Plank Position - an excellent way to
test and improve your core strength

(Wednesday) I hit the gym. Albeit not particularly hard. Each session lasted around one hour, and I began with a warm-up on the exercise bike, of around 10 mins. I then moved on to the weights machines, doing 2 x 10 reps on the Chest Press, Shoulder Press and Leg Curl - all at a relatively low weight, since it's been a while (too long) since I did any regular gym work. I also spent 30 secs each day holding the plank position, an excellent way to judge the quality of your core strength, and judging by the amount I was shaking this suggests mine has definitely worsened, which is hardly surprising but something I need to target.
In addition I managed some abs crunches (3x10 reps) before finally hopping on the treadmill, to test the calf.

And with pleasing results...

Testing the Leg

So the idea behind doing some gymwork rather than continuing to rest this week has been for two reasons. The main reason has been to test the leg, and the results have been very encouraging.

Monday I tried 1.5 miles - the first nice and slow, and then half a mile sub 6min pace - and there was no reaction.

Tuesday I did much the same, but totalled 2 miles - holding the faster pace for the full mile this time, and again no problems. Oh, except that I felt completely exhausted. But the leg was fine.

Oh, ok. Fair enough I suppose

Wednesday I did a little bit more again - 2.5 miles in total, mile one at 9min pace, mile two at 8min pace, and then half a mile again at sub 6min pace. The leg, after a proper amount of rest this time, has been fine. The last two parkruns I attempted saw me experience discomfort from roughly halfway onwards, so the fact today I ran a mile further than that with no reaction at all suggests all is well -certainly, I have no doubt now I shall be able to complete the 5 mile race on Friday, which was a serious concern after my last parkrun.

Testing my Fitness

The reason for trying 6min mile pace was because this is approximately what I'd hope to do had I not been injured - and certainly where I should be at for my 5km pace. My PB for 5 miles averages at 6m26, and since then I've run around 19mins for 5km enough times to suggest I am capable of a quicker average pace. Probably not quite 6min mile pace yet, but certainly I'd hope to be around 6m15, with perhaps a sprint finish to take me under 31mins.

Testing myself a little quicker than that was intended to give me the confidence to push hard from the outset - but I am a little concerned as to how tired I felt after only a short distance at this quicker pace. Each day, the quicker pace has felt a little easier, which again is entirely to be expected as I begin to rebuild, but of course there hasn't really been anywhere near enough time to get back to where I need to be before Friday.

In fact, as with so much training, it's been as much about improving my mindset as it has about improving my body. I know that there is a delay between the training session and when your body is able to reap the benefits, so what I've done won't really make much difference to me physically on Friday - except that it won't be so much of a shock to the system when I set off at 6min pace at the start. More importantly though, I now know I should be able to run without pain, and I shall then draw on other positive reasoning to convince myself that I can race well.

Positive Thinking

So for example, my parkrun two weeks ago was the day after I broke down on a training run, and yet I recorded 20mins on a course I've always found tough.

Remembering my decent finish in 2013
will help spur me on this time around.

Last week's parkrun I experienced discomfort for all of the 2nd lap, and yet beat my course PB and got my best ever placing.
Both of these races came off the back of hardly any training.

These are all positives I can use at the start line on Friday, when I will be telling myself: 

Then:           I was able to get results I was pleased with despite injury, and with no training
Now:            I'm not feeling any pain, and have done some training (admittedly only a little)
Conclusion: It should go as well, if not better, relatively speaking, than the last two parkruns.

5 miles is not that much further than 5km, and so the tactic will be to push hard from the outset, and see if I can maintain something close to 5km pace throughout. There is an incline at mile 3, but nothing too tough, and then a steeper one within the last mile, but that's followed by a nice downhill stretch to finish. I remember finishing well in 2013 when I raced here, which is always a good feeling, even if I was disappointed with my overall time.

The Bigger Picture

....is the London Marathon, as I talked about in my last blog. On the assumption that the calf is fine after Friday, I then intend to try a long run on Monday - the bank holiday weekend has come at just the right time for me! In theory, this should be the last long effort before tapering, but I've missed so much training I'm just beginning to formulate a plan to overcome this - more next blog. But all entirely dependent on how Monday's run goes. If I can't manage at least 16, then I don't see the point of running London - I have no intention of doing so unless I'm confident I can manage the whole distance without walking, since if I end up run/walking it, even just for a part, this won't give me any pleasure whatsoever and I may as well defer.

However, if I can get to the stage where I'm confident I can run the whole thing, I think I probably will give it a go. I originally wanted a sub 4hr time, and then as training progressed well I realised I really should be aiming for 3hr30, or possibly even a bit quicker - but I'm now realistically going to very happy with the original 4hr target, and am prepared to accept even this will be very tough.

I really don't want to experience this for the 3rd marathon in a row

As I've written before, I've not lost sight of how lucky I am - possibly even how privileged I am, if that's not too grandiose a phrase - to have a place in the London Marathon, for the 2nd year in a row. Some runners try to get a place year after year with no joy. I am very aware that, if I were to defer, I may well then not bother with it next year, having concluded (not for the first time!) that I don't really enjoy marathon training. So I feel I really ought to run it if I can - and Friday's race and Monday's training run will almost certainly tell me what I need to know, and it will be a relief to make a decision one way or the other. Not just for me, but no doubt for you too - since it means I'll stop agonising about it in this blog time after time after time....

Tomorrow: the Sudbury Fun Run

I always think "fun run" suggests a less formal, less competitive event but in fact this is an extremely popular race with club runners as well as those running for charity, and is consquently well worth doing irrespective of which type of runner you are. A look at the results from the last couple of years suggests a PB would get me somewhere near the top 25, with the top 15 or so all getting sub 30mins, which is a magic barrier for the distance - averaging sub 6min miles. So plenty of quick runners to test myself against - and a real shame that I've not been able to put in the kind of structured training for the distance that I did before my last five miler at Hadleigh, where I set my current PB of 32m10.

Not many Haverhill RC members are racing here this year, but I know a fair few Commandos will be there, and it will be nice to catch up with them before and after.

One Injury at a Time Please

My last blog was written prior to a diagnostic medical procedure involving Hip Manipulation under Anesthetic, and also local anesthetic injections into both hips.  This was supposed to be followed by 48 hours where I did as much running as I could before the local anesthetic wore off, to see if the usual discomfort I get was still present. If it had gone, it would suggest Mr Khanduja had located the source of the problem, and he could then press ahead with keyhole surgery. If everything still hurt, we had at least ruled out referred pain from hip problems, and look into other areas.

Unfortunately, as I feared when I set off for a planned 20 mile effort the next day, the amount I was actually able to do was dictated by a newer calf injury, and in the event I only managed 7 miles before I had to turn round and limp back home. Fortunately, I had elected to run laps in anticipation of precisely this problem, so I didn't have far to walk.

The next day, conscious of the 48hr time window I had been given, I tried another run, this time going for a quickish parkrun, at Bury. I fully expected I may have to pull out after the 1st of the 2 laps, but whilst the calf was uncomfortable throughout, it never got so bad as to stop me racing and I was actually able to push on a bit in the 2nd lap, getting a negative split for the first time on this course and recording a respectable time of 20mins dead, with 10th place being my best ever position there too. Crucially, in neither of the two runs did I feel even the slightest discomfort in the hip or groin area, suggesting the procedure had been a worthwhile exercise.

Underestimating the Newer Injury?

Dan and I got on like a calf on fire

Whilst running as much as I could was certainly the best thing to do to test the hip/groin problem, it almost certainly made the calf injury worse, since the next day I tried a gentle 3 mile run with Charlotte but was in agony less than half way through. I therefore made the decision to book in for some physio, for the first time using the services of the excellent Dan Worboys, recommended to me by so many friends. Dan, who lists amongst his professional clients Ipswich Town FC and the London Broncos, is crucially a fellow runner - and a Commando Runner at that - so we got on well and had plenty to chat about as he inflicted high levels of pain on my right leg.

The prognosis was not too serious - a pull rather than a tear - and nothing that a bit of rest and icing wouldn't put right. However, despite being well behaved and not trying it out again until the weekend, I felt a degree of discomfort towards the end of my run on Saturday - another trip to Bury Parkrun which I'll talk about in a bit. After a day's rest and ice on Sunday, I set off for a gentle run on Monday, hopeful that the problem may have dissipated, but unfortunately within only a couple of miles it was even worse than before, and it was a slow and dejected walk back to the house as I contemplated what to do next. Oakley 20 - this Sunday - was now clearly out of the question, and this now has me wondering about the London Marathon again.

I have no doubt that with plenty of rest the problem will sort itself out. I don't now plan to run again until Good Friday, when Charlotte and I are booked to do the Sudbury 5 mile race. I am hopeful that, whilst I don't anticipate a great time due to lack of training, I may be able to complete this reasonably comfortably. At the moment, simply to run it all without any pain would do me just fine. The problem, of course, is the extent to which my recent lack of training has compromised my ability to complete London in a time I would be happy with.

Had I followed the training plan, the last few weeks should have seen me hit my peak mileage, but instead I haven't even completed 50 miles for the month: way behind schedule. If I can't manage a long run soon, it'll be too late - too close to race day. At the moment I seriously doubt I would have the fitness level required to get round 26.2 miles - let alone having practised the time on feet/nutrition strategies etc that I would have hoped to have nailed by now -- I've now missed my last 4 scheduled long runs. I've talked before about my decision to get the marathon done and then go back to concentrating on shorter distances - but there's little point me running the marathon if I have no chance of getting a time that would make me happy. What this means in real terms is that I'll run it if I believe I can go sub 4hrs, but if not then I'll defer - and whether or not I then chose to run it next year is a decision I can also defer for the time being, although as I mentioned in my previous blog, I doubt that I'll want to embark on marathon training again next year.

As I write, my current thinking is that if the 5 mile race goes ok and with no pain, I shall try a long run on Easter Monday. And if that goes ok, I'll have the confidence I need to try for a sub 4hr. But if I get any pain at all, then I reckon it will make more sense to defer: this will take the time pressure off whilst I allow the leg problem to heal, with the hope that all will be fine for the forthcoming Summer fixtures that I enjoy so much.

Follow up Appointment - and Good News

The decision to delay surgery
came as a big relief...

There was however some very good news regarding the older injury this week - as I had my follow up appointment to discuss next steps. Despite my not having been able to test it out fully, Mr Khanduja was happy to hear that what I'd done had not seen any reccurrance of the old discomfort, and he is now confident that he's located the problem. Usually the next stage would be keyhole surgery, to repair any cartilage tears and also remove some excess bone in front of the hips which he suspects is causing the pain. However since the discomfort has not returned even now that the local anesthetic has worn off (and I did explain I'd only run a couple of times since then!) he wonders if the manipulation may actually have solved the problem, which apparently is not uncommon. Therefore the decision has been made to delay any surgery and see what happens next.

Once my calf problem has gone, I'll be ramping up the training again - whether to get myself ready for London or to tackle the first 5km of the season - and we'll have to see what happens. The best news of all is that I remain under his care, with another appointment in 3 months time, but with the option to book in to see him sooner if the problem returns, which would then mean we'd push ahead with surgery. So either way, the problem is going to be sorted this year, which is a big relief, approaching the 2 year anniversary of it first occurring. Even more reason for me to believe that I have a good year of racing to come.

Latest Parkrun

Just going back briefly to the parkrun at Bury last week. Dan had suggested I try to run a little slower than normal, but I think we both knew I wouldn't be able to resist the urge to race! To be fair, I did make a conscious choice to go to Bury rather than Thetford - because I'm never as quick at Bury, and I am never in with a chance of winning so there was more chance I'd run sensibly. Plus it's all off-road, so lower impact on the legs (I think I read in Paula Radcliffe's autobiography that she does a lot of off-road training for precisely this reason.) However, as I arrived at the park, I spotted two of our quickest Haverhill RC members - Martin and Paul. This was a surprise, since neither are regular parkrunners - in fact, this was Martin's first ever. Paul on the other hand has done a few, but he's still on the comeback trail following a long period out - a look at his previous times confirms just how quick he is capable of being and I've no doubt he'll soon be back to his best. At the moment we're quite closely matched - I managed to stay ahead of him at our club time trial in November, but he got the better of me more recently in the one at the end of February.

A really great, inspirational quote from....oh, wait a minute.
Who?! Ok, I need to delete this before I hit "publish" 

And so of course all thoughts of taking it easy went out of the window, and the three of us set off near the front of the pack, with my money on Martin to win the battle. I was not surprised to see both he and Paul pull ahead of me early on, but I was pleased to keep them within sight, and whilst Martin increased the gap as the race wore on, I was able to pull level with and then pass Paul towards the end of the first lap - not so much due to ability but more down to my better course knowledge. Bury is not exactly hilly, but some parts are easier than others and I have a good understanding now of where to ease off and where to push on, and in the end I finished in a best ever 6th place, and with a best time there of 19m31 -- another confidence boost since it wasn't long ago that I decided I would never get a decent time there. My theory is that if I can go comfortably sub 20mins at a tough course like this, then give me a fast flat 5km and I could get a pretty quick time. When I consider that I was running in a certain amount of discomfort with my calf for most of the 2nd lap, I'm really pretty pleased with the performance.

Martin finished in 2nd place, only 30secs ahead of me - which again suggests I've closed the gap - but to be fair he did then reveal he'd run 5miles beforehand, since he is also deep into marathon training. Paul was just one place behind me, so 3 HRC runners in the top 7: not a bad morning's work. It all bodes well for the forthcoming Kevin Henry Series, with the quickest course at Impington being first up, albeit only four days after London.

A Free Weekend

Reasonably priced,
but it did need some work

Having originally planned to run Oakley today, Charlotte and I volunteered to help out at parkrun yesterday, and so it was another early start to a Saturday as we travelled to Thetford to do our bit. Nearly 200 runners of all abilities braved the cold damp weather, at what is one of the friendliest parkruns around - and we both enjoyed being there as always. We followed this up with a spontaneous look around a house for sale nearby that had an "open day" - we are just beginning to think about getting onto the housing ladder, but this property was advertised as "needing improvement" and they weren't kidding. Nice to look though.

We got ridiculously excited when we
spotted a pair of Red Crested Pochards,
which are quite rare. Not that we'd ever
heard of them before.

We then decided to visit a local Suffolk Wildlife Trust park, Lackford Lakes - having decided it might be nice to have a non-running related hobby too, we've decided to take up bird watching. Today, with Charlotte also having missed too much training to feel confident enough to take on a 20 miler, we are no longer travelling to Oakley, and so may well look for another nature reserve to look around - added bonus that it will stop me from trying a run, which I'm itching to do but I know would be a bad idea.

From a non-running perspective, the future looks great. Charlotte recently secured a new position at a new school to start September, a big promotion very early into her teaching career. A while back I began the long drawn-out process of applying to get onto a Civil Service Graduate scheme, and I found out this week that I got a place, which means I will finally have a job with a decent wage and excellent prospect - this also starts in September. The best part of leaving shift work as a coach driver to work office hours has been the improvement in my work-life balance, meaning I get to spend more quality time with my son Harry as well as with Charlotte, and there is plenty to look forward to.

So less than a week to wait before the next race, the Sudbury 5 mile on Easter Friday. I did this two years ago, my first ever 5 miler, and remember being disappointed with my time - there's no real reason why this shouldn't be a pb course. But not this time. I do have to remember that's unlikely I'll be quick, given the lack of training recently, and as I said earlier, I just want a pain-free run and then I can seriously contemplate getting round London.

Next blog I'll no doubt be talking about the 5mile race, and within a week I'll know whether I'm going to run London or not, so plenty to bore you with. Injuries happen to all runners at some point. The little niggles are frustrating, but most clear up with proper rest. Remaining upbeat is key, and the longer-term future looks great, for all kinds of reasons.

Why do I run?

Increasing Numbers

Firstly, a big welcome (and thank you) to all my new readers.  As well as blogging more regularly, I've done a fair bit recently in order to try to pull in more readers:
Setting up a twitter account (@ian_elden)
Changing my facebook profile pic to include the web address
Doing some work to get higher up in search engine results, using meta-tags (no I don't really understand them either) and changing the description, etc.

I've also made a concerted attempt to improve the look of the blog, with an overhaul of the design, and adding in some features such as archived posts, and the ability to subscribe, etc. You can also now click on tabs to view my results since 2012 - though I have no idea why you'd want to do that! To be honest that's more for me, so that I have all my race results in one place - but it's there if you're curious. Or just bored. Or possibly beyond help.

Interest is growing. Not massively, but getting there. 

And if the stats provided by the good people of blogger.com are to be believed, it's working: just over 4000 views now since I began, which equates roughly to 200 readers per post. So not exactly an internet sensation, but a good solid readership, for which I am genuinely grateful.

Whilst many of my posts relate to specific race performances, when I get feedback about my writing it seems to be the thought processes people are more interested in, and it seems my honesty is appreciated too. Perhaps it's comforting if people read in print something they go through themselves? All of which hopefully means that, even when I have no specific race to blog about, there's still some value in my putting down my thoughts on running in general.

I've said this before, but perhaps it's important to do so again given that I have some new readers:
I am NOT an expert! The "advice" I offer consists merely of conclusions I am drawing as I progress through my running journey. That, incidentally, is a truly horrible phrase, but I can't think of an alternative at present.

"Does any of this make sense to you?"

I am not a coach, although it's something I'd love to move into one day. However, I'm fortunate to have friendships with a lot of runners, many of them far more experienced than I am, and much of what I share has been picked up from listening to them. And so, whilst I don't have any qualifications when it comes to running technique, nutrition, weight-loss, race strategy, correct footwear, etc, I do feel I've picked up a certain amount of knowledge - and I like to share my own experiences as well.

Providing you bear this in mind when reading my rambling thoughts, hopefully none of us will come to too much harm.

Injury Update (I know you love 'em)

Not much to report on the actual running front since my last post. Not too worried (yet) about my mystery calf problem, but after 6 days of rest, I was encouraged that I couldn't feel any discomfort at all when walking, and so I tried a 5 mile treadmill run yesterday. The pace was around 7m30 per mile, which feels reassuringly comfortable, but the pain did begin to resurface towards the end. I can't feel it any more, a day and a half later, so a much quicker recovery than last week - but then, I stopped when it started to hurt, unlike last week when I was still 6 miles from home.

Honestly not at all nervous. Not one bit.

Of far bigger concern is the timing of this injury, since on Thursday of this week I am due to go into hospital for MUA (Manipulation Under (general) Anaesthetic) on both hips, in an attempt to make some progress with my more long-term ongoing groin problems, that you'll know all about if you've read previous posts. The theory in brief is that the discomfort I get is a referred pain from the hip joints, possibly due to misalignment, or at least some problem with movement in the area, and this procedure should free up the joints and may confirm this to be the case. I have been told that in the 48hrs afterwards I must do as much running as I can (before the local anaesthetic I am also being given wears off) to see if I get the same old discomfort. If I don't, then the problem has finally been identified. If I do, at least something else has been ruled out, and we move on to look at other possible causes.

So therefore, I have taken the following day off work, and plan to bring forward the weekend's Long Slow Run (LSR) - 20 miles or so. I am obviously now a little concerned that the new calf injury will prevent me from getting the full 20 miles done, but I intend to slow the pace right down (which you're supposed to do anyway for the LSR!) and see what happens. I doubt I'll do much running before then - maybe I'll try club training tomorrow night, but certainly nothing Wednesday, and then I guess I'll just have to see what happens.

Watching a YouTube video of the
MUA procedure was a BAD idea

Having read up a bit more about what the procedure involves, which is never a good idea, I am a little concerned as to what happens after the local anaesthetic wears off. There are suggestions that there will be a fair amount of swelling in the joints, accompanied by some pain, and the recommendation is exactly what you'd expect: rest, ice, elevation (not sure how I'll manage that at work!) and painkillers. This doesn't bode well for reigniting my marathon training, and potentially leaves me with a difficult decision.


Which is the main reason for today's blog. Yep, sorry but I'm afraid all you've really managed to do so far is plough through the introduction.  The other reasons I'm blogging today, in case you're interested, are that a) work is very quiet and b) I'm not running much, so I don't really have anything better to do.

 

How much time out from training can I get away with? 

Of course, it would be completely pointless to speculate at this stage as to how much my training will be affected by this procedure. So here goes...

I've had one week of no running, due to the aforementioned calf problem. This in itself has probably been no bad thing - I suspect I struggled at the Tarpley 20 due to tired legs following too big an increase in mileage AND trying to hit PBs every time I ran. If the LSR goes well on Friday, I think I can consider myself back on track, with no great harm done. BUT, if as I expect, my calf doesn't allow me to complete the 20, then this will be two LSRs I've missed. Then, once the anaesthetic wears off, there's the very real possibility of having to miss a few more sessions due to the pain. Oakley 20 fast approaches - the last of my build-up races for London - and then I will need to consider my taper. I've learnt to my cost once before that to sacrifice the taper to make up for lost training is NOT the answer!

In all probability, any residual discomfort from the hospital procedure will have completely disappeared by marathon race-day, and I'm sure the calf will be absolutely fine by then too. The big question therefore is not whether or not I will be able to run on April 26th, but will I have missed too much training to be able to have a half decent race - or even to get round: I am still too much of marathon novice to be certain of completing. It's clear to me that I need to have a decent race at Oakley, so that psychologically I can put Tarpley 20 to one side. (You can read my account of this race here: Tarpley 20: You Win Some, You Lose Some - as if you haven't got anything better to do.)

I really hope I will be running Oakley 20:
a well-respected marathon build-up race

If I can't manage Oakley, then at the very least I'll need to try to get in a decent 20 mile run the following weekend. I won't make the same mistake of trying to get a quick time - I have to accept that I'm not yet ready to convert a promising HM time into the kind of 20 mile result that might be expected of me. But I do want to try something close to marathon pace, just because I know I need that confidence boost.

Deferring London?

There is of course the option to defer London until next year. If I were a seasoned marathon runner, keen to target the distance to get specific times, this would probably be the logical thing to do. If ultimately my consultant does fix the problem, there there is every chance that I will be able to maintain my current trajectory of improvement over the remainder of the year, and commence marathon training next January as a better, stronger, quicker runner. I could almost certainly do better in 2016 than I will this year, even if all goes well this week and I'm able to get back on track with the training.

Another positive to deferring - and the main reason why I genuinely wouldn't be too distraught if I had to pull out this time around - is that I could then, after properly resting to sort out both old and new injuries, begin to re-focus my training on the shorter distance work that I much prefer.

So, I could really concentrate on improving my 5km times, in preparation for the forthcoming series of KH fixtures I enjoy so much. This speedwork would also help me with my 5 mile and 10km times, increasing the likelihood of going sub 40mins for 10km, and maybe edging closer to the magic 30 minute mark for 5 miles.

I have talked before about the importance for me in getting sub 7 minute mile pace nailed for longer races (10 miles and HM) - and having done so, I'm now looking to get this closer to 6m30 pace, with a 65min 10 mile race definitely possible this year, and maybe a 1hr25 HM too. But for shorter distances, my key aim is now 6 minute miles.

The Bupa 10km: run by the London Marathon people,
and with a similar big-race atmosphere.

This would mean getting around 18m30 for a 5km - a time I think I'm not far off achieving now, on the right day and on the right course (always so many variables/excuses!) It's definitely there for me if I do some structured speedwork, which I've been neglecting somewhat during marathon training. For 5 miles, if you can go sub 30mins, then you're not going to be far off the leaders - certainly in the local races I tend to compete in. And if I can then learn to hold on for another 1.2miles at that pace, I'm looking at a 10km of around 37 minutes: again, quick enough to secure a top ten finish at most local races, and even somewhere around the top 300 for a big national race like the Bupa 10000: considering I came 1453rd last year there, I think I'd take 300th quite happily!

You can get these pace bands to help you keep
on track as you race - although some runners enjoy
the diversion that mental calculations can bring.

Incidentally, when calculating a finish time based on a particular pace, I tend to factor in a sprint finish. Not for a marathon - that's beyond me, at least currently - but certainly for all other distances up to and including HM, I always anticipate the last part to be my quickest. So if I raced at 6min mile pace for a 10km (6.2miles) that gives a finish time of 37m12 : but I would certainly hope to pick up speed for the last 0.2 miles, even if only for OCD-related reasons, so that I could get under 37mins.


Clearly, given that my current 10km PB is 41m50, I am getting ahead of myself somewhat. It's a fine line between belief and over confidence, not to mention arrogance, but with a good period of injury-free, distance specific training, I don't see why I can't manage these kind of times at some point in the (hopefully not too distant) future. I need to set myself difficult targets, to remain driven and motivated. I may never hit them, but I have to believe that I might, and that's what keeps me working hard. And it all boils down to one simple, self-motivational mantra, that I apply all the time:

Why not me?

In other words, why shouldn't it be me competing up near the front? The beauty of running is that it doesn't require any particular skill. The best footballers, for example, have a certain grace and poise on the ball that, no matter how hard I practised, I would never be able to match. To be a good cricketer, you need exquisite timing (batsmen) or extraordinary accuracy and consistency (bowling.) But to run, well - what do you really need? All the factors that go towards making quick runners, they're all things you can pretty much control yourself.

Some people have told me that I'm lucky to be the "right build" for running. They weren't telling me that when I was nearly 15 stone. I have to work hard to keep the "right build" - I'm certainly no longer naturally skinny, even if I was in my younger days. So it comes down to the right diet. Which is down to me.

What else? - well, there's no substitute for miles under your belt - the more you train, the better you'll become: although with the caveat that after a while you'll need to start mixing up the training sessions a bit otherwise you'll simply plateau, and no longer see much improvement. But that's fine, because that's all under your control too. Try some targeted training: there's nothing like a 1km rep session for improving your 5km times. Push yourself out of your comfort zone from time to time. Hate hills? Do a hill session. Enter a hilly race. Find a distance tough? Keep doing it. Enter loads of races at that distance. Get a good one under your belt. Never give up.

There's a caveat to this last point too, though. Find what distances you're good at, and the ones you enjoy the most. There's no shame in concentrating on those. If you look at the very best runners, say on RunBritain for example, most of them specialise in a few distances. They're not all trying to get quick 5kms AND sub 3hr marathons. Some will, but many work out their strengths, and tailor their training towards them.

Wise words from the bespectacled one.

So much of this running lark is in your head. It's to do with determination and belief. And hard work. If it came easily, practically anyone could get on the podium. Of course, some people physically can't do this. They may have a medical condition, or an incurable injury, that prevents them from getting any quicker. But I'm fortunate, that doesn't apply to me. So I need to be grateful for this - there's absolutely nothing stopping me. It comes down to how much I want it, and how hard I'm prepared to work to achieve it.

Of course, you could argue that it's all pretty pointless, since at the age of 40, I'm not exactly going to make Team GB at the next Olympics. But perhaps I may become one of the better 40 year olds around? Important to choose realistic, attainable goals - but then, who's to say what is realistic long term? Until I peak - and I firmly believe I'm some way off peaking - there's no knowing what I may be able to achieve.

As I said earlier, a fine line between belief and over-confidence/arrogance. I hope I haven't crossed it. But -whilst I've entitled this section "why not me?" - I could just as easily have entitled it
"why not you?" And that's the point.

Other Reasons for Running

I want to mention briefly those people for whom the enjoyment of running is not driven by the level of performance. I know many people - some very good friends amongst them - for whom running is all about the social aspect of things. They enjoy nothing more than a gentler paced run chatting with other like-minded runners. Or maybe running in fancy dress. Their reason for running is of course no less valid than mine - indeed, given that they always seem to run with a big smile on their face, you could easily argue that it's them, not me, who have the right idea.

Only another 100km to go: The Race to the Stones Ultra.
Crazy. Seriously crazy.

It doesn't always have to be serious

Similarly, I know a number of ultra-runners, who are driven by distance, not time. By their own admission, most of them are completely nuts - but in a nice way. At no point during this or any of my blogs do I want to suggest that my reasons for running are in some way more valid than those of others. Clearly not.


But equally, I make no apology for being competitive. And it is genuinely a question of being competitive against myself, against my own PBs and targets. Yes, if I come into the finishing straight of a race and can see someone just ahead, I'll do my best to try to catch them - but it's the time I'm more interested in, and if I'm improving, I'm happy.

So: To defer, or not to defer?

So given all this, why do I think it's unlikely that I will defer? Bottom line - because I really think this will be my last attempt to train for and run a marathon: if not forever, then certainly for a long time. Precisely because of the reasons I've just discussed. It's not the type of running I really love. I am extremely lucky to have bagged a place in London this year, but I'm not sure I want to defer and then lost the first part of next year going through the whole process again. And unfortunately, that is undeniably the way I have come to view marathon training: that you're losing 3-4 months of the racing year just for one day (albeit a fantastic one to be involved in.)

So, unless I physically can't set off from Blackheath in 7 weeks time, then I suspect I'll be there. Maybe with a downgraded expectation, but there nonetheless. I'll try my best to enjoy the experience more this time around. Soak up the atmosphere. Appreciate the amazing support. Hopefully not cramp up this time, and to finish strongly down the Mall. I won't ignore the medal this year, and I will get my official finish photo taken (I stomped off in a hissy fit last time. Well, limped off.) In short (!) I'll really try hard to embrace the day.

And then, once it's done, I can put it to bed, and go back to doing what I really enjoy doing.
Competing for Fun. Hence the title of this blog. See, who said this wasn't all properly thought out?

Thanks so much for reading - congratulations for making it to the end. Next blog will be about my attempts at a 20 mile LSR following whatever horrors my consultant inflicts upon me this week.
I'll do my best to keep it light!

Trying Different Things

I find it interesting from time to time to look back on previous blog posts; not only does it improve the page count, but it reminds me of the steps I've taken since I began running, in order to try to improve my performance.

Slight injury - enforced rest

I have plenty of time for reflection at the moment. Following a couple of reasonable 5kms since Tarpley, with a 19m37 at Club Time Trial followed by a 19m24 at parkun, I am now unable to run due to a slight injury. It's too early to panic, and I'm pretty sure a couple of days rest and all will be well. It was during my long slow run on Sunday, which (mercifully) was only 13 miles. Most marathon plans follow a structure of 3 weeks of increased mileage followed by an easier week, to help your body recover a bit more. And, after last week's 20 mile effort, only having to run 13 this time was very welcome.

Is it just me, or is there a touch
of Claudia Winkleman about him?

All was going well as I set off on what has now become my favourite local route, from my home in Chedburgh out towards Barrow. Not being one for calculating the precise distance of routes beforehand, I tend simply to run for half the distance required, and then turn and run back. It's a pretty safe way of ensuring you don't run too far, providing of course you don't get lost on the way home. I turned after 6.5 miles of decent-paced running, Paolo Nutini's newest album on my ipod, the sun shining, and everything seemed to be going well.



I have a new tactic now, on my regular training runs, of not checking my watch for the first mile or so. My aim, unless it's a specific type of run (eg tempo, threshold, recovery) is to settle into a comfortable pace without knowing exactly what speed I'm going at, the hope being that my body can decide for me what feels manageable for long distance running, rather than me reacting to the watch.

I am getting better at judging this natural pacing, and resisted the temptation to check on this occasion until three miles in - my willpower must be improving too. I was very pleased to see I was running at around 8min mile pace - pleased because it felt so comfortable and yet that's pretty much my target marathon pace. However, it's too quick for a Long Slow Run (LSR.) I struggle with running my LSRs, because whilst they should really just be about time on feet, I find it very hard to maintain interest without having some kind of target to aim at. Once I knew I was at 8min mile pace, I immediately wanted to maintain this for the remainder of the run. It may well be that I need to consider running without the watch so that I don't continually fall into this trap. They should really be about 1 minute slower per mile than marathon pace. If I were to do this on my longest LSR, which will be 22 miles, this would take 3hr18mins - which would mean being on my feet for almost as long as I expect (hope) it will take to complete the marathon - target 3hr30. I desperately need to practice time on feet, in my efforts to combat the cramping towards the end of long runs that I've blogged about previously.

Anyway, I was still on 8min mile pace up until mile 8, when suddenly my right leg gave way. I have no idea why - and no sooner had it happened than it felt fine. I tried some stretches, but was unable to find any pain and so restarted running. About half a mile later, the same thing happened again - and then a third time maybe a mile later. Each time, I stopped (obviously,) stretched, and then set off again. For the last 3 miles I found a decent rhythm again and resumed 8min mile pace. There was some discomfort in the leg, specifically just behind the knee and down the calf - but not enough to stop me running.

Nice venue, but how would Gran manage?

It wasn't until later in the day that it started to become pretty painful - whenever I put any weight on it. We were looking around a potential wedding venue that afternoon, and at one point someone mentioned it was important to consider if we had any guests with mobility issues, since the building had a lot of stairs. Since I was in some discomfort with every step, I found myself agreeing whole-heartedly.

One thing I have become better at over time is dealing with injury. I used to get very worried by the slightest twinge - but I have now grown to accept that it's just part and parcel of being a runner. Very few of us get through a whole year without being out of action for a least some part of it. There are of course many things you can do to reduce the risk of injury - and many poor choices you can make to increase the risk - but the chances are, if you're doing relatively high mileage, which will increase if you decide to train for a marathon, then something will start to hurt at some point. I have bleated on for ages about my ongoing injury that has affected my running for some time - although not so much recently. This is now being dealt with, and because it's not actually stopped me running, it's been frustrating but I've learnt to manage it. The frustration has been because it's been a difficult problem to diagnose, and so there's been no way of knowing when it will be fixed.

With a more specific injury, at least I can know how long I'll be out for, and I can then deal with it accordingly. At the moment, I'm resting the leg as much as possible, applying some muscle relaxant each night, and I'm hopeful I'll be back running in a few days time. If there's no improvement soon, I'll go to see a physio, and no doubt get a diagnosis and a recovery estimate. The rest will probably do me some good, and in the meantime I shall probably do some gym work so I still get my exercise fix.

Trying different things

I clearly recall how certain tips I've picked up over the last 3 years have seemed like game-changers at the time, but are now things I don't particularly worry about.

Coconut water, for example - a great way to hydrate, yes, but pretty expensive, and I'm no longer convinced it does that much more than a free glass or two of water from the tap. And it tastes vile!

Bottle this and I could make a fortune

Beetroot Juice - I don't recall how long I persevered with this, having heard about the many benefits to runners of this super-food. But it tastes a bit like drinking your garden.

When I first heard about Gels, I began using them for pretty much every longish training run. Again, this adds cost to every run, and there is a theory that their effectiveness is reduced the more you use them - certainly now I wouldn't bother with them for anything less than 20 miles, although perceived wisdom does maintain they are crucial for a decent marathon, and so I will probably start using them for a few of my LSRs between now and London, just to give my body a chance to get used to them again.



Other changes I have introduced have, however, become permanent parts of my training and racing routines.

Pre-race breakfast is now always the same - honey on toast. I find porridge disagrees with me, but my usual breakfast cereal doesn't really provide enough energy, so I smother on plenty of honey and that tends to get me through without any problems. I'm still not sure it's enough to get me through a marathon however, and again I need to experiment with some other options before race-day, to find something that works.

Adapting my running style has been a major change that I've managed to make over the last few months - I've talked about this before, but the more I improve, the more I'm convinced of the importance of good form. I try very hard to take on board the advice of our coaches at our club Tuesday sessions, and whilst you may feel a bit daft the first few times you try out a new idea, they do invariably help. The last time I sprinted up the hill on a club speedwork session, I could feel a real difference in the way my feet were landing, and having a good understanding of decent running form comes in really handy when you notice your pace beginning to slip towards the end of a race. Spend some time concentrating on regaining good form and you'll notice your pace improves with almost no perceptible increase in effort.

So this means leaning slightly forward with every step, which will in turn help with your attempts to toe or at least mid-foot strike (rather than heal strike.)
Picking your feet up quicker, and trying to plant them under your body rather than in front. Taking longer strides to try to cover the ground quicker seems logical - but in fact, a foot planted in front of your body will act as a brake, and the most economical way of running is proven to be shorter steps, but more of them. Increasing cadence - the number of times your feet hit the ground per minute - is a sure-fire way of improving. I have taken my average from about 160 to 180 per minute, which has not come easily, but now feels natural and has made such a difference.

My aim has always been to try to emulate the running style of fellow amateur runners I admire - some of you will know who I mean when I mention John Oakes, Dave Edwards, Danny Aldis - just to name three. The closer I can run to the way they do, the closer I will get to their times - although there is still some way to go!

The importance of gait analysis

Another change I made, perhaps about a year ago, was to purchase some molded insoles. These are made specifically to the shape of your foot, and help reduce problems with your gait - the way your feet land when you run. Because there is a strong chance that each foot lands slightly differently, custom insoles can correct more problems than simply the right type of shoes - I overpronate, but far more on one side than the other. Each individual insole corrects the problem for each individual foot.

Ok, bad joke - ignore this one...

Since you then place these insoles inside whichever shoes you are running in at the time, it allows you more choice on the type of shoe you can buy - so I am no longer restricted to the structured shoes I previously had to wear, and can instead run in the more lightweight types of shoe that I prefer. And I can take them out and pop them in my trail shoes for when I'm running off-road. However, it's important to remember that the insoles may not completely correct your gait on their own, and certain people may still need certain types of shoe as well, to reduce injury risk.

So the best advice would be to take your insoles with you every time you think about buying new shoes, insert them into the potential purchase and have the shop check your gait to ensure everything's in order. If it's a proper running shop, with properly trained staff, they will be more than happy for you to do this. If they're not, try another store!

Any good running store will offer this service

Irrespective of whether or not you go with the insoles, it's always sensible to get your gait checked with every new purchase of shoes anyway. Not only because of the difference in the shoe - but because your gait itself can change over time, particularly if you are making conscious changes to your running style.

And if you're marathon training, or running high mileage regularly in general, unfortunately you need to change your shoes pretty often.

Standard advice suggest every 300-500 miles, with the effectiveness of the shoe deteriorating from about 300 miles onwards. Which doesn't take long when you consider most marathon plans call for over 100 miles per month. This mileage figure will of course be different for each runner - another tip is to take your current shoes into a shop to compare with a new pair of the same make, to see how much they have worn away.

Finally, when you find a shoe that you really like, it may be worth buying more than one pair if you can afford to - shoe companies have an annoying habit of discontinuing certain lines, or making slight changes that mean the shoe no longer feels so good. There is a theory that this is deliberately done to encourage people to buy multiple pairs before their favourite is changed, but even if this is true, there's still some logic in doing so. Shoes are expensive, and just buying one pair can seem prohibitive enough - but when you factor in the cost of a series of visits to a physio to fix problems caused by wrong or worn-out shoes, it really makes sense. And of course, having bought your perfect pair in a proper running shop with expert gait analysis, you can then search for the same shoe online and maybe save some money on duplicate pairs - providing of course they are indentical: as mentioned above, even a slight modification to the make of shoe you are currently running in can mean they are no longer right for you.

Setting targets

I have talked about setting targets often over the course of my blogging. These targets are constantly changing, as I improve. I believe this is healthy, providing of course they are realistic, and that failing to achieve them isn't too soul-destroying.

For 2015 I anticipated having three main aims, the first of which (going sub 19mins for 5km) I actually managed at the end of 2014. Of course, I have now set myself a new target, which is sub 18mins by the end of the year. This is going to be tough, and for now I am very happy that I have hit sub 20mins regularly since November, in fact for 10 consecutive races (8 parkruns and 2 time trials.) To go sub 18mins I am going to need a fast flat course, and also to do some very specific speedwork training. With the fast approaching marathon my priority, I have to accept my 5km time is unlikely to improve a great deal at the moment - if I can keep below 20mins then I'll remain pleased with that level of consistency, and it'll be something to work on for the remainder of the year. Frustratingly, the quickest 5km course I can think of - the first of the Kevin Henry Series of races our club competes in - falls only 4 days after London, and so - whilst I'll run it, to ensure I get a point for the club - I can't believe I'll do anything particularly impressive. There is a new fixture this year in Ely, which is bound to be flat (being in the Fens) so maybe that could produce a PB. I am looking forward to tackling Thetford parkrun in the summer, when there will be no mud and it should be possible to run the course a bit quicker.


Looking forward to the new ELY 5km

My next HM has a couple of tough hills and
is unlikely to yield a fast time for me

Another aim was to get under 1hr30 for a half marathon, and again, regular readers (!) will know I managed this at Gt Bentley in February. The new target for a half is to average sub 6m30 pace, putting me under 1hr25 - this should be achievable this year since I'm not far off it, but again it's a question of finding the right course, and the only remaining half I'm currently scheduled to run this year (Ipswich, since it's part of the Suffolk Grand Prix) is not bursting with PB potential. If everything's going well in the second half of the year, I'll be looking hard for somewhere flat and fast.

My main aim though, and one I've had for a while, is to break the magic 40min barrier for 10km. I'm almost 2 minutes off this at present, best time coming at the Haver10 last May - but I haven't raced the distance for a while, and certainly not since the recent improvements which have seen me set PBs at 5km, 5mile, 10mile and Half Marathon. So I suspect I would be close to this were I to race one now - and to this end, I am looking to book into both the Breckland 10km in early May, and the Colchester 10km the week after, both of which have the potential to yield fast times. To get under 40mins you need to run 6m30 pace with a sprint finish - or back to back sub 20mins 5kms, which a few months ago would have seemed unthinkable, but now seems much more possible. Another good gauge is my average pace of 6m26 over 5 hilly, wet and windy miles at Hadleigh - so surely maintaing the same pace or slightly slower over just 1.2 more miles is achievable?

Race Day Expectations

Multiple targets: a great way
to remain positive during a race

One of the best bits of advice given to me was from my friend Angela, who writes about her own running in an excellent blog entitled Long Road to Boston 2016. She recommended having 3 targets for each race: Gold, Silver and Bronze. The theory behind this is simple - if you just have one particular time target in mind at the start of a race, then if at any point you realise you're not going to achieve it, your race is effectively ruined. If you have a couple of backup targets, then if Gold is slipping away, you simply re-focus on Silver, and if necessary on Bronze. Charlotte and I both use this tactic now - often adding in a Platinum as well, depending on confidence levels!

Getting a PB was beginning to look unlikely

What I have become better at, crucially, is settting those targets at the correct level. If I know a course is tough, for example very hilly or off-road, then my targets will be adjusted accordingly. If weather conditions are unfavourable, again I will downgrade my targets before the off. I also try to avoid simply setting my Gold target as a new PB. It's so important to be realistic, and if my training has not gone well in the build up, or if I've had time out with injury, or illness, then I try to set a time I would be happy with given those circumstances - in particular I do this for parkruns, which I race so regularly that it would be impracticable to aim for a PB every time.

Conversely, however, there will be some races where everything goes really well in the days and weeks leading up to the start, and where just aiming for a new PB would not be challenging enough. Gt Bentley HM was a prime example of this - a new PB would mean anything under 1hr34, but I would have been disappointed not to break 1hr30, and actually believed I should be able to do so comfortably, based on recent 10 mile times. Therefore setting 1hr34 as Gold would have been nonsensical. Instead, Gold was 1hr28m30 (6m45 pace give or take) Silver was sub 1hr30, and Bronze was to simply get a new PB. I did have a sneaky platinum target in mind of 1hr25, and I although I didn't quite manage this, I was delighted to come in way ahead of Gold target.

I did a similar thing with Tarpley 20 - convinced I would see a big improvement on my 2014 time, I set targets way above my PB. In the event, despite having a bad run (see previous post!) I was actually only a few seconds outside my PB - but even if I had just beaten it, I would have been disappointed, based on where I believed I should be for a 20 mile race. No point setting impossible targets, but equally why set a target you wouldn't be happy to achieve?

Conclusions?

You may be justified in suggesting there is very little joined-up thinking across my various posts. Try not to say it to my face though, I'm very sensitive. But I am aware that sometimes I write about something, and then in a later blog completely contradict myself. Rather than go back and correct myself, I want to leave each blog more or less as first published, since they are snapshots of how I felt about my running at the time. There's no shame in trying something, even maybe swearing by it for a period of time, and then deciding to abandon that approach in favour of something else. I've only been running for 3 years, and I'm learning all the time. Returning to each individual post after a period of time, I find that reading about things that subsequently didn't work is just as helpful to me as reading about things that did, and even if no-one but me ever bothered to read my waffling, the fact that looking back is helping me to improve is the main reason why I do this.

And of course, to those of you who do chose to follow all this nonsense, I remain pathetically grateful.