Three weekends, three races, three distances, three pbs!
And now I have my Running Club Bronze Award Standard.
At the start of this year I couldn't even sit down without being in pain, never mind run. I was in a pretty somber mood for many months. My goal for 2009 was to be able to run again without being in pain. And, most of the time now, I can run pain-free. There's the odd niggle here and there but that's all part of the course really. What I did not expect from 2009 was to be running the fastest short distances I have ever run. There were never going to be any ultras this year so I focused on speedwork and running short and running strong. The change to my race times has be astonishing. I have run a PB at every distance I have run this year.
At the 3 standard distances (10K, 10M, HM) I have knocked minutes off my times. Today's race was probably the most impressive. Before 2009 my PB was 82:22. And today I ran 75:08. That's over 7 minutes faster! I can't quite belive it.
2009 started off as a complete disaster for my running, but as we near it's conclusion, this year has really reinvigorated my love of running. Getting so many PBs has really boosted my confidence, but the best thing of all is when I go out and just run, maybe 4 miles, maybe 10, and when I get home nothing hurts in a way it shouldn't. Happy times.
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Autumnal glow of another PB.
One of the things I love most about autumn in the UK is the sunsets. They really can be spectacular. The journey home from Lancaster today featured one such sunset. Travelling up the M6 after the half marathon provided some stunning views of the Sedburgh hills. The golden and bronze hues of the bracken really reflected my mood. I was glowing myself after running my 14th PB of the year. And considering the state I started the year in I reckon that is something to 'glow' about.
I ran the Lancaster Half Marathon 2 years ago. At the time it was my PB race so I thought I knew what to expect. Between then and now however they have changed the route. I thought however that most races round Lancaster are generally pretty flat that it probably wouldn't matter that I didn't know the route. As it turns out I am glad I didn't know what was coming. Last week at Strathaven I was ready for the sting in the tail at the end as I had been warned. Today there were two stingers; one was the long climb from the 6 mile marker to the 8 mile marker; the second was that after only just getting over this unexpected hill we were then faced with 150 meters of shin-deep muddy flood water. I had managed pretty well to run fast enough through all the other puddles so as to keep my shoes fairly dry, but there was no getting round this. The entire lane was flooded! It took a lot of effort to lift each leg right out of the water for each step and by the time I reached the far end my legs were really feeling it. This was not helped by the fact that I now felt like I had bricks attached to each foot. I knew they were gradually dry out over the next mile or so but I was worried about how much this was going to affect my pace. I was now well below was target pace for the race by 10seconds per mile but if I could just find something to get me going again over the last 4.5 miles then I should still get a new PB.
I was running with another runner from DRC and he told me not to worry about my time and just focus on getting through each mile one at a time and see what can be done about the time in the last mile or so. It was difficult to do this for mile 9 as we had been diverted onto a mud track (to avoid another section of the route that was flooded) and I couldn't get into a rhythm at all. Once back onto the cycle track I just tried to focus on getting a rhythm going again. Slowly I managed to pick up my pace again and we were on the homeward section. There was no let up though. I was working every once of muscle in every part of my body. My breathing was loud and exaggerated and my form was quite simply shocking but I was just trying to move my body as best as I could.
Then the track appeared. 300 metres to go! I knew I had the PB now it was just a case of by how much. I broke into the best kind of sprint I had left. I didn't think I had it in my legs at all so it was quite a shock to feel myself accelerating round the track. The last 300m was run at 6:04m/m pace! What on earth! I couldn't have gone another step though. I was spent. New half Marathon PB of 1:42:04. That's 1:44mins faster than Helensburgh in August, and 11 whole minutes faster than Stranraer half back in June (which was my first half after my troublesome winter).
Happy glow.
I ran the Lancaster Half Marathon 2 years ago. At the time it was my PB race so I thought I knew what to expect. Between then and now however they have changed the route. I thought however that most races round Lancaster are generally pretty flat that it probably wouldn't matter that I didn't know the route. As it turns out I am glad I didn't know what was coming. Last week at Strathaven I was ready for the sting in the tail at the end as I had been warned. Today there were two stingers; one was the long climb from the 6 mile marker to the 8 mile marker; the second was that after only just getting over this unexpected hill we were then faced with 150 meters of shin-deep muddy flood water. I had managed pretty well to run fast enough through all the other puddles so as to keep my shoes fairly dry, but there was no getting round this. The entire lane was flooded! It took a lot of effort to lift each leg right out of the water for each step and by the time I reached the far end my legs were really feeling it. This was not helped by the fact that I now felt like I had bricks attached to each foot. I knew they were gradually dry out over the next mile or so but I was worried about how much this was going to affect my pace. I was now well below was target pace for the race by 10seconds per mile but if I could just find something to get me going again over the last 4.5 miles then I should still get a new PB.
I was running with another runner from DRC and he told me not to worry about my time and just focus on getting through each mile one at a time and see what can be done about the time in the last mile or so. It was difficult to do this for mile 9 as we had been diverted onto a mud track (to avoid another section of the route that was flooded) and I couldn't get into a rhythm at all. Once back onto the cycle track I just tried to focus on getting a rhythm going again. Slowly I managed to pick up my pace again and we were on the homeward section. There was no let up though. I was working every once of muscle in every part of my body. My breathing was loud and exaggerated and my form was quite simply shocking but I was just trying to move my body as best as I could.
Then the track appeared. 300 metres to go! I knew I had the PB now it was just a case of by how much. I broke into the best kind of sprint I had left. I didn't think I had it in my legs at all so it was quite a shock to feel myself accelerating round the track. The last 300m was run at 6:04m/m pace! What on earth! I couldn't have gone another step though. I was spent. New half Marathon PB of 1:42:04. That's 1:44mins faster than Helensburgh in August, and 11 whole minutes faster than Stranraer half back in June (which was my first half after my troublesome winter).
Happy glow.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Coincidence? I think not
Today was our 2 month wedding anniversary.
And, for the first time ever ( I think) we got drawn as partners in the club speedwork session.
It must be a sign.
Oh, and I did my fastest 1/2 mile reps ever. Pretty good all round I'd say.
And, for the first time ever ( I think) we got drawn as partners in the club speedwork session.
It must be a sign.
Oh, and I did my fastest 1/2 mile reps ever. Pretty good all round I'd say.
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Run into the wind, not with it!
Strathaven 10k.
The race in entitled "Run With The Wind". This would be easier if the wind was going the same direction as me! Ho hum.
The race was tougher than I thought it would be for some reason. I had already been warned that it was not as downhill as everybody makes out, AND that there is a sting in the tail. But still, I felt strangely over-confident if I’m honest before the start. I should have been more cautious.
The buses set off slightly late so there was no time at all for a warm-up at the start (note to self for next year). I ended up stuck about 1/2 way back in the start pack and as a result didn't pass the start line for a full 17 seconds; hence the gun/chip difference (another note to self for all future races).
The first 4k were mostly downhill with a couple of sharp undulations. Getting stuck in the 'traffic' at the start and these couple of slight uphills meant I just could get myself feeling comfortable at all. My legs were cold and weren't striding out the way I would have liked. My pace was pretty fast but it was the sort of pace I had expected to do for this part of the race. I had decided to try to go out hard, especially as there was so much downhill, and I wanted to see what effect it would have on me for the later part of the race.
Once we turned the corner at 4k it all started to fall apart a bit. My pace slowed dramatically on the climb, and the headwind was not helping at all. However, i like a good tough run in rotten weather and for the most part I would have been happy to dig in and focus on my race. But! A big pain in the butt! A fellow runner had decided that they were going to be very unsportsmanlike and sat right in behind me (literally) for the entire time from the 4k marker to the 8k marker. I know this happens a lot up the faster end of the field but most people have the good manners to take their turn facing the brunt of the wind. I was running on different sides of the road, my pace was quite erratic (for one reason or another) but could I get rid of him? Heck no! By the 8k marker I had had enough and I quite literally stepped over to the side of the road, turned to face the young man and said "Look, will you please go past me?!" To which he replied "No, it's ok thanks". Well actually it is not ok to me. I have had enough of listening to you puffing in my ear. I was not happy. So I attempted a slight sprint up the hill and tucked sat on the side of another runner. Finally he got the hint and he went past. But would you believe it, he only went and tucked in right behind the next runner ahead of us. Some people! I know everyone races in their own way, but come on; a little sportsmanship is never going to be frowned upon.
Anyway, now that he was finally out of my hair I could focus on the rest of the race. I glanced at my Garmin. It was going to be really tough to try and still get a PB out of this race. I was really going to have to motor for the last 1.5k. I desperately wanted to continue my unbroken PB streak this year but it had been looking pretty hopeless for the middle section of the race with 2 miles at 7.44 and 7.59. I gave myself a mental shake and then tried to shift down the gears and wake my legs up. It half worked and soon came the 9k marker. I was running my very hardest down this final hill and started thinking that I might just do it. And then there was the sting in the tail that Lee had warned me about; up the wee hill on the muddy slippery grass, and then across the slippery field to the finish line. It was all I could do to keep upright. Honestly, I did not want to be that runner who fell flat on their bum 20m from the finish! Could you imagine? Luckily, upright I stayed and managed cross the line in 45:03. Chip time 44:46!! Job done. PB whichever way you look at it.
The race was very much one of TWO HALVES.
1. The carefree first 4k with all the descents, then the last 6k toughing it out into the wind and the long drag uphill and battling to the finish line.
2. The enjoyment of being able to focus on my own race on a pretty scenic route vs. the annoyance and distraction of having somebody run directly behind you, puffing away in your ears and refusing to go past you even if you slowed down to literally standing still!
3. The decidedly unpleasant weather vs. the lovely warm and enthusiastic welcome given by all the marshals and supporters on the route. Top job.
I will definitely be back next year.
The race in entitled "Run With The Wind". This would be easier if the wind was going the same direction as me! Ho hum.
The race was tougher than I thought it would be for some reason. I had already been warned that it was not as downhill as everybody makes out, AND that there is a sting in the tail. But still, I felt strangely over-confident if I’m honest before the start. I should have been more cautious.
The buses set off slightly late so there was no time at all for a warm-up at the start (note to self for next year). I ended up stuck about 1/2 way back in the start pack and as a result didn't pass the start line for a full 17 seconds; hence the gun/chip difference (another note to self for all future races).
The first 4k were mostly downhill with a couple of sharp undulations. Getting stuck in the 'traffic' at the start and these couple of slight uphills meant I just could get myself feeling comfortable at all. My legs were cold and weren't striding out the way I would have liked. My pace was pretty fast but it was the sort of pace I had expected to do for this part of the race. I had decided to try to go out hard, especially as there was so much downhill, and I wanted to see what effect it would have on me for the later part of the race.
Once we turned the corner at 4k it all started to fall apart a bit. My pace slowed dramatically on the climb, and the headwind was not helping at all. However, i like a good tough run in rotten weather and for the most part I would have been happy to dig in and focus on my race. But! A big pain in the butt! A fellow runner had decided that they were going to be very unsportsmanlike and sat right in behind me (literally) for the entire time from the 4k marker to the 8k marker. I know this happens a lot up the faster end of the field but most people have the good manners to take their turn facing the brunt of the wind. I was running on different sides of the road, my pace was quite erratic (for one reason or another) but could I get rid of him? Heck no! By the 8k marker I had had enough and I quite literally stepped over to the side of the road, turned to face the young man and said "Look, will you please go past me?!" To which he replied "No, it's ok thanks". Well actually it is not ok to me. I have had enough of listening to you puffing in my ear. I was not happy. So I attempted a slight sprint up the hill and tucked sat on the side of another runner. Finally he got the hint and he went past. But would you believe it, he only went and tucked in right behind the next runner ahead of us. Some people! I know everyone races in their own way, but come on; a little sportsmanship is never going to be frowned upon.
Anyway, now that he was finally out of my hair I could focus on the rest of the race. I glanced at my Garmin. It was going to be really tough to try and still get a PB out of this race. I was really going to have to motor for the last 1.5k. I desperately wanted to continue my unbroken PB streak this year but it had been looking pretty hopeless for the middle section of the race with 2 miles at 7.44 and 7.59. I gave myself a mental shake and then tried to shift down the gears and wake my legs up. It half worked and soon came the 9k marker. I was running my very hardest down this final hill and started thinking that I might just do it. And then there was the sting in the tail that Lee had warned me about; up the wee hill on the muddy slippery grass, and then across the slippery field to the finish line. It was all I could do to keep upright. Honestly, I did not want to be that runner who fell flat on their bum 20m from the finish! Could you imagine? Luckily, upright I stayed and managed cross the line in 45:03. Chip time 44:46!! Job done. PB whichever way you look at it.
The race was very much one of TWO HALVES.
1. The carefree first 4k with all the descents, then the last 6k toughing it out into the wind and the long drag uphill and battling to the finish line.
2. The enjoyment of being able to focus on my own race on a pretty scenic route vs. the annoyance and distraction of having somebody run directly behind you, puffing away in your ears and refusing to go past you even if you slowed down to literally standing still!
3. The decidedly unpleasant weather vs. the lovely warm and enthusiastic welcome given by all the marshals and supporters on the route. Top job.
I will definitely be back next year.
Sunday, 18 October 2009
RRR50 and Tooting Bec 24 hour
Quite a weekend really.
On my own part, I had a relaxed return to racing after a VERY leisurely honeymoon. I was running 2 legs of the RRR50 relay with 2 other ladies from DRC. There was supposed to be 4 of us running but another member had to pull out due to an injury. My lack of running for the past month resulted in use agreeing that i would still just do 2 legs of the run and the other ladies would do 3 each.
I have been very relaxed into the lead-up to the race. I was treating it as a fun social weekend rather that going with the intention of flat-out racing. A month of honeymooning means I am completely out of form so I didn't want to put pressure on myself. As a result I decided not to take my garmin with me and just run 'how I felt'. I haven't done that in a long time.
I thought this would mean I would relax during my run. It did and it didn't. I ended up pushing myself on both legs and ran as fast as I could really. On leg 3 I was having quite a lot of cramping in my abs ( a sure sign of my loss of form) and was worried that even though I was pushing along the trails/road/fields that my pace was going to be something really bad.
About 1 mile from the checkpoint I ran past Sue Walker (Carnegie) was shouted a cheery hello. She was so cheerful it remined me what i was at RRR for, some good fun social running. No pressure!! I finished the leg in 1:05 (or 1:07 according to the official watch) so i was really surprised by the pace. I hadn't expected to be in under 1:12 so I was really pleased.
On leg 6 I had a tough run. A few wee hills seemed like mountains and my legs were tired. I kept pushing along to Maltby. After coming through the church yard I ran past a little house that was selling pumpkins outside - a small reminder that the race was now in october (halloween time) rather than december when all the xmas lights would be out. The race was completely different due to this change of time and many seemed to think it was for the better.
Our team finished 3rd ladies team whilst our men finished 9th overall. A good result from a fun weekend. Marcus Scotney of our running club won the full 50 race and Les Hill came 11th despite a really bad fall.
So, you may be thinking what a good weekend for DRC.
Well, it gets much better than that!!
This weekend was also Tooting Bec 24 hour race. Paul was running in this race. So whilst running in the relay at Rotherham I was completely and permanently distracted by what was going on down in London. Phone updates every 2 hours meant I could keep in touch with paul and provide a little support from afar. It felt strange not being there but this was how we thought it would work best.
And what a race he had. I was getting more and more proud and excited with each call. Grinning like a cheshire cat and feeling a real overflow of pride knowing how well he was doing.
I am just amazed by his result. In 24 hours he ran 140.93 miles!! He finished 2nd overall. OUTSTANDING.
On my own part, I had a relaxed return to racing after a VERY leisurely honeymoon. I was running 2 legs of the RRR50 relay with 2 other ladies from DRC. There was supposed to be 4 of us running but another member had to pull out due to an injury. My lack of running for the past month resulted in use agreeing that i would still just do 2 legs of the run and the other ladies would do 3 each.
I have been very relaxed into the lead-up to the race. I was treating it as a fun social weekend rather that going with the intention of flat-out racing. A month of honeymooning means I am completely out of form so I didn't want to put pressure on myself. As a result I decided not to take my garmin with me and just run 'how I felt'. I haven't done that in a long time.
I thought this would mean I would relax during my run. It did and it didn't. I ended up pushing myself on both legs and ran as fast as I could really. On leg 3 I was having quite a lot of cramping in my abs ( a sure sign of my loss of form) and was worried that even though I was pushing along the trails/road/fields that my pace was going to be something really bad.
About 1 mile from the checkpoint I ran past Sue Walker (Carnegie) was shouted a cheery hello. She was so cheerful it remined me what i was at RRR for, some good fun social running. No pressure!! I finished the leg in 1:05 (or 1:07 according to the official watch) so i was really surprised by the pace. I hadn't expected to be in under 1:12 so I was really pleased.
On leg 6 I had a tough run. A few wee hills seemed like mountains and my legs were tired. I kept pushing along to Maltby. After coming through the church yard I ran past a little house that was selling pumpkins outside - a small reminder that the race was now in october (halloween time) rather than december when all the xmas lights would be out. The race was completely different due to this change of time and many seemed to think it was for the better.
Our team finished 3rd ladies team whilst our men finished 9th overall. A good result from a fun weekend. Marcus Scotney of our running club won the full 50 race and Les Hill came 11th despite a really bad fall.
So, you may be thinking what a good weekend for DRC.
Well, it gets much better than that!!
This weekend was also Tooting Bec 24 hour race. Paul was running in this race. So whilst running in the relay at Rotherham I was completely and permanently distracted by what was going on down in London. Phone updates every 2 hours meant I could keep in touch with paul and provide a little support from afar. It felt strange not being there but this was how we thought it would work best.
And what a race he had. I was getting more and more proud and excited with each call. Grinning like a cheshire cat and feeling a real overflow of pride knowing how well he was doing.
I am just amazed by his result. In 24 hours he ran 140.93 miles!! He finished 2nd overall. OUTSTANDING.
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