Great North Run 2007 : 1h 27m 12s

A great day and a good time to boot. As I said earlier my training has been inconsistent and I didn't really know what time to shoot for on race day. I decided my strategy should be to start conservatively, pick up the pace gradually and really go for it in the long downhill section between 5 and 8 miles. From there I'd be in a position to push on for a PB or consolidate and log a respectable time. It pretty much went according to plan. I resisted the temptation to push to the front of the start zone, not wanting to get caught up with faster paced runners. I restrained myself in the first mile and clocked a 6:50. Not too fast and not too slow. I picked up the pace a little in the next mile and tried to keep it going up the long incline from 3-5 miles. As I reached the 5 mile point the clock read 33:22 then I went for it. Logging the next 3 miles in splits of 6:23, 6:12 and 6:12. Possibly miles 7 and 8 were a little too fast but I felt good and was running comfortably reaching the 8 mile point in 52:10. I'd put myself in the position I wanted to be in. The question now was whether I had fuel in the tank to push on for a PB. The uphill stretch of the ninth mile answered the question for me. It was tough and although I held on well the mile split of 7:04 confirmed today wasn't to be a day for setting records. I gritted my teeth and pushed on for the last few miles. The long uphill in the twelfth mile was testing but didn't damage my hopes of a good time. I flew down the steep hill and turned onto the sea front. That last mile was a killer but I dug deep and picked up the pace. One last surge and I crossed the line in 1:27:12, quietly satisfied with myself but with an eye on better things next year. The most pleasing aspect of it all was I ran hard and yet still managed to really enjoy the atmosphere. I took it all in. The crowd, the bands, high fiving the kids on route, the bloke on top of the bus stop with a hose, everything.

Getting Ready

It's the evening before the big day and I'm still not exactly sure what time I should aim for. Training for this run has been up and down throughout and that continued into the final month. I ran two long runs on consecutive weekends (10.25 and 11.35 miles). The first was excellent at a consistent and comfortable sub 7 minute mile pace. The second not so good, not comfortable at all and a slower pace of 7:16 per mile. On the bright side I've managed a couple of excellent fast paced 6 mile runs.

So what do I go for tomorrow? I guess I'm going to just have to go with how I feel and respond to what my legs tell me. If everything goes well I'll shoot for sub 1:26, but sub 1:28 and sub 1:30 are alternative targets. I've run this race many times before and I know what to do. Don't push it too hard early on and listen to what my body is telling me. The weather is looking quite good for tomorrow. Around 14 or 15C and just a gentle wind.

My wife has belatedly decided to take up her entry. She's doing it on a very short training schedule but I'm sure she'll be fine and it's great for us to be doing the Great North Run together again. I just hope she doesn't beat me for a fourth time!

Time to step it up

After a good start August didn't turn out to be the greatest training month for me. Determined to get a very long run in before going on holiday I ran 13.7 miles on the 12th. It turned out to be a poor effort and I limped home 1:42 (7:29 min/mile). What's more it only gave me 3 days recovery time before the Exhibition Park 5k. I set my PB in this event last year and was hoping to crack it again this time around. The first kilometre went well but by the 2k point I had started to slow. The rest was a bit of a struggle and I came home in 19:12. Not disastrous but somewhat disappointing. All my PBs are challenging now and I have to accept that it's not going to happen every time I race.

I wanted to continue training through our holiday but it didn't quite turn out that way. Managed three runs of around 5 miles in the first week but nothing in the second week. Back home now and the next two weeks are crucial. A long run of 10 miles tomorrow and then 11.5 next Sunday. After this I'll be in a position to set my goals for the Great North Run. I suspect 1:25 is out of the question but let's just wait and see how the next 8 days go.

Turning the tide

Things were looking bleak as I headed towards the end of July. Less than 10 weeks until the Great North Run and I was suffering a lack of motivation, tired legs and a barrage of mosquito bites from that run in Kielder. However, it has all turned round in the last 8 days. Sunday 29th July proved to be the turning point. I didn't have the energy for my planned long run but it was a nice day so I decided to take an early morning run to Tynemouth Longsands and run a long the wet sand. Took a pit stop on the return leg and jumped in the freezing cold North Sea for 10 minutes. A nice break from the routine and it seems to have revived my training.

Ran 3 times during the week. On Wednesday I ran the 9 miles home from work for the first time in over a year and recorded a new PB of 1h 01m 21s. Then on Thursday an excellent strength session with the club back down at Longsands ended with another dip in the sea. Finally, on Friday lunchtime I took a break from work and ran down to the Newcastle Quayside and done a couple of mile laps around the measured Baltic Square course This is a great new innovation that records your lap times for you and they flash up on the scoreboard as you go past and then posts them on the MyChampionchip website. .

I didn't want to overdo it so I rested on Saturday and planned a long run the next day. Sunday was the day of my daughter's 5th birthday party so I postponed the usual morning run in favour of a late evening session. By the time 8 o'clock came around I was feeling less than eager to lace up my running shoes. I forced myself out the door not knowing whether I'd complete the full 10.25 miles or cut it short and settle for 6.7 instead. The blister on my right foot courtesy of my new Asics Gel Cumulus shoes suggested it would be the shorter route. However, after stopping to adjust my footwear I really got into my stride, consistently banging out sub 7 minute miles. When it came to the point where I had to decide to head home or add on the extra loop I just kept on going. Despite a barrage of flies out near St Mary's Lighthouse I pushed on and finished in 1h 11m 11s, an average of 6m 57s per mile.

It's very important I train near my target pace and I've really made the effort to pick up the speed this past week. Things are going well and I'm consistently running at below 7 minute mile pace. With a 2 week holiday approaching later this month I'm planning a13 mile time trial next weekend to see what kind of shape I'm in over the half-marathon distance. Lets hope I can keep this new found form going and even improve on it over the next couple of months. 1h 25 is still a serious target!

Eaten alive!

Kielder Forest (10k+) - Wild Race Series - 48:50

Its always nice to get out of the towns and run a race out in the countryside. Running through a forest and alongside a reservoir is good for the soul and makes you feel at one with nature. That is of course unless you are swamped by a plague of blood sucking midges covering your arms and legs with nasty, itchy bites that irritate the hell out of you for the next 3 days. My skin reacts particularly badly to bug bites and I'm sitting here unbearably itchy and irritated. A nice race yesterday but was it worth the price I'm paying now. In a word ... no. I won't be going back to Kielder in a hurry.

OK, moan over, time for the race report. These kind of races are difficult to set targets for because they aren't accurately measured and you're never quite sure how tough the terrain is going to be. The race started and immediately a group of about half a dozen zoomed off ahead. I wasn't daft enough to go with them and settled in to my pace a little way behind. The early part of the race went through the forest with some uneven terrain and included quite a few stiff hills. Possibly not the most difficult course for a season trail runner but I do most of my running on flat roads and I found it quite tough.

After a mile or so the leading group had disappeared out of sight and a few other runners came past me. I was unsure of how hard to push the pace. I didn't feel all that great and feared there might be some tougher sections in the latter part of the race. I erred on the side of caution and maintained my steady pace but tried to keep the two in front of me in my sights, hoping I could pick them off later on. At around halfway a marshall informed me I was in 10th place. Determined not to let that position slip any further I slowly reeled in the guy ahead of me. We ran together for a short while before I opened a gap of around 10 yards on a gentle downhill.

Happily, the undulations were definitely more down than up by now. A little further on and I caught another runner who'd been ahead of me since the start of the race. As I closed on him, I allowed myself a little rest and ran in his slipstream. To be honest, this tactic was enforced on me because the course diverted down a narrow footpath. If I'd wanted to pass I would've either had to push him over or run through three foot high vegetation. I ran close enough to him to realise that he was really struggling by now and as soon as we turned on to the open road I knew I could overtake quite easily.

As the route opened out again I stretched my legs and kicked away. It was a tentative kick for home as I wasn't really sure how long we had left to go. As it turned out I had further than anticipated left but managed to keep it going to the end, waving at the kids in the home straight and finishing in 8th position. The sun was shining by now and it would've been nice to spend the day out there but with those damn bugs still flying around we packed up the car and headed back to civilisation.

Blay-Done it

Blaydon Race 9th June 2007 - 35:20 (*PB)

Finally after seven years and five attempts I managed to improve on my first-ever Blaydon Race performance. I shaved 7 seconds off my previous best and took home a tremendous slice of satisfaction. On the day of the race I tried to take things easy which isn't always easy when you've got two young kids. I postponed laying turf in the front garden and played with the kids most of the day. I met Dave an hour before the race and didn't feel all that great to be honest. My stomach felt bloated and I was sure as soon as I started to run a stitch would appear.
Once again the weather was warm and sunny and I had a feeling this was not to be a record-breaking evening. As the start time approached I tried to relax, stretch out, take some deep breaths and focus on the race. We were taken a bit by surprise in the build up and found ourselves a little further back in the pack than I would've liked.

When the bell sounded to signal the start of the event I walked in the pack towards the start line. Fortunately as we started I was able to break into a run and by skipping up on to the pavement I was able to get into my stride. The pace was a little slower than I wanted but I was right to be cautious. A collision with another runner, a traffic cone or a pedestrian wouldn't have done me any good at this early stage of the race. As we approached the Centre for Life the field started to spread out and I was right into my stride, passing runners at will.
I turned up onto the long stretch of Scotswood Road and headed straight into the evening sun, glad that I'd decided to wear my shades for the first time ever in any kind of a run. I passed the first mile marker in 6:35, slightly disappointed at the time but feeling great. I stretched my legs out and picked up the pace. Starting slightly further back than I intended meant there was a constant stream of runners for me to chase down and pass. The 2 mile marker came and went with a split of 6:06 and I tried to keep the momentum going. Still running into the sun and still feeling good I hit mile 3 with a fastest lap of 6:02. Suddenly I started to believe that a new PB was a possibility.

As I turned off the Scotswood Road I knew the next two miles were crucial. I was approaching the most difficult part of the course with a few inclines and a number of twists and turns. I tried to stay focused and not ease off on the pace. Working hard to maintain my speed I pushed on by urging myself to keep passing runners ahead of me and intent on not being passed myself. The 4 mile marker came with a slightly slower lap time of 6:12 and I grabbed a plastic cup of water from the feed station. I probably only got a thimble full of liquid down my throat but it seemed to help. Most of the fifth mile is back on the dual carriageway and predominately up a steady incline. I could see the long line of runners ahead of me and I forced myself to pass as many as possible.

When I hit the 5 mile marker in 31:11 (6:14 lap) I really had no idea if a new PB was possible or not. However, I knew I was on for a good time and wanted to make sure I made the most of the opportunity. I really pushed myself over this last 0.7 of a mile determined to do just as well as I possibly could. As I ran into the town of Blaydon I was urged on by the crowds and in particular Ron the club coach. This was just the spur I needed and I put in a Seb Coe like finishing kick bursting past a number of fellow competitors. It actually turned out to be a little premature because I couldn't maintain my speed all the way to the end, but as I slalomed the finishing turns I dug deep and passed one more runner just before the line. Immediately after crossing the line I checked my watch and was delighted to see 35:20 staring back at me. So delighted in fact, I gave a little clenched fist celebration and a shout of "Yes!". Quite embarrasing really but it was an emotional moment!

Sweaty but jubilant, I waited in the finishing area for Dave before we headed back home for a night out in Monkseaton with Alan. Rounded the day off with a very enjoyable session in the Black Horse. Biggest shock of the night was Alan finishing the night drunker than either myself or Dave. The only one of us who usually knows when he's had enough had gone a little over the top. We're not as young as we used to be you know. However, on the evening's running performance I seem to be as fit as ever.

Splits
1 - 6:35.1
2 - 6:06.5
3 - 6:02.6
4 - 6:12.8
5 - 6:14.1
5.7 - 4:09.8 (35:20.9)

Official time 36:01, 140th/3338, 71st/933 u40m

Full Blaydon Race 2007 Results

Gannin' alang the Scotswood Road

So here it is race day. Wanted to get a good night's sleep before the race but things didn't exactly go as planned. Fell asleep on the couch watching Seinfeld at 8:30 and went up to bed just after 9 o'clock. A good start. Got a few hours sleep and then was awoken at midnight by a funny little tune emanating from downstairs. It stopped after a while and I dozed off. Five minutes later and there it was again. I ran downstairs to investigate. Checked my mobile phone and there was a text message from Scott about Billy Ocean (yes, really). Switched off the phone without actually realising my phone doesn't play a long tune when I get a text. Off I went back to bed and dropped off to sleep. Five minutes later, there it was again. This time the wife came down to investigate with me. She checked her phone and it was switched off, so I unplugged just about everything electrical in the house. Then just as I was about to get back into bed it started again. Turns out it was some kind of rogue alarm on the wife's phone that plays even when the phone is switched off. Problem solved, settled back into a deep sleep again before being woken by my daughter climbing into bed with us at 5:00am and by 6:30 both kids were bouncing up and down on top of me.

Anyway, having established my excuses beforehand I can now relax and concentrate on getting the job done tonight. Planning on running an even paced race at around 6:10 min/miles. Its always a bit crazy at the start as we go 'Away alang Collingwood Street'. Winding through the streets around Newcastle's Central Station, past the Centre for Life and along the Scotswood Road. Although its a very flat course and the atmosphere is great, the route is so dull and boring it can be a bit tough to stay focused in the middle part of the race. Last year's race was run in quite difficult heat (for Geordies like me anyway) and the forecast for around race time, 6pm, is 18C - so a little warm for my liking.


My PB is a good one (35:27) but I feel in good shape and have practised running at the desired pace so I'm hopeful of breaking it. Failing that I'd like to go under 36 minutes for only the second time in 6 attempts.

History of the Blaydon Races

Blaydon Races lyrics
I went to Blaydon races
Twas on the 9th of June
Eighteen Hundred and Sixty Two
On a summer's afternoon
I took the bus from Balmbras
And she was heavy laden
Away we went along Collingwood Street
To see the race at Blaydon

Chorus:
Oh me lads, you should've seen us gannin
Passing the folks along the road
And all of them were starin'
All the lads and lasses there
They all had smilin' faces
Gannin along the Scotswood Road
To see the Blaydon races

We flew past Armstrong's factory
And up by the Robin Adair
But gannin ower the Railway Bridge
The bus wheel flew off there
The lasses lost their crinolenes
And veils that hide their faces
I got two black eyes and a broken nose
In gannin to Blaydon races

Chorus

Now when we got the wheel back on
Away we went again
But them that had their noses broke
They went back ower hyem
Some went to the dispensary
And some to Doctor Gibbs
And some to the infirmary
To mend their broken ribs

Chorus

We flew across the Chain Bridge
Reet into Blaydon Toon
The barman he was calling then
They called him Jackie Broon
I saw him talking to some chaps
And them he was persuadin'
To gan and see Geordie Ridley's show
At the Mechanics' Hall in Blaydon

Chorus

Now when we got to Paradise
There were bonny games begun
There were four and twenty on the bus
And how we danced and sung
They called on me to sing a song
So I sang 'em 'Paddy Fagan'
I danced a jig and I swung me twig
The day I went to Blaydon

Chorus

The rain it poured down all the day
And made the ground quite muddy
Coffee Johnny had a white hat on
The old wife stole a cuddy
There were spice stalls and monkey shows
And old wives selling ciders
And the chap on the ha'penny roundabout
Saying 'Any more lads for riders?

Chorus

Bouncing back

Another week of training and I feel energised. After the months of long, hard marathon training I'm really getting in to my shorter training sessions. With a week until the Blaydon Race I'm feeling confident of at least threatening my personal best for the event. My current record is 35:27 set way back in June 2000. Last year, on a hot summer's evening I produced my next best performance with a 36:08. These times are my primary and secondary targets for this year's race. Challenging but not impossible, my speed and confidence seem to be returning at just the right time.

Training has gone well recently with a mixture of short interval sessions and steady paced 6-8 mile runs. This morning I ran one of my long-standing routes along to Tynemouth Priory (6.7 miles). Despite a couple of bottles of ale and half a bottle of red wine last night, I clocked a pretty reasonable time of 45:34. It was a great morning for a run along the coast, although perhaps just a little too warm for my body's liking. I often plod along during solo training sessions but I managed to keep the pace going and maintained an average of 6:46 per mile with a fastest mile of 6:34. Of course I'll have to pick up the pace significantly to hit my targets next Saturday (around 6:10 per mile) but I'm feeling good and ready for the challenge.

Post marathon surge? .... not yet!

Clive Cookson 10k - 39:45

Its been kind of tough to get going again after all the marathon hype. I always thought regardless of how the marathon went I'd benefit from all the increased training in the early part of the year and storm on to new heights. So far, its more of a tale of lethargy than exhilaration. Most runs tend to be laboured affairs. The only exception is training sessions with the club where I'm feeling in pretty good shape. There has been signs of a resurgence in the past few days although not enough to push me on to a 10k PB in last night's Clive Cookson 10k. First signs of recovery came in Sunday’s 6.5 mile run where I started Ok but found a renewed spring in my step towards the latter stages. I followed this with a fast-ish session to St. Mary's Lighthouse averaging around 6:40 per mile for the 5 mile run. Not exceptionally fast but an increase in tempo compared to most of my efforts recently.

It all boded well for my return to racing on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I woke up with a headache and signs of a cold. My legs were also aching. Not sure whether this was down to Monday's session or part of the bug I seemed to have picked up. I felt pretty lethargic throughout the day and hopes of breaking my 38:25 PB seemed rather optimistic. It was a great May evening, although just a little too warm for running. I decided the best race plan was to listen to my body and not push too hard. Wary of my tendency to go off too fast I stayed behind my club colleague Jayne for the first kilometre (3:45) and then eased into my running. It was a 2-lap course of my old high-school cross country route. I held it together quite well on the first lap and hit the halfway point in 19:35.

The PB was obviously not going to happen but a decent time was still very much on the cards. I told myself the next 3k were going to make or break the race for me. This section included the most difficult parts of a pretty flat course, into the wind and a blazing sun. All of a sudden the runners around me seemed to have disappeared and I was going to have to do the hard work by myself. For a time I felt a little queasy but managed to hold it together. I managed to close the gap on the girl in front of me and gradually wound her in. The plan was to reel her in until I reached the easy section of the run (the last 2k being downhill, wind assisted). It served as a useful tactic to keep me going through the tough part of the race but as we entered the final 2k she surged away from me. Fortunately this wasn't due to me slowing down. In fact I ran these last 2 kilometres in 3:46 and 3:42. Although there was nobody in reach to chase down I was determined nobody would pass me either and tried to push on. As it turns out I was a full 16 seconds clear of the next runner, although I was unaware of this at the time. Just as I was thinking of easing in the finishing straight I saw my running coach and managed to inject another surge of pace. I wasn't going to give him the opportunity to criticise me for taking it easy, although he later berated me for not having a club vest! Came home 47th out of 288.

Next event is the Blaydon Race on 9th June. I have quite a challenging PB of 35:27 (6:11 min mile pace) but hopefully if the next couple of weeks training go well I'll be in a position to break it. It was quite hot last year and I ran 36:08 with far less training under my belt. Here's praying for a bit of rain. I'm getting tired of running in the blazing sunshine.

Km Splits from last night:
3.44
4.08
4.02
3.45
3.52
4.04
4.23
4.13
3.46
3.42

Marathon hopes melt in London heat

After 16 weeks and 552 miles of preparation hopes of a sub 3:15 marathon were destroyed by some unseasonably warm weather. Having trained in rain, wind and snow the sun came out blazing on race day and it was all too much of a shock to the system.

My preparation had gone well and I was in confident mood as I stood on the start line. The mass of runners ensured a slow, steady start but after 2 miles I was well into my stride. The atmosphere was fantastic in the early part of the race with some excellent vocal support from the local communities of Greenwich. My mile splits between miles 3-11 fluctuated from 6:59 to 7:23 but nevertheless averaging right on my goal of 7:15 per mile. The next 3 miles hovered right around 7:30 and it became apparent the weather was beginning to take its toll on my body. I tried to drink extra fluid throughout the race but I was showing obvious signs of wilting.

By mile 16 I was seriously concerned and had slowed to just under 8 minute miles. At the 18 mile water station I grabbed a bottle of water and walked while I consumed the whole container before starting to run again. I continued with this tactic at the next 3 water stations. 3:15 was out of the window but I felt a new PB (sub 3:27:55) was still a possibility. It seemed to be paying off. I started to feel better and had hopes of a strong finish. This was however a false dawn and just after the 23 mile marker a cramp bolted up my lower right hamstring. I stopped immediately and tried to stretch the pain away. As long and as hard as I stretched it just wouldn't go away. People in the crowd urged me to continue but I could barely walk. Determined to finish I eventually limped along for 50 yards and finally the cramp subsided enough that I could start running again.

I continued through the city of London oblivious to its most famous landmarks and fearing another cramp. My calf gave a twinge but held firm, then my groin did the same, before finally my hamstring went again approaching 25 miles. This time it was my upper hamstring and fortunately a St John's Ambulance volunteer was on hand to massage the area and had me running again in a minute or two. My running style was now severely protracted but as I approached Buckingham Palace I summoned a last grain of energy to pick up the pace. My finishing burst came perhaps a little too soon and the last 50 yards were somewhat stunted but I crossed the line in 3:37:55. A personal worst and almost 23 minutes over my goal but oh so glad it was all over.

The finishing area was deathly silent as runners sat exhausted by the side of the road. In previous marathons finishers were tired but jubilant, happily exchanging pleasantries and personal experiences. It seems the heat had got to almost everyone and all that could be heard was medals being handed out and baggage bus staff returning belongings to drained runners.

I slunk through the city to meet Scott in Trafalgar Square determined never to even contemplate another marathon. I felt sick and dizzy, forcing myself to eat and drink but not really feeling like it. The thought of a celebratory pint was almost enough to make me vomit. However, the powers of recovery are quite amazing. Within 3 hours I was sitting in the John Snow public house with a pint and planning my next assault on the 26.2 miles. Possibly another marathon in the autumn, or maybe I'll wait until next Spring. Whenever it may be I just pray for a nice, cold day. I'll never complain about the bleeding English weather again.

TIMES
10 km 0:46:18
20 km 1:31:57
half 1:36:57
30 km 2:22:40
40 km 3:25:17
finish 3:37:54
TOTAL
Position (overall) 4814
Position (gender) 4202
Position (age group) 791
Finish time 3:37:54

Still going ...

Well if you've been monitoring this blog (as if anybody is) you'd think I'd given up on my marathon aspirations. However, you'd be mistaken. While the blogging has gone pretty much by the wayside, the running is still going strong. I ran right through the winter and started a 16 week marathon training plan on the 8th January 2007. For the most part things have went quite well. I've been running about 4 or times a week most of the time peaking at 52 miles in week 11. With 5 long runs of 20+ miles and a half marathon at Redcar in 1:26:13 my target for the London Marathon is 3h 10m.

Being a member of a running club has been a real benefit throughout. Although I haven't attended as much as I'd liked it has certainly kept me going and I've learnt how to pace myself much better. My stock has also risen with the coach now that he knows I'm running a marathon. The half-marathon at Redcar in mid-March was a big success. It was held on a cold and blustery day but I produced a pleasing effort that brought me home inside 'that' time I ran at the 2003 Great North Run. Part of me felt I'd never break that record but there I was in the howling wind and bleak Teesside surroundings striding to a new PB. The only disappointment was I faded badly in the last mile of the race. Admittedly it was along the coast with sand blowing off the beach into my face but if I could've maintained the pace my PB would now be that minute quicker at 1:25. Nevertheless a good run and cause for optimism.

It hasn't all been plain sailing though. I'm currently sitting here not having run for 3 days. I left my running shoes at work last Friday and as a result I did my final long run on Sunday (23 miles) in my old running shoes. The run didn't go all that well, I struggled in the last 3 miles and to make things worse I developed a pain in my right knee. As a precaution I've taken a short break which hopefully will cure the problem and not affect my fitness too much.

North Tyneside 10k on Sunday. Looking for at least a sub 40m time. Then only 2 more weeks until the big run down the smoke. Tower of London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Jimmy Saville, Bernie Clifton on an emu .... bring it on!!!!