Great Cumbrian Run 2009

25th October 2009

1:29:18 - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/17735832

After missing out on a half-marathon PB at the GNR I thought "why not have another go?" and this seemed like the most convenient opportunity to do so. Unfortunatley a record breaking run was never on the cards. Physically I didn't seem to have it in me and the wet, blustery conditions and undulating course didn't help either.

I spent the hour before the race trying to shelter from the elements inside the start location of Carlisle Castle. Hardly ideal preparation but once the race began I was quickly into my stride and hit the first mile roughly on target  in 6:31. I'm trying to stick to my planned pace but it's not proving easy. The next three mile splits are 6:42, 6:29, 6:49 and I'm already beginning to forget about any aspirations of a new half-marathon PB. By now the course has turned off into some pleasant countryside but with rather too many hills for comfort.

I revise my targets for the day. Sub 1:30 is a must and while we're at it lets keep every mile split under 7 minutes....which I manage to do so until mile 9 when a big fat 7:02 stares me in the face. Motivation is hard to find at this point. The weather outlook remains bleak and the course takes a turn for the worse as we head out of the countryside and back into Carlisle.

At somewhere beyond 11 miles a stocky bloke in a purple and blue vest runs past me and then halfway up a hill he stops and walks. Its the same runner who'd overtaken me at mile 1 before stopping by the side of the road. I also remember running behind him at the Great North Run at the 3 mile marker before passing him ... because he'd stopped and started to walk. Anyway, back to Carlisle and surprisingly five minutes later Mr Stop-Start passes me again and he's going away for me. I've got to admire his determination but his race strategy perhaps needs a bit of a rethink.

By this point I'm in something of a comfort zone. Sub 1:30 is my only remaining target and it's well within reach. I pick the pace up a bit for the final mile but it proves to be only a 7:05. The crowd of spectators grows and I try to look comfortable as I complete the a final lap around the track. A solid run but something of a let down.

So close to being perfect.

Great North Run - 1:25:33

For me, nothing goes accordingly to plan, but this was about as close as I've ever got. It was over two months since my last race and I'd squeezed in a two-week family holiday during that period. I had no right to target a PB but I did anyway. In fact I was aiming to go 26 seconds faster than last year and dip under 1h 25m for the first time.

I knew to do this I'd have to average 6:29 per mile. I also knew steady pace running on the undulating route from Newcastle to South Shields was about as likely as Mike Ashley being crowned Mayor of Newcastle. With this in mind I split my race plan into 4 parts.

1. Miles 1 - 5 including the 2 mile uphill starting at mile 3, average 6:30 per mile and hit the 5 mile marker in 32:30.
2. Miles 5 - 8 a long gentle slope, pick the pace up here without overdoing it. Average somewhere between 6:15 and 6:20 per mile.
3. Miles 8 - 12 the business end of the race, a shortish uphill at 9 miles and then a loooong hill from 11 to 12 miles. Inevitably the pace would slow but give as little back as possible.
   
4. Mile 13.1 - Go for it. Squeeze out every last drop and cruise over the finish line in 1:24:xx

I asked myself if it was possible and replied with a shrug of the shoulders. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. My training had been inconclusive. Some positives in there but less than perfect. Lets give it a go and see what happens.

Here's what happened:

1. Hit the 5 mile marker in 32:31. OK 1 second behind schedule but pretty much perfect. Feeling comfortable.
2. Picked up the pace and felt good. 6:15, 6:14, 6:19. Now over 30 seconds ahead of schedule.
3. Still feeling good as I enter this stage. Clock a 6:38 for mile 9 and then a 6:29 for mile 10. Then it starts to get tough. All of a sudden I'm noticing the warm sunshine. The Powerade I took at 10 miles is making me feel sick and the legs are really feeling these late hills. Next 2 miles are 6:45, 6:38.
4. As I enter the crucial last stage of the plan I'm bang on target. Unfortunately the legs and more importantly the mind is going. As much as I want to pick up the pace and cruise home for a PB the body just won't co-operate. Mile 13 is long and tough, sub 1:25 is out of the window and agonisingly even a PB slips by. I come home 8 seconds slower than last year.

So near yet so far. To execute the plan so well for 90% of the run and lose it in the last little bit is cruel. The disappointment stays with me for the days if not weeks before I'm able to reflect on what actually was a pretty good run.

Tynedale 10k - 39.06

Spent the afternoon getting caught in a torrential downpour picking the kids up from school, navigating flooded roads and a major lightning storm. Fortunately by race time things had cleared a little. Still cloudy and some drizzle but quite sticky and hot. The course is undulating with more downhills than up, but as we all know the uphills hurt more than any downhill helps. Wasn't sure of my race plan but thought I'd go out optimistically at PB pace (38:01) and see what happens. Mile 1 is all downhill. Tried not to get carried away and go to fast. Purposely hung back behind runners I usually beat and yet still hit the mile 1 marker in 5.45. At least I hadn't got as carried away as many others and I managed to pick a few off in mile 2, recording an undulating 6.11 split. A leading contender in the ladies race passed me and I tucked in behind her. Legs we're beginning to hurt but we closed on the group ahead even though the pace had slowed. It was a 6.18 for mile 3. The next mile took in the birthplace of George Stephenson but I couldn't take off like a rocket, in fact I was beginning to realise the PB was well out of reach tonight. More ups than downs now and me and my unofficial pacemaker clocked a 6.24 for mile 4. Now every little incline seemed like a mountain and mentally I eased off. My watch bleeped as we went through mile 5 but I didn't even check the split time knowing it would be a demotivating factor (it was a 6.38). Into the last mile and I seemed to have nothing left. The woman I'd been following eased away from me and one or two blokes overtook me. Finally I found some motivation and I managed to dig in for the last half mile or so. I picked up the pace and almost felt guilty as I caught and overtook my 'pacemaker'. As I did another of the fast ladies came whizzing by me. I tried to go with her but to no avail. Mile 6 was a 6.24. Managed a decent sprint in the last 200 metres and clocked a time of 39.04. Seems most people ran slower than usual, so my time was not bad. A bit disappointed I gave in to the 'Why do I do this mentality?' in the latter stages of the race. Feeling a bit lethargic probably not going to race again this month then target a 10k PB in August before I go on holiday. Morpeth 10k is a possibility.

Blaydon Race - 36.08

Can't beat an event that puts a bottle of Brown Ale in the goody bag.

Race report - (mile splits are from garmin and a little short)

Pre-race a bit sketchy on my targets. They changed the route last year so by default it was a PB of 37:17. Hoped to beat that and also go 36.xx. Start was well controlled this year and I managed to get a decent spot without too much argy-bargy. First mile twists through the streets of Newcastle, its easy to get carried away and go off too fast so I hang back behind a couple of club-mates who I know I'm faster than. Congestion is manageable as we head past Central Station, Centre for Life and then the Boyzone fans at the Arena. First mile 6.01 - a tad fast but feels good.

Then out 'alang the Scotswood Road'. Another club-mate comes past me, I tag in just behind him and he kindly takes me through mile 2 in a steady 6.08. I decide to do a bit of the pace-making but he can't hang on. Next thing I know I'm passing one of the elite women from Africa (she's having a bad day - but looks great). A slight downhill section helps me to a 6.03 for mile 3.

Across the Scotswood Bridge and down the out and back loop along the river. There's a water station but its plastic cups so I decide its not worth the effort - I'll only spill it down my front anyway. There's a tight 180 degree turn and we head for home. I realise I didn't hear the mile split on my garmin (it was a 6.14) but decide not too mess around with it and run the rest on feel - and I'm feeling pretty good.

I tuck in behind another runner who seems to be cruising along despite making some weird breathing noises. I take a second glance and notice he's in his late 60s. At the next incline I leave him behind ... or so I think, 20 seconds later he's in front of me again. We hit the 5 mile marker (6.08) and up another incline I finally leave him behind.

The last section of the race can be cruel with a couple of hills and some twists and turns but I've run this race so many times I know exactly what's coming. I'm still feeling strong so start to wind up the pace and am passing quite a few. As we turn into Blaydon I'm giving it everything and trying to overtake as many as possible. One last sprint for the line and stop the watch at 36.08. Very pleased, better than I'd anticipated and according to WAVA rating (72.52) my best race performance ever.

Druridge Bay 10k - 41.31

I ran the Druridge Bay 10k on Sunday, a nice course but in hindsight not good for a PB attempt. Hoped for a 37.xx ... got a 41.30! First 3k was fine with 3.44, 3.50, 3.51splits but then the course headed out onto the beach for a mile and a half stretch. I knew this in advance but the organisers said it would be wet sand, which it was, but they didn't mention the sand would consist of thick, ankle-spraining, ridges. Then coming off the beach there was an energy sapping stretch over dry sand. By this time my race was pretty much over. It was a sparse field and I ran the second half of the race almost entirely alone. I started thinking of my next event (Blaydon Race) long before the finish line. Finished in 10th place.

To sum up, I started brightly before fading and went down meekly when the going got tough. Sounds just like my football team on Sunday afternoon!!

London Marathon 2009 - 3:15:18

I'm pleased with my own effort despite being 19 seconds above the sub-3:15 target. Historically I don't do well in warm weather but managed to keep things reasonably steady and enjoyed every minute of it. Kept the hand brake on through the early stages, maintained the pace through the Docklands and got to 20 ready to give it everything. During those last 6 miles two things were going through my head

* "When the time comes, be a CAN"
* "Better to be the overtaker than the overtaken"

By the time I hit 24 miles I was overtaking quite a few. I knew I had to push on to go sub 3:15. It felt like I was cruising along at sub 7 min mile pace but unfortunately it was actually just over 7:30s and when I hit the 385 yards to go sign I knew it was all over. Nevertheless I gave it everything down The Mall just to squeeze every last drop out.

This was my 5th FLM and without doubt the most enjoyable. I took in every minute of it and for the first time really appreciated the noise level of the crowds. I knew the warm weather had the potential to spoil my day so I made sure to keep the early pace steady, wore a hat to protect my head and used pretty much every feed station. Full bottle of Lucozade at 5, 10, 15, 19, 23. Gels at 7, 12, 17, 21. Took a couple of mouthfuls of water at most of the stations, pouring some on my head.

After 5 marathon attempts I finally feel like I've got one sort of right.

3:05 - 3:10 next year.

Marathon Training: Weeks 10 - 15 - One last effort ... and rest

And thats it. Training all done. 660 miles since January, including 6 long runs of over 20 miles each. Now lets put it to the test with a little race in London on Sunday.

I'm happy with the way things have progressed and am confident of a sub 3:15. I feel like I've done all I can in preparation. Logging all those miles, particularly the 6 of 20+, and still feeling fresh is a new experience for me. In 2007 I had the mileage in the bag but was still tired on race day. Last year I just didn't have the long runs and it showed as a 3:15 turned into a 3:20 in the last few miles.

This time there's no reason to fail. My longest run of 23 miles at the end of March was a real confidence boost. I clocked 2:57 in what was surprisingly warm weather. That average of 7:42 min per miles in a long, lonely training run bodes well. Come race day I'm confident it will be 7:25s for the full 26.2 miles.

Targets
In reverse order, the standard 3 layers (satisfactory, pleased, delighted) -

• 3:19:59
• 3:14:59
• 3:12:59

Reasons to succeed

• 660 miles in training - good endurance
• Comfortable at planned marathon pace (7:25s)
• Well prepared - carbo loading, gels/lucozade on route
• Mentally strong and ready for anything

Reasons to fail

• None

Flora London Marathon 2009 here I come!