Bit of a lie in this morning as todays race (Great Eastern Run) in Peterborough does not start until 10:30. There are 6 of us from the club running today & I'm getting a lift to P'Bro from Chris (& Clare). We set off at 9am and are in P'Bro heading for the gathering area beside the Cathedral by 10am. A quick loo stop at McDonalds (thank you Roland) and we wander off up the road towards the start pens which have signs indicating estimated finishing times. On the way I bump into Andy Skailes (a previous club member and extremely fast runner) and ask him what time he expects to do today. The reply is 1:25 as he has a bit of a cold, so we won't be seeing much of him then. A few minutes later as Chris is undressing ready for the race Richard arrives with family and a few minutes later Nikki says hello on her way to the start. No sign of Mark or Sylvia but no doubt they are here somewhere in the crowd. We say goodbye to Clare, after dumping all our excess clothing with her, and head up to the 1:45 time marker. Soon it's time to go and we give Sally Gunnel a wave as we pass the start gantry a couple of mins after she fired the starting gun. Richard & I start together as he is hoping for a PB today never having run sub 1:52 for a HM before. I'm sure he'll do this and set off at a 7:45 pace for the first 3 miles. Chris is close on our heels and then between miles 4 & 5 I start to feel a bit rough and slow a little only to watch Richard & Chris gradually pull away in the distance. Someone taps me on the elbow & it's Mark who also quickly glides past & soon catches up with Chris (I think). So I am now last man standing & feeling rough. I have a gel and give myself a bit of a talking to, but my fifth mile is 8:50 and I suspect I've blown it. However, the gel soon kicks in and I'm back on 8:15 miles and feeling much stronger. I keep looking for glimpses of the club vest up ahead but there is no sign so Richard, Chris, & Mark must be flying. I manage to maintain a good pace and another gel at the 10 mile point helps me to keep going. Between miles 11 & 12 I pass Nikki who is looking a little tired but still going well and a glance at my watch suggests I can still beat my GNR time if I push on hard. I push as hard as I can but save a bit in reserve for a sprint to the line, the only trouble being I have no idea when 'the line' will appear as I've not run this course before. Soon we head off into a park and then the finish line straight is ahead. I sprint (well that's what it felt like, but observers may have a different opinion) and cross the line in 1:47:27, around 30 secs slower than my GNR time but given how I felt around mile 5 I'm very happy. After searching around the finish area I eventually meet up with Richard, Chris & Clare and get some extra clothing on. Richard is very pleased with his 1:44 finish time, as is Chris who finished only a few seconds behind him. We can't see Mark anywhere though & the others ask me if I saw him in the last few miles as he apparently dropped back from them. I'm afriad my head was down and concentrating though so I don't know when I passed Mark but I must have somewhere as when I look at the results later he finished in 1:52. The results also show that Nikki finished in 1:48 and Sylvia bang on 2 hours. So a good club outing and well done to us all. Now Richard Mark & I have next Sundays 23 miles to look forward to.........great.
(BTW In case you're wondering how Andy got on he was spot on with his estimate & finished in 1:25 !!)
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Friday, 7 October 2011
Week 10 Day 7 - Saturday October 1st
Now here's a rare thing, running long distance on a Saturday, especially after 18 miles on Sunday, but we are due to go to a friends party in Nottingham this evening so it may not be a good idea to plan to run 20 miles tomorrow....hence today.
The only member of the usual crew are signed up for this outing is Mark as Richard has family commitments & Sue is working. We are tagging along with Damian as he wants to do a run from Oakham to Uppingham XC and a bit further depending on what we need to achieve today. The program says 20 miles but I've planned an XC route back from Uppingham which is almost as hilly as the outward leg so I think we can settle on slightly less distance and still achieve the program aims.
The day does not start to plan as Judith (who is meant to be joining us on the Oakham to Braunston part of the run) fails to show up in Braunston to dump her car. This means we leave for Oakham 15 mins late and when we get there (the same time as Mark as he has also been given the 'Judith run-a-round') we find Damian has already left. A few frantic phone calls later & we all meet up in Egleton & start our run from there.
We are following the route of 'The Rutland Round' which takes us XC to Braunston and then by trails via Leighfield Lodge to Belton-In-Rutland. David & Kate (his dog) leave us at Leighfield to do a shorter run and the remaining trio head off up the hill to Riddlington ridge. As if by a pre-arranged signal we all walk the steeper parts of the hill up to the ridge and then trot down into Belton. From Belton we cross the undulating section to the A47 where we dip quickly in and out of Wardley village and then it's off into Wardley Woods. Amazingly this year there is NO MUD in Wardley Woods, which just goes to show how little rain there has been this year, as in previous years you could always find mud here even if it had been dry for weeks at a time. We climb out of the woods to arrive on the outskirts of Uppingham and start our return to Braunston with a short jog along the (fortunately very wide) verge of the A47 which is quite busy. Soon we turn off on a field track back towards Riddlington and peace and tranquility return. The sun is also now making it's presence felt and it turns out that we are running on the hottest October day for several decades. We rejoin the ridge track where the metalled road from Riddlington ends at a farm, and head off back in the direction of the barns at the top of the hill from Leighfield. We run past the barns & follow the ridge to it's conclusion and then head downhill towards Top Windmill, but turn off to the left before then and take the uphill path through a small plantation to end up on the ridge above Braunston. Because we still need a few more miles we head away from Braunston and towards the top of The Wisp before turning right and dropping down to the trail which leads through the middle of the valley back to Braunston, ending up in the church grounds. Mark is keen to get closer to 20 miles so he and I do a lap of the village, while Damian (who already has an extra mile+ on us having started his run from Oakham rather than Egleton) heads off to our house in the village.
In total Mark & I run 18.7 miles and decide that's quite enough given the terrain (not to mention the heat).
To finish we all sit with our legs in the swimming pool (water temp 18 degC) which acts as an ice bath in an attempt to kill off any lactic buildup. Looking forward to a lie in on Sunday mroning...lets hope I manage to stay awake for tonights party !
The only member of the usual crew are signed up for this outing is Mark as Richard has family commitments & Sue is working. We are tagging along with Damian as he wants to do a run from Oakham to Uppingham XC and a bit further depending on what we need to achieve today. The program says 20 miles but I've planned an XC route back from Uppingham which is almost as hilly as the outward leg so I think we can settle on slightly less distance and still achieve the program aims.
The day does not start to plan as Judith (who is meant to be joining us on the Oakham to Braunston part of the run) fails to show up in Braunston to dump her car. This means we leave for Oakham 15 mins late and when we get there (the same time as Mark as he has also been given the 'Judith run-a-round') we find Damian has already left. A few frantic phone calls later & we all meet up in Egleton & start our run from there.
We are following the route of 'The Rutland Round' which takes us XC to Braunston and then by trails via Leighfield Lodge to Belton-In-Rutland. David & Kate (his dog) leave us at Leighfield to do a shorter run and the remaining trio head off up the hill to Riddlington ridge. As if by a pre-arranged signal we all walk the steeper parts of the hill up to the ridge and then trot down into Belton. From Belton we cross the undulating section to the A47 where we dip quickly in and out of Wardley village and then it's off into Wardley Woods. Amazingly this year there is NO MUD in Wardley Woods, which just goes to show how little rain there has been this year, as in previous years you could always find mud here even if it had been dry for weeks at a time. We climb out of the woods to arrive on the outskirts of Uppingham and start our return to Braunston with a short jog along the (fortunately very wide) verge of the A47 which is quite busy. Soon we turn off on a field track back towards Riddlington and peace and tranquility return. The sun is also now making it's presence felt and it turns out that we are running on the hottest October day for several decades. We rejoin the ridge track where the metalled road from Riddlington ends at a farm, and head off back in the direction of the barns at the top of the hill from Leighfield. We run past the barns & follow the ridge to it's conclusion and then head downhill towards Top Windmill, but turn off to the left before then and take the uphill path through a small plantation to end up on the ridge above Braunston. Because we still need a few more miles we head away from Braunston and towards the top of The Wisp before turning right and dropping down to the trail which leads through the middle of the valley back to Braunston, ending up in the church grounds. Mark is keen to get closer to 20 miles so he and I do a lap of the village, while Damian (who already has an extra mile+ on us having started his run from Oakham rather than Egleton) heads off to our house in the village.
In total Mark & I run 18.7 miles and decide that's quite enough given the terrain (not to mention the heat).
To finish we all sit with our legs in the swimming pool (water temp 18 degC) which acts as an ice bath in an attempt to kill off any lactic buildup. Looking forward to a lie in on Sunday mroning...lets hope I manage to stay awake for tonights party !
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Week 10 Day 1 - Sunday 25th September
The training program says 18 miles today & I've arranged to run with Richard Evans & Sue Fulbrook from the running club as well as David Anderson from the village. I have chosen a route based on Rutland Water with an extension away from 'the water' from Normanton out towards Ketton and then back to Empingham via local roads where we will once again pick up 'the water'.
Start time is 08:30 from Manton and I pick up Sue from Barnsdale and David from Empingham en-route to Manton as they plan to finish at their respective pick-up points while Richard & I complete the whole route. Just as we arrive in Manton it starts to rain lightly, which is quite a surprise as no rain was forecast for today but also good for running as it keeps us cool. Sue, Richard, & I fall into an easy pace but David seems to be struggling after the first few miles. It turns out he had rather a lot of red wine the night before and he decides to cut his run short and return to Empingham via the most direct route once we are approaching Normanton. The rest of us head off towards Ketton and then branch back onto the water at Empingham via the cross country route to the dam wall. After a quick loo stop at Sykes Lane we head off on the stretch to Barnsdale with the sun glinting off the water and a stiff wind in our faces. Richard & I leave Sue on the final hill up to Barnsdale and head off for the boring stretch along the Stamford Road towards Oakham. There are now quite a few cyclists sharing our path as The British Heart Foundation have a sponsored ride event taking place but there is enough space for all of us and we manage to hear the approach of most of them.The good news is that the Army Cadets are out in support of the BHF event and most of the gates are manned by them and opened for us as we approach.....thanks lads.
I go though a bit of a rough patch en-route for Egleton (around 15 miles in) but am soon re-energised by a gel and manage to help Richard through a similar phase (I think) as we run around the new shallow water lagoons by taking the lead and blocking the wind a little. The final climb up to Manton via the new cycle track is one hill too many but we run it slowly and finish back at the cars in 2:54:29 (or 2:49:46 if you take Richards time excluding the stops) having covered 17.95 miles according to my Garmin.
Thanks to everyone for a great run and excellent support throughout.
Start time is 08:30 from Manton and I pick up Sue from Barnsdale and David from Empingham en-route to Manton as they plan to finish at their respective pick-up points while Richard & I complete the whole route. Just as we arrive in Manton it starts to rain lightly, which is quite a surprise as no rain was forecast for today but also good for running as it keeps us cool. Sue, Richard, & I fall into an easy pace but David seems to be struggling after the first few miles. It turns out he had rather a lot of red wine the night before and he decides to cut his run short and return to Empingham via the most direct route once we are approaching Normanton. The rest of us head off towards Ketton and then branch back onto the water at Empingham via the cross country route to the dam wall. After a quick loo stop at Sykes Lane we head off on the stretch to Barnsdale with the sun glinting off the water and a stiff wind in our faces. Richard & I leave Sue on the final hill up to Barnsdale and head off for the boring stretch along the Stamford Road towards Oakham. There are now quite a few cyclists sharing our path as The British Heart Foundation have a sponsored ride event taking place but there is enough space for all of us and we manage to hear the approach of most of them.The good news is that the Army Cadets are out in support of the BHF event and most of the gates are manned by them and opened for us as we approach.....thanks lads.
I go though a bit of a rough patch en-route for Egleton (around 15 miles in) but am soon re-energised by a gel and manage to help Richard through a similar phase (I think) as we run around the new shallow water lagoons by taking the lead and blocking the wind a little. The final climb up to Manton via the new cycle track is one hill too many but we run it slowly and finish back at the cars in 2:54:29 (or 2:49:46 if you take Richards time excluding the stops) having covered 17.95 miles according to my Garmin.
Thanks to everyone for a great run and excellent support throughout.
Week 9 Day 1 - Sunday 18th September
It's the day of the Great North Run and it will be my 21st outing at this race. I'm supposed to race a sub 1:45 HM in week 12 so I'm aiming for 1:50 or better today. I picked up a 1:50 timing bracelet at the GNR Expo which lists each mile split time to achieve a 1:50 finish so my plan is to be just a little quicker than the bracelet time at each mile split. Race start time is 10:40 but I'm up at 06:30 too exited to sleep more and to be sure I have enough time for breakfast, toilet, & all the other prep necessary before the race. The weather forecast says it will most probably rain at the finish area around the time I should arrive, so I pack rain gear in the bag I will be leaving on the baggage bus, along with food and some cash.
Jeff (see Sat 17th) drives me to the start via our usual route past St James Park and I arrive at Leazes Terrace (aka the start area) at 09:15. I know that John Harry from Braunston & his son Richard are planning to run in the race and ponder if I will see then amongst the 54,000 other runners massing in the start area. Walking past a bus stop I hear someone call 'Paul' and spookily there they both are munching bananas. We chat about our race plans , Richard is also targeting a sub 1:50 finish, while John hopes to complete the race in around 3 hours. Richard & I are in different start pens, but we put our bags on the same bus and plan to meet up at the finish.
At 10:00 we go off to our respective start pens wishing each other all the best for the race ahead. I am pleased to find that my pen is not too full yet but has enough people to shelter me from the cool breeze if I stand somewhere in the middle. I feel my phone buzz and find I have 3 text messages wishing me good luck for the race. One from Hilde (see last Sunday), one from Cheryl, and one from Cheryl's sister. I send brief replies saying I'm in the pen waiting for the start & that the sun is shining. Just after the last text is sent I feel a few spots of rain on my arms. Looking down at my feet I see that someone has thrown away a plastic rain cover and quickly pick it up and put it on......thank you Alzheimer's Soc.
We watch the wheelchair race and the elite womens race get underway via the giant screens positioned along the start area. Then there is a moving moment as the Red Arrows fly down the whole line of runners with red white & blue trails streaming out behind them. It is in memory of their colleague Jon Egging (also from Rutland) who crashed and was fatally wounded at an air show in Bournemouth earlier in September. His wife Emma is to start the race (along with Mo Farrer) and then run the race in his memory.....a very brave & dignified lady.
At around 10:35 we begin to move forward towards the start line. We can hear the names of the elite men being introduced at the start and then the gun goes and we don't move. Soon we begin to walk forwards and the start gantry comes into view. By the time we cross the line it's 3:31 since the race started and we are moving at a slow jog which soon becomes a reasonable running pace as we spread out across 3 lanes of motorway.
My target time per mile is 8:23 and I run the first 3 miles in 7:36, 7:48, & 7:52, a bit quick but a good start to today efforts. As we run past Gateshead International Stadium the Red Arrows make a second appearance having flown over the Tyne Bridge and a huge cheer goes up from all around me. The next few miles go by smoothly and in the target range with only mile 5 (which includes a long up hill section) being slightly over target at 8:25. I reach halfway in around 52 mins which is well under the target time....so far so good. Miles 8 & 9 are uphill but I manage to maintain the required pace and am feeling strong for the final drag up to the sea front at mile 12. At around mile 11 the rain starts and continues until the finish, but its only light and actually quite pleasant.I run easily down the steep section onto the sea front and see the 12 mile banner feeling much more full of energy than I usually do at this point and begin to realise I am in for quite a good time. I run the final mile in 7:52 and finish the race in 1:46:51 feeling good and pleased that it is my 2nd fastest finish in the past 11 years (I did 1:44 in the 2000 race).
As I walk through the finish area the rain becomes heavier and I'm glad to find a foil blanket in my goody bag along with the usual medal & T-Shirt. On the baggage bus I meet up with Richard who finished in 1:49:43 and is also happy with his time. We change into dry gear and Richard goes off to wait for his dad (rather a long wait as it turned out as John found the going hard finishing in 3:21:32). I walk back to South Shields town center and after munching my sarnies visit my usual pub for a well earned Guinness......life is good.
Jeff (see Sat 17th) drives me to the start via our usual route past St James Park and I arrive at Leazes Terrace (aka the start area) at 09:15. I know that John Harry from Braunston & his son Richard are planning to run in the race and ponder if I will see then amongst the 54,000 other runners massing in the start area. Walking past a bus stop I hear someone call 'Paul' and spookily there they both are munching bananas. We chat about our race plans , Richard is also targeting a sub 1:50 finish, while John hopes to complete the race in around 3 hours. Richard & I are in different start pens, but we put our bags on the same bus and plan to meet up at the finish.
At 10:00 we go off to our respective start pens wishing each other all the best for the race ahead. I am pleased to find that my pen is not too full yet but has enough people to shelter me from the cool breeze if I stand somewhere in the middle. I feel my phone buzz and find I have 3 text messages wishing me good luck for the race. One from Hilde (see last Sunday), one from Cheryl, and one from Cheryl's sister. I send brief replies saying I'm in the pen waiting for the start & that the sun is shining. Just after the last text is sent I feel a few spots of rain on my arms. Looking down at my feet I see that someone has thrown away a plastic rain cover and quickly pick it up and put it on......thank you Alzheimer's Soc.
We watch the wheelchair race and the elite womens race get underway via the giant screens positioned along the start area. Then there is a moving moment as the Red Arrows fly down the whole line of runners with red white & blue trails streaming out behind them. It is in memory of their colleague Jon Egging (also from Rutland) who crashed and was fatally wounded at an air show in Bournemouth earlier in September. His wife Emma is to start the race (along with Mo Farrer) and then run the race in his memory.....a very brave & dignified lady.
At around 10:35 we begin to move forward towards the start line. We can hear the names of the elite men being introduced at the start and then the gun goes and we don't move. Soon we begin to walk forwards and the start gantry comes into view. By the time we cross the line it's 3:31 since the race started and we are moving at a slow jog which soon becomes a reasonable running pace as we spread out across 3 lanes of motorway.
My target time per mile is 8:23 and I run the first 3 miles in 7:36, 7:48, & 7:52, a bit quick but a good start to today efforts. As we run past Gateshead International Stadium the Red Arrows make a second appearance having flown over the Tyne Bridge and a huge cheer goes up from all around me. The next few miles go by smoothly and in the target range with only mile 5 (which includes a long up hill section) being slightly over target at 8:25. I reach halfway in around 52 mins which is well under the target time....so far so good. Miles 8 & 9 are uphill but I manage to maintain the required pace and am feeling strong for the final drag up to the sea front at mile 12. At around mile 11 the rain starts and continues until the finish, but its only light and actually quite pleasant.I run easily down the steep section onto the sea front and see the 12 mile banner feeling much more full of energy than I usually do at this point and begin to realise I am in for quite a good time. I run the final mile in 7:52 and finish the race in 1:46:51 feeling good and pleased that it is my 2nd fastest finish in the past 11 years (I did 1:44 in the 2000 race).
As I walk through the finish area the rain becomes heavier and I'm glad to find a foil blanket in my goody bag along with the usual medal & T-Shirt. On the baggage bus I meet up with Richard who finished in 1:49:43 and is also happy with his time. We change into dry gear and Richard goes off to wait for his dad (rather a long wait as it turned out as John found the going hard finishing in 3:21:32). I walk back to South Shields town center and after munching my sarnies visit my usual pub for a well earned Guinness......life is good.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Week 8 Day 1 - Sunday 11th September
Early start today (05:30 wake up) as Cheryl (wife) is massaging at The Robin Hood Marathon/HM in Nottingham and I am running in the HM with our friend Hilde who has entered the full marathon and I am to pace her around the first 13 miles. Cheryl has to be there for 07:45 to set up her massage equipment in time to give some pre- event massages to participants (including Hilde & me) so we leave home at 06:30 and drive to Nottingham on empty roads. Fortunately it's not too windy yet (remnants of hurricane Katia are due tomorrow) but it's building and the large massage tent is begining to flap quite loudly in the wind. I don't think I've ever seen so many massage tables (known as 'plinths' to those in the know) in one place, there must be around 30, and sitting there empty it reminds me of a field hospital awaiting the arrival of wounded participants in a war, which in a way I suppose it is. It's not long however before it's full to the brim with runners wanting some pre-event treatment, there's even a queue going out the door as demand exceeds supply. Looks like Cheryl (and her fellow masseuers) are in for a busy day.
Hilde arrives looking nervous and gets her pre-event massage from Cheryl, as do I and we both agree it's ideal preparation for what lies ahead.
This being Hilde's first marathon she is targetting a conservative 5hrs for the event and we discuss pacing speed and I worry about her decision not to take any gels (they make her sick) and to rely just on the isotonic drinks to be handed out on the course. However now is not the time to raise problems so at 09:40 we set off for the start line.
At the start area we are divided into pens dependant upon the estimated finish time stated on the race entry form. Hilde's estimate places us in 'Orange' near the rear of the field. I am surprised that for such a large event (around 10,000 participants) there is so much room in the pen, we can move about quite freely and it's quite hard to find enough shelter from the strengthening wind behind other runners while we wait for the start gun. The race starts promptly at 10am and around 6 mins later we cross the start line, hit 'go' on our Garmins and we're off. I try to keep the pace at around 10 minute miling but it's a bit up and down while we negotiate the city centre with some narrow sections and the usual street furniture. It's the first time I've ran this race, my only other race in Nottingham being a 5 miler some years ago which left me with the abiding impression that Nottingham was extremely hilly. Either I wasn't as fit then or the route is very different, but the hills don't seem too bad to either of us and we cruise along quite nicely through the city for miles 1 - 4. At mile 4 we enter a park and the scenery improves considerably as we run along tracks by the University. Hilde even spots her old Hall (Rutland) as we run by. After mile 6 we leave the University grounds and hit the roads again and I notice that Hilde's head is begining to droop a little so I remind her to keep looking ahead so she can get good oxygen intake. A couple of miles later we enter Wollaton park and after a brief uphill climb into the park we are again on trails until after mile 9 when we leave the park and head back for the city centre on roads again. Hilde is getting slower but we are still averaging around 10:15 miling and it's looking good for Hilde to achieve her target. Wishing her all the best I eventually leave her after we pass the 12 mile marker (as I'm not certain where the course splits for HM and Marathon runners). I seem to sprint past quite a few runners in the last mile and cross the line in 2hrs 16mins feeling quite fresh and relaxed. It has been very interesting to run in a race at a slower pace then I would normally do. There seems much more time to look around and the runners around me seemed much more relaxed than those I'm normally surrounded by. Before leaving Hilde it did cross my mind to stay out and do the whole event with her, but this would have been a BIG jump in race distance (my last marathon was in 2008) and would mean I'd most probably not run in the Great North Run next Sunday....not a good idea then really.
After feeding myself and looking in on Cheryl (who is busy giving post-event treatments) I set off for the 24 mile point to cheer Hilde back home. The wind is still strengthening and it means that the final 5 miles of the Marathon course will be directly into the wind....not really what you want after a 21 mile slog. Hilde eventually appears and it is clear that the wind has taken it's toll. She is tired but pleased to see me, and has that steely look in her eyes that say 'I'm going to finish no matter what'. She finally arrives at the finish 15 mins over her target time, quite exhausted by the conditions. I don't broach the subject of 'another attempt' but suspect that once the pain has gone it will happen sometime next year....
Hilde arrives looking nervous and gets her pre-event massage from Cheryl, as do I and we both agree it's ideal preparation for what lies ahead.
This being Hilde's first marathon she is targetting a conservative 5hrs for the event and we discuss pacing speed and I worry about her decision not to take any gels (they make her sick) and to rely just on the isotonic drinks to be handed out on the course. However now is not the time to raise problems so at 09:40 we set off for the start line.
At the start area we are divided into pens dependant upon the estimated finish time stated on the race entry form. Hilde's estimate places us in 'Orange' near the rear of the field. I am surprised that for such a large event (around 10,000 participants) there is so much room in the pen, we can move about quite freely and it's quite hard to find enough shelter from the strengthening wind behind other runners while we wait for the start gun. The race starts promptly at 10am and around 6 mins later we cross the start line, hit 'go' on our Garmins and we're off. I try to keep the pace at around 10 minute miling but it's a bit up and down while we negotiate the city centre with some narrow sections and the usual street furniture. It's the first time I've ran this race, my only other race in Nottingham being a 5 miler some years ago which left me with the abiding impression that Nottingham was extremely hilly. Either I wasn't as fit then or the route is very different, but the hills don't seem too bad to either of us and we cruise along quite nicely through the city for miles 1 - 4. At mile 4 we enter a park and the scenery improves considerably as we run along tracks by the University. Hilde even spots her old Hall (Rutland) as we run by. After mile 6 we leave the University grounds and hit the roads again and I notice that Hilde's head is begining to droop a little so I remind her to keep looking ahead so she can get good oxygen intake. A couple of miles later we enter Wollaton park and after a brief uphill climb into the park we are again on trails until after mile 9 when we leave the park and head back for the city centre on roads again. Hilde is getting slower but we are still averaging around 10:15 miling and it's looking good for Hilde to achieve her target. Wishing her all the best I eventually leave her after we pass the 12 mile marker (as I'm not certain where the course splits for HM and Marathon runners). I seem to sprint past quite a few runners in the last mile and cross the line in 2hrs 16mins feeling quite fresh and relaxed. It has been very interesting to run in a race at a slower pace then I would normally do. There seems much more time to look around and the runners around me seemed much more relaxed than those I'm normally surrounded by. Before leaving Hilde it did cross my mind to stay out and do the whole event with her, but this would have been a BIG jump in race distance (my last marathon was in 2008) and would mean I'd most probably not run in the Great North Run next Sunday....not a good idea then really.
After feeding myself and looking in on Cheryl (who is busy giving post-event treatments) I set off for the 24 mile point to cheer Hilde back home. The wind is still strengthening and it means that the final 5 miles of the Marathon course will be directly into the wind....not really what you want after a 21 mile slog. Hilde eventually appears and it is clear that the wind has taken it's toll. She is tired but pleased to see me, and has that steely look in her eyes that say 'I'm going to finish no matter what'. She finally arrives at the finish 15 mins over her target time, quite exhausted by the conditions. I don't broach the subject of 'another attempt' but suspect that once the pain has gone it will happen sometime next year....
Introduction
Hi
My name is Paul Rogerson and I've decided to write a blog about my training expolits for the Rutland Water marathon, which is being held this year (2011) on Saturday November 6th. I am following a 15 week training program from Runners World magazine for a target completion time of 3hrs 45mins.
Let me say from the outset that I do NOT expect to achieve this time in the actual event as it is a mix of tarmac & trail running and is anything but flat, so a more realistic time of 4hrs 30min is my target for the race (perhaps I should also say at this point that I'm 62 years old and that my 'boy racer' days are well behind me) but by training at a harder pace I hope this will make it easier to achieve my target time on the day. My training started in late July and this blog picks up the program from Week 8 (Sept 11th to 18th).
My name is Paul Rogerson and I've decided to write a blog about my training expolits for the Rutland Water marathon, which is being held this year (2011) on Saturday November 6th. I am following a 15 week training program from Runners World magazine for a target completion time of 3hrs 45mins.
Let me say from the outset that I do NOT expect to achieve this time in the actual event as it is a mix of tarmac & trail running and is anything but flat, so a more realistic time of 4hrs 30min is my target for the race (perhaps I should also say at this point that I'm 62 years old and that my 'boy racer' days are well behind me) but by training at a harder pace I hope this will make it easier to achieve my target time on the day. My training started in late July and this blog picks up the program from Week 8 (Sept 11th to 18th).
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)