I did this race last year and really enjoyed it so last Sunday I was back for more.
The conditions were OK, cool and windy with the odd shower so actually quite good for running if not for the spectators.
Last year I got stuck in a huge queue for a stile in mile 2 so this year I set off at a brisk pace and was rewarded with virtually no queue at all. This probably saved me two or three minutes on last year's time. The second mile ends with a very steep hill and I trotted up it, overtaking quite a few runners. This may have been early race bravado but I felt good.
The next four miles are undulating and fun, up and down through fields and woods on paths, tracks and roads. The sheer variety of terrain really makes this race for me. I tried to keep the effort level down as I knew what was coming in mile 7. However three 7:15 miles in this section were a pleasant surprise.
At the start of mile 7 the hill of death begins. Over the next 3 miles you climb almost 700 feet. The first part is very steep but then it levels off a bit and becomes more undulating.
Unfortunately after the steep part I managed to take a tumble. I was merrily coasting along a rocky track when next thing I know my Lucozade bottle had gone flying and I was lying on the path. I guess I tripped on a rock. I retrieved my bottle and carried on, nursing a badly grazed knee. This tumble did knock my confidence for a while but didn't seem to affect my running, despite an impressive trickle of blood down my right leg.
I gained a few more paces on the slog up to the 9 mile point where the hill ends. From here you are rewarded with 4 miles of descent where you gradually lose the elevation you just gained. The paths are quite treacherous in places though so 8 minute miling was the best I could manage. At one point I was in a group of three, one guy in front and one behind me, which was fun but gradually the guy in front of me pulled away and I dropped the guy behind me. This seems to happen a lot in these sort of races as some people do better uphill and some on the down-hills meaning that you are always changing places.
Mile 14 contains the final nasty hill but I managed to trot up it without too much trouble. Then there are some steep downhill sections until the 15 mile point when it is a slightly downhill 3.5 mile fast stretch to the finish.
On the last steep downhill section some guy raced past me but I managed to keep him in sight and then reel him in on the flat.
I was feeling quite tired in the 16th mile but then I started to enjoy myself! I was being dragged along at 7:30 pace, overtaking a couple of stragglers and looking forward to a sprint finish. Last year I was counting down the 0.1 miles till the end at this point so this was definitely progress!
As we crossed a bridge with half a mile to go I finally overtook the guy in front and raced to the finish line. Having people watch me on the finish straight always makes me speed up and I had plenty of energy to zoom down the final straight. One lady gasped "look at that guy's knee!" Nice to feel like a soldier once in your life!
My time of 2:30:23 was about nine minutes faster than last year so I am obviously happy with that. The strong finish is a very positive sign. I would like to think that I could have carried on to 26.2 miles at a reasonable pace!
Thursday 21 August 2014
Monday 18 August 2014
Sale Sizzler 5K
One month ago I attempted to go sub-19 at a 5k for the first time but fell short, ending up with a 19:03.
Last Thursday night I had another chance with the final Sale Sizzler of the summer.
Having had a cold all week and a fuzzy head all day I wasn't sure if I was in PB shape but my legs felt good during the warm up so I decided to go for it.
The plan was to stick to 6:10 pace as long as I could. If I could do 3 miles at this pace I would go sub 19 as the Garmin measures the course slightly short and I would speed up at the end.
During the first mile the lap pace often slipped towards 6:20 but some surges in the second half of the mile got the time down to 6:09. Step one complete.
One month ago I didn't manage to maintain the pace for the second mile but this time I felt stronger and mile 2 clocked by in 6:10.
However early on in mile 3 I glanced at my Garmin and the lap pace was saying 6:30 so I knew I needed to up the effort. Fortunately a lady then overtook me and I sped up to keep up with her and then overtake her back. This cycle repeated a few times and the frequent surging got my mile 3 time down to 6:11. This could be a lesson for the future. In flat races you are always using the same muscles so by speeding up for a few seconds you are breaking the monotony a bit for your legs.
After 3 miles it was back onto the track for the final 200 metres. I spotted a club mate ahead and managed to overtake him and sprint past a few more runners for a time of 18:52.
Eighteen months ago my 5K PB was about 21:15 so I am obviously happy with the progress. That will probably be my last fast 5K of the year so next summer I can target a sub 18:50.
Compared to the previous Sale Sizzler this one was much more fun. Although I was tired in the last mile I managed to dig deep and keep moving up the field. In an ideal world the tiredness of the final section of a race is balanced by the excitement of being near the end and that is what happened.
My half marathon and especially my marathon PBs are now slow compared to my 5K PB. Hopefully 8 more weeks of marathon training should help that!
Last Thursday night I had another chance with the final Sale Sizzler of the summer.
Having had a cold all week and a fuzzy head all day I wasn't sure if I was in PB shape but my legs felt good during the warm up so I decided to go for it.
The plan was to stick to 6:10 pace as long as I could. If I could do 3 miles at this pace I would go sub 19 as the Garmin measures the course slightly short and I would speed up at the end.
During the first mile the lap pace often slipped towards 6:20 but some surges in the second half of the mile got the time down to 6:09. Step one complete.
One month ago I didn't manage to maintain the pace for the second mile but this time I felt stronger and mile 2 clocked by in 6:10.
However early on in mile 3 I glanced at my Garmin and the lap pace was saying 6:30 so I knew I needed to up the effort. Fortunately a lady then overtook me and I sped up to keep up with her and then overtake her back. This cycle repeated a few times and the frequent surging got my mile 3 time down to 6:11. This could be a lesson for the future. In flat races you are always using the same muscles so by speeding up for a few seconds you are breaking the monotony a bit for your legs.
After 3 miles it was back onto the track for the final 200 metres. I spotted a club mate ahead and managed to overtake him and sprint past a few more runners for a time of 18:52.
Eighteen months ago my 5K PB was about 21:15 so I am obviously happy with the progress. That will probably be my last fast 5K of the year so next summer I can target a sub 18:50.
Compared to the previous Sale Sizzler this one was much more fun. Although I was tired in the last mile I managed to dig deep and keep moving up the field. In an ideal world the tiredness of the final section of a race is balanced by the excitement of being near the end and that is what happened.
My half marathon and especially my marathon PBs are now slow compared to my 5K PB. Hopefully 8 more weeks of marathon training should help that!
Thursday 14 August 2014
Bramhall Runners Foodbank 5.5K
Marathon training is progressing well and I have now reached the "strength" section of the plan where you do longer intervals at MP - 10s pace rather than the VO2Max sessions.
The Sunday before last I did my first 15 miler of the plan. I took in the hilly Stockport 10 route for a different challenge and did the run in 2:05 (about 8:20 pace.) This felt very comfortable so I think I still have a reasonable endurance base.
Last Thursday I raced the Foodbank 5.5K - a trail race in the scenic Happy Valley. This year you have to cross the river on stepping stones and then on the way back you ford it so a bit of an extra challenge this time.
When I raced this last year it was a bit bizarre as after the first Kilometre or so I did no overtaking and was not overtaken either. This year I did plenty of overtaking - starting in about 30th place saw to that!
The initial pace felt very pedestrian but according to the Garmin it was 6:20 min/mile so not too shabby. After the river crossing I spotted a club mate about 30 metres in front of me who normally beats me in the short races. I figured that if I kept near him I would be doing well so over the next mile or so I gradually overtook about 10 runners until I was the next runner behind him but still about 30 metres back.
We then crossed the river again and for the last 500 metres or so it is just a case of keeping your foot on the pedal to ensure that no one gets past you.
I managed to keep my place and came home in 13th position My time was about the same as last year which is OK considering that this year we had water obstacles!
Doing all that overtaking was fun but probably cost me some energy so at the next Foodbank I will start further forward and see if I can use the faster people to pull me along.
Tonight is the final Sale Sizzler 5K of the summer. I have been fighting a cold all week so I don't know if that will slow me down but I am aiming for my first sub 19 min 5K! Three 6:10 miles should do the trick as my Garmin measures the course short. It sounds so simple on paper!
The Sunday before last I did my first 15 miler of the plan. I took in the hilly Stockport 10 route for a different challenge and did the run in 2:05 (about 8:20 pace.) This felt very comfortable so I think I still have a reasonable endurance base.
Last Thursday I raced the Foodbank 5.5K - a trail race in the scenic Happy Valley. This year you have to cross the river on stepping stones and then on the way back you ford it so a bit of an extra challenge this time.
When I raced this last year it was a bit bizarre as after the first Kilometre or so I did no overtaking and was not overtaken either. This year I did plenty of overtaking - starting in about 30th place saw to that!
The initial pace felt very pedestrian but according to the Garmin it was 6:20 min/mile so not too shabby. After the river crossing I spotted a club mate about 30 metres in front of me who normally beats me in the short races. I figured that if I kept near him I would be doing well so over the next mile or so I gradually overtook about 10 runners until I was the next runner behind him but still about 30 metres back.
We then crossed the river again and for the last 500 metres or so it is just a case of keeping your foot on the pedal to ensure that no one gets past you.
I managed to keep my place and came home in 13th position My time was about the same as last year which is OK considering that this year we had water obstacles!
Doing all that overtaking was fun but probably cost me some energy so at the next Foodbank I will start further forward and see if I can use the faster people to pull me along.
Tonight is the final Sale Sizzler 5K of the summer. I have been fighting a cold all week so I don't know if that will slow me down but I am aiming for my first sub 19 min 5K! Three 6:10 miles should do the trick as my Garmin measures the course short. It sounds so simple on paper!
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