It had to happen eventually.
After years of considering myself to be immune to injury I got injured.
About four weeks before Manchester Marathon I did two 20 mile runs in less than 48 hours in ill-fitting shoes. This stupidity resulted in a blood blister which then had me running on the front of my foot. This resulted in a sore foot.
Like an idiot I kept on training but the sore foot did not go away. After my marathon is was particularly painful and again a week later after a mere 6 miles I was limping everywhere.
I tried doing my running on grass but this didn't cure it so after a last race (a hilly 5 miler) I decided to stop running until it was better. That was in mid May. It is now getting towards July and I am still not running. The foot is getting better but l am probably still two weeks away from starting to jog again.
Luckily I can cycle and swim. This exercise is keeping me sane but watching the summer racing pass me by is pretty frustrating.
One positive is that after two and a half years of constant training I am giving my joints a long break and hopefully clearing up all my niggles.
I have enjoyed the swimming and cycling and may have to try a triathlon one day! Going from being a decent club runner to one of the slowest swimmers in the pool is pretty humbling and will certainly address and ego issues!
As Arnie said, I'll be back. Hopefully I'll be wiser I'm future and listen to my body.
Tuesday 23 June 2015
Sunday 3 May 2015
Manchester Marathon
The training:
Having had success with the Hansons 50 - 60 miles per week plan over the summer I decided to attempt their 60 - 80 miles per week plan. This involved running 7 days a week, six 20 mile runs and two "sessions" a week along with a lot of easy running. For sanity's sake I capped the maximum mileage at about 75 miles by shortening some of the warm ups and cool downs.
I survived the plan but found it brutal at times. The week before the Wilmslow Half I did two 20 milers in quick succession to free up the Sunday for "just" a Half. This madness combined with slightly ill-fitting trainers resulted in a blood blister which forced me to have a couple of days off. I also had a couple of weeks early on where I just jogged the miles as I had a cold.
The race:
Having done a 3:19 marathon last autumn I now wanted to go sub 3:15. The plan was to get with the 3:15 pacemaker and hopefully speed up in the last 6 miles.
On the day the weather was perfect and my niggles had almost cleared up so there would be no excuses. After a crowded first mile in 7:36 I then locked into 7:20 pace to catch the pacemaker. After catching him about 5 miles in I tucked in behind him for a few miles, just rolling along with the group and conserving energy.
My experience of marathons is that if you don't reach halfway feeling strong you are in big trouble so the first half should be a steady jog; almost boring!
The pace for a 3:15 marathon is 7:25 mins per mile so after a couple of 7:30 miles I decided not to trust the pacemaker and push on a bit. I sped up very slightly and that was the last I saw of that group (thankfully!)
The support in Altrincham at halfway was fantastic and I went through in 1:36:30 so well on target. The next three miles felt fantastic as I cruised along at 7:20 pace, energised by a gel. However after 16 miles the fatigue started to set in but I had enough effort in reserve to just try a bit harder to compensate. It was now a case of counting down the fractions of mile to 30K (18.6 miles) and then 20 miles when the countdown could start in earnest.
I got some great support from fellow Bramhall Runners along this section of the course which made a huge difference. A big thanks to anyone who turned out on the day to cheer.
Apparently in a marathon the race begins at 20 miles. However, having pushed on a bit in the middle of the race I didn't feel able to speed up. I did manage to avoid much fade and just kept cruising along just under 7:30 pace. There were a few Chorlton Runners around so I took pleasure in overtaking them!
At about 25 miles the course turns on to Chester Rd towards Old Trafford and now it was just a case of using any energy that was left. This was going well until I saw the 25 mile marker positioned about half a mile late. This really confused me and I lost focus. Thankfully the 26 mile marker soon appeared and then it was just a case of turning down the finishing straight and sprinting for home. I knew I would be under 3:15 but was pleasantly surprised to see 3:12 on the watch!
All in all a very uneventful marathon. No cramp, no wall, just a long run with free drinks at the end!
I have read a few reports of the Hansons plan where runners have said they have enjoyed the second half of the race. I think the constant running on tired legs prepares you mentally and physically for those 26 miles. It may be a while before I contemplate doing that plan again though!
Having had success with the Hansons 50 - 60 miles per week plan over the summer I decided to attempt their 60 - 80 miles per week plan. This involved running 7 days a week, six 20 mile runs and two "sessions" a week along with a lot of easy running. For sanity's sake I capped the maximum mileage at about 75 miles by shortening some of the warm ups and cool downs.
I survived the plan but found it brutal at times. The week before the Wilmslow Half I did two 20 milers in quick succession to free up the Sunday for "just" a Half. This madness combined with slightly ill-fitting trainers resulted in a blood blister which forced me to have a couple of days off. I also had a couple of weeks early on where I just jogged the miles as I had a cold.
The race:
Having done a 3:19 marathon last autumn I now wanted to go sub 3:15. The plan was to get with the 3:15 pacemaker and hopefully speed up in the last 6 miles.
On the day the weather was perfect and my niggles had almost cleared up so there would be no excuses. After a crowded first mile in 7:36 I then locked into 7:20 pace to catch the pacemaker. After catching him about 5 miles in I tucked in behind him for a few miles, just rolling along with the group and conserving energy.
My experience of marathons is that if you don't reach halfway feeling strong you are in big trouble so the first half should be a steady jog; almost boring!
The pace for a 3:15 marathon is 7:25 mins per mile so after a couple of 7:30 miles I decided not to trust the pacemaker and push on a bit. I sped up very slightly and that was the last I saw of that group (thankfully!)
The support in Altrincham at halfway was fantastic and I went through in 1:36:30 so well on target. The next three miles felt fantastic as I cruised along at 7:20 pace, energised by a gel. However after 16 miles the fatigue started to set in but I had enough effort in reserve to just try a bit harder to compensate. It was now a case of counting down the fractions of mile to 30K (18.6 miles) and then 20 miles when the countdown could start in earnest.
I got some great support from fellow Bramhall Runners along this section of the course which made a huge difference. A big thanks to anyone who turned out on the day to cheer.
Apparently in a marathon the race begins at 20 miles. However, having pushed on a bit in the middle of the race I didn't feel able to speed up. I did manage to avoid much fade and just kept cruising along just under 7:30 pace. There were a few Chorlton Runners around so I took pleasure in overtaking them!
At about 25 miles the course turns on to Chester Rd towards Old Trafford and now it was just a case of using any energy that was left. This was going well until I saw the 25 mile marker positioned about half a mile late. This really confused me and I lost focus. Thankfully the 26 mile marker soon appeared and then it was just a case of turning down the finishing straight and sprinting for home. I knew I would be under 3:15 but was pleasantly surprised to see 3:12 on the watch!
All in all a very uneventful marathon. No cramp, no wall, just a long run with free drinks at the end!
I have read a few reports of the Hansons plan where runners have said they have enjoyed the second half of the race. I think the constant running on tired legs prepares you mentally and physically for those 26 miles. It may be a while before I contemplate doing that plan again though!
Monday 6 April 2015
Wilmslow Half
This is one of my favourite races of the year. I started off my serious running career by training for this race and was rewarded with a 1:36 time. I ran it again last year after a whole lot more training and got my time down to 1:28. This year I wasn't expect such a jump in PB but was hoping to go sub 1:28.
My build up was a bit weird. I did a hard 20 mile run on Tuesday and was then sidelined for two days with a painful blood blister. I bought some new trainers and managed a five mile jog the day before the race but the running felt weird and anything but smooth.
So on the day I had no idea what would happen.
My planned pace was 6:40 minute/miles and I bumped into a club mate (John) who was happy to go at that pace so we started off together.
The first seven miles are mainly downhill and they passed without incident, averaging just under 6:40. The effort felt a bit harder than last year and my legs felt sore but nothing drastic.
Miles 8 to 10 are slightly uphill and in the eighth mile everyone around me seemed to slow down and I had to start overtaking people just to keep the pace respectable. John dropped back at this point and I was on my own. I had to dig in over these three miles and managed to keep the pace just below 6:50, overtaking about 60 people!
I was hoping to go through 10 miles in 1:07:00 but I went through in 1:07:10. The PB was still on but there was no room for fade. Thankfully the 11th mile is slightly downhill and I managed a healthy 6:30. The 12th mile was uphill and I managed to dig in for a 6:45. I knew a decent last mile would get me home sub 1:28 and I managed to dig out another 6:30. Speeding up slightly over the last 200 metres or so I came home in 1:27:44.
So a new PB and about 40 seconds faster than year. I guess I should be pleased with that but then again when I think of the amount of training I have done over the last 12 months I am not sure that 40 seconds is a good return.
On the other hand fitness gains do not come smoothly and I came first out of my club so as long as I enjoy the training and racing I will keep plugging away.
My build up was a bit weird. I did a hard 20 mile run on Tuesday and was then sidelined for two days with a painful blood blister. I bought some new trainers and managed a five mile jog the day before the race but the running felt weird and anything but smooth.
So on the day I had no idea what would happen.
My planned pace was 6:40 minute/miles and I bumped into a club mate (John) who was happy to go at that pace so we started off together.
The first seven miles are mainly downhill and they passed without incident, averaging just under 6:40. The effort felt a bit harder than last year and my legs felt sore but nothing drastic.
Miles 8 to 10 are slightly uphill and in the eighth mile everyone around me seemed to slow down and I had to start overtaking people just to keep the pace respectable. John dropped back at this point and I was on my own. I had to dig in over these three miles and managed to keep the pace just below 6:50, overtaking about 60 people!
I was hoping to go through 10 miles in 1:07:00 but I went through in 1:07:10. The PB was still on but there was no room for fade. Thankfully the 11th mile is slightly downhill and I managed a healthy 6:30. The 12th mile was uphill and I managed to dig in for a 6:45. I knew a decent last mile would get me home sub 1:28 and I managed to dig out another 6:30. Speeding up slightly over the last 200 metres or so I came home in 1:27:44.
So a new PB and about 40 seconds faster than year. I guess I should be pleased with that but then again when I think of the amount of training I have done over the last 12 months I am not sure that 40 seconds is a good return.
On the other hand fitness gains do not come smoothly and I came first out of my club so as long as I enjoy the training and racing I will keep plugging away.
Friday 20 March 2015
Blistered
Long time no blog!
I have been working my way through the Hansons' 60 to 80 miles per week marathon training plan. I decided that 80 miles per week was a bit much, especially the 16 mile midweek runs, so have sanitised it a bit, cutting down a few of the warm ups and cool downs, and only doing 5 miles on Mondays, to peak at 75 miles.
The plan has been tough and I'm not sure if I would do it again in a hurry. There is a lot of speed work involved, increasing the chance of injury. It is also much nicer psychologically to be adding miles to an easy plan rather than taking miles off a hard plan. I enjoyed the advanced plan in their book which I did in the summer. This peaked at 63 miles and included a day off every week which I normally did an easy run on but could take if I needed it.
On the whole I have been surviving though - until now! My paces have increased and on Tuesday I did my best long run over with 10 miles at 8:10 minutes per mile, 5 at 7:40 and 5 at 7:00. This run was done only two days after my previous 20 miler to free up the Sunday for a Half Marathon. However my ill-fitting trainers resulted in a very painful blister forming at the base of the heel on my right foot. This has made walking painful let alone running.
I managed two 4 mile recovery runs on Wednesday but this made the blister more painful and also resulted in my biggest energy slump ever, being unable to get up from my desk that afternoon!
Yesterday I just went for a swim. Today the blister feels somewhat better. The old trainers are going in the bin and tonight I will try a short run in some better fitting trainers.
Whatever state my blister is in I suspect I will race the Wilmslow Half on Sunday. This is one of my favourite races of the year and plenty of my club mates are doing it. Last year I came first in my club. Blister apart I should be on for a PB and a chance of first in club again.
Then it is just four weeks until Manchester marathon. There is supposed to be one more week of full training after Sunday but I suspect the taper has started already. The blister will see to that.
I have been working my way through the Hansons' 60 to 80 miles per week marathon training plan. I decided that 80 miles per week was a bit much, especially the 16 mile midweek runs, so have sanitised it a bit, cutting down a few of the warm ups and cool downs, and only doing 5 miles on Mondays, to peak at 75 miles.
The plan has been tough and I'm not sure if I would do it again in a hurry. There is a lot of speed work involved, increasing the chance of injury. It is also much nicer psychologically to be adding miles to an easy plan rather than taking miles off a hard plan. I enjoyed the advanced plan in their book which I did in the summer. This peaked at 63 miles and included a day off every week which I normally did an easy run on but could take if I needed it.
On the whole I have been surviving though - until now! My paces have increased and on Tuesday I did my best long run over with 10 miles at 8:10 minutes per mile, 5 at 7:40 and 5 at 7:00. This run was done only two days after my previous 20 miler to free up the Sunday for a Half Marathon. However my ill-fitting trainers resulted in a very painful blister forming at the base of the heel on my right foot. This has made walking painful let alone running.
I managed two 4 mile recovery runs on Wednesday but this made the blister more painful and also resulted in my biggest energy slump ever, being unable to get up from my desk that afternoon!
Yesterday I just went for a swim. Today the blister feels somewhat better. The old trainers are going in the bin and tonight I will try a short run in some better fitting trainers.
Whatever state my blister is in I suspect I will race the Wilmslow Half on Sunday. This is one of my favourite races of the year and plenty of my club mates are doing it. Last year I came first in my club. Blister apart I should be on for a PB and a chance of first in club again.
Then it is just four weeks until Manchester marathon. There is supposed to be one more week of full training after Sunday but I suspect the taper has started already. The blister will see to that.
Wednesday 7 January 2015
Stockport 10
The Stockport 10 in December is one of my favourite events - a local race with loads of club mates present and a scenic course with some challenging hills that provide good overtaking opportunities!
Last year's event was a bit of a watershed moment for me as I finally felt the benefit of the summer marathon training program and realised I could bang out 7 minute miles for quite a long time. I was aiming for 70 minutes and got 68:13.
This year I had two more marathon training plans behind me so was aiming for 66:xx.
The weather was rather cold and the heavens opened a few minutes before the race start, meaning that we had no choice but to stand in the rain. Thankfully the race soon started and after a lap of the track we were off around Woodbank park and into the local housing estate.
The first mile was rather crowded and it took a lot of overtaking to start with a solid 6:50. By now I had latched onto a club mate (John) who normally beats me in 5Ks but who I beat in the Wilmslow Half in the spring. It would be interesting to see who would come out on top over 10 miles.
We settled into a 6:35 pace which felt comfortable as we weaved around the housing estate and then plunged into the valley over the next 3 miles.
Mile 5 is undulating and resulted in a 6:47 while mile 6 contains a long uphill out of the valley. With a lot of overtaking and surging we managed to keep this down to a 6:58.
In Mile 7 you plunge down into the valley again, resulting in an enjoyable 6:29 mile.
During Mile 8 we were joined by another club mate (Paul) who had started easy and still looked very comfortable. We knocked out a solid 6:43 and then mile 9 starts with a gentle slope down to the river where this photo was taken:
After the bridge it was time to climb back up to Woodbank Park on the dreaded New Zealand Road hill. Actually this hill isn't that steep and it was quite fun conquering it together with the three of us in a row.
The final mile starts near the top of the hill and takes in the park and the best part of a lap on the track. As we entered the park Paul upped the pace to sub 6 minute miling and this broke up our group. I managed to stay a few metres behind Paul and John was a bit further back.
Onto the track and I managed to speed up to sub 6 pace myself, overtaking two runners and finishing a few seconds and one place behind Paul. John was a few seconds back.
So a time of 66:40 was satisfactory being a 90 second PB. However a final mile of 6:20 suggests that I left too much in the tank. I probably should have pushed it harder on the final hill rather than succumb to the temptation to tuck in with my club mates.
Overall a great event and I will definitely be back next time.
Last year's event was a bit of a watershed moment for me as I finally felt the benefit of the summer marathon training program and realised I could bang out 7 minute miles for quite a long time. I was aiming for 70 minutes and got 68:13.
This year I had two more marathon training plans behind me so was aiming for 66:xx.
The weather was rather cold and the heavens opened a few minutes before the race start, meaning that we had no choice but to stand in the rain. Thankfully the race soon started and after a lap of the track we were off around Woodbank park and into the local housing estate.
The first mile was rather crowded and it took a lot of overtaking to start with a solid 6:50. By now I had latched onto a club mate (John) who normally beats me in 5Ks but who I beat in the Wilmslow Half in the spring. It would be interesting to see who would come out on top over 10 miles.
We settled into a 6:35 pace which felt comfortable as we weaved around the housing estate and then plunged into the valley over the next 3 miles.
Mile 5 is undulating and resulted in a 6:47 while mile 6 contains a long uphill out of the valley. With a lot of overtaking and surging we managed to keep this down to a 6:58.
In Mile 7 you plunge down into the valley again, resulting in an enjoyable 6:29 mile.
During Mile 8 we were joined by another club mate (Paul) who had started easy and still looked very comfortable. We knocked out a solid 6:43 and then mile 9 starts with a gentle slope down to the river where this photo was taken:
After the bridge it was time to climb back up to Woodbank Park on the dreaded New Zealand Road hill. Actually this hill isn't that steep and it was quite fun conquering it together with the three of us in a row.
The final mile starts near the top of the hill and takes in the park and the best part of a lap on the track. As we entered the park Paul upped the pace to sub 6 minute miling and this broke up our group. I managed to stay a few metres behind Paul and John was a bit further back.
Onto the track and I managed to speed up to sub 6 pace myself, overtaking two runners and finishing a few seconds and one place behind Paul. John was a few seconds back.
So a time of 66:40 was satisfactory being a 90 second PB. However a final mile of 6:20 suggests that I left too much in the tank. I probably should have pushed it harder on the final hill rather than succumb to the temptation to tuck in with my club mates.
Overall a great event and I will definitely be back next time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)